Escape to the Hills // Newt x Reader

4

Nothing was out of the ordinary as you shuffled along with a hand dragging on the wall. Some shelving lights flickered as you passed, causing that eerie glow you would see in movies. God, you hated this.

Yet again, a distant explosion was heard, and you ducked closer to the wall, holding your breath. You heard Teresa's small gasp behind you. The poor girl was brave but you wondered if she would be any help during this search.

Another explosion sounded, a bit closer, rattling the walls and ceiling tiles. What scared you more was the ungodly wail that pierced the air behind the shelf directly in front of you. You watched as the monster emerged from his hiding place and stood in the aisle diagonal from you. The feeling of wanting to cry and melt into your boots was overwhelming, but you kept it together. Behind you, Teresa grabbed for your hand, but caught the belt loop in your jeans. Her pinky tapped a vial gently, and it swung slowly. A  small clacking noise was made as it hit the vail next to it. The three of you stood, paralyzed, when the creature stood straighter, sniffed the air, and made a low gurgling sound in the back of his throat. Something like a growl.

He took a shaky step forwards, then dragged his right foot after. A nasty, liquid-y substance was trailing after him, being left by his foot. He stopped a few feet away from your group of three. Which meant if he kept moving, he would be on top of you. He sniffed again, then stepped forwards. There was a curve to the aisle, but the creature did not change his direction. He kept moving and whacked straight into row of shelves, wobbling it. He raised his arms, which wouldn't straighten out at the elbows, and screamed in outrage, bringing his hands slamming down on a shelf. The entire row of vials went tumbling backwards. As soon as the first one crashed into the next, you latched onto Teresa's hand and sprinted straight ahead into yet another row of shelves filled with empty vials. The noise covering the sound of your footsteps. Teresa had made no effort to at least grab at Gabi's hand, but Gabi wasn't stupid, so she had followed.

You took a moment to breathe before looking around, somewhat frantically. Gabi took it upon herself to be the one freaking out over the situation you just got out of. She flailed her arms and made faces like you were supposed to understand her. While you and Gabi were flail fighting, Teresa had been the only useful person and actually spent her time searching for a vent. There were four vents in one corner, which Gabi flailed about also, but you understood her anger. Why all in one place? What for?

Teresa started trying to unscrew the bolts holding the cover in place. But her efforts were in vain, since Gabi pointed out the covers had been rusted shut. You wanted to punch her more than ever after you realized she had just been standing there, watching you and Teresa struggle.

"Then why don't you help?" You whispered threateningly. You bit your tongue, only because you couldn't risk a full out fist fight while trying to survive.

"Ew," Gabi mimicked gagging, holding her hand to her chest with the other. "These are new gloves,"

"Gabi, I swear on every will you have to live that if you don't get your sorry ass over here and help I'll make as much noise as possible, get that things attention, and hand feed you to it," Gabi took that threat seriously and kneeled down next to Teresa to help with the bolts. Which was a good thing since you meant that threat seriously.

How you managed to get the vent open was a mystery, but when it fell open on top of you, you were more thankful than an old homeless man given clothes and food on Thanksgiving. What you weren't so thankful for was when the cover slipped off of you and clanged on the floor. Suddenly, the tension was so thick it felt like breathing in water.

A gurgling sound was heard, followed by a bang. The creature showed himself yet again in an aisle across from you. You watched in horror as he got closer and closer with each limping step. It finally came to you that you had an escape route and you slapped Gabi on the arm, signaling her to move. She looked quite happy to go first and slipped in the vent easily. Teresa didn't look so willing when it came her turn, but managed to swallow it and crawled through the opening. You sat for a second to turn back and check where the monster was, and regretted it entirely when you noticed he was moving faster then originally anticipated. You struggled through the opening feet first and pulled the cover on after you. It strangely popped into place when you yanked on it, but you weren't complaining.

After a second of calming down a bit and slight crying, you pushed Teresa with your foot to move forward. It took a second but soon Gabi started on her way. When you were a good way into the vent, a long, terrible screech was heard by the opening.

"Move, move, move!" You shouted.

"I'm trying!" Gabi yelled back.

When you were informed you had hit a cross roads, you told the girls to move forward enough so you could do some maneuvering to be facing forward. The vent wasn't as small as you thought it would be. It was big enough that if Teresa leaned to the side a little, you would be able to reach around her and slap Gabi's foot, if needed.

"Alright," you said, ready, but still terrified out of your shorts. "Which way, tour guide?"

"To be honest," Gabi said slowly, looking down both ways. She didn't seem okay with being called 'tour guide'. "I don't recognize this place at all,"

"What?" Teresa's frustrated voice filled the small metal tube, echoing down the corridor.

"I remember a broken part that had been torn open by Cranks, but I don't see that now,"

"Are you telling me we have to cross through that torn vent?" You asked, hoping not.

"No, but we have to get real close,"

Teresa and you both let out a sigh of relief. Not full relief, just letting tension leave.

"Which way should we go to get there?" You asked, trying to dig something out of Gabi's memory that might help.

"Whichever way is most dangerous?" Teresa guessed.

There was a groan from somewhere down the vent to your left.

"I think that way," Gabi pointed down that vent.

"I swear, I'm gonna die of terror before anything even gets close to me," Teresa shivered in front of you.

"Fight through the pain," You said encouragingly. "Fight through it,"