Wasting no time, she pointed the barrel at the possessed's head and blew it to bits.
However, as the last shot echoed into silence, she heard it—the sound of multiple growls and monstrous screeches emanating from the forest.
Out they came, one after another, an army of possessed beings.
It was like being thrust into a horror movie. The grotesque glares of the monstrous possessed, along with their bone-chilling clicks, utterly petrified Mrs. Lawler. It was the worst possible outcome, especially since she was already disheartened.
She had struggled to defeat just one of the possessed and had failed miserably.
Now, she faced a horde. The overwhelming odds almost made her want to give up on the spot. But she knew she couldn't. She was the last hope for her children's survival.
In that moment, all the possessed beings, in a brief second, swiftly charged towards her, their loud, monstrous snarls filling the air.
Wasting no further time, she turned and sprinted for shelter with all her might. The possessed continued their relentless pursuit.
With each glance over her shoulder, she saw them getting closer and closer. The loaded gun in her hand slowed her down, but discarding it would leave her defenseless. Even though reaching shelter unarmed was better than being killed outside, Mrs. Lawler wasn't ready to give up her weapon. She believed she could make it to safety before they caught up to her.
Creak!
With a bit of luck, she made it inside the house just in time, swiftly shutting and locking the door. But peace for the Lawler family was still elusive. The pounding and banging of the possessed against the wooden front door began to take its toll. The door's hinges and structure started to crumble under the relentless assault.
Bash!
As if things couldn't get any worse, they did. With a single powerful shove, the possessed smashed through the parlor window, leaping through the broken frame onto the cold, hard tiles of the Lawler residence.
Once again, the tables had turned against the living. Mrs. Lawler faced a split-second decision: run for her life or attempt to suppress the possessed.
But she had no time for contemplation. The possessed that had broken through the window rose to their feet and turned their attention to her. Petrified, she stood with her back against the door.
Wasting no time, she reloaded her shotgun and engaged the intruders, firing several rounds. She managed to shoot three of them, but more poured in through the broken window.
There was nothing else she could do. Even as she fired, she saw that the possessed were not fatally harmed. Their wounds healed rapidly, the bullets being expelled naturally through regeneration, leaving her efforts futile against the horde of monsters.
One of the possessed reached her, swiping at her with a heavy slash. Instinctively, she dodged and charged upstairs with all her might, the possessed hot on her heels.
She needed to reach the children's room. If she could get there, maybe, just maybe, they could survive. It was a desperate but reasonable plan. If she made it to the room, she would at least be with her kids, which could lead to a possible escape.
First things first, she had to get to the room. But her hopes were shattered when an overwhelming weight crashed onto her back, sending her sprawling to the ground. One of the possessed had caught up to her and wasted no time in pinning her down, ready to execute her.
So, in that instance, it rained several skin-slicing slashes all over Mrs. Lawler, and unfortunately, every single one of them connected. Things were truly getting worse for her, as she knew that even if she managed to fend off the possessed in front of her, many others were on their way, eager to feast on her and her children.
However, her motivation, the driving fuel inside her, was far more powerful than the pain she felt. Even if her life was slipping away at that moment, she would strive on regardless, as long as it meant her kids could survive.
Therefore, despite the pain coursing through her veins from her open wounds, she grunted aloud, overpowering the possessed and tossing it to the side.
The possessed, however, was not going to let this slide. It had its meal and was determined not to lose it. It swiftly rose to its feet and charged back at Mrs. Lawler, who still lay on the floor. Luckily, she pulled her shotgun just in time and, with a pull of the trigger, blew the possessed's head to bits.
Despite her efforts, she had little to no time to evade the other possessed as they once again advanced towards her. It was futile and truly disheartening. She was exhausted from her clashes, and the injuries inflicted by the last possessed were too severe, leaving her almost immobile.
Despite her attempts to rise, the wounds on her legs were too grave, forcing her to await the monstrous possessed. This was the end for her. She was so close to making it back to her family, but she was a second too late. If she was going to die, she would have hoped to do so on her own terms, but now, she had no choice. The only choice left was to patiently wait for a quick death and hope for the best for her children.
With a short heave, she shut her eyes against the approaching possessed.
Grab!
At that moment, a hand grabbed her blouse from behind and furiously dragged her away. Turning around in awe, she was dumbfounded to see Eddy as the moving force. Eddy, her little boy, was going to die with her. If they stayed outside any longer, they would both be feed for the possessed.
"Eddy! Let me go! Just go!" she cried.
Regardless of her pleas, Eddy pulled her with all his might, despite the fast approaching possessed. They weren't going to make it, she was sure of it. Somehow, she needed to get out of Eddy's grip. Yet, Eddy, with all his might, lifted her off the ground and dragged her into the room just in time. Maggie shut the door immediately.
Thankfully, they had made it right on time.