Alex's pulse thundered in his ears as the creature's gaze lingered on his hiding spot. Its pale, sinewy body glistened faintly in the sunlight that filtered through the vines. For a moment, the world seemed to hold its breath with him.
Move. Move now, his instincts screamed, but fear anchored him in place.
The creature let out a low, guttural growl, a sound that sent a chill down his spine. It tilted its head to the side, listening. Then, it took a tentative step forward, its twisted limbs creaking like old wood.
"It hears me. It knows I'm here."
A burst of adrenaline finally overpowered his fear. Alex gripped the knife tightly and darted around the rusted car, keeping low. His heart pounded as he searched for a place to hide or escape. The street ahead offered little cover—broken cars, piles of rubble, and a collapsed storefront.
The creature's growl turned into a sharp, high-pitched shriek, and Alex knew he had been spotted. The sound echoed through the ruined city, bouncing off the crumbling skyscrapers like a predator's call.
He ran.
The wind whipped past him as he dashed toward the collapsed storefront. He vaulted over the rubble, his legs trembling but steady enough to keep moving. Behind him, the sound of claws scraping against pavement grew louder, closer.
Alex dove through a broken window, landing hard on the debris-strewn floor. Shards of glass bit into his palms, but he ignored the pain. Crawling deeper into the shadowy interior, he tried to control his ragged breathing.
The creature's shriek echoed outside, then stopped abruptly. The silence was worse.
Alex pressed his back against the cold, damp wall and tightened his grip on the knife. He strained his ears, listening for any sign of movement.
And then he heard it—the soft crunch of glass.
The creature was inside.
Alex cursed under his breath. He scanned the room for an escape, but the only exit was the way he'd come. Shadows danced across the walls as the creature moved closer, its guttural growls growing louder.
Desperation kicked in. He grabbed a broken pipe lying on the floor and hurled it toward the opposite corner of the room. The pipe clattered loudly against the wall, and the creature immediately darted toward the noise, its movements unnervingly fast and jerky.
Using the distraction, Alex scrambled to his feet and bolted. He leaped back through the window and hit the ground hard, but he didn't stop to catch his breath. He sprinted down the street, weaving between abandoned cars and piles of debris.
He didn't dare look back, but the sound of the creature's pursuit was unmistakable. It was faster than him, and it was gaining.
Just ahead, Alex spotted an open manhole cover in the middle of the street. Without hesitation, he dove toward it, gripping the rusty ladder and sliding down into the darkness below.
He hit the ground with a splash, the foul stench of the sewer assaulting his senses. He stumbled forward, the dim light from above quickly fading. The creature's shriek echoed above, followed by the sound of its claws scraping against the ladder.
It's following me.
Panic surged through him as he ran blindly through the dark, his boots splashing through the filthy water. The tunnel seemed to stretch endlessly, the sound of his own footsteps and the creature's pursuit merging into a chaotic symphony of fear.
Up ahead, he saw a faint light—a broken grating that let in a sliver of daylight. He scrambled toward it, desperate for any escape.
Suddenly, his foot caught on something, and he went sprawling face-first into the water. The knife flew from his hand, clattering against the concrete. He rolled onto his back, gasping for air, just as the creature's shadow loomed over him.
It let out another piercing shriek and lunged.
Alex's hand frantically searched for the knife, but his fingers found something else instead—a rusted metal rod. Without thinking, he swung it with all his strength. The rod connected with the creature's head, and it let out a horrible, distorted cry as it stumbled back.
Alex didn't wait to see if it would recover. He grabbed the knife, shoved the rod into his pack, and ran toward the light.
He emerged from the sewer into a narrow alley, collapsing against the wall as he gasped for air. The creature's shrieks echoed faintly below, but it didn't follow him.
For now, he was safe. But as he looked at his trembling hands and the blood-stained knife, Alex realized the truth:
He wasn't just trying to survive. He was being hunted.