Cold wind, whispers, and howls of the wind in the dark, an unexplainable chill running down Vera's spine. There's a shadow in the distance, a flicker of movement too quick for anyone to catch. The pressure of being watched and followed is making her suffocate.
Her footsteps echoes in the silence, too loud, too frantic. Then, there's a snap, like a spark, and then comes the stillness.
Something about tonight felt... wrong.
The cold breath on her neck sent chills down her spine, but when she turned, there was nothing there.
"Ugh. These assholes..."
Somewhere, someone laughed. A laughter she always hear everytime shit's about to go down.
Five shadows loomed in the distance, their words just barely out of earshot.
"You know what we want to do," a voice murmured. You could swear you hear the sardonic in those words.
~~~~~~~
Her breath came in ragged gasps as she sprinted, her heart pounding like a drum in her chest. She couldn't look back. She couldn't risk it. She couldn't lose to them that easily after everything she went through to survive them.
She swerved around into an alley, barely avoiding a pile of discarded crates, her sandals skidding on the wet pavement.
Another sharp turn.
A dead-end.
A cold hand brushed her shoulder. Spinning around, but there was no one, except, well...
The alleyway had shifted. The walls, the shadows, they had closed in around her. The whispers grew louder, more urgent.
"So eager for me, huh?"
I have to keep going, but where do I go, and how do I even pass them?
One by one, they circled, forming a tightening ring around her.
SHIT! Vera, think!
One of them reached out, its hand long and twisted, translucent skin stretched tight over bony fingers. Vera flinched, but the figure only brushed against her. It breathed against her ear, "You can't escape now."
Its body stretched unnaturally, the skin distorted and contorted. The face, once formless, twisted into something grotesque. Eyes that weren't eyes became bloody empty sockets, opening widely.
Then the mouth.
It split, revealing broken teeth, some of them glinting with fresh blood.
The fingers twitches near her eyes, and as it moved, the blood poured from its mouth, dripping down its chest and onto the wet pavement.
Vera's body froze.
Oh, I'm so fucked.
Her eyes locked with the creature's.
"My last words. You're uglier than a botched surgery."
It lurched forward faster than she could react, its body filling her vision. The mouth open again, ready to swallow her head. Its mouth was only a few centimeters away from her face, the stench of decay and blood filling her lungs.
Time slowed. And something shifted, again.
She couldn't see it, couldn't explain it, but she felt it.
The creature slams into a transparent barrier in front of her. The monster's jaws hit it with a sickening crack. It recoiled, screeching in frustration, its bloodied mouth snapping at the air like a rabid animal.
Vera's hands instinctively reaching out to touch the invisible wall. It was there, cold against her skin.
What the hell is this?
The creature lunged again, its clawed hands battering against the barrier, but every hit was deflected.
What if I punch the bastard?
In one swift motion, she balled her hand into a tight fist and swung it forward with all the strength she could muster.
The creature's head snapped back, its mouth opening in a howl of pain. Blood splattered across the air, its disfigured face twisting in disbelief.
"Surprise, motherfucker."
And then, just as suddenly as it appeared, the creature retreated, slinking back into the darkness.
What just happened?
~~~~~~~
His POV:
He watched from the shadows, every one of her movements. It was as if the world had slowed down just for him to watch this moment.
She didn't know he was there, didn't even seem to feel his gaze on her. Her back was turned, too busy panicking by what she believed to be her impending doom to notice his presence lurking just a few meters beyond her reach.
She was different. He'd seen countless of others crumble in the face of the supernaturals, but not her. Not like this.
He watched her react, watching as the creatures closed in on her.
It's not time yet.
The shield appeared around her. It didn't surprise him. No, this was a game, his game. She wasn't meant to die tonight. Not yet. Not until... "Until what?" He shook his head at the thought.
The others may have their plans, but his were different. His were slow, careful. He let her fight for now.
Let her think she could survive this.