Blood and Fur
A short slasher by R'Dajee Marr
The voice was muffled. Ah jae He could feel consciousness slowly coming to him. Are jay wick up Now he could feel someone shaking him. Rj, it's us. It was Heather's voice. Rj forced his eyes open and sat up. "Are you ok?" Heather asked. Rj rubbed his eyes as he tried to comprehend what was happening. "Yeah." he answered sheepishly and noticed he was on a bed, and that it was tailored to his size.
He looked up and saw Heather, Stella, Ozzie, Hammy and Vern gathered around him. He also saw that he was in a white room and there was five other beds in it.
"Where am I-are we?" he asked. Vern answered, "We don't know. We woke up only a couple minutes before you did." "None of us know how we got here." added Ozzie.
"We wanted to wake you before looking around." Stella pointed with her head to a rusty brown metal door on one end of the room.
Rj stood up and said, "Well, let's find out what's going on." as he shuffled over to the door.
It had no knob, but Rj noticed a blue button on the wall on the right side of it. Rj pushed the button and the door slid into the wall on the side the button was on. "Cool." Rj said with a grin.
Outside the door was a rusty brown hallway with another door right across from the room they were all in. Rj looked down each end of the hall and saw that it was empty. "It's ok ." he said and walked over and opened the door, revealing a room that was larger than the one he woke up in, but the same color.
The group entered the room and found a rectangular table with six chairs around it. On the table were trays with various foods, a couple of pitchers of water and some plastic cups
"Somebody was expecting us." Heather said and sat down. "But why?" asked Vern. "I just can't believe everything is our size." said Ozzie as he sat down next to his daughter.
Rj, sat down on the other side of Heather and said, "I don't know about the rest of you but I could really go for something to eat." "Actually," said Stella, "I need to take a piss." "Me too!" said Hammy. "Alright, if there's a bedroom and a mess hall, there's gotta be a bathroom. Come on Hammy."
"I don't think any of us should go off alone." said Vern. "We may be kidnapped," Stella said, "but what with the food and the beds, it doesn't seem like we were brought here to die. Besides, I'll spray anyone that tries to mess with us, and Hammy can run like crazy."
Heather whispered to Rj, "I thought guys were supposed to like it when a girl puts her butt in their face." Rj grinned, "So did I."
"Just be careful." Vern said. "We will!" replied Hammy as he and Stella left the room.
Stella led Hammy to the right down the corridor, noticing that the ceiling was grated and that it looked like there was a crawlspace above the grating.
"Here's a room Stella!" Hammy said, pointing to a door on the left side. Stella pushed the button and the door slid aside, revealing a small room with a toilet and a sink in it.
"Looks like what Rj said the humans use." Stella said. "Ladies first." she said as she went in and closed the door.
After Stella finished, she stepped out into the corridor and found that Hammy was gone. "Hammy?" she called and looked down both ends of the corridor. She headed back to the mess hall. What did the humans call it? ADHD? She shook her head.
Stella walked into the mess hall and frowned. "Hammy's not here?" she asked. "He's not with you?" Vern asked. "I used the bathroom first and thought he was going to wait out side until I was done. Guess I should have known better."
Vern stood up and said to the others, "We need to go look for him."
"All of us?" Rj protested.
"We have no idea what could be out there."
"You're right." Rj said and stood up.
The five of them left the safety of the mess hall and went to the right down the corridor, Rj and Vern in front, the possums in the middle, and Stella in back. After a couple minutes, they came to a T junction.
"Left or right?" Vern asked. Rj spotted something down the left branch. He went over and squatted down next to a small puddle of liquid. Rj put his first two fingers in the substance as Vern knelt beside him. The substance was as clear as water but much thicker.
"What is it?" Heather asked. Rj shook the goo off his fingers and answered, "Nasty. Definitely not water, that's for sure."
"Hammy, are you in there?" said Stella as she made her way to an open door only a few yards down the corridor. She looked in the room and what kept her from vomiting was that a scream came from her mouth first.
Ozzie dropped to the floor and everyone else ran to the closet sized room.
Vern bent over and puked as soon as he saw it. It was Tiger. He was dead.
"Holy shit!" Rj said when he saw the deceased feline. Tiger was laying on his side with a gaping hole in his chest and a pool of blood on the floor in front of the hole.
"Oh my god!" Heather said and cupped her hands over her mouth when she saw.
Stella looked away and started crying. Rj wrapped his arms around her and held her, making a quick shot of envy go through Heather.
"What, on earth..." Vern said with his hands on his knees, breathing heavily, "It looks like he exploded-" He stopped, feeling nausea start to rise.
Ozzie got up and asked, "What happened?"
"Tiger's dead." Rj answered. "Good heavens!" Ozzie said as he crossed himself and walked over. Heather stopped him, "Don't look dad."
"I'm sorry Stella." Rj said and stroked her head. Stella took a deep breath and said, "He was the only guy that ever..." "I know." Rj said softly, "I know."
