“No time for good-bye,” he said as he faded away.
I couldn’t believe it. My best friend, Devon, the one that I had grown up with ever since we met when we were tottlers, was dying before my very eyes. Blood matted his hair from the wound that the monster had given him, and his clothes were being stained red from the gushing, gross liquid.
I took off my shirt, hoping that maybe I would be able to clog up the wound and we would be able to keep on moving. Because the monster had attacked, I was sure that it was still prowling around this area, so we need to get away from here. But with the amount of blood coming from his wounds, I doubted that he would be able to carry his own weight, which meant that I would have to do that job for him.
To tell you the truth, I really doubted that I would be able to do it, but I had to try something, right? I couldn’t just let my friend die because of a stupid mistake we both made out of curiosity.
Once I placed my black, cotton shirt on his wound, he let out feral growl, as though I was pressing on something that shouldn’t ever be touched. With a sickening feeling, I realized that it must be one of his broken ribs or something much more important inside his body. As the sound of his screeched reached the ears of the monster that had just attacked him, something that I knew was menacing snapped some tree limbs as it came towards us for the kill.
Devon, hearing the snapping of twigs through the world of pain that he was living in, shakily brought his hand up. I took it as a cue to grab it, and I realized then that my hand was trembling as much as his was. Reminding myself that I had to be strong for even a chance of us getting out of here alive, I leaned toward his mouth to hear what he was whispering.
“Don’t put your life in someone’s hands,” he told me, sending chills down my back as he said it. He had received these wounds of his when he tried to save me from being attacked, so I guessed that he was now regretting that thought of his. But then again, he was the school’s self-pronounced hero, so it was in his nature to do stupid actions like jumping in front of your best friend as he was about to be torn apart by a monster.
He continued speaking as I was thinking. “They’re bound to steal it away. Don’t hide your mistakes, ‘cause they’ll find you, burn you.”
I knew what he meant by his mistakes. He was the reason that we were here, the reason why he was lying on the ground while his guts were pouring out of his body. Earlier this week, he had heard from one of his cheerleader friends that there was a house full of monsters on the outer parts of the city. Neither of us actually believed it at first- after all, why would there be a house full of monsters in the outside of a major city, and why would the police not take care of it- but as Devon continued to think about the prospect of adventure, he couldn’t resist the urge to come here.
And I came along with him just for the fun of it. After all, it would be fun, wouldn’t it? Because this week was the week of Halloween, everyone would be sharing stories of misadventures with ghosts and haunted houses. So, to me, I thought it would be great just to come here, walk around a little bit and laugh at the whole stupidity of coming to this house, and then fabricate some magnificent story about how we defeated the big, bad monster and saved the world. I love writing out stories, and Devon likes to pretend that he was the hero in all of them, so it was a win-win situation for all of us.
The problem? Once we came here, we learned quickly that we wouldn’t have to fabricate the beast at all. It was there, set loose by what we thought was some mad man- we had never seen him before, only guessed that this monster had been set loose by a nut job- and it was hunting us down.
Only now, it was coming in for the kill.
Knowing that my breaths were now numbered, I looked for the monster that was getting ready to kill us. Beyond the fact that this house held probably one of the most dangerous beasts on the planet, it had no electricity. Which made matters quite worse, since neither of us had the brains to bring along flashlights when planning on coming here. We had cameras, but neither of them was nice enough to have night vision on them.
I couldn’t see anything in the darkness of what I thought was probably the basement to this house, and that thought only made my heart sink lower. If I couldn’t see what was happening out there in the darkness, then I had absolutely no chance of being able to fight off the beast that had gouged the hole in my best friend. The thing, I knew, was able to see in this absolute darkness. Either that, or it had great hearing, because if it didn’t, then it wouldn’t have been able to find us.
I felt a tug on my shoulder, and I looked down to see Devon’s pale, sickly face in my terrible vision. He looked like he was going to die any moment now, and my shirt had done absolutely nothing to stop the blood. With a terrible feeling in my chest, I knew that these last minutes would probably mean the end for him.
His mouth was moving, as though he was trying to tell me something more important than life itself. I couldn’t hear what he was saying, so I leaned down closely to listen to him.
He placed his mouth up to my left ear, and then he said, “If you want to get out alive, hold on, run for your life.”
I couldn’t believe it. Devon, the Devon that I knew who was obsessed with heroes from comics and knew to never flee, was telling me to abandon him while the monster was getting ready to pounce on us?
I kept on listening to him, but he only said the same thing over and over again, no matter how many times I tried to tell him that I was going to stay right here.
“If you want to get out alive, hold on, run for your life.”
Then, a screeching, cacophonic sound came from the left side of us. My heart started to thud in my chest heavily as I knew that the monster had found out exactly where we were, and it was about to pounce on us.
