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Persperation dribbled down the side of the creature's wide face, channeling into thin rivers of clear liquid; droplets paused as they hung precariously along the edge of its face, then released in a free-fall to the ground. How long has it been hunted? Its mind raced just as quickly as its pulse as it blinked its large blank eyes in nervous anticipation.
It had been chased to a darkened alley way of the large city, and had taken what refuge it could along the shadows that clung beside a wall. The fact that it's skin was a bright yellow didn't help, but it's pursuers don't have the best sense of vision anyhow. "This is not good," mumbled the Face, whose lips had long since flipped from a smile to an anxious frown.
A sharp clicking from around the corner caused an involuntary gasp to escape from it; the familliar sounds of a Mine clanking its way near sent shivers up and down its wide stature. In silence, save for the trembling exhalations of breath, the Face prayed.
The clicking grew louder, and came accompanied with hushed grumbles in some gutteral tongue known well to the Face; the language if the Mines, and a language it would be better off not knowing.
"Come out, come out, little one," cackled the metallic grey sphere. The spikes around its round body glinted hauntingly in the dimness of the alley. It's voice crackled like dry leather and was tinged with a throaty Mineish accent. "I won't hurt you... mwuahaha..." It's steps came to a stop as it turned itself from side to side, peering about with eyes unseen upon its form. It snickered then hissed, "The longer you hide, the worse you'll hurt!"
The Face wimpered, thin lips shuddering.
A low growl seeped from the Mine as it turned sharply towards the source of the wimper. "Hiding won't help you, my little flammable friend... You'll meet your fate one way or the other." A dull click of its foot taking a step closer to the frightened Face resonated through the alley. "Come out now and meet your fate..."
The Mine could be seen out of the corner of the Face's eye; a grotesque mass of silvery metal in the form of a sphere. Several large intimidating spikes protruded from it at set intervals, patterning over it like a man-made sea urchin. It walked upon two thin legs, just like itself, almost cartoonish in appearance. The Mine paused again before releasing a dramatic sigh. "Foolish creature you are, my dearest Face. You won't escape us; you'll meet your end like your bretheren before you."
Another wimper escaped from the Face's thin mouth; it, as well as all of its kind, was cursed with the lack of any protection from the tyrranical Mines. All they could do was run, and not very fast at that. Fear constantly dwelt at the back of its mind, and that fear throbbed like a parasite awaking from dormancy within the Face's body. They were cowards by nature, pacifists by decree of some unseen force, and so they had accepted the pre-destined fate that all were to face at one time or another during their bleak existance.
From the corner of its eye, it could see the Mine turn to its direction. Before it could move, the Mine had advanced considerably while snarling, "There you are, you little bastard!" The Face screamed as it turned away from the wall to run further down the alley. It felt a sharp pain jab into its back and saw the cold ground rush to meet it.
Tortured shrieks echoed through the night, silenced only with a thunderous explosion. Calm returned with one less innocent to enjoy it.
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