Heather didn't like her friend being sad but couldn't help thinking, "Why the crap can't you just find a guy skunk?"
"Do you want to go lie down?" Rj asked Stella. "I know I do." Vern said to himself as he stood up, not noticing that the ceiling panel above him had been removed.
"Yes, but we need to find Hammy and get the hell out of here," Stella said, "I don't want the same thing happening to the little guy."
Something dripped on Vern's arm. It was the same color and consistency as the substance on the floor.
"Ok." Rj said and nodded.
"Ah!"
Everyone looked at Vern and saw two black claws pulling him up into the ceiling.
Heather stepped back against the wall of the corridor. Rj and Stella each grabbed one of Vern's legs. "Grab him Ozzie!" Rj yelled as the turtle was still being pulled up, arms flailing. Whatever had Vern was too strong, and in an instant, he disappeared. Rj, Heather and Stella stood in shock as Vern's screams faded into silence.
Rj looked over at Ozzie and saw that the possum was on the floor, faking death again. Rj, still very shaken, walked over to him. "Get up!" Rj said. "Is it gone?" Ozzie said quietly. "Get up you fucking coward!" Rj had half a mind to kick him in the head but Heather started whimpering. Rj took her in his arms. "It's ok Heather, I'm right here."
Stella slowly took a sip from the cup of water in her hands. Heather, Stella and Ozzie were in the mess hall.
Ozzie swallowed the bite of cornbread in his mouth food and asked, "What on earth was it?"
"Must be the bastard that killed Tiger." Stella replied.
"Don't you want anything?" Ozzie asked his daughter. She shook her head gently, "I'm not hungry."
"Doesn't surprise me." Stella said and stared off into space.
Heather spoke, "Um, I'm gonna make sure Rj's ok." "Just make sure to close the door." Ozzie said. Heather nodded and left.
"Are you sure you're going to be alright?" Ozzie asked. Stella nodded without looking at him.
Heather stepped into the bedroom and closed the door.
Rj looked up and swallowed the last bite of cornbread. "Hey." he said as Heather walked over and sat next to him on the bed. "Did you get anything to eat?" he asked. "I'm not hungry. She said and starred at the floor.
"I'm sorry what I said about you're dad earlier."
"Don't be." said Heather, "He's such a dick sometimes."
"But at least he cares about you." said Rj.
"I guess." Heather sighed.
"I also care about you."
Heather looked over at Rj as he said, "I've seen the way you look at me."
She blushed.
"I feel the same way about you." he said.
Heather Smiled as he gently stroked the side of her face.
Rj slowly leaned in and their lips met, something Heather had wanted since she first laid eyes on him.
Suddenly the heard the door slide open. The two of them looked over and saw Stella standing in the doorway. "Sorry." she said, "But Hammy's back."
"He is?" said Rj as he and Heather stood up.
The three of them went into the mess hall, none remembering to close the door.
Ozzie was sitting next to Hammy, who was drinking a cup of water.
"Are you ok, little man?" asked Heather. "He's alright, his throat's just a little sore." said Ozzie.
Hammy emptied the cup and Rj asked, "Where were you?"
"I don't know." Hammy replied.
"What do you mean?"
"All I remember is that I was going somewhere with Stella, then I woke up in one of the hallways. I was scared 'cuz I didn't know where I was. Where's Vern?"
There was a moment of silence, Rj and Stella looked at each other.
"Hammy," Stella said as she sat down on the other side of him, "I'm not going to lie to you."
Hammy started coughing.
"We don't know where Vern is."
"My chest hurts." Hammy said as he put his hands on his chest.
Concerned, Rj and Heather stepped closer.
"Ow, ow, ow," Hammy said repeatedly as he leaned forward onto the table, then turned onto his back. With his eyes closed, he then lifted his chest upward and started screaming in pain. The others tried to hold him still as he flailed his arms an legs.
Ozzie fainted as there was a loud crack and Hammy lay still. Everyone else's eyes went wide. Hammy Started moving again and after a few seconds his chest exploded, spraying blood everywhere. "Oh god!" Heather screamed and closed her eyes as Hammy's blood hit her.
Slowly a tan, eyeless, creature covered in Hammy's guts rose from his chest and surveyed the room. After a moment it let out an unearthly screech and scuttled off the table and out the room.
Rj, Heather and Stella stared in shock, and after a few moments Stella yelled, "WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?"
Heather started crying. Rj took her in his arms, partially to help calm himself, and she buried her face in his shoulder.
Ozzie awoke and sat up. "GOOD LORD!" he said when he saw all the blood. "WHAT, ON, EARTH..."
"It must be the same thing that happened to Tiger." said Stella. Ozzie stood up with a look of disgust on his face, "What?"
"A creature...came out of Hammy."
Heather stopped crying and hugged Ozzie, "I'm scared dad."