At that moment, I knew that I was going to have to leave Devon to fend for himself, even though I knew that he was going to die. Enough of his blood had covered me that I knew he was going to leave this world soon.
Nodding to my best friend, I grabbed his hand and squeezed it for the last time. As I got up, one last pang of emotion came crashing down on me, and I smiled at him again to make him think that he would live through this dangerous time. And then, I saluted him, something that I knew a hero like him would want to see before they take their last breaths.
With that, I ran away as fast as a possibly could, ignoring the sounds of murder as the beast finally pounced on its prey. Guilt knifed me, as though it was telling me to die along with the friend had talked to more than my own siblings.
But then my instinct got the better of me, and I knew that I had to keep on running. If I had stayed behind, I would have died by now.
The problem of this awful building was that, being in on the outskirts of New York, it was at least four stories high and the same number down from the main floor. From Devon’s research, I knew that this place was created for research during the Cold War, and many scientists worked research here until the end of the war.
What research? I have no idea, but I can guess that it had something to do with this beast that had just...killed my best friend. Man, it was hard thinking that the person you grew up with was probably dead right now, torn apart limb by limb because a creature that they had stumbled apart was trying to eat him.
And with that unnerving though, I stumbled upon two other victims that the monsters had torn apart. They were two cheerleaders from my school. One of them was covered up in so much blood that I couldn’t even see her body, and her head was nowhere to be found. With a morbid sense of humor, I realized that the monster must have favorite parts of the body, because the legs and arms were perfect beyond some minor scratches and wounds, while the parts of the body where the organs were held were missing. The sight almost made me vomit, because now I knew exactly what was happening to Devon.
I turned my eyes towards the other victim, and then I’m pretty sure my heart did actually stop beating for a second. She was alive, but barely. Her breathing was labored, and she looked very dazed. I could see blood coming from a couple large bite marks, so I could tell that she probably was about to be eaten by the monster that I had just escaped from. From what had happened to Devon and me, we had probably interrupted the monster from his second part of the meal, and in turn, saving her life for the time being.
But now? From the looks of it, she didn’t have much time left.
I kneeled down next to her, hoping to see her face. As I brushed hair out of her face, she fluttered her eyes open and looked at me in a sad type of awe. It was Sharon, one of Devon’s close friends. Even though I didn’t know her personally, I had heard stories about how she was also a girl who liked adventure and was the one who had informed him about this place. Right now, I really wish she never even heard of this madhouse. If she hadn’t, then I think we all would have been better off.
In my hopeless wishing, I noticed that she was talking to me. At least, her lips were moving. I really doubt that any sound was coming out, though, because she was so weak. Instead of listening to her, he read her lips.
“This is my last time,” she said as she faded away.
Immediately, I knew what she was talking about. When Devon convinced me to come with him, he always promised that this would be his last dangerous adventure. Sadly though, I was reminded by the sound of tearing flesh that this really was the last adventure we would have together. Sharon must have told her friend the same promise to get her here, and now her friend was dead. It was truly the end to both of their adventures.
Out of curiosity, I started to watch Sharon as she moved her hand slowly to her stomach. Even though I should have been running to safety and to freedom, I couldn’t help but wonder what she was doing.
Once she found one of her bite wounds, she placed her hand on it and looked at the blood that had been collected by her hand. She smiled sadly, as though there was a hidden joke in the crimson liquid. Truthfully, I found it sick, but maybe people just start laughing at the not humorous things when they are dying.
She started mouthing some words again, and with the sound of snapping bones in the background, I focused more closely to what she was trying to say.
“It’s hard to imagine, but one day you’ll end up like me.”
After I read that grim statement, I closed my eyes and prayed that fact wouldn’t be true. I had to get out of here, and then I would tell everyone what was happening here. Maybe the animal patrol would be able to get rid of this beast, or maybe the army would come in and take care of this monster.
I looked over at the girl who used to be so full of life and noted how, when people lose blood, their lives drain with it, too.
Weakly, she reached for my hand and I let her grab it. Her hand was shaking, and I for a moment I helped her steady it.
Once she had stopped shaking, she laid her head on the ground and closed her eyes. I was a curious to what she was doing, but then she said, “If you want to get out alive, hold on, run for your life.”
The sounds of the heinous monster eating my best friend stopped suddenly, as though it heard her voice. I jerked my hand out of her grip, and jumped up from my sitting position. I knew I had made a mistake by listening to her talk, and now the monster would either come eat her or find and kill me. Sadly, I hoped for the former rather than the latter, but Sharon was going to die anyway.
