Dust

Hero

8. HERO

Death was imminent.

Foolishly, I'd thought that perhaps the young Creature had given up chase when the Wolf scared him off. But as soon as I set foot on the second story, I heard them approaching.

I shifted my pace into a jog, glancing back to see the boy running after me. Taking him under my wing would probably turn out to be a terrible idea, but I couldn't afford any time to contemplate the matter. We needed to move- fast.

The wolf took his place by my side, his ears pinned and head low. I crouched slightly as well, praying that shielding myself behind the barrier encircling the second floor would buy us more time.

Howls and snarls could be heard from outside the building and were growing louder by the minute. I felt panic rising in my chest, fumbling my thoughts and making me clumsy. This was an entirely new setting for me, I had no idea where to go, or what obstacles I'd have to face in this environment.

Glass shattered down below us and the harsh sounds of approaching Creatures graced my ears. I wheeled around, looking into the dark shops desperately. We'd be trapped in a store if the Creatures decided to look inside.

"Quick, over here!" The boy whispered and turned off into a little alcove. I ran after him, wincing as my pack pounded against my back loudly. I reached down and snapped the middle straps around my waste, glad when the pain on my hurt shoulder eased.

The boy dragged an overturned flower pot to the far corner of the alcove, grunting under its weight. Stepping lightly, I moved to him and used my boot to shove it the rest of the way. He clambered on top of it and reached for the ceiling, pressing his hands against one of the silver tiles. To my surprise, it lifted easily and slid out of the way when he pushed.

In a practiced pull, the boy hoisted himself into the hole, disappearing for a moment. I felt another flutter of terror as he vanished, leaving me to the echoing sounds of animals down below. But he soon popped his head over the edge, eyeing me carefully.

"I need you to move the pot and pull yourself up." He said gently, as if I'd snap at any command he tried to enforce on me. In any other circumstance, I probably would have.

Swiftly, I yanked the pot back to its original place and stepped under the hole. However, before I could move, a loud clambering caught my attention. The Creatures had found the stairs, their search coming to a quick end.

"Shit," I spat and turned towards the wolf. He watched me silently as I approached. "Please don't maul me," I muttered and bent down to pick him up. Grunting under his weight, I shuffled back to the hole and thrust him upwards. His fur was silky soft in my hands and I took the moment to realize it was the first time he'd allowed me to touch him. Smart wolf.

The boy helped me by lifting the canine up, grabbing the wolf under his front legs and pulling clumsily. Thankfully, the animal didn't make much of a fuss.

Just as I reached upward once again to pull myself up, the first Creature came into view.

It's black eyes zeroed in on me instantly, a fowl grimace twisting his face. I leapt desperately, grabbing onto the edges of the hole with sweaty hands. When they began to slip I held on tighter and swung my body forward, kicking off the wall in front of me loudly. My wounded shoulder instantly brought on a wave of agony and I had to clamp down on my lower lip to keep from screaming.

Creatures swarmed into the alcove and I shoved myself through the hole forcefully, smashing my head against a low ceiling inside. The boy stared at me from the darkness, fear in his eyes.