by Andrew Gates
Dan must have heard something. He immediately spun around and aimed his rifle toward the trees. Birds squawked and flew away, as if fleeing from a predator.
Iris felt her heart pound. She could not see or hear anything, but she could tell something was wrong.
“Kids, get behind me,” she said.
They complied without question.
Suddenly and without any warning, figures appeared. Iris froze as she saw them. They looked like naked people, but with smaller eyes, wider jaws, sharper teeth and a shorter stature. They snarled and shouted like animals. It was like something from a nightmare.
There must have been 15 of them. They ran at Dan like predators to prey.
Iris gasped in horror and nearly lost her footing.
Dan did not hesitate for a second. He instinctively unleashed a storm of bullets onto the humanoid creatures. Their grotesque bodies erupted into mucusy mists of red. Limbs flew apart. Within seconds, all of the naked attackers were dead.
“What the fuck!” Jallah shouted.
“Jallah, calm down,” Margery said.
“I knew it!” he cried. “I knew they looked like humans, but worse! They have fangs and they snarl! I knew it!” The boy seemed like he had lost all composure. He started stomping around and twitching in fear. Margery tried to calm him down.
Iris spotted Selena sprinting through the ditch. She waved her hands in panic as she ran over to them. The woman practically tripped a few times. Iris was surprised she had not fallen over into the water as she ran.
Iris could not hear what she was saying until she was closer.
“We have to move, now!” she hollered.
“Where is Greyson?” Iris asked.
“He’s with the sick. Misha’s with him too,” she answered.
The sick were out on the beach. Tobias thought it would be good for them to recover in the sunlight where it was warm. This ravine would lead them right to the stretch of shore they needed to reach.
“Come,” Iris said, turning to the kids. “Let’s go!”
Jallah looked like he had lost all control. He mumbled to himself and stared blankly into nowhere. Margery had her hands on his shoulders. She stared into his eyes, trying to bring him back to reality.
“Jallah, let’s go!” Margery shouted, repeating Iris’s words.
For some reason, the girl’s shout worked better than Iris’s. Jallah blinked a few times, then looked up at Iris. He nodded.
Iris grabbed Ophelia by the hand and started running. Selena followed along inside the crevasse and Dan followed on the opposite side. It took a few minutes for them to reach the beach. Iris had not realized how far inland she and some of the others had gone in search of food. When they arrived, the gunshots were louder than ever. Even with Iris’s damaged hearing, she found herself covering her ears.
Greyson carried sick Kaitlyn on his shoulders as if she were a backpack. Misha was by their side, looking as frightened as ever. The frantic father shouted some sort of orders to Sixtine, who nodded her head and grabbed Misha by the hand. Next to them, Felix lifted up sick Rina and held her horizontally as if she were a corpse.
The others all formed a circle around them, guns drawn, firing out into the forest. Iris felt a bullet whiz over her head. She fell down onto the ground, frightened. The bullet could have killed me, she thought.
The group suddenly stopped firing as Iris stood back up and the others arrived. The Navy men waved them in. They all rushed into the circle as fast as they could.
Iris took a look around. Dead bodies of the naked humanoids surrounded them on all sides. There had to have been almost 50 corpses littering the beach. Entire sections of the sand looked like they were painted red.
“What the hell are these things?” someone asked during the brief ceasefire.
“They look like people, but more savage, almost de-evolved,” Tobias added. He had a lot of gear on his back, including what looked like a pot for cooking. It seemed he was the only one prepared to leave at any given moment.
A rumbling noise came from the trees. Iris gulped.
“It’s not over!” someone screamed.
Sure enough, more of these creatures came pouring through the trees. They shouted at the top of their lungs as they sprinted at the survivors. Everyone on the outer perimeter opened fire, mowing them down in a cloud of red mist.
Iris was horrified. She turned right to look away. But to her shock, more of these creatures ran their way along the beach.
“Watch out! They’re coming from the north too!” Iris shouted, pointing toward the other line of attackers.
By the time the shooters heard her words, the savages were already on them. A young female with long greasy hair, so starved that Iris could see its ribcage, jumped up onto Garren and revealed its pointed teeth. Its mouth was enormous; easily three times the size of a human one. It bit into Garren’s head. Blood gushed from his skull and onto the savage’s tongue. It fell off of him and swallowed the blood as if it were a treat. Garren stumbled and fell over. Another savage, a pale male about the same age, crawled on top of him and bit right into the Navy man’s neck.
Felix dropped Rina and ran over to help. He pulled out a pistol and fired away at the humanoids. He shot the female straight in the face and several times in the chest, leaving its body so destroyed that it was now unidentifiable. His gun was empty. He cast it aside and ran at the pale male, still biting away at Garren’s neck. Felix kicked the savage in the face and then landed on top of it. He pulled a knife from his pocket and started hacking away at the male until it stopped squirming and lied motionless on the bloody sand.
Felix stood up and turned, eager to assist to his fallen Navy man. But just as he turned, the motionless male reached out and pulled Felix down. As he collapsed, two more savages jumped on top of him and began to devour him alive.
