U.S.S.A Umbra

Chapter 9 Face the music

Damien grabbed the barred gate with both hands and began shaking it violently and shouting at them. "Heeey! Over here!" But they did not seem to hear or see him and they ran off, a large group of splinters came into sight, all shambling and muttering incoherently. Damien slumped down to his knees trying to think of a way to get to them, as he looked up he saw him, the one who caused all of this. That tall, dark skeletal being who spoke to him; he saw the dark being stroll casually through the horde of splinters and gave Damien a glance with that wicked grin, and then he was gone. Damien was deeply disturbed by this, he could not let that thing get to Alice, he would not allow it. Emily saw it too, she was standing there in shock at what she just witnessed. Damien grabbed her and carried her in one arm, he ran down the hall with Emily in tow at full sprint. Damien managed to run around to where the splinters had come from, they had covered the hall with their black seepage. There had to be at least a dozen of the creatures standing there, all motionless as if in a trance.

Damien put Emily down. "Cover your ears." She did as he told her and covered her ears but dropped her toy while doing so, it made a loud plop as it hit a puddle of ooze, and the splinters all immediately turned their heads in their direction. "Ahh shit." He said realizing he no longer has the element of surprise; he aimed through his scope and discharged a 300. RUM into two of the splinter's skulls, obliterating their heads. Emily's ears started ringing from the boom of the rifle. She winced in pain then looked up at Damien walking forward and blasting pieces of flesh off of them. Their gore flew out in all directions painting even more of the hallway with their inky fluid. He bashed one's head into the wall with the butt of his rifle, its head crunched and thick black blood filled out through its caved-in skull. A sickening squelching splat was made when he pulled out the gun from its head that was plastered to the wall. Damien felt a pair of hands grab him and he was faced with one of them. It had an elongated jaw as if it was preparing to chomp his head off. It bit into the gap beneath his shoulder plate. A stream of crimson spewed from his bicep into the creature's eyes; its glassy white eyes were coated in blood."Ahhh mother fucker!" Adrenaline rushed into him, all he could feel was raw fury. He grabbed both sides of its decayed face. then with one quick twitch, he dug his thumbs into its eyes. He dug his fingers into its flesh.  sloughing off its face with a ripping motion; the splinter stumbled back then away from him. Damien looked at the detached face and then threw it to the ground in disgust. The splinter turned back towards him and let out a gurgled screech, Damien's vision went red with blood lust as he lunged towards it, he gripped its throat with both hands. All it took was several hard yanks and its head along with its spine came ripping out of its esophagus like a bone on a brisket, blood spewed from the new opening, forming a large puddle on the floor. Damien looked at the spine in his hand, processing what he had just done.

He heard a scream behind him, it was Emily screaming for help as one of the splinters was shambling towards her, Emily tried to run away but tripped in the black blood that stained the floor. She tried to get up but her movements were too frantic to get a grip. She had also dropped her toy. If she was going to die she wouldn't even have a friend to go with her. Emily turned her head around to face the blackened monster that craved her flesh; she braced herself waiting for what will happen next. Emily heard the sound of a bone rattle then as she opened her eyes. She saw Damien wrap the spinal column around its neck and pulled...he pulled Until its neck was crushed. Its head fell to the ground facing her with its ghoulish face. Damien threw the spine aside and picked up Emily's toy, handing it to her. "Sorry, you had to see that, I believe this is yours."  Emily took the toy while he helped her to her feet. "Looks like we made a mess of ourselves," Damien said trying to lighten the mood, Emily looked up at him. "You almost look like one of them; I thought you had turned into a monster." She said hugging his side. "Alright let's get out of here." They made their way to the door; Damien's heart was racing again, he'd hoped he would be able to see Alice again.