Stick together, Wolfy in front, David in back, Jacob with handgun, and Nicole between. B Line to the car.
You shut the door and turn around.
"Alright. Here's the deal. We need to get out of here, and we need to do it right now. David, you take the rear. I'll go up front. Jacob, Nicole, you two stay in the middle. We go straight out to the car. No messing around with windows. It shouldn't take us more than fifteen seconds to get out."
"What about Spot?" asks David.
"If you see him, you blast him," you reply. You take out your 9mm from your pocket, and hold it out to Jacob. "Here, take it."
He shakes his head. "I'd only end up shooting one of you, or myself."
"Come on. It's a gun. Nothing easier to use in the world. We need you armed."
Jacob wipes away his tears. He crumples the piece of paper he was reading earlier and sticks it in his pocket. "Alright. I'll try. But only if I have to."
"I'm not asking anything else," you say.
Nicole looks up at you. She's trembling. When she speaks, it's back to girlish tones. "Wolfy..."
"Don't worry, kid. We're gonna be alright," you say to her, then turn to the others. "You ready?"
Jacob nods. David runs a hand through his hair and adjusts his glasses.
You turn to the door. "Here goes nothing," you say, and kick it open.
Empty hallway. You move.
Nicole follows, then Jacob, and David.
You step into the living room, sweeping your shotgun toward the front door, then the other way. Nothing. The sliding glass door is shattered inward. Shards of glass mix with the garbage on the floor.
You start toward the front door. It's shut, just like you left it. Where the hell did the dog go?
There is a scrabbling noise above you. Footsteps.
"He's on the roof!" hisses David, pointing his rifle upward.
"No," you whisper back. "Don't shoot..."
The footsteps above you seem to stop. A low growling sound is heard. The noise is right on top of you.
You motion the others to wait. Gingerly, you step toward the door and push it open. Facing backwards, you step out the door, shotgun tilted up.
The edge of the roof comes into view. You take a few more steps. A single vine slithers over the edge. You pause for a second, then take another step back.
The dog's head suddenly comes into view. The vines writhe and hiss/growl at you.
You blast them.
There is a horrible yelping and angry hissing noise. Chunks of vine and gore rain down. The head withdraws.
"Now, go!" you yell, pumping your shotgun.
Jacob runs for the car, carrying Nicole. David comes out back first, rifle pointed up. There's a scrambling noise along the far side of the roof, then a thud on the other side of the house.
"He's on the ground on the other side," you say. "Now is our chance. Get in the car."
David wordlessly follows your orders. You run for the driver's side as he circles around to the passenger side.
The dog comes around the side of the house. David quickly aims and fires a shot, but seems to miss. You level your shotgun, and the dog retreats to the corner of the house. You fire.
Scattershot slams into the edge of the garage and the ground. Some of it hits the dog, but only in the front area. Some vines hang limp from the head. The dog again yelps, but doesn't vanish entirely around the corner.
Jacob steps out of the car and starts firing the 9mm at it. His shots are wild.
"No, get back in the car! It's just trying to bait us into wasting --"
There is a low growl from behind you.
You turn, and a golden retriever hiss/growls, and lunges.
But not for you.
Before you can move or react, it grabs Jacob in it's frontal head vines from behind and bears him down to the ground right next to David.
"Jacob!" you yell. But the only answer you get is his screams.
The retriever bounds away to join the other one. Jacob twists in his tentacled jaws. His face flashes toward you for one brief second.
David curses and fires at the retreating dogs. This time, they do actually vanish around the side of the house.
There are horrible ripping, shredding sounds. Jacob's screams go silent.
**********************************
1. Charge around the side of the house.
2. Leave.
**********************************
Author
Topic: The End (Read 57506 times)