Merritts of Writing 3

Chapter 30-1

Angie

One thing I’d always been able to count on was my quick reactions.

In the past year I’ve noticed that I was starting to slow down considerably. At a time like this, I couldn’t help but hate the Larcore for diminishing my capabilities.

SECONDS OF TERROR

‘Save, save, save him if you will.’

I didn’t need Jake reminding me of the seriousness of the situation.

I gritted my teeth and mentally shoved Jake. The fact that there had been no tap, tap, tapping… Well, I’d have to figure that one out later.

“Shut the damned door, Dirk!” I bellowed and jumped over the trench surrounding the truck. As I made my way to the inside line of the second trench I raised my hand to my forehead to shield my eyes from the blinding sun. I couldn’t see anything but dry cracked earth. No sign of Carter or the dust his running feet should have been kicking up.

I felt myself begin to tremble. I fortified my barriers and clamped my teeth shut. I wasn’t going to allow Jake to break through. Not now.

“He’s moving.”

A ray of hope echoed through me. “How much time?”

“Under a minute.”

“How close are they?”

“Too close and closing in fast.”

“Come on Carter. Come on,” I chanted.

A few moments later Carter finally came into view. I could make out his silhouette as it became larger and larger. I was surprised at just how fast he was running. It was like he was burning a fyre egg in his legs.

“Quick, Angie! Grab a bucket.”

I tore my eyes from Carter and ran to where we had filled a series of buckets with water. I picked up two and hurriedly put them down just shy of the trench. I went back for another two and when I turned, that’s when I saw them.

It was like a black sea in the shape of an arrow following Carter. With the tip only a scant distance behind him and advancing at an alarming speed.

My heart lurched. He wasn’t going to make it.

There must have been hundreds, perhaps thousands of the crawlers scampering across the dry earth. How was the trench we’d built ever going to hold that many back?

I felt water slosh over the edge of the buckets I held.

A stabbing and fiery pain pierced my brain. My body swayed.

Jake was battering at my defence wall.

“No!” I screamed. “No!”

“Angie?”

The concern I heard in Stevron’s voice ripped through me. I shot him a look. I saw the concern for me in his eyes.

I shook my head violently. “Look after Carter!”

Stevron gave me a nod.

Carter was less than fifty yards away.

I gave Jake a forceful shove and hefted the buckets closer to my body. I jumped over the trench. Stevron followed me and together we each put one bucket down and stood waiting for the onslaught.

The front runners of the crawlers were now only a few yards behind Carter, and then only a few feet. My heart pounded as Carter raced by me and flew over the trench.

As I felt the rush of hot air in his wake pass over my cheeks, I tossed the bucket of water onto the fyre crawlers.

The water showering over the fyre crawlers stopped them cold. Paralyzing them in their tracks. More were still coming. I dropped the bucket and quickly picked the other one up. I threw the water out over the incoming crawlers in a wide arc. They froze as well and the ones close behind fortunately reversed their direction.

I left the bucket I’d dropped and turned tail. I was almost back over the trench when several crawlers flanked me. I kept on going. They closed in. I wasn’t going to make it back.

I stumbled and I felt myself falling. Out of nowhere hands grabbed me.

At the sudden touch a loud bang in my head, like the sound of rifle fire, seared through my brain. I saw a flash of blue and red joining. My stomach muscles convulsed as the violet colour blurred my vision.

The hands gripping me tightened. They were surprisingly strong and sure. Then I realized that they were the hands of Carter, not Stevron’s as I expected.

Carter had come back over the trench for me.

As he half dragged, half carried me over the water filled trench I felt the sharp snap of claws gripping my ankle. A fyre crawlers had clamped itself to my right leg.

I cried out and as both Carter and I crashed to the ground I felt a stabbing sting just below my calf.

I turned onto my back as soon as we stopped rolling. The fyre crawlers was hanging off of my pant leg with only one claw. Carter’s hand came out of nowhere and I through my blurred vision saw the flash of a knife. He sliced the crawlers’ appendage clean off and then kicked it’s body into the trench.

I sucked in a breath and watched in horror as Carter’s face suddenly went from ruddy red to a ghoulish green and then chalky white. His eyes rolled back in his eye sockets and he collapsed in a heap onto the ground. His body began to convulse.

My eyes flew to Stevron but he was too busy hurling buckets of water onto the crawlers and stomping on those that had breached our defensive trench.

“Stevron!” I screamed. “Carter’s-”

“Was he bit?”

“I can’t tell. He just collapsed. Help. What should I do?”

“Get him to the truck. Now!”

I got to my feet and then my right leg gave out. There was a burning sensation and I could tell my lower leg had begun to swell. I wasn’t going anyway.

“I can’t. My leg.”