Riley turned, tripping over his feet in the process. From the ground he could see the hall table legs shudder under his dad's pounding steps. As he struggled to stand the glass window behind him shattered, sending shards over his head and shoulders and knocking him down. He scrambled backwards as he watched the naked man climb through the window on all fours. The mutt cocked his head from side to side in quick jarring motions, like a bird -- then he climbed up the walls by placing one hand and one foot on each side of the hallway.
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"Guys?" Riley called. He couldn't take his eyes off the man, three feet off the ground, crawling towards him. From his closeness, he could see the mutts skin, covered in gaping infected wounds, and a large purple bruise in the perfect outline of car tires across his stomach. The creature's nose pressed flat across its face, a trail of black blood hardened across its cheek.
A hand grabbed Riley's shoulder. He turned to see the Sector-54 girl. "I said run!" she pulled him to his feet and pushed him before her down the hall.
Riley didn't have time to panic. He needed to get through the back door and find his father. As he focused on running he could hear the mutt climbing after him and Sector-54 as she yelled into her phone.
"Red, he's found us. Send the chopper."
Riley stumbled out the back door, whipping his head around, looking for his dad. On the far side of the yard, Mr. Kilhan stacked chairs against the fence.
Riley sprinted toward him. When he got to his side, his father tried to lift him over, but he struggled in his dad's grasp.
"No, you first," his father warned, giving the 'don't argue son' look.
Riley let his dad give him a boost, but rested on the top of the fence so he could help the others over. The weight of his father pulled at his shoulders as the large man used the chairs for steps and Riley as an anchor. Once his father was safely on the other side he reached for Sector 54.
The naked man was at her heels.
"Hurry!" Riley shouted.
The mutt dove for her, she jumped and clutched Riley's hand, using a chair as a foot-hold. Riley fell backward, the momentum of his weight pulled Sector 54 over the fence. She landed on top of him with a humph and took off after his dad, leaving Riley on the ground.
"Run!" she screamed.
Riley managed to his feet in time to see the mutt break through the wooden fence.
"Holy shit!"
He pushed into a sprint.
Mr. Kilhan was yelling for the people in the street to run. Some went into their houses and closed the doors. Others didn't move until they saw the crazed naked man running after them.
