The cold night air clung to Jed and Charlie as they stood atop the rooftop, the eerie glow of the town casting long shadows against their tense faces. Jed glanced at Charlie, his voice low and gravelly.
"Boy, look at your skin."
Charlie held his arm up to the moonlight, inspecting the pallor creeping over his flesh. His breath hitched as he muttered, "Oh... fuck."
Jed's eyes stayed sharp, yet his tone carried an uncharacteristic gentleness. "You're good for now. No glowing purple eyes, and you don't stink like rot yet."
Charlie exhaled shakily. "So... I've still got time?"
Jed nodded, his voice tinged with both reassurance and urgency. "Yeah, but not much. And I've got a theory—this town, this whole goddamned place, it ain't right. The man who built it? My bet's on him being the cause of all this."
Charlie, ever the pragmatist, asked, "Okay, so where is he?"
Jed frowned, his brow furrowed in frustration. "Hell if I know. Could be holed up in some hidden corner, watching his handiwork unfold."
Suddenly, a faint rustling echoed from the chimney. Charlie's head snapped toward the sound as Jed's face hardened.
"Seems like our friends are dropping in," Jed muttered darkly.
Before either of them could react further, the monsters poured out of the chimney like a flood, their screeches tearing through the night.
"Run!" Jed barked. He and Charlie leapt to the adjacent roof, their boots scraping against the loose tiles. The monsters followed, relentless and shrieking.
Charlie glanced at his arm mid-sprint, catching the faintly glowing number etched into his skin. "Jed! It says seven. My light beams—they've reloaded!"
Jed's face cracked into a grim smile. "Then make 'em count, kid."
Charlie skidded to a halt and pivoted, planting his feet firmly. His left hand gripped his right arm as he steadied his aim. One by one, his index finger flared with bursts of brilliant light. Each shot struck true, searing through seven monstrous forms in rapid succession. Their twisted bodies crumpled, sizzling as they tumbled off the roof and into the darkness below.
Jed let out a low whistle as he stood guard, watching for the next wave. "Not bad, boy. But don't get cocky. We've still got more comin'."
Charlie wiped sweat from his brow, his voice trembling but resolute. "How long can we keep running like this, Jed?"
Jed glanced toward the horizon, scanning for any semblance of a plan. His voice dropped to a foreboding whisper. "Long as it takes. But if we don't figure out what's behind all this soon, running ain't gonna save us."
The roof beneath them creaked ominously as more shadows swarmed into view, their growls rising like a death knell. Charlie tightened his grip, his exhausted body shaking but determined.
Jed's sharp eyes flicked to the right, catching sight of the jagged silhouette of a cliff edge looming against the starlit sky. He muttered under his breath, his voice filled with equal parts frustration and resolve.
"Fuck it." He turned to Charlie, grabbing his arm as they ran. "Boy, you see that cliff over there?"
Charlie glanced to the side and groaned, already piecing together Jed's wild plan. "Yeah… and I think I already know what you're about to suggest. But what about the horses?"
Jed huffed, his breath labored but his mind razor-sharp. "They're fine. These bastards ain't after them—just us. Horses are hidden, so—"
Before he could finish, the shingles beneath their feet rattled as more monsters clawed their way onto the rooftop behind them. The pack swelled like a living tide, and one shadowy figure surged ahead of the others: Jose, his eyes burning with unholy rage as he led the charge.
"SHIT!" Jed barked, tightening his grip on Charlie's arm. "Kid, do you have any more light left in you?"
Charlie glanced down at his hand and shook his head, panic creeping into his voice. "Nope! Empty!"
"Well, ain't that just perfect," Jed muttered, a grim smirk flashing briefly.
Jose's voice boomed over the chaos, his growl a guttural taunt. "Sangreeeee!"
Jed didn't wait. He yanked Charlie forward. "Run! RUN!"
The two of them sprinted for the edge of the rooftop, their boots slamming against the wooden tiles with reckless speed. The gap between them and the monsters shrank by the second, Jose now mere feet behind.
"Jump, Uncle Jed!" Charlie shouted, desperation lacing his voice.
Jed growled under his breath, pulling a coiled length of rope from his side as they neared the edge. "Hang on, kid."
The two of them leaped into the night, the air rushing past them as the rooftop fell away. Jed's hand shot out, the rope snapping like a whip as he hurled it toward the gnarled branch of a tree jutting out from the top of the cliff.
The rope caught. Jed's arm jerked hard as the line went taut, and Charlie quickly latched onto Jed's waist, clinging for dear life as they swung in a wild arc toward the cliffside. Below them, the rocky ravine yawned like a hungry beast.
Behind them, Jose skidded to a halt at the edge of the rooftop, his claws tearing into the shingles. He let out an enraged howl, his form silhouetted against the moonlight as he watched his prey escape.
Jed's boots found the cliff face first, and he scrambled to pull himself and Charlie up onto solid ground. When they finally collapsed onto the dirt, Jed let out a wheezing chuckle, wiping sweat from his brow as he lay sprawled on his back.
"Kid," he said between gasps, "we… we fuckin' did it."
Charlie, still clinging to his uncle's side, let out a nervous laugh. "Yeah. I guess we did."
The two of them lay there for a moment, staring up at the stars. Jed's expression turned thoughtful, his voice quieter now. "We ain't outta this yet, boy. But damn if we don't make one hell of a team."
Charlie nodded, his breathing steadying as he tried to push the fear aside. "Yeah, we do."