EMBR of the Earth

|SEVEN|

⥶⥊⥌⥍⥋⥸

A deep growl rumbled through the room, bouncing off the crates and echoing in Tana's ears. Every nerve and fiber in her body screamed at her to run for cover, but her feet remained rooted to the ground. She was paralyzed along the spine, unable to move a muscle.

Her breath hitched as the beast took a step forward, its long, serrated claws tapping against the floor. The spines rose along its hunched back as its snake-like head snapped back and forth between its cornered prey.

Tana turned her head slowly towards Emily. Her face blanched as she backed up against the crates. Her gaze met Tana's, flitting down and back up.

Carefully, Tana reached her hand down, her fingers brushing cold metal. The knife!

Emily gave a tiny nod of her head. Her lips moved silently to form the word one.

Tana's grip tightened around the hilt of the knife. Is she counting to three? What's her plan? I don't know what I'm supposed to do!

Emily raised her hand above a stack of crates and rested it on top, poised to shove. Two, she mouthed.

The ship lurched again, causing Tana to stumble into the crates behind her. At the same time, she heard a guttural cry behind her as a dark blur knocked Emily off her feet. She let out a shriek as the alien's claws sunk deep into her chest.

Tana let out a scream, her voice tearing a hole violently through her throat. She had to have shaken the entire ship, but no one came to help.

Tana's voice cut off as the alien swung its head over towards her. Underneath it, Emily gurgled out a breathless wheeze. Her shining face was coated with scarlet as she lolled her head to the side. Any minute, Tana was positive that she would suffer the same fate.

A thin sliver of metal manifested in front of her face with a small chink. It took her a split second to realize that she had involuntarily unsheathed her knife. But she had been a moment too late.

The alien coiled back on its haunches and pounced at her. Tana stepped to the side, but its claws made contact with her shoulder. White-hot needles stabbed through her whole arm, forcing a cry past her lips as they dragged her down. Her entire skull vibrated as her chin struck the floor.

A heavy weight dropped immediately onto Tana's back, knocking the wind out of her. With every ounce of strength she had, she twisted face-up and thrust out the knife, aiming for the alien's throat. The blade embedded itself in the armored plates that covered its neck, but it stubbornly refused to pierce the skin, leaving Tana trapped between the floor and the bloodthirsty monster.

She gripped the hilt with both hands, her arms shaking with effort as she pushed back as far as she could. Glinting daggers flashed in her face as the alien craned its neck to snap its teeth at her. Metal screeched in her ears as claws scrabbled madly against the floor, struggling to grab hold of her face and arms. Another scream slipped out of Tana's mouth as her arms began to give, bringing the alien so close she could feel its teeth brushing against her cheek and nose.

Crack!

The alien went limp at the sound of the gunshot. Tana kicked its lifeless body off of her and quickly gathered herself to her feet, grabbing a crate to support herself.

"Tana!"

The familiar voice sent a thrill through her veins. She whipped around to see Miles standing in the doorway with a shotgun in his hands.

Still shaking slightly, she broke into a grin. "Miles! You —"

The ship accelerated suddenly, jerking upwards into the sky. Crates fell off their stacks and slid across the floor. One of them collided with Tana's legs, and she lost her footing. Her mind froze as she met the ground once again. The next thing she knew, she was weightless, with roaring wind buffeting her from all sides, working to tear her limb from limb.