Maria reacted within the space of a heartbeat, the plasma bolt nearly missing the tip of her nose as she hurled herself backwards onto the moss covered ground below. Lifting herself upright she watched as her own automatic pulse rifle skidded between two large oak tree, settling beneath the underbrush of the forest. Crawling on all fours, Maria darted towards the bush, dust and leaves billowing all around as she struggled to breath, an urgent panicked rush boiling her blood.
Pushing her face through the thicket of branches, it hadn't taken long for her to locate her weapon, thrusting it as close to her heaving chest as possible, not wanting to be disarmed every again. Though she had been been elated momentarily at the small victory the feeling was quickly snuffed out by the sounds of ragged grunting and hurried footsteps from the clearing that was now behind her. Turning swiftly on the spot, Maria gasped in horror, clapping own mouth to stifle her surprised moan.
Three large golems made of earth and rock were now surveying the area, thrashing their heads on their shoulders while flailing their arms madly as they searched for intruders. Turning her rifle on its side Maria cursed a little too loudly as here ammo count was nearing zero. She had only six bolts remaining, which could either go one of two ways. Two shots for each golem in hopes they would both fall, or one for herself, there would be no other way out of this.
One of the creatures moved closer, the ground beneath it quaking with each stride it taken towards Maria. It was now or never, if she didn't move now she would be trampled before she had even had an option to take her own life.
Running flat out Maria barley dodged the first onslaught of attacks, a sharp jagged rock slicing the heel of one of her dusty boots. Maria screamed, not out of pain but of fear, the rhythmic pounding of blood pounded against her temples as she scrambled away, clutching to her weapon tightly, not bothering to waste the bullets.
Reaching yet another clearing, Maria was blindsided, the butt of a guns handle smashing the side of her face, followed by a body flying through the air as she crashed towards the ground once again. Long dark strands of hair covered her face, a perfect halo that feel neatly around her shoulders, covering the majority ogf her face.
Maria's eyes stung as she tired to fight back the inevitable tears, but there was no time for that, she needed to keep moving. A large dark shadow appeared above her, a gray, brown stalagmite pointed right in her direction, aimed right between her eyes. Raising her weapon, Maria fired in bursts, the clip clicking after just two short rounds.
The creature staggered backwards as bright green flashes grazed past its thick skull, bouncing off before splintering into tiny fragments of energy. It writhed in pain, smashing a nearby tree splitting it right down the center.
Somewhere off in the distance a soft rustling caught Maria's attention, her head snapping so furiously she had almost given herself whiplash. The once flying body was now attempting to stand, his weight leaning heavily on his right arm as he tried to stand. Try as he might his battle armor weight him down and he was back on the forest floor, his breath shallow and weak.
Coming to after a few moments, the creatures attention was now on the boy barely alive. Making a straight line towards him it was like a charging bull, its eyes on the taunting matador.
Without a second thought, Maria started towards her fallen comrade, the golem right at her heels. If only her her legs could move just a little faster, she thought to herself as the putty began to gain speed. The boy was on his feet now, realizing the situation, his arms covering his face, bracing himself for impact.
Maria leaped between the two, feeling a pain where her stomach should have been. Looking down, the putty was lifting her body into the air, blood now spilling from mouth, the world becoming more and more like an echoing chamber. With one last attempt to protect herself, Maria weakly lifted her gun. The putty eyed it curiously before knocking it to the side and stabbing Maria with its other arm.
" NOOOOOO!" This voice sounded distant, somehow separate from this world, or was it Maria who had become detached from her surrounding? More blood, more blackness, this world, her world was coming to an end. Maria's body was thrown into the air, her heart slowing to a crawl. How could this be the end? Her thoughts had become hazy, her body numb, the pain slowly slipping away.
Slamming into the earth Maria was now a heap of broken bone and torn flesh. A small beeping began to fill her from within. It was soft at first, a delicate melody matching the pulse of her now dying heart. The putty had rounded on the boy once again, smashing the ground where Maria had last remembered him being, the sounds of his dying anguish cascaded over her as Maria had taken her last breath.
.