Chapter 58

“Wha…” Glut coughed and choked, “What the hell… Flin, this… this is?!”

Flin could not speak, for his lips trembled at the ghastly sight before him.

“Flin, we gotta call for backup! Shoot the flare!” Glut demanded but saw that his partner still stood frozen. “Flin!” he screamed as he reached for the man’s flare gun.

“Wait!” Flin suddenly snapped back, grabbing onto his equipment so that Glut could not.

“What do ya mean ‘wait’?!”

“If I light up the flare, every damn person this side of the city will be alerted!” After swallowing his saliva and strapping his weapon, Flin slowly approached the desecrated corpses before kneeling for a closer look.

“Ain’t that what we want?! We need backup! …The hell ya doing now?”

“A little... a little investigatin’,” the man withdrew a piece of cloth and covered his nose and mouth. “Tryin’ to find some clues.”

“Clues?! All this shit here? The fuck more do ya need?!”

“Just come here!” Flin commanded.

“Aw fuck!” Glut withdrew his own piece of cloth and covered his mouth while his other hand grabbed onto his stomach. As he approached, the man accidentally stepped on a piece of the scattered gore, causing his stomach to turn once more.

“Oi, look here.” Flin pointed at the half-pulverized skull of the child.

“I really ain’t wanna.” Though Glut would prefer to not face the terrible scene, he held firm and followed his friend’s finger.

“Both bodies,” Flin voiced, “the bottom’s completely crushed but no cracks on the top side.”

“I can see that, what’s ya point...?”

“It means that someone’s smashed their heads against somethin' hard.” Flin coughed and cleared his throat before continuing. “And all the blood… This weren't done with a hammer or some tool... That ain’t normal...”

“Fuckin’ normal?! This whole thing ain’t fuckin’ normal!”

“That ain't what I mean. It's like... they used their hand or somethin'... And why did they take the organs…?”

“I ain’t know, fuckin’ sellin’ it or some shit?!”

“None of this makes sense, these kids were butchered here in the open air. Then, they ripped them up, smashed their heads, and took their organs?” Flin stood up and glanced at the second corpse. “Why the hell would anyone do this…?”

“The sick bastards must be messed in the head.”

“What if…” Flin turned around and faced his partner. “What if whatever the hell did this ain’t human…”

“Ain’t human…?” said Glut as he furrowed his brow. “How the hell would ya know?”

“Call me naive, but I ain’t think anyone can do somethin’ like this.”

“If there ain’t anyone before,” Glut gagged, “well there sure as hell now.”

“I think that this was done by one of those creatures from outside the walls.”

“Ya mean like them crawler things we’ve been hearin’ bout? How would they get in here…? I heard they ain’t got a way to get past them walls.”

“I ain’t got a clue… but look at that track that’s left behind.” Flin pointed his flashlight at the strange footprints and the bloody trail left within the dirt. “If that’s what we’re dealin’ with then we got a huge problem.”

“More reason to shoot the damn flare, Flin!”

Flin lowered his head in contemplation.

“No…”

“No…?” Glut questioned. “The hell you mean 'no'?!”

“If I shoot the flare and the creature goes into hidin’, then what?”

“What do ya mean ‘then what’?! We get the other patrols, we tell the tops, they send the guards, and we search until we find it!”

“Ya know when Ol’ Keep said that the tops ain’t give a shit bout this hellhole?” he raised his voice. “Well, he’s tellin’ the truth!” Flin then points to a tall silhouette in the distance. “That wall separatin’ the ghettos and the main city ain’t there to look pretty! This place is a trash dump, they throw all the shit they ain’t wanna deal with here and won’t do anything until it starts to stink. We let this thing go, who knows how many more well end up like these poor bastards before the tops decide to step in!”

“So what are ya suggestin’...?!”

Flin equipped his weapon and checked for his ammo.

“I’m saying we gotta find that thing and kill it before it makes more bodies.”

“You’re kiddin’…” Glut backed up and rubbed the sweat off of his forehead. “Ain’t ya see what it did to these kids?!”

“Well, we ain’t kids… and we ain’t fightin’ bare fisted!”

“What makes ya think we can take it down?!”

“There are two of us, both with guns.”

“What makes ya think there’s only one of them?!”

Flin pointed his flashlight at the prints once more.

“There’s only one track… and if we find a nest, we get the hell outta there.” Flin then tapped Glut on the shoulder. “Ya said ya wanted some action, ain’t ya?” Flin put away his hand cloth as he began to follow the track. “If ya ain’t wanna come, ya ain’t gotta. Just go back to the station and tell Ol’ Keep what we found.”

After a short moment, Glut nervously made his decision.

“Ah hell…” He pulled his weapon from his back and hesitantly followed after his friend. “I hope ya know what the hell we’re gettin’ into.” He crossed the bodies, careful not to step on any of the decomposing flesh. Hastily, the man caught up to Flin, walking closely behind.

