SURVIVORS

Ch. 25~ Lana Continued

Hey guys! I decided to split this chapter up, only because when I finally finished writing it, there was 9,954 words in it. That's like... waaaay too many for one chapter lolol. Anyway, this next part is exciting. 

Hold onto your socks.

Thanks for reading :)

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"Get back!" Mort hisses. We retract back behind the building.

"What? Are there creatures?" AJ asks in a whisper.

"Yeah..." He peeks back around. "There aren't too many though. We can make it if we go this way," he says, jabbing a thumb to the right. "If we go along the edge of this building, they won't see us." There is a nervous pause. ".. Just follow me." He takes another glance behind the wall and then beckons us forth.

We jog along the brick wall stealthily, keeping as close to the dead grass beneath us as possible. I can feel the bombs in my backpack thumping against my back elusively, as if they'd blow up any second. It's as if they have a heartbeat... Boom boom, boom boom, they thump.

I take a glance at the oblivious creatures in the middle of the clearing. They are crouched around something bloody and large. I can't even begin to imagine what they're eating, and it doesn't smell too great either. I look back at the back of AJ's head. I am suddenly aware of the clinking zippers of my boots and the thumping of our feet, and the clicking of Mort's backpack against his back and how all of it is so loud compared to the silence around us...

There is a sudden roar.

Mort curses. "This way!" He hollers, panicked, running straight for the garage. I take a quick look back and see that the creatures have abandoned their meal and decided on a warmer one... us. In the quick look that I get at the creature in the front, I see their eyes... their teal eyes. My heart skips a beat and the adrenaline rushes through me like a shock of lightning.

"No!" I shout as the closest creature snags my pack from behind me. It knows what is in there. It knows that we need that pack to carry out the plan that could save us.

My feet skid on the dirt as I turn around in lack of self-control. We need that pack. We need it!

"Lana!" Mort scolds, yanking my arm and pulling me away toward the creatures headquarters.

"We need that!" I yell at him. "We need that!"

"Lana we have more!"

"We don't have enough to blow it all up!" I argue. He pulls me away once more. It was no use fighting, I know that if I don't run they'll get me. My feet pound on the ground and my lungs heave in and out, in and out.

We round a corner where we meet five more creatures, all with purple eyes, undesirables from Vicky's failed experiment. They panic and try to decide which way to run, but eventually just dive behind the bushes that line the cracked sidewalk.

It is then that I hear the combination of pounding footsteps and ear piercing roars from behind us, like a stampede of elephants chased by screeching velociraptors and bellowing lions.

I freeze as a swarm of creatures rushes through the toll gate, ripping the fence completely out of its roots. Another swarm of the creatures rout into the blueish light of the garage through the staircase to the left of the entrance.

"Guys, c'mon!" Sam hollers, running faster. The creatures sprint at us, the teal eyed ones leading the way. They smile twisted smiles and flash their shark-like teeth. A quiet whimper escapes my lips.

Mort grabs my arm again and drags me across the grey pavement until I regain my senses and stumble back onto my feet. We hurtle toward the stairwell where Sam waits to slam the door just behind us. A creature swipes at my back. I can hear its raspy breath building up a roar of frustration in its throat as we pull farther away from them.