Resurgence (Life After Allegiant - Divergent Fanfiction)

Chapter Twenty Four

It looks at me.

I look at it.

It’s teeth like razors, froth bubbling beyond control. It’s hair on end, like daggers. It’s eyes unmistakably recognisable. 

This isn’t our first meeting.

But is this the first real time? I don’t know but I don’t want to know.

I chance a look behind me and there’s a door closing rapidly behind me. I’m trapped and Tobias isn’t with me. I’m trapped and I’m trapped with this thing.

It growls, lowering itself near to the floor.  My mind races to remember what happened last time, what happened in the aptitude test.  I can see it crawling ferociously towards me and I know I need to act. Falling to the floor, I hold my breath and it’s thundering snarl getting closer and closer. Then the snap as locks bolt the door so it’s almost pitch black.  Suddenly the snarling stops and the only thing I can hear is my heart beating. I don’t dare move, I can’t risk it. A drip of foamed saliva splats on the floor next to me. I can only think one thing, is this real? 

Without warning, it clamps down on my shoulder with it’s fangs. I roll of my back and start to strangle it, carefully moving my wrists to dodge it’s jagged teeth manically writhing around.  Through the combination of barks and growls and some sort of yelp, I can hear Tobias slamming himself against the door, trying to get in.

The thing in my grip starts to weaken and on my shoulder, I can feel a warm liquid spreading downwards. I look down to see the damage, chancing letting the thing escape. My t-shirt is soaking with blood. That’s when I feel the hair brush against the sweaty palms of my hands, I curse and jump to my feet.  It backs away then launches itself back at me, I battle to keep stand and try to push it off,  but it won’t get off, it’s claws digs into my shoulder wound and I yelp.

I try to imagine a knife appearing next to me but nothing happens. This isn’t a simulation. This is real.

The realisation jabs a new electric energy into me and I slam the thing to the floor and stamp on it’s neck.  The yelp is strangely satisfying.  I do it several times over, the times where my leg gets caught  in it’s jaw is masked by adrenaline.  After a few moments it stops moving, though it’s eyelids still blink and it’s eyes look empty.

I killed it. Maybe I should’ve done that the first time.

I killed it. Just in time for Tobias to burst in and see me breathless and blood stained. His eyes widen and they switch focus between the thing lying motionless on the floor and me, staring back at him, waiting for his reaction.  He licks his lips and walks silently up to me, when he reaches me he gently brushes the clothing away covering the wound on my shoulder.  

“You’re hurt.” He points out the obvious.

“Well just as well we’re in a hospital then.” I joke but neither of us laugh. I keep one eye on  the floor and watch out for movement while my mind tries to figure out what to do next. Leave and face Shay outside? Or work out why the thing from the aptitude test is in a hospital? I don’t know which one would be less likely that I end up dead. Tobias seems to be weighing up the same choices, whilst lightly wiping the collecting blood through little seeps in my newly cut shoulder.

But the room decides for  me. The floor starts to angle itself downwards; an opening starts to appear at the bottom, getting wider as the floor moves ever more vertically.  Tobias grabs onto my arm and we both  try to grip onto anything to keep us from falling into the broadening  abyss. But it’s futile.  We slide uncontrollably into the pit below and into the darkness. I squint to see if I can see anything but again it’s ineffective, I keep Tobias close to me and we back into each other so we face different ways.