Animal

Chapter 30: The Animal

WHAT THE F-

We all darted away instinctively, bolting down a random, dark hall. I felt my adrenaline peak as I pulled ahead in front of the others. 

SSSS-SSSSS

I sprinted into a silent room, and pulled to the side, rushing the others in. They looked just as traumatized as me, all ears straight up. It was clear-there was no possible way to fight this thing.

 I quickly shut the door as the room filled with panicked breathing. 

I pressed against the door with all of my strength. I had no idea if the monster was actually outside, or if it had lost us somewhere in the hallways, but I wasn't taking any chances.

Lowering my nose, I sniffed at the base of the door to see if I could smell it outside.

Nothing, nothing, nothing...

Suddenly, I caught a faint scent of something so awful, I stumbled backwards, dazed. The only thing I can compare it to is the smell of spilt frog guts in biology class, though it was more like a rotting carcass filled with decomposing food. Yeah, I'm not exaggerating. I have no idea how I missed that smell before. Adrenaline must be very powerful.

GUYS. Get over here and help me keep the door shut! I said.

They seemed to all be in a trance, lost in their own fear, which bled through their eyes. Once they heard me, they snapped out of it and ran over, all except for Emma. Lily slowly put her down in the corner, suspicious of her escaping, but figured that if she wanted to try anything, then we'd all be monster food. With a soft gruffly whisper (yeah it sounded weird) Lily shifted into her shining amber wolf form and joined me at the door.

Just as help arrived, I felt a THUMP on the other side. It was so powerful, we were almost all thrown away from the door.

I was stuck both under and over piles of colorful fur pushing around me. Man, was I glad I didn't have allergies.

The monster roared, making us all shiver with terror. Suddenly, the pressure on the door released, and a period of pin-drop silence ensued.

There was a tense pause before Lily turned to me with her color-swirled eyes. Is it...gone?

The only sound was some heavy breathing around the room. I glanced at the opening under the door. Ever so slowly, I lowered my snout to the ground. Careful...

I sniffed. Nothing.

CRASH! The monster appeared right in front of us, having demolished one of the walls. It was the first time I got a good look at it, but I wish I hadn't-it's colorless eyes narrowed in on us, and it's enormous snake-like body slithered behind it, emanating a stomach-turning smell and threatening mass of muscle. 

Suddenly, it noticed Emma nearby. She had gotten up, but was separated from the rest of us in the corner.

EMMA!

It's car-sized jaw shot at her with surprising speed. There was nowhere for her to go-all around her was walls. I winced in horror, and the whole thing seemed to go in slow motion. I thought I saw a figure whiz by, then I saw the humongous jaw clamp down with a horrifying sound.

But it wasn't on Emma. It was Lily.

Blood oozed from the monster's mouth as it came into view. Lily was barely alive, laying in the monster's mouth with its teeth weaved in her fur.

The monster opened its mouth, ready to chew up its prey. But suddenly, BANG.

A gunshot echoed throughout the half-standing room and the monster's head began to bleed. More gunshots followed.