Chapter 113: Chapter 113: Another Close Call (Part 3)
The creature's roar reverberated through the air, the sound that sent shivers down everyone's spine.
It was massive, towering over them with its hunched, grotesque form, its eyes glowing with a menacing red light. Its sharp, jagged teeth dripped with saliva as it charged forward, its claws tearing up the earth with each thunderous step.
"Run!" Don yelled, grabbing Amanda's arm and pulling her with him as they bolted toward the house. Charlie, still fumbling with his gun, snapped out of his shock and followed close behind. "Shit!"
The creature was fast, too fast. It closed the distance between them with terrifying speed, its snarls growing louder as it homed in on its prey. They barely made it to the porch when the creature lunged, its claws slashing through the air where they had just been standing.
Don kicked the door open, shoving Amanda inside before diving in after her. Charlie barely made it and slammed the door shut behind them, locking it with trembling hands.
The creature's body slammed into the door with a deafening crash, the wood splintering under the force. The entire house shook, dust falling from the ceiling as the beast clawed at the door, trying to rip it off its hinges.
"That thing's gonna break through!"
As Amanda shouted, Don looked around the room, his mind racing. The house was small and sparsely furnished—there was no way they could hold off the creature if it got inside. "We need to keep moving!" he said, grabbing a nearby chair and wedging it under the door handle as an extra barrier, though he knew it would only buy them a few more seconds at most.
As they bolted into the kitchen, Don searched for anything they could use to defend themselves. He grabbed a cast-iron skillet from the stove, while Amanda armed herself with a large kitchen knife.
Charlie, pale and sweating, stumbled into the room after them, still clutching his gun. "We're not gonna make it!" he panted, his eyes wide with fear.
"Speak for yourself," Don snapped, trying to ignore the sinking feeling in his gut. He glanced at Amanda, who was doing her best to stay calm despite the terror in her eyes.
The creature's roars grew louder as it finally tore through the front door. The sound of wood splintering and the door crashing to the floor sent adrenaline surging through Don's veins. They had to move, and fast.
"Back door!" Amanda yelled, pointing toward the rear of the house. They sprinted toward it, but as they reached the door, the creature burst through the kitchen wall with a ferocious snarl, sending debris flying.
"Look out!" Don shouted, pushing Amanda out of the way just as the creature's claws slashed through the space where she had been standing. She hit the floor hard, the wind knocked out of her, but she was unharmed.
The creature turned its attention to Don, its eyes narrowing with predatory intent. It lunged at him, its jaws snapping inches from his face. Don swung the skillet with all his might, striking the creature across the head. The impact echoed through the room, but the beast barely flinched.
Instead it roared in anger, swiping at Don with a massive claw. He ducked just in time, the creature's claws slicing through the air above him. He knew they couldn't keep this up much longer; they needed to get out of the house and find better cover.
"Aunt Amanda, go!" Don shouted, his voice strained as he dodged another attack. Amanda scrambled to her feet, her eyes wide with fear. She bolted for the back door with Charlie right on her heels.
The creature turned to look at them and Don made use of the opportunity. He hurled the skillet at its head, the heavy pan clanging off its skull. The beast roared in fury, spinning back around to face him.
Don's heart pounded in his chest as he faced the creature, trying to think of a way to buy them more time. The creature lunged again, its claws aiming for his chest. He quickly sidestepped the attack, but one of its claws caught his arm, tearing through his shirt and leaving a deep gash. "Fuck!" He bit back a cry of pain, stumbling back as blood dripped from the wound.
Suddenly, Amanda came back with her kitchen knife in hand. She slashed at the creature's leg, the blade biting into its flesh. The creature howled in pain, staggering back just enough for Don to get some distance.
"Donnie! We need to get to the bunker!" Amanda shouted over the creature's roars.
Don nodded, gritting his teeth against the pain in his arm. They made a break for it, dashing out the back door and across the yard.
The bunker was a small, reinforced structure near the edge of the property, originally built as a storm shelter. If they could just reach it, they might have a chance.
But the creature wasn't giving up that easily. It tore through the back wall of the house, sending planks of wood and pieces of furniture flying as it pursued them. Its eyes were filled with a murderous rage, its powerful legs propelling it across the yard with terrifying speed.
Don and Amanda ran as fast as they could, their breaths coming in ragged gasps. The bunker was only a few yards away, but the creature was gaining on them with every step.
Charlie reached the bunker first, yanking open the heavy metal door with his hands still trembling from fear.
Amanda and Don were only steps behind, but just as they reached the door, Charlie's panic took over. He slammed the door shut, locking it from the inside, leaving them outside to face the beast.
Amanda screamed in frustration, pounding on the door with her fists. "Charlie, you fucking coward! Let us in!"
But Charlie's only response was a muffled cry of fear from inside the bunker. Don cursed under his breath, knowing they had no time to waste. The creature was almost upon them.
In that moment, something deep inside Don awakened. The fear and desperation triggered a surge of power he hadn't fully understood until now.
Without thinking, he raised his hand toward the creature, his eyes narrowing with focus.
The air around him seemed to pulse with energy as he concentrated, his hand trembling slightly. The creature lunged at them, its claws outstretched, but before it could strike, Don's power surged through him. With a wave of his hand, he unleashed a burst of telekinesis, sending the creature flying backward.
The force of the attack flung the beast several feet back, crashing it into the ground with a heavy thud. Don felt a sharp pain in his head, a splitting headache from the exertion, but he couldn't stop now. The creature was already struggling to get back on its feet.
Ignoring the pain, Don focused his power once more. He gritted his teeth and flung the creature again, this time directing it toward the police car. The beast slammed into the car with enough force to crumple the metal, the impact reverberating through the farm.
The creature lay stunned for a moment, its body twitching as it tried to regain its senses. But Don could see that it wasn't down for good; it was already starting to rise, its eyes glowing with fury.
Then, without warning, the police car exploded. The force of the blast sent the creature flying through the air, its body engulfed in flames.
It crashed to the ground, writhing and screaming as the fire consumed it.
Don staggered back, the headache pounding in his skull, but he couldn't tear his eyes away from the sight. The creature's roars turned into desperate, agonized cries as it burned, its once-powerful body reducing to a charred husk.
Even in its final moments, the creature tried to reach out, its flaming claws grasping at the air as if trying to pull itself toward them. Amanda clung to Don, her face pale with horror as they watched the beast's final, pitiful attempts to survive.
Finally, the creature fell still, its body collapsing into the flames. The fire crackled and popped as it consumed the last remnants of the mutant, leaving nothing but ash and scorched earth in its wake.