They struggled through the dust and sand, her covering her head with her jacket, him covering his mouth with his sleeve. Both kept a tight grip on the other, barely able to see a foot in front of their faces.

"Do they really think this will make things better?" he shouted as the sand filled his eyes and scraped his skin. Behind them someone was shooting, a new heroic attempt to take out the beast. Somewhere a child was screaming, wailing choked shrieks. She thought of their own children, safe at home, and wondered what would become of them if they didn't make it out of here.

That would be her last thought as a bullet tore through her chest and sand filled her lungs.

He made it a few steps more before the raging dust overcame him, filling his eyes and mouth and lungs.