"It's ok sweety. Good heavens, you're covered in blood."
Heather let go and picked up one of the pitchers of water. She poured the water onto her self and used her free hand to try and scrub the blood off.
Rj finally spoke, "As much as I'd like to do that myself, we have to get the hell out of here."
Ozzie nodded in agreement. Heather put down the pitcher while Rj walked over to the door and peeked his head out, checking both ends of the corridor.
Then he looked up.
No missing ceiling panels. "It's clear." he said and started down the right end of the corridor, with Heather, Stella and Ozzie following.
Ozzie couldn't help but to keep looking behind them. Whatever had Vern probably wanted more by now, he figured.
Before long the came to the same T junction as before. They encountered the creature when they went left. "This way." Rj said and led them down the right hand branch.
After about fifty feet, the hall bent left and there was a door on the right.
Rj slowly looked around the corner. He sighed in relief when he saw that the corridor was empty. He motioned for the others to follow and continued on.
Just as Ozzie made it around the corner, there was the sound of the door sliding open. The all turned around and saw a large black creature standing in the doorway.
The creature's head was long and rigid, and had no eyes or nose. It had what appeared to ribs on the outside of it's torso.
"Oh my..." Ozzie dropped and played dead as the others ran for it.
They found another hallway branching off and went around the corner. Rj pressed his back against the wall. After a second of breathing heavily, he slowly peeked his head around the corner and saw the creature squatting with it's feet straddling Ozzie.
Ozzie tried to stay calm as he listened to the creature's hiss-like breathing. He tightened his hands into fists, he had never felt this close to actual death. He started breathing rapidly as the monster took his head in it's claws. He opened his eyes and saw the creature opening it's mouth, revealing sharp, vicious teeth. "NO!" Ozzie yelled as the monster's head shook.
Heather stepped around the corner, and when she saw what was happening screamed, "DADDY!" Rj grabbed her an put his hand over her mouth as he pulled her around the corner.
The monster payed her no attention and shot a smaller second jaw out of it's mouth and into Ozzie's forehead, killing him instantly.
Rj heard the cracking sound and looked around the corner to see the monster drop Ozzie's broken, bloody head to the floor. The monster looked up at Rj with drops of blood and saliva falling from it's mouth.
"Oh Shit!" Rj said and started to run, but Heather wouldn't move.
"No!" she shouted. "Ozzie's dead!" Rj told her. Heather started to cry. "No! He's just faking it.."
Rj grabbed her by shoulders, "He is DEAD, Heather!"
"It's here!" shouted Stella. Rj and Heather turned their heads and saw the creature stepping around the corner. "Go!" Stella shouted.
Rj grabbed Heather's and they bolted down the corridor while Stella turned her back to the creature.
Stella bent over. "Eat this you ugly fucker!" she shouted and sprayed the alien. Stella screamed and threw her head back as suddenly the monster's tail darted between her legs and impaled her stomach. She loudly groaned in pain as the tail lifted her up and pulled her closer to the alien. Stella closed her eyes as her mouth filled with blood. She could feel the creature's hot breath on the back of her head as it slowly took her head in it's claws. With one swift strike from the monster's second jaw, Stella was dead.
Rj and Heather had made it to the end of the corridor. There was an open door leading into a room about the size of a walk in closet. There was something on the back wall of the room.
"Vern!" Rj cried as he and Heather came into the room.
Vern was sort of cocooned to the wall with some sort of resin.
Rj ran up to him and said, "I can't believe you're alive!"
Heather looked around and noticed two leathery, egg shaped objects in the corner. They were about three feet tall and the tops were open like pedals of a flower, showing that they were empty.
Vern moaned. "Are you alright man?" asked Rj.
"Kiilllllll...mmmmeee..."
"..what?"
"Kill meeeeeeee..."
Suddenly there was a loud hiss from behind. Rj spun around and saw a creature in the doorway.
This one had a smooth head, and was a bit smaller than the first, but was just as menacing.
Rj held Heather close as the monster slowly walked toward them.
"Don't look, Heather."
"Subjects 2 and 3 are dead Dr. Mandrogus." the lab technician reported.
"Already?" The human male said as he set down the pot of coffee and walked over to the monitors. Dr. Mandrogus looked at the screen the technician was at and said, "Damn, I missed it!"
"You can always watch the recording sir." said the lab tech. "Yes, but it's more exciting to watch it while it's happening." Mandrogus said while studying the image on the screen. "Outstanding. The xenomorphs took care of all of them in less than four hours. And we really only needed one xenomorph. We have definitely underestimated these amazing creatures." Mandrogus sighed, "I wish we were allowed to use human subjects."
"Shall I commence cleanup sir?"
"Yes." Mandrogus said and looked over at the technician, "I want to test again. One xenomorph and cat for a host of course, but we need to give the xeno a challenge. For the prey I want four cats," The Doctor looked back at the monitor, "And those five porcupines."