38
Ianto jumped at the sound.
He took another step backwards and this time peered through the sight.
Whether the thing was truly dangerous or not was not up for debate.
The very sight of it and the sound of that screech as it echoed through the trees and into the distance enacted within him a deep, primal fear.
Kill it.
Kill it.
Kill it.
He could think of nothing else.
The creature took a few steps towards him and he pulled the trigger.
There wasn't much of a kick, but it had been a long time since he'd had any practice.
The thing didn't react to the crack of the rifle or the puff of snow that popped up six inches away from it. Ianto grunted in frustration. He took aim again, and the creature moved, bounding across the snow.
He fired again, this time missing by a wide margin. Damned sights were off.
Then he turned and ran.
He didn't get very far.
The beast slammed into the back of his knees and he fell face first into the snow.
The impact knocked the air out of his lungs, and as he struggled to inhale, he felt a sharp pain in his calf.
His scream was strangled, barely fuelled by the minute gasp of air he had managed.
It's biting me.
The bastard is biting me, he thought in disbelief.
It made grunting, snarling noises as it tried to chew through the thick fabric of the snow pants, and as it thrashed its head it snapped his trapped leg back and forth in a way that he was sure was going to dislocate his knee.
He tried kicking at it with his other foot, but it side-stepped his flailing leg and continued to jerk and trash its head.
Then the real pain hit.
Its sharp teeth had made their way through the pants and were now in his leg. He screamed, and tears burst from his eyes. His arm swung, meeting solidly with the thing's side, but it didn't faze the beast.
He could feel its teeth in his calf, and it was on its way to actually pulling out a chunk of flesh.
He flailed around, crying out again when his arm rose up over his head.
It connected with the creature's skull with a crack and it let go of the leg for a few exquisite seconds.
It shook its head and squealed, yellow spittle tinged with the red of his blood flew from its jaws.
It lunged towards him, but he was ready.
There was a crack.
Its skull connected with the arm again and his shoulder recoiled, knocking him backwards onto the cold packed snow.
The creature collapsed on him, jaws snapping and still snarling. He felt wetness, and he didn't know if it was blood or saliva, but the creature's movements quickly weakened.
As it stilled, he pushed it off himself, groaning.
The creature twitched and snapped, its green eyes glinted, and then it was still.
Ianto looked down at himself.
He was a bloody mess, covered in whose blood he wasn't sure.
His leg throbbed, and when he tried to move it sent alarms of protest to his brain.
He struggled to stand, and finally using the rifle for support, he did.
Breathing hard, he looked down at the thing half buried in the snow.
Lucy was barking furiously and he could hear her banging the glass door.
He could also hear something else.
The chattering rose from the trees on all sides.
.
.
.
.
The SUV was taking the corners at speed and Tosh was hanging onto the panic handle as she tried to stay in her seat, the icy road not helping.
Owen's teeth were bared as he screamed into the airport car park, scanning for Jack and he slid the vehicle into a No Parking Zone, pushing open the door and standing up on the running board to look over the roof at the throng of people.
"JACK!"
Jack was running, his luggage unimportant and as Owen slid into the front passenger seat Tosh had vacated Gwen gave a soft sob.
Tosh's glance at her left her in no doubt that she was in deep shit.
.
.
.
.
.
Frantically glancing around, he could see red fur, bushy tails, and green glinting eyes in the trees.
On the ground, in the branches.
Where the hell had they all come from?
They swept down from the tree line chattering and snarling, sniffing the air, a wave of reeking fur and glittering eyes.
Ianto turned to run, and his leg made him think twice.
He hobbled up the shovelled driveway.
The stairs were just there, only a few more steps.
He fell.
Screaming in frustration, he struggled to his feet.
There wasn't time, he knew there wasn't any time, but he looked back.