Island Of The Cryptids

26

The key slid into the lock and turned with a mechanical click. It swung open, letting the light breeze of the outside mist blow in. The men stepped out into the cargo bed, standing where the car would be. On the ground outside, there was a footprint imprinted into the gravel. It was large, about the size of a young adult. Three toes stemmed out of the center crater, each pointed like an arrow. Jake shivered when he saw it.

"We have to act fast to get that phone," Carlin said, heading over to the supplies on the workbenches.

"What about Kaeli?" Manuel said. Carlin shook his head.

"Not important right now. We need to get that phone and-"
Manuel's fist came like a bullet into Carlin's jaw. Carlin's eyes lit up with sparks of electricity, and his jaw snapped with the clink of his teeth. He stared at Manuel, then massaged his jaw.

"How fast do you think you can run?" he said, surprisingly unangry. He eyed a flare gun on the bench. Manuel swallowed.

***

Manuel stood on the runway. His sleeves were torn back. His watch was soaked and ruined, no longer working. His glasses were fogged up, but he didn't care. He heard the shattering of glass and Kaeli's wails, along with the heaving of the cryptid as it most likely tore at her. He cried and began to run towards it.

He rounded the front of the plane, about twenty feet away.

"HEY!" he shouted. The thing snapped its head so fast that Manuel pissed himself. He lost all control of his bowels and pissed himself, and he stood there like a deer in the headlights. He raised the flare gun to the sky, and pulled the trigger.

It kicked slightly, and then with the sound of phosphorus burning through the air a red beacon of smoke shot into the sky. The cryptid watched, and and the flare illuminated most of the surrounding field. He saw the cryptid in its full size. It was gigantic, almost twenty feet tall, nimble and sleek, and it was lumbering each of its features were defined and adapted. It was the perfect killer.

It looked at him. Manuel remembered the plan that Carlin told him. As the thing rounded the shack again, he hoped he was doing the right thing. He hoped Kaeli would be safe. He hoped he could run fast enough.

The thing's hands shot out in front of it, claws extended,

and it hissed a horrible roar. It then sprinted full speed across the runway, faster than a car on the highway. Its claws skittered across the gravel, ripping the ground up. Its mouth hung open, and Manuel turned and ran, absolutely terrified at how such a gigantic thing could run that fast. He hopped into the ditch, then scrambled up the terrace and into the woods.

He jumped over vines and sticks and ran as fast as his legs could carry him. He didn't even feel them windmilling underneath him. The vines whipped at him, and he ducked his head to prevent his glasses from flying off. He heard the cryptid enter the forest, and with a roar an entire tree flew off of its trunk. It snapped, crashing down with thunderous might behind Manuel.

Manuel was tossed to the ground, and he rolled into a tree.

There were holes all over the ground, so he scrambled towards one. He was thick into the jungle now. Everything was dark. He could barely see. He could only hear. He heard the giant cryptid roar, as it extended his claws towards the holes to fish him out.

***

"It's distracted," said Carlin. "I need you to go get the phone now."

Jake's eyes widened. He shook his head back and forth,

rejecting the thought all together.

"Absolutely not," he said. "Why don't you do it? You have the gun and are more physically able." Carlin handed him the gun.

"I'm the only one with knowledge on planes, I should stay here and get us working," he explained. "You have to." Jake shook his head again.

"I can't, and I won't. I'm not going to go out there again." Carlin grabbed him by the shoulders.

"Listen to me. You have to do this. For everyone on this

island. For the Captain and for Misty. They died, and we didn't. More people are going to die if you don't get this phone, do you understand?" Jake nodded. "You are a capable person. You're not stupid. I trust that you can handle yourself out there."

Jake gulped. He was flustered by Carlin's speech. He was a powerful man, and had a specific way with words. It was almost as if he was weaseling his way into Jake's head. He grabbed the gun and walked down the ramp.

"Good luck," Carlin said. Jake rounded the plane and began to run. He passed the giant gap in the treeline where the cryptid had disappeared to, and hoped that Manuel was okay. He would have turned left to go the shack to check on the girl, but he didn't want to waste any time on his mission.

He turned right again onto the trodden mud path that lead into the dark, ethereal jungle. The wind whispered to him. He spied Tucker's tire treads from early in the night, filled and rounded out with water.

He set foot in one and began to run as a cryptid roared in the distance.