Nick was running along a wide boulevard with lush trees lining it with decorative metal grates swaddling and guiding the young trees as they grew. They only counted around twenty years of age so far, planted before he was born. Most likely, they had another five years to reach maturity, or so his father guessed. He was a botanist, a specialist in plantlife.
Glancing around him as he was running, he worked to maintain an even pace to conserve energy. It wasn’t that he’d seen anything strange around him, but he'd had prickles all over his body since his conversation with Beppu. His teasing made him paranoid. The sooner he got home, the better. He wasn’t lying when he told Ken’s mom that his own mother probably had dinner ready for him by now. A plate of what she’d cooked would be sitting on their dining table, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, ready to be microwaved. His mother was just as caring and had more time on her hands than Ken’s mom, a stay at home mother that took her household duties seriously.
Approaching a major intersection, Nick turned sharply past a couple walking their dog. Their shiba inu wagged its curled tail excitedly at him and panted with its long, red tongue hanging over its canines, its eyes sparkling in excitement. It barked a few times, looking like it wanted to chase Nick. The elderly couple eyed Nick with surprise as he whirred past them. Normally Nick would have stopped and scratched the dog’s ears, assuming the owners looked like they’d welcome it. He liked dogs. They had friendly, love-filled faces. Sadly, Nick was in a hurry.
He glanced back once as he ran onwards past a bank’s glass windows, peeking inside to see a couple of tellers assisting their customers. A few others stood in lines at a long counter, waiting their turns. It was a relief to see that the city was bustling. Maybe it was just something about the neighborhood he ran through that made him feel so alone and triggered a psychosis in him.
Slowing after passing the bank, he sighed and shrugged, trying to force himself to relax. Vehicles rumbled past him. He had two blocks to go up this avenue to reach a sidestreet that would take Nick to his home in five more. He was almost there. It was hard for him to not feel silly now. He’d started sweating buckets before running.
But then again, he had a good reason to panic. He knew how much trouble Stellaris and its citizens were in. Did anyone else know at this point? Was he really the only one, him and the idiot Beppu?
Life went on, regardless, or so he wanted to believe.
There was a metallic slamming noise behind him that shocked him and Nick couldn’t help but turn quickly. He was looking around carefully. There was nothing to see. Nothing at all. The couple and their dog were fading off into the distance and motorists were casually driving past. They were safe. It was probably nothing. He didn’t see anything around that could have made that jarring noise. It was close, too. What was it?
The only metal object nearby was a sign flanking the street, firmly embedded in the sidewalk’s concrete, indicating that a train station was three blocks ahead. Twisting his lips, Nick shook his head. Surely nothing around him could explain the noise. His eyes almost glossed over a storm drain and a decorative manhole in the sidewalk. The manhole lid was wrought iron. It would make a loud enough noise if lifted and set down in a hurry. There was no evidence that it had been moved.
Turning, Nick broke into a sprint. Was it a good idea for him to head home if… no… he was probably just worrying for no good reason. It was just his paranoia.
Though he saw nothing, he had prickles. It was merely his overactive imagination. It had to be. Who wouldn’t be afraid in his shoes? His mouth was dry and he gasped for breath as he ran. He almost envied everyone else, casually passing him at a normal walking pace. He was envious of them, but he knew that if he forgot what he saw, he’d end up in the clutches of one of those things sooner or later like them. What the hell were these monsters, even? Man eaters? What? No… visions of Tommy’s changed eyes haunted Nick. His chills grew stronger.
As Nick rushed, he reached a patch of uneven sidewalk where a square of the concrete had become uneven, around twelve or so millimeters higher. He misjudged as he stepped over and stumbled. As he waved his arms to keep his balance, he darted forward, hoping he didn’t faceplant on the ground. He felt all the colder. Just above his head, something passed through the air. If he hadn’t tripped just then… Nah… it had to be nothing. Just a chilly breeze gusting past, most likely stirred up by a larger passing vehicle. Tingles raced up his spin and legs.
Even knowing he was being silly, Nick couldn’t help but feel anxious. He reached an intersection while the pedestrian lights were lit. Unwilling to wait, he sprinted across. He’d been too distracted to notice. As he was crossing, around one quarter of the way, the lights changed.
A truck barreled across the road, rushing forward. The driver spotted Nick belatedly and swerved. Rushing through intersections, slamming your foot down on the gas just as soon as lights changed was reckless. The truck’s wheels screeched loudly as he slammed his foot down on the brake. Seeing the only way he could get through this safely, Nick poured on more speed and threw himself forward. The truck’s rear fishtailed and the rubber tires left smears on the pavement. Shit!
Nick fell to the pavement, bracing himself for the impact as the truck swung around. When its rear tire was about to smack into him, the truck stopped in mid-skid. A largish dent, vaguely humanoid shaped, took form in its metal-sheathed side as it stopped. The sounds of a dull impact filled the intersection and traffic screeched to a stop as drivers startled.
With wide eyes, Nick jumped to his feet with a pang of pain shooting up one leg, blood seeping from painful scrapes on his forearms and his jeans were torn at his left knee. Nick limped as he ran, filled with cortisol and adrenaline. His heart was pounding loudly in his chest. What the hell? It wasn’t just my imagination? FUCK!
He didn’t look backwards even once. With a wounded knee, he would run out of stamina before reaching home. With a monster after him, he wasn’t sure it would be a good idea to lead it there. There was no safe place to go with a monster on his trail, the least of all his house.
I’m fucked, aren’t I?
Nick did his best to keep a cool head and ran, taking the next turn.he brick corner crunched and crumbled as the thing crashed into it and stone scattered across the pavement. Where? Should I go into a building? Through it? There’s no safety in numbers. Doors might help, but how much? Not home, not now.
His eyes widened as he remembered the nearby train station, not a block away from him! That might be his only chance to survive, but assuming there was a train in the station, would it leave quickly enough? Would he be trapped with it in the train with other potential victims? He couldn’t worry about that right now, though. Would it switch to easier prey if he went through a large crowd? Could he be that cruel?
He ran. With the station’s stairs in sight, something hooked him from behind and a heavy footfall hit the pavement behind as the creature lifted Nick into the air. Where he was held, it felt like death itself had him in its clutches. He yelled loudly, thrashing and kicking, fighting harder than ever. A couple of people going downstairs glanced in his direction and their eyes widened.
How ironic. He was one of the few humans that knew about these shadowy creatures and he was now going to die…
His eyes searched the skies as Nick shed a tear of regret as bitter cold seeped into his bones.
Say, do you have a huge discount on cliffs, author?
Thanks for the chapter, can't wait for Nick to be saved at the last moment in the next one.
I do have a surplus of them. XD