I Monstrum

Chapter 8 -Confrontation

"...I want to wake up to see the skies soft and blue

Telling me how much I love you...

Will you..."

      "Alex, hold it. Sam, someone's coming our way. Look, he's running!"

      "Hey woah! Who are you?"

      "Carl Parker. We have to run this way! I found my partner torn to pieces. Hurry, let's go now..."

      "Just a minute Carl. When was your partner killed?"

      "I don't know. We were working separately for awhile. It could have been hours ago, or maybe 45 minutes ago. I don't know. I..."

      "Okay, believe me Carl, when I say that you do not want to continue in the direction you are going down this tunnel. If you do, there will only be death for you at the end of it. We believe that there is only one creature that has killed some of us on this asteroid. So we..."

      "You mean more people have been killed, by... a creature?"

      "Yes, it's true Carl, but let's concentrate on getting out here. Sorry to tell you this, but we need to go in the opposite direction. It's our only available way out. The creature is behind us and it wants us to leave. What was your mining partner's name?"

      "Dominic Suriani. He was off taking samples while I had a large strike to collect. By the time I finished, he had wandered quite far away. I should have advised him to stay closer."

      "I don't know if that would have done much good. Unless he stayed right by your side the whole time. Don't beat yourself up about it because what happened is definitely not your fault. Some of the others were a lot closer and the thing still attacked. Okay people. Let's get go..."

      "Sir. The creature is following us like before. Except more closely. In fact, I can see it, right there."

      "I figured it would. It's motivating us to get out and to do so quickly. We might as well cooperate. Let me see... We still have 8.4 kilometers left. Let's step it up!"

      They had to walk in a line because the tunnel was too narrow. Steve decided to put Alex in front of him while the others followed behind, with Sam taking the rear guard position. Carl was just in front of her. Nervously looking behind Sam."

      "Carl, stop looking behind. You're slowing us down. Now look, we have to catch up with the others. Don't worry, I have a rear view cam on my helmet. I can see behind us. You can trust me. I'll let you know if something happens..." Wait a minute something is happening!"

      She turned around and began firing at the creature that was almost upon them. "Run Carl!"

      However, Carl didn't have the chance. The creature plowed through knocking Samantha off to the side with a powerful appendage. She flew through the air and hit the wall of the tunnel with both knees. Falling to the floor of the tunnel, she managed three shots that hit the creature on its abdomen. It didn't even seem to notice. It was too busy making a mess of Carl. Despite the pain in her knees, she fearlessly ran toward the creature. Then at the last moment, she ran on the side of the tunnel while firing at the creature point blank. She spun around and began firing at the creature's ugly face. By that time Steve was almost there to join her, but before he joined her the creature lashed out with one sharp appendage and pierced her through the thigh breaking her femur. She gasped at the immediate intensity of the pain. "Uh!" she said as she crumbled to the floor. With her vision starting to get hazy around the edges, what she witnessed next, she could hardly believe.