xx-xx
There were others at the portal. A young couple met them there, saying they'd been here since yesterday, guiding people with a Helmet to the location when they were within the reception area. Many had travelled constantly for the past three days from all over the country. So far, two groups of about a dozen people had made it through, and a few other smaller huddles. The couple explained to them that the last portal they'd heard about stayed open for four days before closing. They would be the last to go through, right before midnight tonight, when the portal would shut. The portal was a circle on the ground, looking close to a hole. From what she remembered people telling her, it glowed a soft blue, the same colour as the dots of a charged System. The first group from the Shelter had made it through, and the second, which Karma was in along with all her family, was making it through. Oberon was chatting with the couple, acting as a guard and leader for the arriving people. Everything was going well, and Karma could hardly believe it. She almost felt sorry to leave this broken-down place, filled with vivid memories, a city whose nooks and crannies she'd spent the last years memorizing.
Unfortunately, they'd forgotten about the shadows that followed them constantly since the outbreak.
At the sight of the X's, there was panic. People pushed each other aside, desperate to reach the portal in time. The couple waiting for the others also jumped in at the sign of danger, clapping Oberon on the shoulder one last time. Dalton who'd stayed with Karma, overlooking the groups arriving, convinced his twin to jump in, promising to follow her right after. Karma was surprised, but infinitely glad, when he walked back to her side, helping others in instead of saving himself.
"Hurry up!" Oberon bellowed and Karma had never heard anything so loud. The last group from the Shelter were being followed by the creatures, up along the road. "Run! Run!"
Karma could see the fear painted on everyone's faces, especially Oberon's. He'd lived through this before. Seen the portal close right before his eyes when the X's came. So when it was Karma's turn to jump into the portal after all her friends, she breathed in and out and made a decision, her heart suddenly light.
"See you on the other side, Oberon," and she pushed him.
Not expecting it, he lost his balance, falling into the portal. She didn't see his face, but Karma hoped he'd forgive her when she saw him again. She turned around, nodded at Dalton, who signed at her that he was going to help the other Shelter group. Karma ran with him along the road, trying to get their attention. Karma saw other people with them and she sighed in relief. The other group could help get them to the portal! She was glad that the strangers had made it in time before the portal closed. She couldn't imagine travelling for days only for the portal to shut in your face.
Except when she came closer, she noticed something was wrong. Why were the strangers pulling the people from her Shelter towards the X's?
She looked at one of them straight in the eyes, and saw colour again, right under his left eye. The dots were bright blue. His maniac grin, the deranged glint in his eyes, his hysterical laughter.
Karma was suddenly reminded of Jeanine.
"It's all useless! It doesn't matter if we make it to the portal!" the guy punched another person in the face. His arm was bleeding in multiple places, completely mangled, though he didn't seem bothered by it. "We're all dead anyway. Better choose the merciful way now. You'll thank me!"
Karma felt herself shake, and she doubled her speed. She punched the asshole right in the face, encouraging people from the Shelter to keep going. She wrenched them out of the grip of the crazy people. There were at least five of the insane left, the others probably already eaten by the X's which explained why the creatures weren't attacking people from the Shelter. They were probably busy finishing their meal. Karma kept ushering people to the portal before it closed. She saw an X straighten up a few meters away. He was ready to catch another prey and his metallic friends would be too, in a few seconds.
She scanned the remaining group one last time for Shelter people, and it seemed like everyone was running to the portal, away from the X's. She grabbed Dalton's hand, getting ready to sprint for their life, abandoning the crazies, not that they wanted to get saved, when-
"Hail."
The blonde, practically white hair, the icy blue eyes, the dimples on his cheeks. It'd been half a year since Karma had last seen him, but she still remembered that face. She still remembered the first Ghost town, the library, the fear. Still remembered Pandora's sobs, her screams at night, pleading for her brother to please come back! Don't leave me!
He approached her, not worried about the X creeping up behind him, it's jaw wide open.
"Come here, Karma!" he sped up, limping slightly. "Don't worry. I'll show you the way!"
She screamed, fighting to get away when he grabbed her shirt but a few seconds later, Karma was free and he was on the ground.
"Dalton, no!" Karma shouted, tugging his shoulder but Dalton didn't listen. He straddled Hail's body and punched his face over and over again, adding more blood to the scene.
"Don't you dare touch her!"
This was not the time to play the hero.
"There's an X!" Karma screamed, high pitched and afraid.
The harrowing creature took slow, offbeat steps forward, its silver, hard, metal body grinding and groaning in protest the whole way. Its atrocious form was hunched forward in a hideous manner and suddenly, frightfully, it let out an ear-piercing angry screech into the night. It's wild red eye locked with Karma's and she whimpered in fear, pulling on Dalton's shoulder even harder, having half a mind to abandon him, but she couldn't, not after what he'd done for her. The most sickening part of the creature was the hole on its stomach, opening and closing with sharp, wicked teeth, ready to molest. It resembled more a hairless killer spider than a human with its round metallic body spreading off into, what seemed, eight thin metal legs grasping the earth as if it were the only thing grounding it; the same legs that would puncture the heart of a human being.
"Dalton!"
Karma finally got him out of Hail's grasp and they scrambled backwards. She stared straight into Hail's eyes as he cackled happily, even when a claw went through his stomach, even when his body got shoved right in the middle of the metallic teeth, cutting him off. Karma couldn't stop the relief flooding into her that it was Hail that had gotten eaten by the X and not Dalton.
Karma started running to the empty portal, the rest having had the time to go through. It could close any time, but Dalton wasn't following. He was standing in the middle of the road, paralysed. His eyes were wide with terror and his mouth open in shock.
Karma hesitated and went back for him.
"Dalton! Now!"
He shook his head, and let himself get dragged by Karma. They were only a couple of meters away now. They were going to make it. They were going to-
A monster let out an awful cry of anger behind them. She heard Dalton's yell pierce her eardrums. She whipped around, her hand still grasping his and saw that an X had caught up to them and had plunged three of its claws into Dalton's leg. They pierced straight through his calves and started ripping the muscles as the X pulled in one direction, but Karma wouldn't let go of Dalton. She couldn't.
He couldn't die now. The portal was right there. They were going to rent an apartment together. His sister was waiting for his promise. They were both going to make it across. He couldn't die. They were so close. So, so close.
His scream of immense pain punctured the silence of the night. Tears were streaming down his cheeks, dripping off his chin, but he still offered her one last smile, teeth grinding hard against each other from the effort and excruciating pain.
He knew it was over for him. That this was the end of his journey. Karma only pulled him harder in refusal, letting out a scream of anger. This couldn't be it. Why would he just give up?
He looked her right in the eyes and nodded, his eyes holding a bittersweet look, her favourite shade of blue watercolour.
"Survive."
And he let go.
Karma stumbled backwards, disgusted with herself at not keeping a grip on him, for not running faster, for not saving him while she still could. She was half tempted to follow his fate, but then she remembered the rest of her family, remembered Dalton's arms holding her safe after rescuing her from her suicide mission. She couldn't dishonour them. This couldn't be it. But it was.
And so with tears blurring her vision, she sprinted to the portal. She let Dalton go, let herself fall, and the last thing she heard was the terrifying, haunting screech of the X and her training partner's last cry of defeat.