The Island of Time

Cut and Run

In the abandoned emergency shelter, a massive, fanged beast stalks towards Deegan...

"Grrrr..."

Deegan and the group back away in terror. "Okay, this is bad." Deegan stammers. Jake has two hands out in front of him, as if trying to tame the beast. "Niiice kitty... niiiiice kitty..." Aleister is breathing heavily. "This cannot be happening. It makes no logical sense!" Diego looks over at him. "Yeah? You wanna tell it that?"

The creature bares its giant teeth at the group. "Hrrrh..."

The timid little fox they found climbs up Deegan's back, shivering in fear. "Mrrmrm..." The menacing beast focuses on Deegan, its eyes alight, almost as if it remembers him. It growls again.

Quinn begins to breathe fast and short. "Oh god..." Baring its giant saber-teeth, the creature looms closer to Deegan and Quinn. "Quinn, get behind me!" Deegan yells. He steps out in front of Quinn, defensively...

...just as the beast slashes with its claws, gashing Deegan's side. It roars, as Deegan's knees begin to buckle.

"Deegan!" Quinn yells, as she catches him staggering backwards into her arms. Breathing heavily, with a hand on his side, he says, "I'm okay, it's not deep." The beast circles around, toying with them. Lila scans the room. "This thing is blocking the exit!" she exclaims. "We have to get around it!" Jake shakes his head. "Yeah, good luck with that. No way we're getting past it." Diego, shakily lifts his arm and points to a spot across the room from where the saber-toothed tiger is. "There's another door over there, look!" He gestures towards a massive blast door, leading to a dimly lit hallway. Aleister looks desperate. "I say we make a run for it while we can. Seal ourselves inside." Jake looks at him in disbelief. "You really think we can outrun this thing?" Aleister growls at him, "I really think we don't have a choice!"

The beast lets out a low growl, as if knowing that they were up to something. It draws ever closer, five hundred pounds of pure muscle. Deegan backs up slowly... and bumps into the wall, nearly knocking over a fire extinguisher. He's cornered.

"Guys, it's now or never!" Quinn yells. Deegan grabs the fire extinguisher behind him and sprays it at the beast! The freezing cold gas blasts it in the face, blinding it!

"RRRRRAWRRRR!"

"Go! Now!" Deegan yells to the rest of the group! He sprints towards the blast doors, and everyone follows. The fox leaps from his shoulder and scampers ahead.

"Quick thinking, Boy Scout." Jake smiles, panting.

Behind them, the beast frantically paws at its face, shaking its head to recover. Finally, it manages to clear its vision and glares across the chamber at you.

"Hurry! We're almost there!" He darts into the hallway beyond the blast doors and starts to shut them. "Lila, come on!" She races towards him as the beast gives chase! She slips through just before he seals the doors. The beast slams into the thick steel, to no effect. The group hears an angered roar from the beast on the other side of the blast doors. Lila pants as she leans up against the wall. "Thanks, Deegan. If you hadn't blinded it, that thing would've got me." she says. Jake nods. "Yeah. Way to not get us all shish-kebab'd on those teeth." Jake reaches to hug Deegan... hesitates... and instead ruffles his hair awkwardly. "Good, uh... good goin'." Deegan laughs slightly. "Um, thanks?"

He winces, suddenly remembering his wound, now that the adrenaline has faded. He slides down the wall and sits down. The little fox nudges him. It seems to know that something is wrong. Quinn bends down to him. "Deegan, you're hurt. Here." She tears off a piece of her shirt and uses it to bandage him. She smiles. "Thank you, Deegan, for protecting me back there." He smiles at her warmly, remembering the lagoon. "Of course, I--" She silences him by taking his hand. She looks into his eyes. "But please don't risk yourself for me again. I'm..." she hesitates, looking down sadly. "I'm not worth it."