popped open and glared. Its slug arm shot out and took the blow. In one, quick move, it grabbed the other end of the pipe and sent Jonas sailing away like a struck shuttlecock. The pipe rattled to the ground and the thing’s eyes were once again fixed on Cynthia. She could now see the extent of the damage she’d done. Flesh hung in wet shreds; its jaw slouched about three inches too low. The thing swayed, quivered, but seemed to be staying upright. The beast lurched at her.
It looked as if it were fueled by rage now as much as by oxygen or life’s blood—if a monstrosity like this needed such things at all. She leapt out of its path, grabbing for the pipe. She swung it in an awkward arc, shocked to see it send the creature up off its feet, twisting through the air, and skipping across the ground as it landed. But, it scrambled up and was barreling at her again within seconds. Cynthia squealed, swinging the metal tube too high this time. She felt herself rise, her breath gone, as it snatched her off her feet. The next moment it was swinging her. Her upper body and face crashed to a stop against a tree. Then again. She tried for anything to hold on to.
Unbroken, but phased, she felt the bottom half of her shirt snag on the bark, ripping open as the thing pulled her away. It reared back, swung her again. Her torso wrapped around the tree. Her face felt every inch of bark attempting to tear it away, but with little pain. Then, with every ounce of wherewithal and speed she could manage she wrapped her arms around the tree’s trunk.
When the monster yanked again she almost lost her hold. It stumbled—its grip on her gone, it reeled back. Cynthia tumbled to the ground and rolled to her feet to run. The thing was already in front of her. She squealed and dodged behind the tree. It pushed the tree aside, roots snapping, dirt jumping several feet into the air, never losing eye contact with her. Cynthia shivered, screamed, beginning to cry. “Just stay away!” She was in shock. Cold and so afraid.
The Golem roared, its breath stinking of rot. This was over. She had no more fight left. It was too much. It was… Chunks of putrid flesh and a hot spray of arterial blood covered Cynthia as the long, rusty pipe shot into the creature’s neck. She shrieked, stone still.
Lucy stood several yards away, heaving with each breath, hands on her knees. She looked to a still-dazed Jonas who was pushing himself up from the ground. “Was that good?”
Cynthia let herself slump down, barking out air, crying harder. She wiped half-heartedly at the thick, red goo she wore, sitting with her back against the fallen tree she’d been tortured against moments earlier. She could feel where she had been hammered into it—tingling trails where her body had been slammed into the bark crawled over her flesh. Spikes of pain—far less pain that she should have been in—sizzled just underneath.
The serene beauty of the rolling green farmland, spotted with trees, was too dissonant to look at. So she looked down at her quaking hands as Jonas and the other two girls ran to her. He bent and took one of her hands. Cynthia raised her head. “I can’t… I can’t .”
“Shh.” Jonas’ eyes brimmed with tears. “I’m so sorry, Cynthia. I should have been there for you all these years. I’m so sorry.”
She shook her head. “This can’t… be real . This isn’t life, man.”
“I’m sorry. It is. I wish to God that it weren’t. If just for you girl’s sakes.” Jonas wiped at the mess on her face and she let him. “Listen. We need to get out of here. None of us are ready for—” Wood snapped behind them, and they all turned at once at the sound.
Through the hole the first beast had made in the wall, there now stood a second, larger creature. Its outsized, purple eyes rolled toward them, and it clenched its sloppy fists.
“No. Please, no,” Jonas said.
***
The creature didn’t pause as the last one had. Like the other, with no
It looked as if it were fueled by rage now as much as by oxygen or life’s blood—if a monstrosity like this needed such things at all. She leapt out of its path, grabbing for the pipe. She swung it in an awkward arc, shocked to see it send the creature up off its feet, twisting through the air, and skipping across the ground as it landed. But, it scrambled up and was barreling at her again within seconds. Cynthia squealed, swinging the metal tube too high this time. She felt herself rise, her breath gone, as it snatched her off her feet. The next moment it was swinging her. Her upper body and face crashed to a stop against a tree. Then again. She tried for anything to hold on to.
Unbroken, but phased, she felt the bottom half of her shirt snag on the bark, ripping open as the thing pulled her away. It reared back, swung her again. Her torso wrapped around the tree. Her face felt every inch of bark attempting to tear it away, but with little pain. Then, with every ounce of wherewithal and speed she could manage she wrapped her arms around the tree’s trunk.
When the monster yanked again she almost lost her hold. It stumbled—its grip on her gone, it reeled back. Cynthia tumbled to the ground and rolled to her feet to run. The thing was already in front of her. She squealed and dodged behind the tree. It pushed the tree aside, roots snapping, dirt jumping several feet into the air, never losing eye contact with her. Cynthia shivered, screamed, beginning to cry. “Just stay away!” She was in shock. Cold and so afraid.
The Golem roared, its breath stinking of rot. This was over. She had no more fight left. It was too much. It was… Chunks of putrid flesh and a hot spray of arterial blood covered Cynthia as the long, rusty pipe shot into the creature’s neck. She shrieked, stone still.
Lucy stood several yards away, heaving with each breath, hands on her knees. She looked to a still-dazed Jonas who was pushing himself up from the ground. “Was that good?”
Cynthia let herself slump down, barking out air, crying harder. She wiped half-heartedly at the thick, red goo she wore, sitting with her back against the fallen tree she’d been tortured against moments earlier. She could feel where she had been hammered into it—tingling trails where her body had been slammed into the bark crawled over her flesh. Spikes of pain—far less pain that she should have been in—sizzled just underneath.
The serene beauty of the rolling green farmland, spotted with trees, was too dissonant to look at. So she looked down at her quaking hands as Jonas and the other two girls ran to her. He bent and took one of her hands. Cynthia raised her head. “I can’t… I can’t .”
“Shh.” Jonas’ eyes brimmed with tears. “I’m so sorry, Cynthia. I should have been there for you all these years. I’m so sorry.”
She shook her head. “This can’t… be real . This isn’t life, man.”
“I’m sorry. It is. I wish to God that it weren’t. If just for you girl’s sakes.” Jonas wiped at the mess on her face and she let him. “Listen. We need to get out of here. None of us are ready for—” Wood snapped behind them, and they all turned at once at the sound.
Through the hole the first beast had made in the wall, there now stood a second, larger creature. Its outsized, purple eyes rolled toward them, and it clenched its sloppy fists.
“No. Please, no,” Jonas said.
***
The creature didn’t pause as the last one had. Like the other, with no
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