CHAPTER 47 - Dream And Reality III

Before anyone could react, the man that was attacked by the lizard creature was torn to pieces.

"Ah!!!!" The scream from a woman went up and was followed by others as the whole place fell into pandemonium.

"It's a monster!!"

"Run!!"

As everyone began to scramble in fear, the lizard creature joined the activity as it ran around and chased after anyone it's eyes fell on.

Screams of horror went up as the creature began to savagely devour those people that were unlucky to be caught.

The sight of spilled blood and torn flesh only helped to aggravate the fear in everyone's heart.

Tisane watched as people were being pounced on by the creature as it's terrible jaws snapped and brought along with it flesh and bone.

The creature was so fast that a person at their full speed was nothing but crawling babies before it.

How can this be happening?!!

Tisane was so caught up in shock and fear until someone pulled his shoulder violently, causing him to turn and face the person.

"Stop standing around Tisane!" His father screamed at his face.

"Go with your mother and sisters!"

Mr James quickly pushed Tisane towards the waiting arms of his mother.

"Go!!" Mr James shouted.

"Follow the crowd and get out of here!!"

"No!!" Mrs Elizabeth shook her head immediately.

"You have to come with us!!"

"Someone has to stop that creature!!"

Mr James was adamant in staying.

"Stop being foolish James!!"

Mrs Elizabeth screamed as her eyes glistened with tears.

"You can't stop that creature. No one can!!"

Mr James knew it was pointless arguing with his wife as he dashed towards their already dilapidated house.

"No James!!" Mrs Elizabeth screamed in horror.

"Mrs Elizabeth we have to move to safety. James will be fine!"

Mr Victor said as he pulled her arm.

"No I can't leave my husband!" Mrs Elizabeth said stubbornly.

"Don't do that. Instead think about your children!" Mr Victor quickly said.

Mrs Elizabeth froze as she stared at the terrified and tear filled faces of her daughters.

While Tisane was carrying a sorrow filled but dazed expression on his face.

_''This cannot be happening''_

_''This cannot be happening''_

His life was supposed to be perfect...and normal.

But what was he seeing?

A monster that came out of a large stone and was devouring and slaughtering the people he once knew?

After staring at the direction that her husband ran to for sometime, Mrs Elizabeth quickly turned and pulled her two daughters while urging Tisane along as they ran towards safety.

But the creature seemed to have sensed a group of people about to escape as it dashed towards them while knocking a group of people flying.

It stomped it's clawed feet as it landed in front of those people running for safety.

It instantly swiped it's huge and razor sharp claws as the people in front were shredded to pieces, their flesh and bones splattering on those who managed to escape the attack.

The huge lizard was not done as it began to monstrously slaughter and devour the humans before it.

Tisane was shook with terror as he watched the monster gradually drawing close to them.

There was no other safe place to go.

The way ahead, actually led to a dome which was mostly used by the government for sport activities or celebrity shows.

If they could have managed to get to the dome, they would have been safe from the monster.

But now, with the monster blocking the pathway, the only choice they had was to run back into town which would still be the same as simply standing there for the monster to devour them.

At this point, when Tisane saw the hopeless expression on the faces of everyone present including his own family, he couldn't help but begin to cry.

He cried because the happy family he loved was soon to be torn to pieces by an abominable creature, himself included.

As the lizard was just a dozen feet away from them, something unexpected happened.

A flaming object flew through the air as it slammed against the monster's neck.

~Boom!~

A loud explosion erupted as everyone saw a part of the monster's neck erupt in flames as it staggered and fell on its side.

At first, it made some struggling movements while on the ground, until all of a sudden, it stopped moving altogether.

Everyone was so shocked at the series of terrifying events taking place that they failed to noticed that the huge lizard was no more moving.

"Wait! The monster! It's dead!" Someone suddenly screamed.

"What?!"

"It's dead?!"

"How can that be? We all saw how horrifying the monster was, so what could possibly have killed it?!"

"It was that explosion! The monster was killed by a weapon!"

"But who fired the weapon?!"

Everyone began chattering back and forth without anyone truly knowing how the creature was killed.

"Look it's the chief!"

"He was the one that killed the monster, look!"

Peoples' attention became drawn to a man whom was standing and holding a bazooka rifle.

"It's captain James!"

"What? He was the one who killed the monster?!"

Mr James stared at everyone who also stared back in shock.

As there was nothing else to be said, he nodded his head as his eyes fell on the astounded face of his wife.

But this little gesture was not lost on the crowd as people erupted in shouts of joy and relief.

"Three hearty cheers for the chief of police!!"

"As expected, he doesn't just fight criminals, but also huge monsters too!!"