…

It was not a straight forward path. The track followed a series of turns that sometimes led back onto itself, which suggested that the creature was unfamiliar with the layout of the slums. This brought some relief to Flin as the infestation may have been recent, thus to his understanding, less chance for the creature to have reproduced. He knew that this conclusion was shaky at best, but it did ease his mind.

“Have ya… have ya ever fought one of them crawlers before?” Glut asked.

“No.” Flin replied, “but the mercs from the bars have taught me a few things bout them. Like they're afraid of fire and light... and like to go for those who are alone.”

“If ya ain't faced one, then how the hell are ya so sure bout any of this?!”

“I ain’t, but we ain’t got the choice to just sit around.” Flin suddenly stopped, signaling Glut to do so as well. “Look, over there.”

“What is it?”

In front of them was the remnant of a ruined structure. Partially collapsed, only a small fraction of the building seemed to stand firm as other parts fractured and cracked. Little hinted of what the construct once was and even less advised of its purpose. Only that is had been raided before, as designated by the marking on its side.

“Let’s go, Glut.” With his weapon drawn, Flin aligned his eye with the iron sight and slowly inched forward. “Stick close.”

The two entered the stone wreckage, both covering each other’s blindspots to the best of their abilities. As the floor transitioned from dirt to concrete and then to tile, they could no longer rely on the imprints on the ground, but instead, on the drips of blood that formed a loose trail. The halls were mostly intact, but they occasionally came across holes within the ceiling that gave them a glimpse of the second floor. Most of the rooms they passed were either a mess or completely empty, likely to be the result of having been looted for supplies. Only a brief sweep was performed at each chamber before proceeding deeper into the building. The further they progressed, the more unnerved each individual became, as their own steps began to startle one another. Though Flin was able to remain relatively calm, his partner struggled with the eerie atmosphere.

“Do ya-” Glut swallowed his saliva before continuing. “Do ya think it’s still here…?”

“No idea so gotta stay sharp.”

The smell of blood grew stronger. Infused with the sharp metallic scent was a strange sourness that made the nose twitch. Neither Glut nor Flin could ignore it as they speculated on the source. Despite his growing fears, Flin opted to hide his dread as to not worry his friend. Glut, however, his condition became significantly worse by the second.

“What… what the hell is that…?” yelled Glut as he faced down one of the intersecting pathways.

Flin immediately turned and aimed his weapon, ready to fire.

“Is that a…” Flin briefly glanced at his partner before they both approached their find, which was wedged in the corner of a dead end. Slowly and steadily, they scanned the area with their flashlights until they were an arms reach of the oddity.

“What is this…?” Flin touched its surface with the tips of his fingers. Retracting his hand, a streak of red slime stretched from the point of contact. “Is this… is this some sort of egg…?” Though the shell held the same shape, the color and blistering texture was nothing like an egg.

“Must be the fuckin’ crawler.” Glut commented anxiously. The egg-shaped shell contained a large breach as if something broke through from within. ”Where the hell's the hatch?!”

“Might still be here...” Flin said as he wiped goo onto his coat. “Hell, I think this place is a nest!”

“F-Fuck, the hell we gonna do?!”

Just then, a faint but rapid series of steps emanated from just beyond sight.

“Did you hear that?!”

“I did... “ Flin drew his weapon and aimed it down the hallway. “that thing’s is here...”

Soon, silence returned and only the sounds of their brisk breathing could be heard.

“Did… did that thing run away...?” Glut questioned as he cleared the sweat off his brows. “Is it fuckin’ gone?!”

“I doubt it, this place is its home.” Carefully, Flin moved forward toward the way they entered. “I don't know whether we're only facin' one.”

“Shit-Shit-Shit-Shit-Shit! I know we shoulda called for backup first!”

“Well, hindsight’s a bitch, ain’t it? We both got workin’ arms and workin’ guns. If we are careful, I’m sure we can get out without a scratch.” Flin picked up his pace with his partner doing the same. “Keep your eyes open, we can make it through this!’

A series of taps sounded just out of sight while they traversed, causing the panicked Glut to quickly turn and fire a continuous volley down the hall.

“Hey-Hey-Hey!“ screamed Flin over the sound of gunfire. Once the clip was emptied, Flin returned his voice to its normal. “What the hell were you shootin’ at?!”

“I heard the noise,” quickly, the man changed to a new magazine. “It’s watchin’ us! It’s comin' after us!”

“Calm down!” Flin gently tapped on the side of Glut’s shoulder. “Wastin’ ya bullets ain’t gonna do much. Make sure ya can see it before blastin’ thru ya clips.”

“My hands are fuckin’ shakin’, Flin!” His lifted his arm, displaying the jitters that plagued him. “Ya see this?! I can’t stop it… W-We shouldn’t be here!”

Another series of taps resonated from behind them. Glut instantly turned around and emptied his weapon, having seen a glimpse of the pale creature.

“I saw it, I fuckin’ saw it!”

“Glut, ya just wastin’ ya ammo!”

