His grip on her was firm as he thought about the best way to move her off the muddy ground. She was tired of being handled and prodded, but the warmth was welcome against her cold skin.

“Are there still EMTs on site? We really need a stretcher,” he said to Julia before mumbling something to himself about rib fragments puncturing organs.

“It won’t kill me,” Phoebe mumbled.

Meanwhile, the monster had attempted to run, jolting out towards the marsh. But Yuli blocked every route it took. Every way it tried to turn, Yuli was right there. Its path arced and curved back towards the strip of woods. It jumped and whirled. It struck at Yuli with its tail and attempted to roll them over. Again and again, Yuli was undeterred. Dry grass rustled against fur and paws splashed in shallow water as the two tussled.

Not only was Yuli faster, but the monster was weakening. Its limbs weren’t carrying it as far as they had last night. The blows it tried to land weren’t as heavy. After only a few minutes of back-and-forth chase its breathing became harsh, its movements became wobbly, and the relentless Yuli continued to snap their jaws.