Too Far Gone

Chapter Four

     The hand's bony grip was crushing, and each squeeze of the muscles sent surges of pain through Eric's body. He dropped his cell phone to the ground, and reached out for it helplessly as he was attacked. Shouting in both surprise and pain, Eric was pulled out from behind the fence on his back, kicking and struggling helplessly. Struggling to refocus his vision on the threat, Eric was greeted with a pale, face snapping its bloody jaws and crimson teeth in his direction. Adrenaline instantly pumping through his veins, he shoved his attacker away with all of his strength, and it staggered backwards clumsily. However, it did not loosen its grip in the slightest, and the strain only served to hurt Eric even more. The creature, as he was certain by now that this was no human, stared blankly at him with its unblinking eyes, which were completely glazed over.
     As the monster fell to the sidewalk, a sickening cracking sound echoed through the streets as its thin, emaciated wrist bent at a right angle, accompanied by a spray of dark, dry blood and shards of bone. The thing didn't flinch, nor did it seem to acknowledge what had just happened in any way. Slowly rising to its feet once again, the creature's grip loosened just enough for Eric to scramble backwards in desperation, the creature staggering steadily forwards once again. He kicked at the creature's ankles, attempting to drive it back. Instead, however, his blow simply knocked the abomination over, causing it to topple on top of him, its teeth bared like those of a dog as it snapped at him, as if attempting to bite him. He gripped it tightly by the neck, driving his thumbs into the soft part below the jaw to force its head upwards. He pushed as hard as he could, but could still just barely keep its jaws from his face.
     He could feel the skin that he was pressing on giving way, and his thumbs finally forced through the flesh, jabbing the bone directly. Reddish-black blood pouring from the wounds onto his hands, he struggled to keep from vomiting at the sight. Eric could feel that his own muscles were beginning to fail, and knew that he couldn't resist for much longer. The blood now trickling onto his face and onto his lips, he knew that this was the day that he would die, and he also knew that he would die in the exact same way Tracey, the woman he failed to help, did. Closing his eyes and preparing to embrace the finality of his decision, he heard the sound of flesh tearing and bone shattering. It's painless, thank God. He thought blissfully to himself, glad that his final moments would not be those of suffering. Then, as he lay there, a voice filled his ears.
     "Hey, I think you owe me a thank-you!" She called to him, exasperated.