Derelict

The Gates of Death - Part B

Wyatt grabbed Bryant by the shoulders just as another hideous cry filled the sky, this time sounding even closer. "Think! Where can we hide?"

"Hide? I don't..." It came to him in a rush. "I know a place."

He pulled Wyatt by the wrist and headed back the way he had just come. Together they raced, heedless of obstacles and full of the knowledge that while breaking a leg might lead to death, staying out in the open would guarantee it.

A shadow sliced through the sky above and a sense of terror descended, so real he could taste it. Wings beat against the air as the creature dropped to the very spot Wyatt had been tied to just moments earlier. Another hideous shriek erupted as the zelinx discovered its prey had vanished.

"Hurry!" whispered Bryant, his voice cracking with tension.

The old building loomed into sight and they could again hear the wings beating as the monster took flight. They kept running, not even bothering to see where the beast was. It didn't matter if they saw it, for by then it would be too late. Their only hope was Bryant's hiding place.

Together, they darted into the building just as the zelinx thudded to the ground behind them. An overpowering stench filled the air and the ground shook as the beast gave chase. They raced through the building, panting with fear and stumbling over the wreckage of centuries when the front wall of the building exploded in a flurry of glass and bricks as the creature pushed its way inside. It shrieked in rage, thrashing about to free itself of the debris but becoming further entangled and agitated. The door stood ahead exactly as Bryant had left it, illuminated by the remaining bit of light on the horizon. He bolted to it with Wyatt following close behind, each fearing the creature would snatch them away in mid-stride.

Inside the door, Bryant stumbled halfway down the stairs before remembering the black void confronting him--a black void that in its own way was just as terrifying as the zelinx crashing about in the room outside. He turned his back on the dark, blindly hoping nothing malicious lurked below and watched as Wyatt struggled to shoulder the door shut. Debris cluttered the floor but with the zelinx flailing  about, he dared not push it out of the way. The door remained open a few inches, allowing them a sliver of a view of evil on the other side. Together they watched through the crack as the beast shook the remaining bricks away. It beat its mighty wings a final time before tucking them behind its back, sending a cloud of dust billowing across the interior of the building and wafting in through the slight opening.

The ceiling was taller than two men so the reptilian head hung low, attempting to avoid it or entangling itself in the metal gridwork, wires, and other hanging obstacles. Beady yellow eyes darted back and forth, seeking its prey but unable to spy it through the lingering dust. It stalked through the room raising its snout and flaring its nostrils as it tasted the fetid air searching for them. A thick wire managed to wrap itself around the creature and it grew ever more irritated at the dangling obstructions. It thrashed wildly, pulling down even more cable and debris, further enraging it. A deafening shriek pierced through the room and Bryant clapped his hands over his ears, hoping to block the painful cry.

The beast shook itself loose of the wires and resumed its hunt, each step sending a tremor resonating through the floor. A visible blast of vapor discharged from under the creature's tail and instantly, the entire room filled with an overpowering and pervasive odor that clogged Bryant's nose and mouth, choking and gagging him and coating the back of his throat. He fought the urge to vomit and staggered, overtaken by the stench. He reached out and grabbed Wyatt's arm to steady himself.

He coughed. He couldn't help it! He just needed to breath.

In an instant, the eyes of the beast narrowed and focused on the steel door.

"Wyatt! It's coming for us!" A warm flow of urine trickled unnoticed down his leg. Death stalked toward him and he was powerless.

The zelinx didn't open the door. It sunk a pair of talons through the steel and ripped it away from the frame. The great jaws opened to reveal rows of jagged fangs and once again an unearthly, earsplitting cry erupted while its rancid breath washed over them in a tide. Wyatt stood immobile, as if paralyzed by fear.

"Wyatt!" Bryant yelled. "Get away from the door!"

The zelinx lowered its head and peered into the alcove, snorting when it spied its prey within reach. Its eyes locked onto Wyatt for the briefest of moments, almost like it had recognized him. Then, a leathery arm reached through the opening, its talons grasping and groping but the sheer size of the zelinx kept it from squeezing further through the door frame. Bryant grabbed Wyatt's shirt and pulled him backward just as the creature surged forward again then screamed in rage upon discovering its prey had eluded him again.

Bryant's action propelled them both tumbling down the stairs into the darkness where they landed in a heap with a thick cloud of dust rising to coat them.

"Wyatt! What's wrong with you? It almost got you."

Wyatt shook his head but did not speak.

Confused and growing ever more frightened, Bryant shook him and punched him in the shoulder. "Hey! Are you hearing me?"

Above, the zelinx clawed at the metal door frame, ripping it free from the wall. With the opening now enlarged, it began to push its way into the alcove, blocking whatever lingering light had managed to trickle through.
"Wyatt? Please. I'm scared. You gotta wake up." Bryant no longer cared whether anyone thought him a baby; he just wanted to be safe with Pa.

Talons tore at the alcove walls, sending chunks of concrete blocks tumbling away. A methodic grunting sound emanated from the zelinx as it clawed at the opening like a dog digging after a critter that had burrowed into the ground. Bryant sensed the creature's frustration as it turned its back on the opening and speared its tail down the stairs, attempting to impale one of them and drag its victim into the open. Instead, the barbed tail crashed into the wall of the cellar and sent a shower of dirt and debris raining over the both of them.

"I feel it." Wyatt spoke in a calm voice.

"What are you talking about?" asked Bryant, both confused and relieved Wyatt had managed to talk.

"The zelinx. I feel it. I know it. It's real."

"Of course it's real! It's twenty feet away digging like crazy to get to us. I can see it too."

"You don't understand."

Bryant pulled him deeper into the cellar just as the tail shot through the air again and slashed about seeking to snag one of them.

"You're right. Explain to me what you mean."

"I feel it."

Bryant still did not understand but the tail whipping through the air worried him. He slid Wyatt across the floor until they bumped into the wall furthest from the stairs, surprised at how light the Speck was. They sat huddled together listening to the grunting and clawing of the zelinx as it dug its way to them.

He shivered, then realized his pants were saturated and stunk of urine.

How did that happen?

It didn't matter. At this point, nothing mattered.

He leaned back against the wall, pulled Wyatt close and waited to die.

Out of the frying pan and into the fire!  Don't forget Wyatt needs your votes!