Creatures On Fire

Lick Me To Death (Resident Evil)

The scientific engineer Melissa Glen walked through the dark hallways, trying to find the exit out of the secret laboratory of Umbrella Corporation. It's been a while already since the T-virus broke out into the streets of Raccoon City, turning everyone into bloodthirsty zombies. She wasn't of the highest rank among Umbrella's workers, but her role was vital nonetheless. It was her responsibility to make sure that all the machines were always in working order, and each malfunction had to be fixed as soon as possible. But now, when the virus has spread outside the laboratory, nothing of that mattered anymore. She realized that the corporation she had worked for was finished and soon would be destroyed together with the entire city. All she wished for at this moment was escaping from this place with her life.

There were zombies on her way, but she managed to dodge them successfully; or, if there was need, she took them down with her handgun. It was enough a headshot to get rid of an average zombie, and thus it was no obstacle anymore. She was already close to the doors that led out of the laboratory when some strange sound made her stop. It didn't sound like a zombie anymore, she could hear some kind of claws slightly hitting against the metal surface; besides, it was coming from somewhere above her. As it was quite dark in the location she was in, so Melissa shone her flashlight around to see where the sound was coming from.

Just as she spotted the source of the sound, her eyes widened in terror, and she almost dropped her flashlight and handgun. Being an Umbrella worker, she knew instantly what kind of creature she was facing at the moment. Its skinless body and open brain told her at once what exactly it was. This was the result of so-called "Licker Project"; and this particular kind of a monster was called so because of its extremely long tongue. From what she knew, a Licker appeared to be the second stage of human mutation after a zombie. Melissa felt her entire body shaking; her heart was beating so frantically that it threatened to jump out of her chest. If there were no problems to evade the zombies, then this thing would be problematic. As the brain covered most of its head, including the eyes, the Licker was obviously blind, but it didn't mean that his other senses functioned badly. Actually, they worked better than expected, and Melissa got her proof of that right here and now.

The Licker sensed that something else was moving in the hallway beside him; and just as the woman tried to pass him as quietly as possible, he jumped down from the ceiling, almost landing on her. Melissa shrieked in a horrifying surprise when she fell on the floor, but ever worse was the fact that her handgun was knocked out of her hands. She tried to find it, but it flew off completely out of her reach. Now she was at the Licker's mercy, unarmed and completely helpless.

Sweat ran down her face while Melissa watched as the monster that looked like he's crawled out of depths of Hell now approached her slowly and relentlessly, just like death itself. In this moment Glen turned into a trembling and praying ball, begging silently that this monster doesn't eat her. Tears began leaking from her eyes when the creature lowered its head to her and his razor sharp teeth were at her head. She sobbed like a little girl, hearing the deadly fangs clang so dangerously close to her face.

But the monster still didn't attack her. On the contrary, it seemed like he wasn't even thinking about a cold-blooded murder. Instead of that, the Licker almost gently pressed his head with an open brain to her forehead, and his large body was positioned so like if it formed something like a circle of protection around her trembling body. Melissa could say only the word "please" when the creature hissed and pressed its head to her in a more persistent manner. She needed a lot of effort not to jump up with a scream and run, seeing the trickles of saliva dripping from the monster's deadly maul. She expected those teeth dig into her skin any moment and everything would be over. It was anyway better than this torturous anticipation.

But nothing happened.

Why is he lingering? – it was the first thought that appeared in Melissa's mind, and she swallowed nervously while she silently pleaded the creature either to let her go or kill her fast. Then something wet and slimy slipped down her cheek, and Melissa held back another sob, realizing with fear that the creature's tongue finally went out of its cavern. Its tip slid along her right cheek without hurry, licking her chin; and in the next moment she felt the slimy appendage being replaced by teeth. But no pain came. Instead the monster planted a few almost playful bites on her chin. Then the mixture of low rumble and hiss came out of Licker's throat, and the monster bowed his head, allowing his tongue slide down the woman's slender neck that was now shrinking and pulsing with paralyzing fear.