Tooth & Nail

• 𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚂𝚒𝚡 •

I cringed as I pressed back from the door with the palm of my mangled hand. I could feel the creature's bones grating against my bones within my shoulder. Every breath was torment. I had to get it off of me, but I didn't know how.

My eyes began to burn from the smoke that had started filtering its way down from the second floor, and I could hear the fire getting closer as the house was slowly being consumed from the inside out.

There was a loud crash that came from behind me. I stumbled around to find that the ceiling had given out in the hallway which now lay in ruin, completely engulfed by flames.

I suddenly felt the creatures forearm tighten around my throat. I gasped and grabbed at it, trying to pull it away.

Unable to breath I started to panic. Franticly, I began clawing at its arms and face desperately trying to get it to release me. I could feel my ribcage bending under the pressure as his legs continued to constrict tighter and tighter around my waist.

Feeling light-headed I stumbled back crushing the creature against the door, making it shriek. I moved forward a few steps, then using its weight as momentum I ran backwards, slamming the creature again, and again.

It roared above me, squirming and biting at my head and neck.

I screamed and gurgled behind my compressed windpipe. Feeling my senses fading I knew I was close to passing out.

I took a couple of extra steps forward. Just before my eyes went black I charged backwards with all I had left, crushing the creature and slamming its head against the solid wood door with a crack. It went limp and slid from my back, pulling its bony shiv from my shoulder and flicking blood down the wall as it landed heavily on the floorboards below.

Falling forward I hit the floor hard. Lungs heaving for air I began coughing and spluttering. Whilst writhing on the ground in pain I reached back and held my shoulder tightly with my hand. There was a lot of blood.

As I rolled in pain I looked over and saw the creature lying motionless at the foot of the door. A small amount of blood started to pool around its head and I realised it wasn't getting up anytime soon.

Looking up at the thick wave of smoke covering the ceiling, I could hear the faint cries and groans of a house that was slowly dying. I could hear it creaking and moving as it perished in the flames, and I knew I needed to get up before the whole place came crashing down on top of me.

I rolled over onto my side and shakily pushed myself to my feet. I stood still for a moment as I slowly regained my balance. I realised that my only way out of this burning tomb was now guarded by the unconscious creature lying beneath it.

If I move it, it might wake up.

It's probably already dead, I thought, it's not getting up.

But what if it does? I questioned myself back and forth angrily, unsure of what I should do next.

Looking around I began searching for any way to escape. I couldn't go back down the hallway as it was already engulfed in flames. I continued to look around, peering through the thick blanket of smoke that was almost head height. I suddenly began to cough wildly. Desperately I crouched and pulled up my shirt, pressing it over my mouth and nose in an attempt to block the smoke from my lungs.

My head turned to the living room and just beyond the smoke I could see the flames reflected in the south side window, like it was illuminating my escape.

The window! I thought eagerly. I can smash the window and jump out.

Limping through the nearby archway and into the living room I began searching for something I could use to break the glass. Squinting through the smoke I could just make out the fireplace past the old chair Mr Whitman used to sit in, and beside the fireplace was a set of antique fire pokers.