Beast

Chapter 1

Lexi

I ran as fast as I could towards the small grey building ahead of me. Evie stood in the doorway screaming our names, telling us to run faster. My limbs burned but I carried on running, Liam's strong hand clasped around my wrist pulling me forward. Something suddenly exploded behind us knocking me off my feet. I screamed but my voice was lost in the noise of the explosion. I hit the ground hard and rolled to my feet, breaking out in a run again. I skidded into the front door, spinning around to see Liam still running, but with a limp. Something had injured his leg. He was only a few meters away. I darted out to help him, ignoring Evie's objections. He leaned his weight on me just as something wrapped itself around my ankle. My leg was pulled out from underneath me and I slipped downwards, smacking my head on the wet grass. Liam yelled something at me but I couldn't hear him. The thing wrapped around my ankle jerked backwards, flinging me into the air. As I plummeted down to earth I pulled my silver dagger from an inside pocket of my denim jacket and raised it above my head with both hands. The thing flicked out it's spiked tail and hit me in the chest, shoving my body into a huge oak tree. My dagger pierced its skin and it shrieked loudly but I was too late. One of the spikes had buried itself in my arm, I could already feel the poison seeping through my blood. From my years of training with Liam I knew that this was it. I was going to die. I yanked the spike from my arm, feeling the painful crunch as the bone snapped it two; blood poured from the wound like a crimson waterfall. Liam hobbled over to me and pulled me to my feet. He didn't say anything, just pulled me in for a hug. Over his shoulder, I could see the dark outline of the beast retreating into the forest. He pulled me over the threshold with him and I collapsed into his arms, spiraling into the darkness.