- Go upstairs and I'll keep an eye on it. Zuma said as she sat down on the stairs.
Chase nodded and started up, rifle in hand and gas in his pocket, the stairs went up to the attic but the banging was definitely coming from the rooms.
- Hello, is anyone here?
Without waiting for a reaction, he moved further along the corridor lined with red carpet, at first the doors were close, but after four pairs they moved away from each other, he wanted to start from the end, but then he thought that it would be better to start from the attic, then he would be sure that nothing would attack from behind. Room 33 will also be higher.
- All good? Zuma heard
- Yes. Room 33 is at the very top. I'll start there and work my way down. I don't want anything to surprise me.
- No rush. We still have two hours until nightfall. Until then, we'll find this guy. Zuma said.
Chase saw blood on the stairs and a familiar sour smell, the same as from the piece of tissue and fur in front of their room, it glowed upwards, the bear was here that day, its claws were tearing splinters from the stairs, there was blood and dried tissue on them, but there were also fresh, Chase felt his undershirt stick to his back.
The stench was getting stronger, he took out the gas because the rifle was too long and bulky, there was more and more blood and tissue, he listened every few steps, all he heard was the wind. The stairs ended and he felt his throat tighten with fear.
The corridor was lit by daylight because the door was wide open and locked, the door with the number 33 at the end was closed and barricaded with steel bed frames, it was wrapped in rags, entwined with barbed wire and attached to hooks in the walls. It was the spiked barbed wire that gave him a panic attack... and the stench.
There was a lot of tissue with black fur on the floor, there was so much rotten, orange blood that even the strongest and largest bear would bleed to death, there were no insects, as if the insects knew that the larvae would not survive this meat. He went to the barricade, tried to calm his breathing, tried not to step on the rotten tissue, if a person was to live here, it was behind this door.
The door was cracked with bullets, someone was probably shooting through it, Chase was running to the wall, they didn't want to get shot, the stench made his head spin, if it weren't for the open windows it would have been impossible to bear it.
- We are here to help... he said in English... open the door.
Chase heard a subedic hit on the pipe.
- He hit the pipe! Zuma shouted from below.
- I know. Watch the stairs.
Chase was thinking about how to get inside, he looked around the room, the wall on the left was damaged, the bear almost broke through it into room 33, Chase looked out the window, and realized he could get to window 33, he could through the cornice.
He grabbed himself and started to walk through, the window was dirty but he saw someone lying on the bed, covered with thick layers of duvets and blankets, Chase broke the window with his shoe and went inside. The occupant of the room lay motionless.
The room was stuffy and smelled of sweat, all the furniture except the bed was under the door, there were bottles of water, beer and strong drinks everywhere, full of cans, candy and chocolate wrappers, in the other window there was a cloak collecting rainwater into several empty cans.
Roommate was thin and gray as paper, he seemed to be dead, a veinily tattooed hand was sticking out from under the blanket, his skin was so loose that it was impossible to tell what the tattoos represented, under his hand there was a wire that probably tapped the pipes.
- Are you alive? Chase asked, he didn't open his eyes but his face scrunched up.
Chase saw that there was a gun under the bed, he didn't know what kind, but he was big, he realized that the guy must have been a gagster like those dead in the forest, he took the gun, Chase didn't want the Romanian bandit to put bullets in his back, the man was moving his mouth , he lived, although barely. Chase knew what Zuma would say but they had to save him, if anyone was going to know where the keys were it was this guy.
Zuma dissolved sugar in water and gave it to the man on the bed, who stretched out his hand and drank a sip, said something in Romanian, drank cup after cup of water.
- Must have car keys. Zuma said.
- Maybe he has a hiding place or something. We have to be nice for now. Chase said and Zuma reluctantly nodded.
- Understand that we have to get away from here before this devil comes out to hunt... Zuma said... Besides, this guy has stars and skull rings, he has killed many people. But it seems that the scythe has finally hit the stone.
- Don't worry, if this demon bear hasn't gotten here in a month, he shouldn't get here now either. Chase said.
- I'm just surprised that this guy didn't go out to get food during the day. This damned bear demon does not attack during the day. Or he didn't drive away.
- Maybe it attacks, but it seems to me that it doesn't attack. Chase said.
They heard a murmur coming from downstairs, looked at the window and saw that it was not dark yet.
The Romanian started talking.
Zuma took out her phone to turn on the translator, it worked without Internet, which they checked at the airport, and the grunt did not repeat. The Romanian kept repeating one word, the Romanian put his feet on the floor, one leg was wrapped in a dirty bandage. He probably didn't have food for a long time, but he had to have water. Zuma read the translation.
- He keeps repeating "Red bear, Bloody bear."
- Ask about the car keys, just ask him straight because the guy isn't fully aware yet.
Zuma did it, the man replied.
"Take me, I'll pay, everything"
"Where are the keys, we'll drive the car away"
There was a growl of the bear demon and a crack of wood, either he didn't know where they were or he wasn't in a hurry.
The Romanian tried to grab the gun but Chase had it in his belt, the Romanian looked at Zuma, tried to reach for the mug but he spilled everything and started talking.
