Leon turned at the sound of the hissing. The pink body of the licker was dripping with blood and some sort of ooze, and was only visible by the glisten in the minimal light. He raised his gun, and as he did, the tongue of the licker shot out like a dagger, and struck itself straight through his stomach. He gasped, fell to one knee, looking down, open-mouthed, at the thing sticking through him. Blood began to well up in his open mouth as he looked at the beast, as it slowly pulled out its tongue.
Leon's hands went to his stomach, feeling the blood beginning to seep from the hole. He put pressure on it, as much as he could, but he felt weak. "Go!" he shouted to Claire and Sherry, who were nearby. His voice shook. "Leave me!" He could hear their footsteps and breathed a pained sigh of relief. They would be safe, he thought as he closed his eyes. He opened them in surprise and pain as he felt Claire's hands in his armpits, lifting his torso and slowly (and silently) dragging him away.
The licker's tongue flicked back and forth, trying to locate the people around it without eyes. Leon could hear Claire trying to keep her breathing down, though her chest was slowly heaving as she dragged him carefully away. Pain exploded from the hole in his stomach to permeate the rest of his body, like a spider web of pain that had his whole body caught up in it. He tried his best not to gasp as a more sudden pull from Claire jostled his body and sent a spasm of pain through him. The licker turned its head straight at them, its tongue flicking back and forth expectantly. The long tendril caught up come of the trail of blood coming from Leon, and the tongue receded into the licker's mouth for a moment as it tasted it.
Sherry's blonde head popped from around a corner and immediately she put her hands to her mouth, seeing Leon's blood filling the ground around him. She knew she couldn't let out a cry—Claire had told her to be silent, and she liked Claire. She was nice to her. She had to be quiet, so the monster wouldn't hear.
Claire pulled Leon, but she wasn't looking at him or at the whole though which he was losing blood increasingly rapidly. Her eyes were fixed on the eyeless licker, as its tongue began to slide out of its mouth again. She regulated her breathing, though she was working hard to drag Leon, who was much heavier than she was. She was being so careful to remain undetected by the blind beast. She took a step backward.
A large squeak filled the hallway. Claire stopped breathing altogether and looked downward, seeing where her boot had rubbed against the bloody floor, creating the offending noise. She snapped her head back up to face the monster, and suddenly began to retreat as quickly as she possibly could, dragging Leon as quickly as she could across the floor. The licker did not waste any time at all either, scampering after her, clawing its way along the walls as well as the floor in its haste to feed.
"Go!" shouted Claire, dragging Leon around the corner. Sherry started running toward the metal door that separated them from the locker room of the police station. She tugged on it once, and was unable to open it—it was too heavy. She tugged again, knowing that Claire was counting on her to get it open. She pulled again with all of her force, all of her tiny might—and it swung open, hitting the wall next to it with a thud.
"Go, Sherry!" shouted Claire, and Sherry took one glance at Claire and obeyed. Claire pulled harder and moved her legs faster, now turning away from the licker, looking where she was going, dragging Leon as fast as she could. The monster was gaining on them. She could feel it about to leap down on them, attacking them. With a mighty heave, she lifted Leon up and out of the way of the attack, saving him from the claws of the licker. Leon could not hold onto his pain any longer, and let out a scream.
The licker crashed headfirst into the floor, and Claire used this opportunity to pull Leon through the door. Sherry rushed forward and slammed the door shut behind them, but she was unable to get it all the way closed. Leon cried out as he was yanked from Claire's hands and slammed to the ground, pulled back toward the door by the tongue of the licker, which was wrapped around his left ankle. Sherry put all of her little body weight against the door, and Claire rushed to put her weight against the door as well, pinching the tongue between the door and the frame.
Leon groaned in pain and weakly kicked at the tongue, trying to shake it loose. Claire pushed against the door, her eyes falling onto Sherry and down to the tongue. They would not be able to hold the door for much longer—the licker was too strong. She thought of how the licker had savored the taste of Leon's blood when it had gotten a little lick in out in the hallway. Then, in an instant, an idea came into her head and she acted on it swiftly.
Her boot came down hard on the tongue, with all of the strength she had within her. The blood on the heel of her boot, that had caused the squeak, was pushed into the tongue, crushing it. "You like that taste?" asked Claire. "Have it." The creature yelped in pain. The tongue attempted to retreat with Leon, but when it found that it was not able to, released him and was gone. The door slid shut behind him, and Claire fixed the lock on it. She dashed a look at Sherry to make sure that she was alright, and then knelt next Leon, pulling his head up slightly.
"Don't worry," said Leon, cringing. "I'm still here." Sherry joined them, and Claire put a hand around her, pulling her in close, and they were all thankful for their brief reprieve from the madness, and the impalement almost slipped their minds in the moment of happiness.