Blind As a Bat [1st book complete]

Caged

Pritcher P.O.V

I couldn't tear my eyes away from it. It, no longer him. There was no coming back from what he'd become; demoralized, dehumanized... Demonized. It tightened it's hold on the ground, muscles bunching as it faced where I hid, and I couldn't help but move. In that moment, it sprung, body spreading out in the air, claws hardly touching the top of the desk as I rolled and pointed the nozzle towards it, spraying a healthy dose of the white powder from the extinguisher. It yowled, making choking coughing sounds and swiped, luckily, with the back of its clawed hand, knocking the extinguisher from my clammy hands.

I lurched back as the creature shook its head, flinging the clumps of drool as it rapidly blinked its draining eyes. Not sparing any time, I scrabbled on the powdered floor, trying to gain purchase and move before the creature regained its... Instinctual prowess, not senses; this creature was senseless, running on the basest of needs. To feed, maim and glut. My shoes squeaked as I gained ground, hands catching at the tiled floor, feet holding and slipping precariously until I was able to straighten and run toward the double doors that lead from this room to the wide hall that sprouted more halls and rooms, hoping to...

I glanced back against my will, knowing that it would not assist me in any way towards my survival. It was already set to spring at me, and I couldn't help but watched as it began to spring as I turned back forward, eyes wide in knowing that there was no way I would be able to avoid it again. And then there was the sharp, warping sound of a gunshot and Ashe screaming shrilly in his room; quickly quieted. My eyes alighted on the group of men in protective gear, guns raised as I looked back again, skidding on the ground and sliding into a potted plant whose fronds shook angrily.

From this angle, my body no longer able to handle the stress put upon it, I watched as the creature hissed and released a coughing yowl before turning from the group now flooding into the room and bounding into the glass enclosure where Ashe and Mrs. Leugen were still hidden. Gunshots continued to ring out as the creature scratched and collided with the glass, it and the bullets fracturing the structure as blood splattered, smearing the room beyond into shades of red. Bullets rang out constantly as the creature made another concerted effort at the wall, it and the damage from the bullets finally weakening the partition enough that it crumbled inward with the beast. Blood now pooled and followed the webbing cracks as the beast continued to crawl forward toward the two under the bed. 

There was a shrill scream as its claws scraped closer to the bed. I watched from my position on the ground by the potted plant, barely conscious enough to watched as dark booted feet collided with the ground, moving away and toward the white room to surround the pulsing mass on the ground, the sound of numerous shots echoing through the rooms until a large item glinted in the sharp light, abruptly ending the concussion of bullets as it flashed downward with a thunk. 

Not long after that, a group of people in white protective gear holding equipment bags entered, those in dark gear moving back and following one of the people in white from the room. An area was cleaned, then plastic laid out as several people began their ministrations of the unmoving lump. From what I could see, several were assisting Mrs. Leugen and Ashe from under the bed, leading them through to the actual door and to a different area of the room where a screen was set up. 

I was so focused on what was happening that it wasn't until the white booted feet were right in front of me that I noticed the person, my eyes following up the figure until I was looking into a clear mask, the light reflecting from it making it hard to see the face behind it, "Sir, are you able to stand?"

"I-I, yes," My body hurt from years of only walking and sitting at a desk with the occasional light exercise. I grimaced as I stood, knocking at the fronds that I stood up into.