"He's a monster, a devil incarnate, he drinks human blood, only human blood, I didn't believe it, as long as he drinks human blood and eats meat, nothing will kill him, the blood protects him from death, it's a red bear, a bloody bear"
There was a bang downstairs, as if someone had slammed a door, and the Romanian continued speaking as if in a confession.
"We wanted to hunt him, the biggest in Romania, he is the biggest, but you can't kill him, he's a Bloody Bear, they said he believes in the bear, they said he woke up and kills, he's no longer a bear, he's a devil fattened on human flesh and blood, "He's covered with blood and diseased flesh, black with blood, but it's true, he can't be killed, he eats human flesh." The Romanian vomited yellow water.
- Fuck, man! Zuma jumped back.
bear was approaching, the sour stench was becoming unbearable.
The Romanian reached into his pocket and pulled out his keys, handing them to Chase. The beast from hell approached, panting and growling in irritation, the stairs groaning under its weight. Chase raised his rifle, the Romanian seemed to calm down, Zuma raised her own rifle.
The air was sour, heavy footsteps were close, the beast was approaching the weakened wall, Chase and Zuma turned pale, the wall was barely holding itself together, the wall shook from the impact, and crossbow bolts and dust showered from the ceiling, claws destroying the wall.
Beast knew they were there, Chase opened the window on the other side, Chase thought they could go up to the roof. The Romanian was saying something about the devil's blood and death, the beast was destroying the wall, Chase felt the floor shaking. Why now? Why not sooner?
The boards cracked, a hole appeared and Zuma shot, they started shooting, Chase started loading his gun, the pounding on the wall stopped but the beast didn't roar in pain.
- AIM AT THE HEAD!... shouted Zuma... you don't believe in these fairy tales, do you?! If we hit him in the head, we'll kill him!
The Romanian howled with fear and laughed, Chase turned on the flashlight, aimed at the hole, the Romanian looked at them, the beast seemed to be waiting for the night.
The paw appeared and started tearing up the boards, the blisters on the paw burst and a yellow, stinking liquid and black blood spilled onto the floor, the smell was unimaginable, Zuma started coughing.
- Under the window! Zuma shouted.
The beast began to destroy the boards, tearing them out, the hole began to widen, the light revealed a muzzle devoid of fur and skin, bristling with fangs, the head was swollen and shiny with oil, it was covered with purple and red veins, the entire head fit into the hole, Zuma shoot, a cyst on the head it burst and the same liquid poured out as before, the Romanian laughed and pointed at the beast to say something, they didn't know whether he was talking about the beast's death or theirs.
The beast tore the boards despite his injuries.
- Aim over the teeth! Zuma shouted
- And gas?
- Not indoors! You'll burn our eyes out!
The beam broke and hit the floor, dust fell from the ceiling, and in an instant the hole widened.
- We escape through the window! Chase shouted.
With each shot, yellow liquid flowed from the beast, but it wasn't growling in pain, but in rage.
Chase emptied the entire magazine, the beast didn't drag, blood was flowing but the claws were breaking the boards, the Romanian started screaming, he realized that the beast would get inside.
The beast roared, it roared with anger, its body was visible, it was starving as if it had get up from the grave, it was rotten and black, dripping with fluids, this thing had no right to live.
Chase slung the gun and they jumped out onto the windowsill and pulled themselves up to the roof. Chase helped Zuma up to the roof, the Romanian was no longer screaming, he either had no strength or was already dead.
Zuma sat down and started reloading, Chase heard that the beast was in the room, Zuma gave him her gun and took his and started reloading.
- Have you seen him... Chase said... This Romanian wasn't lying, he's a monster, not a bear. Tumors, cysts , he looked as if he was being devoured by cancer, probably human flesh.
- We wait for dawn and then we fuck off. I want to forget all this shit. Zuma said.
Chase looked down, beast sticking his deformed, blood-covered head out the window they were leaving from. The beast will crawl out the window, tearing its skin off.
- Him coming for us. Zuma said.
She started shooting, the beast dug its claws into the wall, bounced off and climbed onto the roof.
Chase turned on the flashlight and finally saw the whole body, cysts and swollen tangles, the hind legs were free of them, he started shooting, the beast was running towards them, the front legs sunk so deep that he was forced to stop and hit his muzzle on the roof, Chase he knew that the bullets were of no use.
Chase took out the gas, Zuma started to run away, Chase fired the gas, the beast stopped and roared in pain, the beams broke under his weight.
- Zuma, run to the ladder!
- Watch out for the gas!
- Start the car!
Zuma started to go down, the beast stood on its hind legs and started tearing its own mouth with its claws, the beast roared and Chase stopped at the ladder, the beast looked at him with hatred, Chase grabbed the ladder and went down and waited.
There was a burst of gas, the beast ran into the cloud of gas, roaring with anger and pain, the beast fell down like a thunderbolt. Chase was going downstairs, Zuma was swinging at the beast, Chase thought the beast had survived a 12-meter fall, by the time he was going down Zuma managed to fire two magazines.
- You won't get up, you dick!
The beast barely moved, Zuma shot him in the head, almost pressing the barrel between the eyes, but the beast was still alive.
Chase had to drag Zuma away from the monster and they got into the car.
- He has no right to get up! He has more lead in his head than brain and blood! Zuma growled, Chase wasn't so sure
They drove away, leaving the hotel and the bear demon behind.