FREAK

Noah

   Amber and I crept silently. Amber had a look in her eyes the whole time. Less like fury and more like regret. Like she'd done something. Or at least she was going too.
     "Miss Amber?" I broke the silence.
     "Hm?" She stared at me and attempted to fake a smile. It's strange how she tried to keep me calm. She played the part well. I could still see through it all though. Her facade never faded. She was as believable as she was when I first met her. Sweet and warm, sure it was fake but it worked.
     "Who was the girl we fought back there? You look like you know her," I asked quietly.
     "She was one of the kids I had rescued. The kid almost got me to adopt her. But her training mission got mixed in with someone else's more advanced missions. We sent her in and the poor girl never came back," her smile had faded and she was biting her lip. Tears welled in her eyes but she fought them off by looking away from me. She took a breath and the smile returned again. Like nothing had just happened. "Little Dakota Carter, that would have been her. At least if we hadn't messed up."
"Your Amber Carter?" I asked in attempts to get her mind off of her "almost daughter."
"Yeah, what you don't like my last name?" She giggled. I guess it worked.
"I didn't say that. I was just curious," I laughed too.
The look of regret left her eyes and a bit of joy entered. I felt like I'd done something good.
We got closer and closer to that office. Each step made my stomach jerk. I knew Amber wouldn't let me in with her. So I shouldn't be worried. But I was... for Amber. Her ammo seemed to be running out. Meaning her weapon would be useless soon. She'd still have the combat knife she'd given me. However, that didn't seem like much unless whatever we were hunting didn't know we were there. We'd been more than spotted at that point. She shouldn't have tried to come here alone. I shouldn't have tagged along. But we were in this regardless of the past. I'd just hope we weren't screwed. Even if I knew we were.
     Amber stopped and turned around. I barely got a chance to see it before she shoved me aside as a slime-covered... tentacle? Came from the area where she was looking. I stood on my feet and looked at the monstrosity we were facing.
     The "tentacle" was a tongue. A long one. It shot back into the creature's mouth, which was about three times longer than its face. It's eyes were large as well, taking up the sides of its head. Square pupils lay in the middle of bright yellow orbs. Its lids we're at the sides of its eyes rather than the top and bottom. It sat like a cat but croaked like a toad. It's hands and feet were webbed and as slimy as the rest of its body, which was wearing a red and black wetsuit. It was gross...that's the only other trait I could think of for it. Just gross.
     Amber threw an arm in front of me as the thing charged at us with a...
     "Ribbit!"