As I started to run again, Sharon’s and Devon’s voices started to chant in my head. If you want to get out alive, hold on, run for your life. If you want to get out alive, run for your life. If you want to get out alive,
hold on, run for your life. If you want to get out alive, hold on run for your life.
Once I got to a set of stairs and started to climb them out of a blind hope that I would get to the main floor, I heard the beast roar behind me. With a shutter, I realized that I had the blood of both Devon and Sharon on my cloths and hands, so I probably smelled a lot nicer than both of them to this beast right now. At this moment, I could hear it crashing in the darkness, sniffing out my scent.
And as I realized that, I dashed towards the next floor, praying that I could at least hide somewhere up there. If there was a tall ledge or something up on the next floor if I could get on it, then maybe I could escape the monster’s wrath for the time being.
But as I got on the floor, all of my hopes came crashing down in a heap. There was nothing on this floor. Absolutely nothing. This room even lacked a rug for me to hide under.
If I stay it won't be long ‘till I'm burning on the inside. If I go I can only hope that I make it to the other side, I thought grimly, hearing the groans of the steps as the beast jumped them in one leap.
I continues running down the long room to the next set of stairs, feeling the beast’s heavy feet as they hit the ground and made it shake. The monster must have been over two tons, because the floor was made of pure cement. I tried not to picture the floor falling out underneath me.
Sharon’s and Devon’s words continued chanting in my head and because of it I sprinted faster than what I ever had before. Right now, I could even beat the school’s track stars if we had races away from this beast together. If you want to get out alive, hold on for...If you want to get out alive, hold on for-
The monster let out a roar, and I stopped in my tracks out of fear for the creature. Turing my head to get a look at it, I know I saw death itself.
I couldn’t tell how big it was, or how venomous it seemed to be. It eyes were as red as the Devon and Sharon’s blood, and I couldn’t help but wonder if its irises changed color depending on what it ate.
The beast looked at me curiously, as though it was sizing me up for and after-meal snack and was wondering if it should look for something else to eat beyond me. It still had Sharon to munch on anyway, and since I was still alive, it took work to eat me.
In our moment of reprise, I tried to catch my breath and wondered why someone would create this monstrous creature. Since this demonic thing was created in the Cold War, was the US government thinking about releasing this monster over in the Soviet Union? In a way, I guess that makes sense, since this beast could easily tear through a couple villages- maybe even all of Moscow- before it would be taken down by any military. It amazed me that this being hadn’t yet destroyed this house, but maybe it liked it here. After all, stupid teenagers like Devon, Sharon, and I probably come here often, making it easy to get meat without working that hard.
Through the dim light that the house provided, I could see blood covering the monster’s scales, flesh in between its massive claws, and an arm sticking out of its mouth. I fought the urge to vomit as I realized this fact, and the moment of stillness between us was shattered when the demonic animal started to bolt towards me. It was faster than what I thought it would be, and my fear for it was renewed when it halved the space between us in two leaps.
If you want to get out alive, hold on, run for your life. If you want to get out alive, hold on for...Devon’s and Sharon’s chants were renewed in my head as I sprinted even faster than before. I didn’t care about my aching legs or my fearful heart. Thoughts of Devon, Sharon, and the dead girl who was with her disappeared from my mind as I only focused on getting to the next stairwell. I remembered how the door was situated next to a set of stairs, so if I was lucky and could escape the beast, then maybe I could get out of here alive.
I could feel its rancid breath on my nape and the hammering of my heart as it beat faster than what it ever had before. The stairs kept getting closer and closer, but I knew that the monster was gaining on me too. Sharon’s and Devon’s chants were soon replaced by my thoughts from before:
If I stay, it won't be long ‘till I'm burning on the inside. If I go I can only hope that I make it to the other side. If I stay, it won't be long ‘till I'm burning on the inside…
After this point, I started to gasp for breath, realizing sadly that I was running out of breath. My lungs were sore and I was not trained for this type of running. But my instincts kept telling me to run because if I didn’t, this monster would grab me, eat me in one bite. The stars were so close that I could already feel my feet hitting them, but I could still feel the monster’s breath on my back, getting so close that it could almost slice me with its poisonous teeth.
I was so close to the stairs, to safety, but my thoughts were starting to jumble up from lack of oxygen, and not even forming whole sentences, only phrases that were meant for me to keep running. If I go, if I go…
burning on the inside, burning on the inside, burning on the inside…
At that moment, the monster started to leap, trying the same attack that left Devon and Sharon so wounded. The room was barely tall enough for this leap, and I could hear part of the ceiling break off as the demonic monster hit it.
And then, my body gave me one last burst of energy and I closed my eyes. Right then and there, I prayed more than I ever had before.
Hopefully, against all odds, maybe I would be able to get out of here alive.