Taken Over

   I double checked my gun too, more to distract myself from my thoughts than with any real doubt there was something wrong with it. “Keep a close eye on that dog, he’s our best indicator. Our first alert to danger.”

   “Barney.” I said more out of habit then with any real hope that Lloyd might start calling him something other than that dog.

   Lloyd nodded before slipping from the shadows of the woods and hitting the street. We followed swiftly behind, staying close on his heels as we darted down the street far faster than we had moved down it last time. We stayed close to the buildings, in the darkness it was hard to see the bricks and debris in the way but I was able to avoid most of it by following Barney.

   I found that I could hardly breathe, found that my heart was hammering with terror, but my feet continued to move and so far we were all still alive. So far. It wasn’t that hot out but sweat was ru

   I wanted it all so badly that I could nearly taste it. Wanted it so badly that for a moment I almost froze. For a moment, I was so filled with longing and a desperate need for all of this to not be real, that I almost sat down on the sidewalk and lost myself to the memories and despair engulfing me. I grit my teeth as I fought against the waves of misery threatening to consume me. This was not the place, and this was not the time to completely lose control. In fact, there was no time for thoughts like the ones I was having. Not anymore. Not if I wanted to keep my sanity, not if I wanted to keep waking up every day. Not if I wanted to retain any measure of hope.

   There was only time for survival in this world, and we hadto survive.

   I forced myself to take deep breaths in an attempt to ward off the panic attack I felt clamoring at my insides. “What isthat?”

   I turned, expecting Je

   Though it was dark I could make out the fierce frown that marred Je

   “Je

   She shook her head, appearing confused as she turned back to me. “Never mind, it must have been nothing.”

   Barney remained by my side, but he seemed unfazed as he lay down for a moment, his head resting on his paws. He wouldn’t be so relaxed if there was something out there. But there was one thing I had learned over the past month, it was never just nothing. “We have to go.”

   Barney fell into step beside me again as I turned away and hurried after Bret. I wanted off of this damn street, I wanted out of this freaking eerie Godforsaken town. I wanted to find the hospital; I wanted to be with Aiden and Abby again. I wanted this whole experience over with and just to feel one moment of security, no matter how false it was.

   Lloyd broke into a run as he darted across a side road. He was momentarily exposed before he reached the other side and plastered himself against the building. Bret bolted across next, with Barney following behind at a leisurely jog. I was about to follow after them when I heard Je

   I took a step forward at the same time that I turned toward her. The uncoordinated move almost caused me to fall on my ass as I stepped off the curb, but I managed to keep myself upright by falling against the building. Aggravation spurted through me as I shoved off of the cool brick façade. “Je

   But she was already moving away from me, creeping back the way we had come. I frowned in confusion. What the hellwas she doing? Was she trying to get us all killed?

  “Hello,” her call was soft, but it caused the hair on the nape of my neck to stand on end and my heart to plummet straight into my stomach. We had struggled to stay as quiet as possible and now she was calling out into the dark night as if it were the safest thing in the world to do. When it most certainly was not.

   “Je

   “There’s someone…”

   Goose pimples broke out on my body, the sweat coating me suddenly turned frigid. A sense of impending doom slipped down my spine, causing the hair on the nape of my neck and arms to stand on end. I was shivering, I was terrified; I was going to vomit, or run away. But before I fully registered what I was going to do, I was already doing it.

   I darted down the street, racing for Je

   Time seemed to slow, everything became crisp and clear. The world was stu

   Je

   “We can help you!” Je

   “No Je

   I flung myself off the sidewalk, my adrenaline fueled mind was oblivious of the danger it was in as I lurched at Je

   Pain exploded throughout me, a scream of agony rose up in my throat but came out only as garbled nonsense. Bone or cartilage snapped and tore loudly as it was bent into a direction it was never meant to go. Shouts erupted around me, white lights exploded before my eyes as I was pushed back beneath the force of the creature. I expected to feel the hard impact of the road against my back, but it did not come as something clamped down on my shoulder, bit deep into my flesh as it pierced me, grasped me, clung to me with murderous intent as it lifted me above the ground.

   A scream of agony was trapped within my throat; it burned in me, choking me. I tried to raise my hands to grasp hold of the thing clinging to me, torturing me. My arms were like lead weights as they hung limply at my sides. I didn’t have time to fear that I was going to die. I was too caught up in the pain enshrouding me, wrapping around me, and freezing me within its cold, hard grasp. A high pitched ringing exploded in my ears; it pounded against me, filling everything that I was with its intense noise. I thought for a moment that it might be my own screams I was hearing, but my voice was still trapped tightly within me, unable to break free.