By this point, the others took note and opened fire in both directions, focusing on the aggressors from both the trees and the beach. The savages started falling down on both sides, but more and more kept coming like an endless army.
“We’re trapped! We’re going to die!” Rina shouted. She was still so sick, she could hardly stand.
“We’re not done yet! There’s got to be a way out of this!” Ryan added.
How do we defeat them? Iris wondered. She looked around, searching for anything that would give her an idea. But she could not think of anything. They didn’t seem to have the capability. Even with all these weapons, they needed something more. Something more advanced.
“The mantises!” she shouted. “We can’t kill these things on our own! We need the mantises!”
“What?” someone else asked.
Dan put his hand in the air as he fired his gun, as if suggesting he understood her idea.
“That’s it! Great idea!” he exclaimed back. “The trap! We have to find one of those traps and spring it!”
“What? Are you nuts?” Jallah cried out.
“What the hell are you guys talking about?” Sixtine hollered.
“The branchless tree! The trap! We need to spring it!” Dan explained.
“Well we’re not going to find of those here!” Ryan replied. “Do you suggest we run into the woods?”
“It’s our only option!” Dan stated. He turned and faced inside the circle for just a second to see everyone’s reaction. Iris just wanted him turn back around and continue firing his gun again. “I don’t hear anyone with a better idea!” he said. He faced outward again and continued shooting.
“Roger that,” Ryan agreed. “Let’s go! Make to the forest!”
Before Iris was ready, the group started moving. They maintained their circle shape and fired outward as they ran. Bodies fell all around them. The savages seemed to run away from the group in confusion as they moved into the forest. It was almost as if these creatures didn’t expect them to move at all.
Iris kept Ophelia at her side the whole time. The girl seemed worried, but far better composed than she ever e
xpected. In a strange way, Ophelia’s composure made Iris feel more confident.
Iris turned and faced the beach as they ran away. The remaining humanoids did not follow. Instead, they picked away at the two corpses lying there.
And Rina.
We forgot Rina.
It was too late to save her now. The savages ripped off her legs and cast them aside. Others ran to where the legs landed in the sand and started feasting. Rina reached out toward the group and shouted, but it would do her no good. There was nothing that could save her now. Another savage pulled on her outstretched arm and bit right into it, separating it in two.
Iris turned away. She wanted to throw up the bile in her throat. It was just too brutal to watch.
The group ran through the forest for what seemed like an eternity. The savages seemed to thin out the farther the group ran, but they never stopped coming. For a moment Iris was worried that they would never find a trap to spring.
But then they found one.
What was once a symbol to be feared now stood as a strange beacon of hope. A tall branchless tree stood in the center of an empty ring of downed trees. Iris had never been so happy to see a tree in her life.
“Fire at the tree! It’s full of sensors!” Dan shouted.
Some in the group fired at the tree. Others continued shooting at the monsters. The tree started to split apart. Within a few seconds, it cracked and toppled to the ground. The group had to scatter to avoid being hit. The massive tree had fallen right between them, dividing the group, leaving Iris and the children trapped on one side, with the humanoids closing in. Iris instinctively climbed over the downed trunk, holding onto Ophelia the whole time. She met with the others on their side. Jallah and Margery climbed over next, but the humanoids were close behind. A young female savage reached onto Jallah’s leg as he made his way over the log. The boy kicked outward, hitting the creature in the face. It released his leg from its grip and shouted in pain. Dan promptly shot the monster in the forehead, killing it instantly.
They rejoined their circle shape and maintained this position for a few seconds before Ryan threw his gun aside. He was now unarmed.
“I’m all out!” he shouted. “Even reserve ammo! I’m out of everything!”
“I’m on my last round!” added Greyson.
“This will buy us some time!” screamed Tobias. He stopped firing for a moment, reached into his pocket and pulled out a grenade. He removed the cap and tossed it towards the naked humanoids. The creatures curiously ran up to the bomb and inspected it. One of the savages picked it up, only to have it stolen from its hands by another. It changed hands a few times and a crowd formed around it. Within a few seconds, it detonated, eradicating the crowd of savage creatures into thousands of pieces. Bits of muscle, bone and viscera splattered every which way in the air.
Only a few of the savages remained. They were each promptly shot down.
Iris took her first deep breath in a while. She knew this calm period would not last. Only a moment later, more savages ran their way.
“Dammit, we just can’t catch a break!” yelled Greyson. Iris had not realized it until now, but Kaitlyn was still sitting on his shoulders. She could hardly believe it.
“Who still has bullets?” Ryan asked.
“I do, but I’m low,” Tobias answered.
“Same,” Dan replied.
“I have a few, but I won’t last long!” added Selena.
Sixtine let go of Misha’s hand and pulled out her own gun. She quickly inspected it.
“I have some bullets. I haven’t fired as much. I was watching the kid,” she answered.
“Then you’re up front!” Ryan ordered.
“I want someone watching my daughter!” Greyson screamed.
“I’ll do it!” Iris said, raising her hand. She did not know why she felt the need to raise her hand. Nobody was looking at her.
“Good, Iris, watch her!” he said.
Iris held onto Ophelia with one hand and grabbed onto Misha with the other. She would not let them go.
