His gloomy eyes still fixed on mine he howled again, saliva dripped from his hungry mouth as he snapped his jaws together and grinding his teeth in a hungry motion. His howls were the sign that he wanted to taste my blood on his tongue, feel the pull of my flesh on his teeth and to feel me struggle as the turn set in and became a monster just like him but I couldn’t become like that, I would rather shoot myself. As I looked at him I knew I didn’t want to have to see someone else I could have cared about die so I turned to run for the stairs, he wouldn’t be able to climb up them after me and maybe, just maybe when I disposed of Dr Demetri something would take Darren out so I didn’t have to.
Whirr…Chink!!!
I froze on the spot as the metallic noise of metal on metal echoed through the almost silent halls, out of nowhere a makeshift gate shuddered down from the ceiling blocking off my exit to the stairs making me stay in a cage of sorts with Darren. Running to it I pulled at it trying to make it move but it didn’t budge an inch, the metal just groaned slightly making my teeth clench together in response. The gate had been made recently and was very crudely thrown together but it done its desired job as it wasn’t letting me out anytime soon and it wasn’t letting anything else in either. The doors behind the gate closed shut as if told to do so by a magnet that held them open, a notice which was permanently pinned to the gate read ‘Quarantine Zone’ in a crudely written penmanship. Somehow the doctor must have fitted these gates here, I had no idea how but I had no time to think about it either as the muffled footsteps made their way ever closer towards me.
Turning round slowly I watched as Darren made his way towards me, arms outstretched to grab me, to tear me apart, my heart hammered as I looked around the arena I knew the doctor was setting up for me, now I was in his fighting cage with Darren and we would have to fight to the death. This was almost like being locked up with an almighty dangerous animal take for example a lion, knowing they have the strength and power to take you down in a heartbeat but hopefully being human I might be able to outsmart the creature that called itself Darren but I had no idea if I would ever have been able to outsmart a lion. Not that the thought mattered for now it was me and him and I knew I had to outsmart him to make sure I lived, I had to avenge Sian’s death and all those people the doctor tortured and I suppose if that meant killing him first then I had to do it.
Spotting a camera in the corridor with a small red light blinking I knew we were being watched, I knew the doctor wanted a good show and I was going to give him one, then he would be next. Mentally I switched off as Darren edged ever closer, he could run but not very fast more of a jog, he was biding his time playing games with me so I decided now would be a good time to build my walls to protect me. Focusing on my heart and my mind I started placing bricks mentally around them, faster and faster making sure they were both locked tight away, blocking up the top and bottom around them so there would be no gaps I sealed away all my feelings and emotions knowing they had to go or I would risk them creeping in at the wrong moment, I needed them away so when I took Darren down I wouldn’t feel the pain and remorse of killing someone I knew. I had over time gotten better at this wall building, since taking out my mother to save my father even for those few extra weeks I had him with me until he too left me I had tried to shut it out, push it down so I could survive. It did help too it stopped the images seeping in when I didn’t need them to, sometimes yes my walls would crumble and all those feelings would come flooding in, knocking me emotionally for six but normally I was alone, I could look at the photo and I could rebuild after a cry, after all I was still human if I could still cry right?
With my emotions locked away I felt it, the trained creature killer I had become sweep through me like a cold wash being pumped through my veins but it didn’t falter me, I kept it coming and before I knew it I was so cold hearted and nothing could faze me right now. I knew I could do it.
Starting the show I moved quickly to the other end of the corridor, Darren turned howling at me walking forward to catch me, I moved so both of us circled each other, holding my rifle like a bat again ready to hit out I almost danced around him making him cry out in frustration as he would reach out a clawed hand missing me by mere inches. Suddenly he charged at me so I copied charging at him, snapping his jaws wildly he jumped trying to jump on me to bite into my throat but I spun the rifle round hitting him square in the stomach and sending him flying to the other side of our cage. Standing up he sprawled out his arms screaming with rage before running at me again this time taking me off guard and sending me flailing into a nearby trolley sending it crashing into a glass door which shattered on impact. Spinning fast on my feet I spun the butt of the gun upwards crunching it into his jaw which broke, stepping back from me I saw how it just hung loosely only his paled skin and tendons keeping it there. Trying to snap at me he failed, he cried out by howling then trying with all his fury to swat me with his clawed hands as he ran back to me, he wasn’t going to give up anytime soon, I waited as he charged at me only moving away from him at the last second so he plummeted into the wall hitting it so hard plaster chipped off around him. I rolled onto the floor coming back up quickly and running forwards away from him, turning to face me he snarled blood dripping from his broken jaw and now I noticed snapped sharp pointy teeth, so sharp they shone like razors ready to attack. His eyes crazy and wild almost replicating how the doctor looked when I first met him, he howled again but this time it became more of a gargle as the blood pooled at the back of his throat which started splatting out on the floor as he choked on it. Shaking with adrenaline I knew I had to put him out of his misery now, his gurgles turned to loud screams as he stopped the cage dancing and ran for me one last time, anticipating this I ducked down low spinning on my heels and smashing the gun into his kneecap which crunched under the force throwing him down to the tiled floor screaming in pure infuriating hatred for me. Feeling nothing I lifted the rifle at him knowing I had to stop this but his hunger kept him coming crawling along the floor to me, to try a last attempt to get his meal, placing my finger on the trigger and ever so gently pulling…BANG! He fell lifeless to the floor, looking at his broken body I felt the pain and remorse trying to sneak in as I felt the guilt for having to stop him to save my own life, pushing it down and locking it away I knew I would need that pain later, I would need it to punish the doctor with for making me take another humans life.
