The Skylar Experiment : Dead Ending (second draft)

80. First Kill

RILEY

I ZOOMED THROUGH the evergreens, stomping the ground with the speed of a freight train, gaining force, gaining momentum. My body was burning with raw energy, sharpening my vision.

"You can't run forever!" the man chimed from behind. Despite the wound, he caught up too fast for my liking. A blast of light shot in the spot I stomped last. Good thing I was zigzagging. "I'm surprised you even learned it. You run well but you run like a coward!"

I wanted to spin around and make him eat shit, but I had to be smarter than that.

A tug around my ankles. I almost tripped over, but the force he had exerted was weaker than my momentum. Early spring air rushed through my splayed fingers. I bounced off an emerging rock.

Heart pumping, I found what I was looking for and picked up a frozen log from the ground. I continued my run, leading the mutant on. I knew I couldn't quite overpower him with abilities. What I'd done in the kitchen was pure luck, and I couldn't guarantee the possibility of reproducing it.

I had to use what I knew I had.

I let him close in, but not by much. I needed the speed to do the job.

"Aw, getting tired already?"

The mutant reached for me, shrieking with twisted delight, as I pivoted midair and swung the stump clockwise. I released every drop of power into that swing, aiming for the head. The strain lanced across my own arms, rattled my shoulders and core.

The log splintered into two at the impact and its pieces soared into the distance, flipping and hitting trees until my hands were bare. His neck snapped clean. He folded like the strings were cut off a theater puppet.

My feet dropped on the snow mutely. Sunrays flashed between the swaying branches overhead, and I breathed in and out until my throat ached.

The guy lay downward motionless, his arms spread wide. I wanted to race back to the house, but I needed to make sure he was knocked out...

For a minute, I measured his chest, waiting to see some movement. I made a tentative step in his direction, half expecting him to rise and end me on the spot. The fight in me leaked away, as did the dizziness and the sharper vision. I stood over the mutant, knees weak, battling the urge to turn tail.

Oh no, was he...?

A drone of sorts sounded from afar, drawing my attention to the bright sky. My arms fell at my sides as I searched the horizon—the sound was faint but completely displaced for a forest.

There, probably miles away still, was a black dot with quick rotating blades, flying in a straight line.

I needed to hurry. I swallowed hard and footed the mutant's arm, rousing him for any signs of life. When he gave no indication of that, I pushed him face up to the clouds with a leg, the sweat turning cold against the nape of my neck.

And I had to repress a stomach-tilting gag.

The left side of his skull was dented in with blood bursting from that eye socket. His lips were slightly parted, like he died gasping. I tried to look elsewhere, but all it took was one second for this image to imprint itself in my brain.

But we didn't have time to sit on this. Luc and the others were still stuck in the cabin. Get it together. Get it together right now. 

I straightened, mouth dry, and started backing away from the body, gathering strength to run again.