The savages continued running toward them.
“They’re almost on us!” Selena shouted.
“Fire! Take them out!” Ryan ordered.
Except for Iris, those who still had bullets fired away. They mowed the creatures down like it was nothing. But then she saw Greyson cast his gun aside. Then Dan did the same, followed by Tobias and Selena. It was not long before Sixtine was the only one with a working gun. She stood at the front, blasting away. Iris backed up against the fallen tree, not knowing what was going to happen next.
That’s when a roaring engine hummed from overhead. Iris looked up. A boxy spaceship formed a silhouette against the sunlight. She gasped.
“It’s the mantises!” Dan screamed.
“Get down!” someone else exclaimed.
Iris watched as a hatch opened up on the bottom of the craft. A mech dropped down and smashed into the forest, knocking down a thick tree. The tree toppled onto some of the creatures. The mech immediately opened fire, sending rockets and plasma blasts in seemingly every direction.
Some humanoids ran toward the mech, trying to overpower it. Most scattered, running away into the woods. Trees started burning. Within seconds, this part of the forest was on fire.
Two mantises dropped down from the ship. One held a spear in its hand. The other held a net.
“Let’s get the fuck out of here now!” someone cried.
Even if Iris did not know who said it, she couldn’t have agreed more. She held on as tightly as she could to both girls and started running. Little Misha had trouble keeping up so she let go of Ophelia’s hand and pulled the small girl up onto her shoulders. They ran as fast as they could for a few minutes. Iris made sure to keep Ophelia in her line of sight at all times.
Despite her hearing, it was almost impossible not to hear the sound of the battle behind them. Even after running for what felt like 10 minutes, Iris could still make out the noise of plasma cannons and savage roars.
Eventually the group reached a clearing in the forest. They entered an open field. The grass was high, but they could see a far distance. They ran to the center of the field before eventually stopping to catch their breaths.
Iris panted and lowered the young girl from her shoulders. Misha was crying. She immediately ran over to her mother. Iris was just glad to lose all that weight.
Greyson pulled Kaitlyn down to the ground and leaned over her. She was gasping for air like someone drowning in a pool of water. The concerned father rubbed her head and cheeks for a few seconds. The sick girl calmed down. Her breathing slowed and she closed her eyes. It seemed all she needed was a bit of reassurance.
“Let me see that,” Ryan said, pushing his way over to Iris. When he reached her, Iris did not know what he was referring to.
“What?” she asked.
“The gun,” he answered. “You had a gun in your pocket the whole time!”
Iris pulled out the pistol and handed it to him. He briefly inspected it and then put it in his own pocket.
“You never even fired it!” he exclaimed.
“I was nervous. I was watching the kids,” she replied.
“I was out of bullets! You could’ve at least given it to me!” he argued.
“I… I…” Iris did not know what to say. The last thing she expected was to be the center of an argument right now. In truth, she did not know why she kept it when they were surrounded. The thought just didn’t cross her mind at the time.
“It was crazy, Ryan. I think she was just frazzled,” Dan said, butting in. Iris was thankful that he came to her defense.
“I agree,” added Greyson. “Let it go!” The brother came in and stood between Iris and Ryan, as if ready to break up a fight at any moment.
The lieutenant took a deep sigh and placed his hand over his face. He dropped to the ground and started beating it with his fists. Tobias rushed in and placed his arms around Ryan’s shoulders. The Navy man stopped hitting the gr
ound and just sat still. Iris could only imagine what was going through his mind right now.
Dan slowly made his way over to Iris. He placed his hand on her shoulder and tried to act calm.
“That was a smart idea, calling the mantises in like that.”
“Thanks,” she said. “We were lucky we found a trap so easily. We might not be so lucky next time.”
“True.”
Everyone in the group was silent for a moment. This was their first real time to relax. Some of them dropped to the ground and faced the sky, others paced nervously. Dan stood next to her the whole time.
“Any idea what they are?” she eventually asked him, knowing full well he had no clue.
Dan shook his head.
“They seem organized,” he said. “Like pack animals. It’s creepy.”
“I agree,” she replied.
“We might need to make some changes. Instead of one person keeping watch at night, maybe we should have two,” Dan suggested.
“I’m not sure how much that will help,” Iris said.
“Nobody is going to believe this!” Sixtine added, jumping in. She was pacing around the field.
“What do you mean?” someone asked. Iris could not tell who asked the question.
“I mean, when we tell this story, people will think we’re out of our minds!” Sixtine clarified, though her answer did little to help explain what she meant.
“There’s nobody to believe it,” Jallah corrected. “Everyone is dead! My family, my friends, Rina, Felix, Garren!” Tears streamed down his cheeks as he said this. Iris had never seen him so emotional.
“That’s not true!” Sixtine replied. “My sister will go crazy when she hears about this. The station will hardly believe us! And the Navy is bound to give us all some sort of promotion.”
“Are you out of your mind?” Selena asked. “The station is gone!”
“No,” Sixtine said, shaking her head. “No, it’s not gone. It’s in the ocean right now. Hillary, my sister, is there, I know it.”
“Wait… Hillary Boudreaux?” Greyson asked.