“I fuckin’ saw it, F-Flin!” The man began to hyperventilate, “it-it’s tryin’ to get to us!”

“No shit it’s tryin’ to get us!” He said as he grabbed his partner's shoulder and shook violently. “And it’s gonna get us both if ya don’t get ya act together!”

“It’s all ya fault! I told ya we shoulda waited for backup! THIS IS ALL YA FUCKIN’ FAULT!”

“Listen, do ya wanna make it outta here or not?! Get ya act to-”

Glut fired once again into the dark halls, spraying the walls and floor with ricocheting bullets.

“The fuckin’ thing’s playin’ with me! IT’S FUCKIN’ MOCKIN’ ME!" He turned his head toward the direction he littered with casting. "COME HERE!” He loaded in another set of rounds. “COME FUCKIN’ GET ME!”

“LISTEN HERE!” Having lost his patience, Flin forcefully gripped onto Glut’s collar and pulled him closer. “I know ya fuckin’ scared and guess what? Shit’s drivin’ me crazy too. But what ya doin’ ain’t helpin’ shit! Now pull ya act together before we both get fuckin’ killed!”

“K-killed...?” The man stuttered with a look of bewilderment as his widened eyes stared at his friend. “I-I ain’t gonna die-”

From their side, a soft squishy noise caught both of their attention. As if synchronized, they both slowly turned their head toward the source.

It was a detached eye, drenched in fluid; it laid in a puddle where it slowly leaked and deflated.

“Ah… ahhhhhHHHH!” That pushed Glut over the edge, the man screamed in terror and freed himself from Flin’s grasp. “It-It’s fuckin’ with us, Flin! We… We-we gotta get out… I GOTTA GET OUT OF HERE!” Before Flin could even respond, his partner had charged down the hall, making a mad dash for the exit.

"Stop! We gotta stay together!"

Realizing that he had been left alone, the man raised his weapon without a single moment of delay and checked every angle of approach. His heart rate increased, sweat precipitated profusely from his skin. With his finger on the trigger, Flin rapidly shined his hand torch at every access point, ready to fire at anything that moved.

Ahhh… Ahhhhh… AHHHHHHHH!

A loud scream echoed from afar. Know that the voice was his friend's, he clutched his jaw and sprinted down the hall, chasing the source of the distressed cries.

HELP ME! HELP MEEEEEEEEEEEE!

As he got closer and closer, the pain-filled wails became louder and more agonizing.

“For fuck sakes…” Flin mutters in between his tired breaths.

AHHHHH-AHHHHHHHHHHH!

Flin knew that he was close. Once he turned that final corner, the man’s finger tightened around the trigger and prepared to unleash a wall of lead on whatever stood in front of him. However, what faced him was not the creature.

“Glut…” Flin ceased to move as if he had suddenly turned into stone. “Oh hell…”

The friend he knew was no more. Leaned up against the wall, Glut’s arms were torn right off at the elbows, exposing cartilage among with strips of flesh. His legs were twisted like a wet rag, bending to a degree that made him seem like a toy. And on his face, two gushing voids replaced his eyes, as if someone had poked through them with their fingers. Despite all that, there was still breathing. The chest convulsed slightly and laborious breaths could be heard.

“…” Flin silently aimed his gun at Glut’s head, ready to end his friend’s suffering.

“It is not ready...” From behind him, an unfamiliar, high-pitched voice whispered into his ear.

Immediately, Flin attempted to aim at the source but he was not quick enough. Whatever it was, it struck his hand with such intensity that it cracked his fingers and knocked him onto the ground. Both his gun and flashlight was flung across the room and out of his reach.

“W-Why destroy my b-b-beautiful work…?”

With a sudden loud bang, the flashlight was crushed, leaving the room in total darkness.

“They d-d-d-don’t understand…” A series of clicks followed, amplified by the echos that resonated across the room.

Flin’s right hand was rendered useless, but his left hand was still functional. Thus, he frantically reached for his flare gun.

“They a-a-are ugly…”

The man aimed at the direction of the noise and fired. Unfortunately, the shot did not hit the creature but only bounced off the wall, illuminating the room in a deep, sinister red.

“And I… I am b-b-b-beautiful…”

Flin could not utter a word, for the monstrosity hanged directly on top of him.

The creature’s sharp nails clawed into the cracks within the walls and ceiling, while its head bent backward in such a way where it seemed as if its neck was made of rubber. It's enlarged circular eyes stared into the depths of the man’s soul, meanwhile, its widened smile ripped away any hope that still lingered. What’s more, the skinny creature’s skin held no texture; as it was smooth, pale, and featureless like that of a mannequin’s.

“She was b-b-beautiful. I saw! I t-t-touched... I-I-I was ugly. Sh-sh-she made me b-b-b-beautiful…" It paused, lowering itself closer to the ground. "I-I-I will make y-you beautiful…”

The creature’s body began to shudder as its head jolted side to side. The smile quickly broadened to a perverse grin, coated with thick, discolored saliva that dripped from its lips.

“I will make them all beautiful!”