The Sky Beneath Us (on hold)

TWENTY TWO

Day 28. 08:06.

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This was the end. Eve’s final moments. Death…

A monstrous roar.

Screaming, this time from the psychopath’s position.

“What the heck is that?” Mark murmured as the sound of gunfire still echoed, yet no bullets flew their way.

“Brady, get up, something’s happening. C’mon, you can moan later” Eve said as she took his hand in hers and heaved.

“Whatever it is, it’s getting closer” Mark spoke through gritted teeth, “we need ammo. Brady, what do you have left?”

“About…two clips. You think that’s enough?”

“I certainly hope so”.

Mark took hold of Brady’s gun, filled it with precious bullets – so scarce. Eve drew her father’s hunting knife, a weapon that had served her well in her bid for survival in The Flip. Her father had given her the sleek spike of steel as a gift just before she embarked on her first tour of duty. It was for luck, he had told her. Her luck had held out so far, so maybe it would this time around.

Maybe.

The last scream died out suddenly, replaced with the sound of growling.

Eve readied her blade, focused on her intended target.

“Here it comes” Mark whispered, a hiss accompanying the final letter.

The first thing Eve noticed about the new foe was its claws, large talon-like things of a deepest grey and specked with the blood of their victims. Next, she noticed the ‘face’ – a dog-like smile containing rows upon rows of jagged shards, teeth, and eyes that shone red like the blood covering its coarse black fur. It opened its mouth wide, began a roar, silenced suddenly by the volley of shots coming from Mark’s gun. The bullets ripped into the creature head-on, splashing thick tar-like blood all over the surrounding walls. It jumped to the nearest one, scaled it in a split-second, and was now upside down above their heads. Mark’s field of fire followed it, tearing through the beast’s midriff before it could descend on them. The creature fell, slamming into the makeshift barricade they hid behind and crushing it under its weight.

“What…the shit…was that thing?” Brady commented, mouth hanging wide open in shock.

“First the world flips over, now this?” Eve remarked, failing to identify the hulky body lying before her. Brady continued to exclaim his shock.

“Did you see the way it crawled? It just…slid across the ceiling like it was nothing. Well, not the actual ceiling, but you know what I mean. Shit…”

“Is it dead?” Mark asked in a gruff tone, inspecting the creature as if it was something disgusting on the bottom of his shoe.

“Yeah…should be” Eve replied, but partly uncertain. She moved over, hand outstretched, centimetres away.

The beast reared its head and Eve fell back to the ground. It roared into the air, sounding like the screeches of multiple horses, as if calling for something. Mark stepped forward and planted another couple of rounds into its skull, each one a dull thud. Finally, the red eyes closed and the monster’s head collapsed forward, dead.

“Wait until Rich hears about this”, Brady breathed. His name brought back the thought of what happened just a few hours previous, the assault by the psychopathic cult. A lot of people died, part of the colony was burnt down. They'd be returning to a nightmare. On the fourth level of the city’s vast sewer system above them, they thought they were safe. How wrong they were. If the attack proved anything, it proved that they would never find safety in this new world. It proved that eventually, their borrowed time would expire. The Flip would take them all in the end.

“Ok, we’ve got a few issues to address here. The captives taken by the psychos, they’re up in the sewer waiting for me”, Mark boomed, voice loud and defiant, “let’s hope this…animal didn’t get to them first. Avery, Chad and Becca are still out there too, we need to find them, make sure they’re okay. Then we have to worry about getting back ourselves, I highly doubt we’ve seen the last of those nutcases”.

“Yeah, agreed” Eve motioned forward and placed her hand on Mark’s shoulder, “you take Brady, he’s too shaky to fight right now, and I want to make sure he doesn’t get blood poisoning from that wound. I’ll go after the others”.

“Sure?”

“I’m sure. But I need a weapon first, and I don’t suppose the monster emptied its prey of ammo”.

***

Day 28. 08:27.

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Eve crept along the sewer tunnel, automatic rifle clutched tightly by her sweaty grip. She had become used to the rancid scent of the city sewers, but now she could smell it again – remnants of the disgusting liquid that once ran through here before The Flip.

There was movement ahead. Eve slunk to a crouch, weapon aimed, breath held. Into view, came Avery Greenwood and Becca Johnstone. Eve stood up and sighed wearily, a thin grin creeping up her face to the tips of her ash-blonde hair. Avery smiled as he addressed her happily.

“I was beginning to get worri-“

CRASH.

Becca hit the ground and Avery collapsed against the wall as two creatures burst through a derelict service tunnel. One leapt to the ceiling, growled at Avery, recognised Eve as the most dangerous threat. It veered around to face her, rushing towards her at unnatural speeds.

“Avery, get down!”

Eve emptied her clip into the first beast, and it skidded to the ground in a pool of tar blood. The second sped across the wall towards her, narrowly missing her with its claws as she dived out of the way and rolled to her feet again. She reloaded hastily, almost dropping the clip as the monster leapt upon her. As she fell to the ground under its weight, she cocked the gun muzzle into its stomach and squeezed the trigger.

Whump whump whump whump.

Muffled shots burst through the creature’s back, and it crumpled upon her dead. It smelt like leather and metal, with an odd smoky tinge. There were hurried footsteps and Avery pulled the beast off of her, heaving with the weight. He grasped her scarred hands and helped her up, and Eve hugged him and Becca tightly in turn. Avery was alive, Becca was safe. Chad was nowhere to be seen, although she could ask about that later. Right now, she was just relieved to be reunited with her friends.