Tlick. Tlick. Tlick.
The sound echoed louder than my heartbeat. Sharp. Measured. Unrelenting.
I stumbled backward, legs trembling like they were made of cracked glass. Every step sent a jolt of fire through my chest, the two cracked ribs grinding together like broken gears. My breath came short and sharp, every inhale laced with agony. Move. Move. MOVE! But no amount of willpower could turn shattered bones into unyielding steel.
Tlick. Tlick. Tlick.
His glowing red eyes cut through the darkness like a pair of blood-red lanterns. Each step was slow, heavy, deliberate. He didn't need to run. He knew I couldn't escape. His tongue clicked three more times, that eerie, metronomic sound that wouldn't stop drilling into my head.
I bit down on the scream clawing its way up my throat. No time for fear. No time for panic. My hand shot to the gun at my side, heart thundering as I aimed it at the mass of muscle and malice. He was too big, too fast, too strong. I knew it was pointless, but I had to try.
"Die, motherfucker!" I hissed through gritted teeth as I pulled the trigger.
BANG!
The shot cracked like a firework. Sparks burst from the ground just inches from his foot. I missed.
No. NO!
Panic hit me like a tidal wave. My heart dropped into my stomach as I stared at the small, unscathed circle of concrete. I had one chance, and I missed.
My muscles gave out. Strength drained from my limbs like water from a cracked jar. The gun slipped from my fingers, clattering to the ground with a hollow clink. My legs buckled, knees hitting the concrete with a dull thud. It's over.
I closed my eyes, breath shaky, chest burning. This is it. My whole body felt heavy, like the world itself was pressing down on me. I bowed my head, letting it hang.
"Just… get it over with," I muttered, my voice barely a breath.
---
SMACK!
Something whizzed past me, so close the air pressure slapped my face. My eyes shot open just in time to see it — a rat monster's twisted, contorted body flying through the air. It spun like a broken doll before crashing into the pawn shop window with an ear-splitting CRASH! Glass rained down like shards of ice, sparkling against the pavement as the creature's neck hung at an unnatural angle.
It didn't move.
The glow in its eyes flickered, then died.
My eyes darted back toward him. Mr. Muscles. He didn't even look at me. His gaze had shifted, eyes fixed on the fresh kill like a dog who'd spotted a second chew toy.
A new sound echoed from the alley. A low, guttural roar.
Another rat monster leapt from the shadows with a shriek so loud it left my ears ringing. It charged straight at Mr. Muscles.
Big mistake.
He caught it mid-air with one hand, fingers curling around its torso like it was nothing but a stuffed toy. His face twisted into a crooked grin as his other hand came down like a sledgehammer. CRACK! Flesh, bone, and organs splattered across the ground, spreading out like a twisted canvas of gore. The wet, sticky splash sprayed across the pavement, black ichor pooling in thick puddles beneath him.
"He's distracted."
The realization hit me like a bolt of lightning. This is my chance.
I pushed off the ground, wobbling like a newborn fawn. Move. MOVE. My chest howled in protest, pain surging with every step. My hand pressed to my ribs as if holding them in place would make them hurt less. It didn't.
My breaths were short and fast. Each step felt heavier than the last. Don't stop. Don't stop. The world around me swirled with shadows and flickering lights. My head spun, and every fiber of my body screamed to collapse. But I kept going.
THUD. THUD. THUD.
Each step was a dull, soggy beat in my ears. The pain became a rhythm of its own. I staggered toward the faint neon glow at the corner of the street. A restaurant.
---
The front of the restaurant looked like it had been through a war. Shattered windows, overturned chairs, and trails of dried blood smeared across the ground. The tables that had been stacked to form a makeshift barricade had long since crumbled into a pile of broken wood and debris.
Something happened here. Something bad.
I stepped inside, the stink of old grease and rotting food hitting me like a punch to the face. I gagged, but I kept moving. My eyes darted left and right. Nothing moved. Safe for now.
I staggered to the back, following the flickering lightbulb swinging above the kitchen. The scent grew worse back here. Sour. Foul. Rotten. It felt like I was walking into a sewer.
But then I saw it — the steel door of a walk-in freezer. Cold. Safe. Heavy.
I lurched forward, both hands slapping against the cold steel surface. My fingers slid over the handle, slick with sweat, but I gripped it tight and yanked. It didn't budge.
"Come on," I growled, yanking harder. The latch popped open with a metallic CLUNK.
I stumbled forward as the door swung wide. My foot caught the edge, and I fell. My whole body hit the floor hard, knocking the air from my lungs. Pain shot through my ribs like a lightning strike. I rolled to my side, breath coming in ragged, shallow gasps.
Don't stop.
I crawled, fingers clawing at the icy floor. Every inch felt like a mile. My arms shook, body trembling like a leaf in a storm. Almost there. Almost there. I reached the back wall of the freezer and pressed my back against it, my legs sprawled in front of me.
The cold hit like a thousand knives. My breath came out in short, foggy puffs. Every inhale sent icy daggers down my throat, every exhale barely warmer than the air around me.
I tilted my head back against the wall, eyes flickering. My vision swam with shadows. My body felt heavy, like a weight was pressing down on me. Everything began to fade.
No.
I shook my head, teeth clenching. No sleep. No sleep.
But the cold was everywhere now. My fingers tingled, the frostbite creeping in slow but steady. My eyelids drooped, and no amount of effort could pull them back up.
Just a little rest, I thought. Just a little.
The frost crept up my arms. My breath grew shallow, puffs of mist smaller and smaller. I watched them disappear.
And then… nothing.