Some of the men and women whom were also in the police force came and rallied around Mr James with pride in their hearts.

Mr James handed over the weapon in his hands to one of his colleagues as he waved his hands up and down as a gesture for silence.

Well the respect that the people had towards him was already skyrocketing, so automatically they all became silent.

"Words cannot begin to express the level of tragedy we have experienced today!"

James scanned the crowd with his eyes as his heart bled.

People he used to know, friends and families, all gone.

And they didn't die natural deaths too.

No.

They were torn to pieces by a creature from hell!

He saw the the floors and walls stained with blood and pieces of flesh.

He stared into the eyes of the people.

Sorrow, pain, fear and loss.

They will never forget this day.

No one will.

He lifted up his eyes to the sky as he silently prayed;

_''Please let this be the worse that will happen_''

_''No more. Please''_

"We have a duty to our friends and families that we have lost today!"

"Let us honor their memories, not in despair or hopelessness but in the joy that wherever they are right now, they are in a happy place and that someday, we will see them again!"

At these words, there was no shout of joy but instead, every single person clenched their fist or shook their heads, as tears poured from their eyes.

It was sad. A bloody day that will go down in the annals of history.

But then, when there is life, there is hope.

And right now, with the fact that they were still alive, there was hope for a better day.

And with this, everyone began moving.

The destination was clear and simple.

Move to the dome, where everyone will be attended to by medical personnel.

Mr James walked to his family in steady strides as they all hugged.

But as they disengaged from the hug....

~Slap!~

A loud slap resounded as some people whom were close by stared in shocked silence.

Mrs Elizabeth glared at her husband as tears rolled from her eyes.

"Don't ever do that to me again!" She said with a voice tinged with sorrow.

_''What if I had lost him?''_ she thought.

"She's right you know" Mr Victor came with his family and Melvina.

"You almost gave us a heart attack"

Mr James was not surprised by his wife's reaction as he drew close and kissed her deeply.

Heck! He was damn scared too!

But he was relieved as everything was okay.

Though they had lost a lot but they still had each other.

Twenty minutes ago....

Tisane watched as everyone cheered for his father.

The man who defeated such a huge scary monster.

It was an achievement to boast about for years to come!

But why wasn't he happy?

Instead he felt this nagging feeling of danger that was so imminent that he felt as if he could touch it.

This was the same feeling he had earlier before the lizard creature started massacring people.

And he was having that same feeling again!

Only this time, the feeling was stronger!

So strong that he felt his legs wobble and shake.

_It can't be!_

_The monster is dead!_

_The monster is dead!_

Tisane's eyes automatically darted to where the monster's dead body lay, as if expecting the monster to jump back to life.

He was still staring alertly at the dead lizard creature when he felt a heavy hand pull him into a group hug.

It was his father.

It was his family.

They were all safe.

He heard the emotional voices of people around them.

No the monster was dead.

His father killed it!

He should be proud.

No, he was proud.....and happy.

He had such a father.

A strong and dependable father.

And with such a father, nothing could go wrong.

"Time to keep moving" Mr James said as everyone turned to the direction of the dome in silence.

But then, a voice rang out;

"L--look! One of the stones is shaking"

Everyone almost forgot about the fact that the crater and stone through which the huge lizard came out from was not the only one.

Multiple huge stones fell out of the sky earlier.

And looking at their numbers all over the town, they could be ranging in the hundreds.

So when someone announced that another stone was shaking.

Everyone's face became pale and filled with terror as they had not yet forgotten the experience they just had with the lizard monster.

Does that mean another monster was about to show up?!

"Bring me the bazooka now!" Mr James roared out commands instantly as he moved close to the large stone that was already vibrating.

"James!" Mrs Elizabeth screamed.

"James come back it's pointless, we have to go now!" Mr Victor screamed.

"No. If we can strike it down before it awakens, everyone will be safe!"

Mr James was ready to replicate the feat he performed against the lizard creature.

"B---but chief!" His colleague whom was holding the bazooka protested in a shaking voice.

"No buts. Give me the bazooka and back off to a safe distance!"

"Ch---chief they are.....!" The man still said while pointing in a certain direction as he spasmed and his body shook.

Mr James was angry as he was about to scold his colleague for displaying cowardice at a time like this when his eyes subconsciously moved to the direction where his colleague was pointing.

And then he saw it.

Another stone in a crater was also shaking.

No. Not just that one.

A third stone yet still was shaking violently.

It was like a chain reaction as Mr James glanced at the various stones which were in craters one by one.

They all began to shake violently as cracks began to develop on their bodies.

"Oh my God" Mr James muttered in pure terror.