"Hide? Hide f-from what?" The girl croaked as Fitz hurried over to the unblocked entrance and began rebuilding the wall of rubble as quietly as he could. Christia turned to see Woods moving frantically about the perimeter of the cafeteria.
"There's gotta be a pantry or cabinet or something..." He murmured. "Fitz, grab the girl and get your asses out of sight! Forget about that shit!"
"Stop talking and help me, it won't bother coming in here if it at least looks cut off," Fitz explained. "Turn that flashlight off, girl." Christia looked at him, doe-eyed.
"No way man, you know that thing isn't stupid. It can probably smell us, fuck!"
Fitz didn't reply. The two men busied themselves about their own tasks as Christia stood frozen and useless, unblinking and fraught with terror.
"You hear that? It's in the fucking vents, oh Christ..." Woods moaned, ducking behind a small counter that jutted out beside the shuttered staircase.
Yes, Christia could here it.
Something massive, hitting against steel with echoing, irregular thumps. It was getting louder, closer; the cafeteria had plenty of access tunnels...
She turned off the flashlight and turned to Fitz, hoping for further instruction. He stuck a metal chair against the flimsy partition and ran a hand through his unruly hair.
A howl reverberated above them; Christia opened her mouth to scream, but Fitz bounded towards her and gathered her in his arms, clamping a hand over her lips. She stiffened, wondering if he would snap her neck just for insurance.
"Get back under those blankets of yours," He whispered carefully in her ear, "Don't make a sound, don't even breathe." He let go of her and stepped back, waiting for an indication that she understood. Christia nodded and lifted the plain cotton, slipping underneath. She heard Fitz's sneakers moving farther away, squeaking against the floor, then silence.
The cafeteria was a tomb. A disheveled, soundless grave.
Chills crept up the base of her spine. Whatever was in the vents hadn't moved, keeping as still as them.
Waiting as they did.
She wished that Fitz had joined her in the fort; she was afraid. Had he found somewhere to hide?
Slowly, she lifted the blanket between quivering fingers and peeked through.
No fitz. Nothing.
Christia moved forward a bit, the blanket resting on her back, and looked all around the room.
Relief and reality hit her; it was all just make-believe. The product of cabin fever and hysteria, and she'd fallen for it. It was just looters messing with them, and the vents...of course, the metal would be shifting and contracting without proper climate control.
Looters, nothing more.
She inched forward, nearly out in the open, and went to stand.
Then something growled, and a tail like nothing she had ever seen before slid from a ceiling vent above the entrance, the end of it hitting the floor with a monstrous thud.
"Oh...God..."
She scurried back underneath, eyes fixed on the obsidian appendage as it curled into the air gracefully, the length of it lined with hard ridges. Immense. The blanket fell back into place, taking away her ability to see anything.
Christia buried her face in her hands, stifling her labored breath.
The creature huffed, and the entire cafeteria gave a gentle quake as it landed on the floor.
"...You know that thing isn't stupid."
If he was right, they were done for.
Without warning, it began to walk around the cafeteria, each monstrous footfall sending Christia into a panic. It was moving on two legs, upright...and periodically sniffing the air.
What did it look like?
Confident that it was on the far side of the room, Christia parted the blanket barely an inch.
And as she stared at the massive invader of Sevastopol, it seemingly stared back.
Christia forgot the danger. She forgot what Fitz had told her, and ignored the cry of self-preservation sounding off like a klaxon in the back of her mind.
It's tall, stygian body appeared almost mechanical, sculpted. Humanoid, yet completely without the soft matter that made her own species.
Looking right at her, looking without eyes, elongated head bowed and metallic teeth bared.
Christia lifted the blanket a bit more, feeling bold in what she imagined were her last moments alive. Shrieking, it took a heavy stride towards her, and another, it's body dipping down to her level.
Closer, until it's hot breath stirred the walls of her fort and brushed against her damp cheeks.
Death was a hairbreadth away and then the hammer of a gun was cocked from behind the counter.
Like a true predator, the creature became more interested in a new hunt than the certain kill; Christia breathlessly watched as it ran towards the sound.
Without hesitation, she crawled out into the open and dashed to the entrance on her toes, refusing to look back. As she climbed over the debris with hopeless abandon, Woods screamed something incoherent and pulled the trigger twice. Christia became frantic and lost her footing, small body falling over the side of the wall and crashing into a mess of wires.
The creature's battlecry mingled with Woods's final wail behind her. Bruised and shaking, Christia untangled herself and bounded down the corridor.
The transit station was close.