The R.A.C.E.

DAY 2

A low growling made Carlos open his eyes, sight hindered by a blur of bright green hair 'Dammit, Kimchi,' he scolded her mentally, before looking around. From his position of lying on his back, all he could really see was the sky; a changed colour, a deeper blue. What this could mean? Carlos didn't know, or bother to even think much about it.

Something moved in the bushes not far from them, hints of white hitting his retinas as he examined the source of noise.

"Kimchi," he grumbled quietly, shaking her a bit, with his left hand.

She responded by turning to face him, still a sleep, and mumbling something inaudible. He rolled his eyes, shoving her off, startling her, before sitting up, and placing a finger on his lips before she began to scold him.

Pointing towards the bushes he stood, Hana following suit shortly after. The rustling continued, the low grumbling sounding louder, closer. Hana nudged Meg with her foot, whose green eyes lazily fluttered open, looking over to the bushes as well.

An enormous featureless face emerged from the shrubbery, excluding the huge, teeth baring mouth at its very base. Jagged, razor sharp teeth sprouted from its bright pink gums, a long, salivating tongue snaking out, stopping before each one of then, before retracting. The creature fully stepped out from behind the greenery, and all the children immediately woke as a loud roar came out of its wide opened mouth. It stood like a human; a hunched, thirteen foot tall human. It was heavily built, veins popping out along its biceps and calves. Its snow white skinned hands opened to reveal falcon like talons, and on every inch of his body, code was written all over it, a series of brackets, numbers and colons. On it's stomach, a map was clearly visible all of it etched into the beast's skin in a pitch black ink.

"A berserker," Steph said, the words passing his lips in a slight breath, as he blinked in disbelief.

"A what?" Zena said adjusting her hijab, before balancing her centre.

A disturbing silence followed the two's last statements, all audible was the shallow breaths of the children, and the growls of the Berserker.

It stepped forward once more, its face only a few inches away from Carlos'. He could feel it's breath warming his face and entering his pores, and willed himself not to cough from its stench of mutton.

Carlos' eyes drifted over to Steph, who mouthed, "Don't move," as he attempted to give a re-assuring look to the other boy, without movement.

Suddenly, he saw a flash of white, then felt a sharp pain on his cheek; shortly after, an air piercing scream. He knew it had hit him, his body just refused to accept the fact. The warm feeling of fresh blood met his lips as he ducked to the floor, a failed effort at dodging the creature's swing. The metallic taste filled his mouth as he rolled over yelling as the Berserker's leg swung, almost taking out Hana's knee.

She quickly moved out of the way, rushing by Carlos as it lumbered the other way.

"Ouch," was the only word coming from the girl's lips as she examined the open flesh on Carlos' face.

Steph barked evasive maneuvers at the other two girls as they attempted to take down the creature; no one had been injured so far.

Her long, thin fingers hovered over his face as she tried to put together a remedy in her mind, but disinfectant wasn't a common item in the middle of nowhere. Bright crimson was illuminated on her fingers in the light from the sky as she stood, looking back over at the monster.

"Well c'mon burrito supreme, it's only a scratch," Hana chided as she wiped his blood off on her shirt.

"Burrito Supreme?"