Lambent ↠ tst / newt [2]

xvi.

chapter xvi:

☇crank bites

Kiara

I GRASPED BEHIND ME, struggling to get the Crank off of me. But the creature's hold on my neck was too strong, and I couldn't wrench its fingers out of my throat. I felt my breath beginning to constrict.

I watched helplessly as Thomas grabbed a crowbar from Brenda's backpack and whacked the Crank attacking me. It fell backwards and let go of me, but the monster had still ripped even farther into the skin.

"Go, go, go," Thomas yelled. We ran in away from the horde of Cranks. We turned a corner and rushed down the hallway Thomas was in before. My neck screamed in pain, but I ignored it, pushing my legs to move faster.

"Oh my god," I heard Brenda mutter beside me. "Come on," Thomas urged, pushing both of us forward. Our group sprinted down the corridors, the cranks hot on our heels. "Almost there," Thomas shouted. I saw a bright light at the end of the passageway.

We reached the end of the hall and into the sunlight. I skidded to a stop as I nearly wen flying over a cliff. I glanced around me, searching for a place to go. We were on the edge of a ravine, with two buildings had toppled into each other.

The three of us pivoted on our heels to the sound of more Crank screams. "Come on! This way," Brenda shouted, climbing up one of the piles of debris. I quickly hurried after, and Thomas brought up the rear.

We crawled up hastily, trying to get as far away from the Cranks as possible. Brenda looked back, and I followed her eye. Thomas had paused, staring at the Cranks coming after us. "Thomas! Come on," the other girl cried.

The boy snapped out of his gaze, and scurried up the rubble. Our group climbed up the mountain and through a small gap into the building. We stopped for a moment on a landing at the base floor. The building seemed at an impossible angle to climb at, but there was no time to think like that.

Brenda began scuttling up the building. I wasted no time and went after her. As we scrambled up, I heard the Cranks reach the landing. "Come on! Go, go," Thomas encouraged. We kept going as fast as we could. I saw Brenda glance back. "Keep going," I yelled.

As I moved, I watched as Brenda hit something by accident. A large metal cabinet slipped and fell towards me. "Watch out," Brenda warned. I ducked, pressing my body against the rubble. The cabinet sailed over my head, and flew down the pile. Thomas threw his body to the side.

The cabinet was avoided by us, but the cranks, however, were not as lucky. The cabinet clattered into one of them, sending it through the glass and into the void. A harrowing scream left its mouth as it fell to its death.