A pure black domed eyeless head greets me as I turn around. Saliva drips from its maw, which contain teeth like nails, inside the mouth of the creature I can see what looks like a tiny version of its head.

“SHIT!” I yell as I try to back away from it. It lunges at me with incredible speed and I’m only able to move my body a little to the side before it hits me. The creature slams into me with what feels like the force of a truck. I crash into the steel container right next to me with the creature on top of me. It presses down on me with its arms making sure I can’t move. It opens its mouth and the head like tongue shoots towards my face.

“Thump”

The creature is tackled off me by Bill. Bill quickly gets up and starts running away from the creature. “RUN JOSH!” Bill yells as he passes me. With my body pumped full of adrenaline I quickly get up and start sprinting after Bill. We continue sprinting past steel container after steel container until we can’t anymore.

“Bill… I… think… we… should… rest… a… bit.” I manage to say in between gasps for air.

“Yeah.” Bill responds as he slumps to the ground. I join him and we sit in silence as we slowly regain our breathe. After awhile I break the silence, ”What the hell was that thing”

“I don’t know.” Bill responds. We continue to sit and rest. ‘I almost died back there.’ I reflect. ‘If Bill hadn’t been there I would have ended up as a pile of viscera on the floor just like thin dude.’

“Thank you Bill.” I say.

“It’s fine. I only did what anyone else would’ve done.” Bill responds.

“Bill, you just as easily could have run while that thing was busy with me. You put your life at risk by tackling that thing and helping me. Why would you do that?” I ask.

“Because if I just left you I wouldn’t have been able to live with myself.” Bill responds.

“You’re a good guy Bill.” I say.

We sit in silence with only the sound of our breathing to break it. Time ticks by slowly and the pain from the earlier confrontation starts to wash over me. ‘I can feel a dull pain on the back of my head but that is overshadowed by the stabbing pain in my side. Everytime I breathe it feels like someone is stabbing me with a knife.’ I lift my shirt up to check out my side. What greets me is a deep purple area the size of a hand. ‘I probably broke a rib or two. I’m glad I was to focused on running away to notice. If I had felt like this earlier I probably wouldn’t have been able to make it.’

“That looks pretty nasty kid. I guess that thing did a number on you.” Bill says breaking our silence.

“Yeah, I probably have a broken rib.” I say.

“That doesn’t sound to good.” Bill says.

“Yeah.” I respond.

“Do you think you can move around or is the pain too much?” Bill asks.

“I should be able to move, it didn’t get my leg after all.” I respond.

“Good, we should start moving in case that thing is still following us.” Bill says.

“Yeah, I’m surprised it didn’t catch up to us.” I agree with him. “Maybe you hurt it Bill.”

“Huh, I doubt it.” Bill says with a sigh.

Bill stands up and offers me his hand. I gladly take it and he heaves me up. “Fuck.” I whisper as the force needed to get me off my ass sends more knifes of pain into my side.

“You really sure you can move?” Bill asks again.

“Yeah, I’m just being a little bitch.” I say trying to play down the agony my side is causing me.

“Ok.” Bill says. “Don’t push yourself to hard.”

“I won’t, besides the pain reminds me I’m still alive.” I respond.

Bill and I walk side by side as he supports me with his arm. Our wandering is cut short as I hear something.

“Thump.”

I turn my head as a sense of dread fills me. My worst fears become reality as I see the quickly advancing form of the creature. “Bill ru” I’m cut off as Bill pushes me behind him as he turns. Bill doesn’t complete the turn as the creature descends upon him. My last sight is that of Bill being pierced by the tongue of the creature then everything turns black.