Turning to face the camera I walked up to it with such brazen attitude, I stared deep into the lens hoping my eyes were burning right into his, putting my own version of a crazy sick smile I pointed my finger at him mouthing at him, “I’m coming for you…your next!” before pulling the camera down with my bare hands and smashing it on the floor sending it shattering into millions of pieces.
Knowing now he probably wouldn’t open the gate back up for me I searched for a vent that I could climb through to make my way up, yes he would almost certainly be expecting that from me but there were many vents I could choose from so all I had to do was find the right one and ambush him. Finding one right at the end of another corridor I also heard the thrum of the generator, deciding to keep to my plan even if it meant waking up the Screechers I felt a little safe knowing the gate would at least keep them in for a while, hopefully for just long enough for me to execute the last bit of my plan. I walked into the room it was hidden in, having a quick nose about I found some bullets for the pistol I had taken from the doctor snatching them up I reloaded the weapon and putting the safety on I stashed it in my bag. Nothing else seemed of any use just some random notes which seemed incoherent, more ranting and raving about the mysterious Toni. Slicing the generator wire with the scalpel I headed out towards the vent climbing in and pulling the cover back over. Ready Dr Death here I come!
~
Doctor Demetri sat in his chair which was facing the camera screen he had set up to watch the stupid little girl and her creature friend fight to the death, he had been so sure that his creature would take care of the silly gi
rl but he hadn’t known how well Toni had trained the brat. The moves she used to take him down were specialist, almost playing around like a dancer and letting him know that she held nothing inside and that she was coming for him next, he had to admit for the first time in a long time someone had actually put a small doubt of fear in the back of his mind. Plus not knowing where she would be coming from as he certainly was not going to open the gate to let her come up the easy way, he knew she could manoeuvre the vents but which one would she come from? Turning a switch and keeping all the last working cameras on this ward trained on all the vent covers he waited watching, then a thought occurred to him, he never placed a camera up with the last generator he hadn’t felt the need to, what if she came through that way.
“Nah!” he said to try and comfort himself, “Too dangerous”, since he exploded the lifts he hadn’t planned on it but it had set the top of the building alight and with no running water he couldn’t go and put it out, he knew that his home, his life’s work was going to be destroyed sometime soon but he couldn’t let that brat think that she won. He had destroyed it to destroy her, hopefully he could take her down and stop her getting the cure to Toni, how dare the two women think that they could outsmart him, he was a genius and they knew it, that’s why she had sent the brats here sending them to spy on him and torture the cure from his very grasp. Knowing he had to be ready he started for the door grabbing a shotgun he had kept spare in his office cupboard, since the brat had taken his handgun from him but he knew that would be no match for this gun.
Walking through the maternity ward he hurried to Mary-Ann to say goodbye, stroking her belly it was as if the unborn soldier knew its creator and father was outside as the small creature kicked his hand making his feelings of anguish flowing from his finger tips to the belly of the woman host. Feeling so angered by the fact that he was going to lose his precious army that if timings had been a few weeks later his army would have been able to survive without the machines, he would have been able to move them to a new sanctuary but no, that blonde witch had made that impossible now. With the flames burning in his heart and above his head he turned pointing his gun in front of him looking for the witch.
~
I climbed out of a vent a few rooms away from the generator room to the maternity ward, I was going to try there not to execute the machine but the try to surprise the doctor but the flames had been so thick and fierce I could feel the heat on the palms of my hands from the metal that I climbed on, just after that room parts of the tubing system had buckled and melted under the heat so I had no choice but to clamber out through another room. The room I stood in now was warm from the heat just a few rooms away and a little above, sweat poured down my face as I searched around looking for any sign of movement but there was none. The room housed boxes full of metal parts, parts to his evil machines and other junk. I didn’t bother to look as it would just waste time and I didn’t have time to waste, I had shouted to Ollie that I would only be 2 hours till I would meet him and it must have been over an hour since then. Shouldering my rifle I pulled out the doctors handgun ducking down and aiming as I snuck out of the doorway of the room, it lead me out to a corridor which I recognised, to my left was the maternity ward and to my right was where the incubators where Darren had once been. Knowing the doctor wouldn’t be in plain sight he would be hiding to take me out like a coward I kept low looking in unusual places.
