See the Dogs

After what seemed like hundreds of miles of sprinting, we made it to the cops. Flashes of blue and red splashed against the jet-black sky, creating a blotchy silhouette of the treeline.

I didn't know why they had moved deeper into the park, but I was glad for it. Those of us who remained were going to make it.

The beasts had stopped their raucous screeching. Part of me knew it was because they were busy feasting on my friends. I could see them in my head, torn apart by the things and gutted like fish with talons so sharp and teeth too pointed.      

/My fault./

"Is that the police?"

"Thank god!"

I settled into the center of the remaining group, keeping pace without overtaking. If I was nestled in the center of everyone, I'd be fine.

The police were a tempting hope to cling to—any punishment they gave us would be pittance compared to dying by those creatures.

Monsters? Aliens? Demons? I had never seen anything like them. It was too dark to make them out, but they hadn't looked like any animal I knew of.  

We sprinted toward the lights, using them as beacons to sanctuary. That is, until they disappeared behind the crest of another hill.

I was gasping for breath, my legs like gelatin, and I knew I wouldn't be able to go on much longer. Others in the group had all started screaming, hoping the cops would hear.

Hoping they'd come and save us.

No matter how tired we were, though, we didn't dare stop. Not when the creatures could be right behind us. There weren't many of us left.

I'd lost the ones that mattered most. I'd lost Jess.

/My fault./

Five minutes after we lost sight of the police car's sirens, we saw pinpricks of lights in the trees. They flickered in and out of view, heading west to our south. Our screams intensified and the lights swung in our direction.

"We found them," one officer announced into their radio.

"Hey! You kids can't be here!" the other one yelled. I lifted my hand against the glare and he swept his light over the others.

"Help! You have to help us!"

As soon as we were close, we flung ourselves at the two officers. One held me by the bicep while I shuddered and sucked in air, another one of my classmates held in his other hand.

Each breath I took drove icy needles into my over-taxed lungs; my muscles burned as if filled with napalm. I wanted nothing more than to collapse and make the officer hold me, but I couldn't relax yet.

/They're gone./

/Monsters are coming./

"Calm down, children! What happened? We thought we heard screaming."

The strength seeped from my veins and a frantic sob slipped past my defenses. I choked and spluttered on half-formed words; everyone was trying to explain at once.

"They took them—"

"They're dead! They're all dead—"

"There were these THINGS—"

"Calm down! One at a time!"

A single noise saturated the cold and silenced us all. It wafted over on the breeze and promised a painful death.

The officer released me and my classmate, then pulled his gun from its holster. He motioned for us to move back where his partner corralled us behind him, his own weapon drawn.

My trembling body itched to move, to run AWAY.

But I was safe with the police. I had to be. I'd come too far not to be.

/They're gone./

/My fault./

Alone, the officer inched forward, trying to investigate the underbrush.

The beasts made no more sounds, but the hairs on the back of my neck were on edge. Those creatures were out there in the darkness, lurking and waiting.

"Where is the Army?" he called over his shoulder in a hushed voice.

"They weren't here when we came in," the boy next to me offered.

Another added, "We found their base. They were all missing and there was blood."

He stalked forward step after step. None of us made any effort to follow him. I took careful paces backwards, every muscle tense and ready to spring.

"What was it you guys said you saw out here?"

As if in answer, something disturbed the branches of a nearby pine tree. The four of us cried out an anguished warning as he approached it, but we were too late.

A spine-covered tail struck from above, penetrating the officer's chest. He sputtered and gagged, his body rigid.

His partner opened fire into the tree, and we remained frozen in place behind him.

He would protect us. He had to protect us.

"Kids, get out of here!" he commanded, pushing us back. "Hurry! Don't look back and don't stop, no matter what!"

We turned tail and fled back into the woods. How far could we go? Their cruisers were a couple miles away, still. Gunshots popped behind us, punctuated by screeches. We had to try.

Ear-splitting cries from all directions scattered us all, driving a wedge between us—and suddenly I was alone in the dark.

I tried to spot someone, but all I saw was a nightmare black creature running parallel to me. I choked back a sob: quadruped. I couldn't hope to out-run something that was on all fours.

I had to try. /I had to try./

The creature sounded off at my left and my head jerked in that direction. Already I was running on fumes, so that small distraction was enough. I lost my footing on the slope and lurched forward with an undignified wail.

The ground drove what precious air I had from my lungs, leaving me a coughing and wheezing mess.   

A victory screech rattled my bones and I struggled to stand. I only managed to rise in a half-crouch before something heavy landed not far behind me and I twisted around. There were no more screams, no more gunfire.

It was me and the demon, alone.

Glistening fangs and a sleek, black head rose to fill my vision. The thing was the size of a small bear, its emaciated form made of a bio-mechanical exoskeleton.

Elongated claws scored divots into the dirt; its back legs were like exaggerated digitigrade stilts. A long, segmented tail stretched several feet behind it, tipped with a sharp blade.

And those teeth.

They were at the forefront of my mind; silver, glistening, deadly. It was an unholy spawn of serpent and insect, demon and shadows.

It's oblong head stretched back between protrusions from its spine, swaying as it regarded me. I didn't see any eyes, only a smooth carapace. Lips drew back over those fangs, twitching and slavering with viscous saliva. Behind it, its skeletal tail swung to and fro.

Then, with a high-pitched whine, it lunged.

There was no air left in me for me to scream. It landed atop me and I wheezed once, then tried to curl inward to protect my core. Stars danced across my vision and I rasped out a pitiful croak of pain.

Its claws dug into my body, and then it yanked me away.

Sticks and stones snagged at my clothes and scratched my face. My green coat tore open in several places, caught up on any manner of forest litter.