Sweat beaded more over my brow and trickled down my neck and my back pushing me on quicker as I had this hot sticky feeling, like a sweltering hot summer’s day out with barbeques and beer. Licking my lips at the thought as I was rather thirsty, promising myself once I had done this I would raid a shop for a drink, maybe even an alcoholic one just for good measure.
A noise behind me caught my attention and I spun on my heel looking for the source, a small jar of something meaty looking rolled out from the incubator room. Was that him trying to lure me to him?
Walking silently and keeping low I kept the gun aimed in front of me, my breathing was calm along with my heart beating steadily, no fear echoed from me, I knew right now something big was going to go down and it might just be the last thing I ever see or do. Edging into the incubator room I snuck behind the closest one to me, sitting there hiding I softly closed my eyes and listened for noise, breathing not so far from me maybe a few feet away and it wasn’t mine as mine was calm this was raspy, nervous and fuelled with hate. Opening my eyes I leant out from my incubator and took aim at the one opposite, I could see the hem of his lab coat sticking out as he was ducked down like me hiding and waiting. Knowing how almost bullet proof the glass on these things were I took to my old strategy, jumping up I stepped back and rammed my incubator pushing with all my might, this one was slightly easier to push, toppling over I heard an ear shattering splinter as the glass smashed into the glass of the other incubator like a domino effect making that too fall and spray like a deadly sharp shower all over where he had been. Hearing the noise he had run off hiding behind another one, running forward I swung my arm around the one he was now hiding behind as my body caught up I came face to face with a shotgun, just dropping to my knees in time the blast echoed sending shots into the wall behind where I had been facing.
His laugh echoed through the room as I heard him click in another round, I skittered away from him ducking behind yet another incubator just as I heard a rustling of cloth making me move, my body moving just by instinct I heard another round plummet into the place where my bum had just been resting, a spray of floor tile flew up in the air and raining down like pebble dust. Running out I took aim and shot a few bullets in his direction none hitting him but making him jump back all the same, landing behind another incubator I checked I still had some left in the clip before hearing his crunch of footsteps over the broken glass and tile. Taking off again I dodged a blast hitting where my feet had danced milliseconds ago, letting out a yip as I felt a shard of tile scratch my leg ripping through my jeans.
Laughing again he reloaded and continued to chase me round the room, suddenly I changed tactic turning and shooting right in front of me, a cry of pain let me know I had hit him but I wasn’t sure where as I didn’t bother to stay and look as I ran on hiding behind another incubator.
“You little bitch”, I heard him curse me.
Taking this as a time to look for something to help I scanned the room, it was dingy and dark and the windows had been mostly boarded up like so many of the other rooms, a trolley with syringes sat at the dead end of the room along with canister of some gas, peering closer I could see it had the flammable symbol, all I needed was to get him over there. Click!
Hearing him take aim made me move but not quick enough, he sent a blast into the glass of one of the incubators which shattered the liquid inside covering me but luckily there was no creature inside this one. Feeling the glass rain over my skin pricking it I wondered how he had broken that glass when the one I had shot hadn’t broken at all? Maybe the one downstairs was a toughened one for stronger fighting creatures? Or maybe the blast of his gun was more powerful? Whichever reason I didn’t care as I heard the click again, I rolled over the floor just as he exploded another incubator. Jumping up I ran making my legs move just as he sent out another wave of gunpowder terror, luckily I had run past the next incubator he demolished in time as this one did have a creature in it, the blast pretty much exploded the creature into the glass making the river of water in the room run blood red with a mixture of brain tissue and broken shards of skull.
Turning quickly on the spot to confuse him I ran the other direction trying to make it so he would get near the canister of gas, taking the bait he turned chasing after me but I stayed at the other side of the room. He was aiming that nuisance of a shotgun right at me, blasting again I dodged but not quick enough as I felt the burn as part of the round sliced into my arm, squealing out in pain I raised my other hand to it, coming away with my own blood I winced but saw it was only a flesh wound. Feeling anger return har
d into me I jumped out taking him by surprise as he thought he had really hurt me, taking aim I shot at the canister, the first bullet missed, the second bounced of the metal, the doctor turned to see what I was doing noticing the flammable gas he started to run forward.
Bang I shot the last bullet in the clip…KABOOM!!!
The canister exploded taking me and the doctor off our feet, the shockwave sent out a small burst of fire which slammed into him, the wave threw me up into the air then back to the floor but the flames didn’t reach me, what had remained of the windows shattered, the boards blasted out of the holes they covered bringing in the breaking of dawn into the room. The sprinkler system which I didn’t think would still work spurted to life pissing water all over me, it hadn’t come on for the fire the doctor had caused but maybe the explosion in here jolted them to work. I watched as the water put the smoking doctor out, looking over at his unmoving smouldering body I hoped he was gone, hoped it was the last of him.
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