All the while I grabbed at whatever I could, trying to hold onto anything and keep it from dragging me. A sob tore free of my sandpaper throat and tears squeezed from my eyes.

Somehow I found my stolen breath and screamed at the top of my lungs. I shouted and wailed for someone to please HELP.

My face stung from its cuts, my fingers ached and bled from attempting to dig into the ground. But I didn't want to give up. I couldn't give up. I didn't know what this hellish thing had in store for me but I didn't want to find out.

The thing was stronger than I ever would have given it credit for. Even when I managed to get my hands on a root and stall my kidnapping, it wrenched me free.

It dragged me along behind it, squealing and hissing. Its tail swished overhead and I watched it, afraid it might spear me at any moment.            

Something struck me in the jaw and the next thing I knew, an acrid stench was rousing me from my stupor: moldy mildew and hot, wet air.

Soon after, muffled sounds reached my ears; a steady drip, rustling, and ambient static. My head throbbed with a dull pain behind my eyes. I couldn't remember why . . .

I wasn't in the woods anymore, that was sure. How long had I been out?

After some attempts, I peeled open swollen eyes and peered into the darkness. Someone was moaning next to me, and I was damp.

My sight faded in and out and when I tried to move, tried to lift my arms and rub my head, I could not. My damp hair clung to my face, and for one terrifying minute I thought it was my own blood covering me.

Every part of me felt sticky.

Nothing else hurt, though. My body was sore, yes, but I was intact. Well, except for my throbbing head and stinging cuts.

If I was covered in blood, it would be a lot of it. Too much, and I wouldn't be awake let alone alive. It felt instead like I was covered in slime.

Like that rock and the rifle.

After wiggling around and taking in what surroundings I could see, I came to a conclusion. I was encased in some sort of cocoon. It held fast no matter how much I struggled.

Still drained of energy, I gave up for the time being.

When my eyes had adjusted to the dim red light of the room, I spotted two other people next to me. They were plastered to the wall in similar manners. Across from me there were even more people.

None of them were moving. My mind cleared little by little and my vision focused enough to pick out details of everything. A person at my right was wearing military fatigues, and I assumed he was with the squad that disappeared.

It was the same with the man on my left. I thought perhaps the rest of those present were part of the National Guard, but I had to squint and strain to see across from me.

One was missing his entire chest cavity.

I sucked in deep, noisy breaths and fought to keep calm. The sight of his blood and the entrails dangling from the gaping hole had me dry heaving.

Tears poured down my cheeks and I looked around for something, anything, that would help me.

There was nothing.

Absolutely fucking nothing.

Instead, I started screaming for help. The man next to me stirred at the noise and I halted to look at him with wide eyes. Relief manifested in a hysterical laugh.

There was one person who was ALIVE.  

"Hey! Hey you're alive!" I called to him in desperation. I shook my damp hair out of my eyes but it only slapped against my cheek.

He inhaled a deep breath and lifted his heavy head. It took him a second, but at last his eyes fell on me.

For a moment I thought that maybe he couldn't see me in the dark, but his eyes focused. He stared at me for the longest time, as if unable to comprehend what he was seeing.

After some time, his face contorted in dismay.

"Hey!" I whispered at him again, eyes wide with hope. "You okay?"

"No—no you weren't supposed to come. I told you to stay out of the woods! Is . . . is there anyone else?" he demanded. It sounded as if his mouth was full of cotton.

It was then I realized that this was the same man from the school assembly. I couldn't recall his name; it was stuck at the tip of my tongue.

"All my friends, and their friends. I don't know—there was a dozen or more of us," I finally admitted. "It wasn't supposed to be, it was just supposed to be a small group, but . . . but everyone kept inviting more people and then we were attacked! It wasn't supposed to—what do we do? What do we do!"

My voice cracked into a shrill wail and I fought against my restraints again. It was a thick, solid layer of resin keeping me glued to the wall.

"Calm down," he urged, head bobbing with the effort. He heaved out a cough.

I took in a few more breaths and swallowed my tears. It lasted another few precious moments before I managed to calm down, but then I nodded and kept my eyes on him.

"Okay. Okay."

"You just have to be calm and you can get out. What's your name?" he asked.

His voice was subdued and he kept grunting and bending in at the waist as much as he could, as if he had a bad stomach ache. I knit my brow in concern.

"Nichole," I replied, voice wavering. I eyed him and tried to figure out what was wrong.

"Alright Nichole. I'm Lieutenant Anderson. Do you remember me from your high school?"

That's right: Anderson. I did remember, and I let him know with a few jerky nods.

He grimaced and wheezed. "I don't—I don't have much time. But you have to get out quick, okay?" He scrunched up his face in pain and grit his teeth.

"What do you mean?" I whimpered. "Are you okay?"

Anderson inclined his head toward the ground and I followed his gaze.

Right in front of him was something like a dead spider the size of my chest. It had a long tail coiled around it and was belly-up, many-jointed legs curled in on itself.

My eyes wandered north and widened at what I saw.

Eggs. Dozens and dozens of eggs. They were all clustered in the center of the room, swaddled in a lazy mist drifting along the ground.

"That thing—it . . . it stuck something inside me. I can feel it . . . trying to get out."

The hyperventilating started again and I looked around the room. Now the darkness had revealed so many more people, all stuck to the wall.  Most of them seemed to be soldiers, but I recognized one of the cops from the hill.

Only a few had holes in them, others just seemed unconscious.

Some had a spider-thing stuck to their face. They had tails wrapped around their throats and finger-like legs embracing their heads.

Hugging their faces.         

The gaping holes in those people's chests—that was what it was? The spiders, they put something INSIDE them? And then they—

/Oh no. Oh god./

Me. I was . . . next.