11.
Charlie Swallowed hard and tightened his grip on his rifle when he heard what Cole had just said.


"Somebody get a flashlight", Cole ordered.


Nobody moved.


Cole looked at his men and lowered his gun a little. "It's in the woods", He hissed. "..not in your tents, no get the Bloody lights", He ordered in a louder tone.


When Bobby saw no one moving, He lowered his rifle and hopped to his tent a few meters away and stopped at the entrance to zip it Open.


Charlie turned his gaze to a movement behind the Fat man. It was like the darkness had come alive and started to move.


Charlie didn't have time to scream a warning at Bobby.

In a flash of lightening, a black figure flew straight out of the forest nearby and landed on the Fat man, with its jaws already clamped on his neck and it's Claws dug into his shoulders.


"Oh Shit!", Charlie heard Manny Scream before a loud gun shot banged at his ears.


Charlie marked out Bobby's Scream in the midst of screams and gun shots. He turned to look in Bobby's direction in time to see him get dragged away like he was nothing, straight into the darkness of the forest beyond.


Bobby's haunting screams echoed through the dark, wet forest and Charlie made his way to try and follow him, but he felt a strong Palm wrap around his arm.

He spun and saw Cole glaring at him.


"Don't be stupid", Cole hissed.


"What was that?!", Chuck kept shouting. "What the Bleep was that?!"


Another growl made the hysterically nervous men spin round and that's when Charlie noticed that Bobby's screams had stopped.


"Oh God".


"Look Cole," Chuck started as he lowered his rifle and faced his leader. "Bleep this man, we gotta-".


A powerful force cut the bearded man off, pulled him to the ground and then began pulling him away, towards the forest.


Chuck Screamed in Horror and pain.


"Chuuuck!!", Manny Screamed.


Cole and Charlie aimed and fired three heavy shots each in Chuck's direction as he was being dragged with unbelievable speed.


They both missed Chuck and whatever was pulling him away and watched as their Colleague disappeared into the forest in a flash, his screams echoing in the night.


"Shit!", Manny Screamed. "Shit!".


Cole reached into his pocket to pull out another set of bullets.


"Come on", Cole called. "Let's go!".


Manny turned to face Cole. "What?!", He uttered with an Incredulous look.


"We're going in", Cole shouted as he put in new bullets and Cocked his gun.


"Are you Crazy?", Manny Scowled. "We don't even know what it is".


Cole glared at Manny and immediately pushed past him and headed towards the surrounding dark forest.


Charlie felt Manny's hand on his shoulder and spun to face him.


"Come on Charlie", Manny begged. "Let's get outta here now!".

"But -But what about Cole and Chuck and -?".

"Forget them man", Manny shouted as he pulled Charlie towards him. "They're probably dead!"

"You don't know that", Charlie shouted as he swung his arm away from Manny's grip.

Lightening brightened the forest in a quick flash and thunder rolled and for some reason, Charlie noticed that the rain drops were heavier than before.


Manny moved close to Charlie and looked him in the eyes.

"They are dead, Charlie", He hissed. "Dead".


"No they're not", Charlie shouted back. "..and I'm gonna find them".


"You idiot", Manny hissed as he started to back away. "Fine. Suit yourself".


The Manny turned and made his way towards the surrounding forest with his rifle lifted up again.

Charlie looked round him and realised that in just ten minutes, he was the Only person left in the camp.

He looked over in the Direction Cole had gone and Bobby was pulled, then he looked over at Manny who was jogging towards the woods.


At that point, Charlie's knew he had a choice to make.

He stood there in thought for a second, the rain pouring on him and soaking his clothes further.

He reached down into his pocket and pulled out something. He then raised the picture of his daughters smiling face and stared at it.

Charlie dropped his hand down and tilted his gaze in Manny's direction.


"Manny!", He shouted.


Manny stopped and Spun to face Charlie in the distance. "What?", He called.


Then the Creature saw it opportunity. It flew out the forest behind Manny and hit him with a force that threw them both about ten feet from where Manny was standing.

"Nooo!", Charlie Screamed as he raised his rifle and aimed.


As Charlie tried to get a better shot, He watched as Manny struggle for his life against the Creature that was now towering over him.

Charlie knew Manny had lost the battle when he saw the large paws of the Creature press his friends head to the floor in preparation for the final move

Manny Screamed and kept struggling helplessly, but the creature leaned in and dug it's jaws into the man's throat hard.

Charlie dropped his gun with his wide, watery eyes fixed on the sight of Manny's severed head rolling away from his body.


Charlie stood there frozen in the rain. In shock and unable to move.


The Creature looked up at him with its yellow eyes and snarled, exposing it's blood stained face and razor sharp teeth.

Still Snarling, it slowly walked off Manny lifeless body and began to move in Charlie's direction.


"Shit".

Charlie trained his fun at the approaching creature and fired.

He missed.

He trained his gun again and fired, He would have got it this time, but the animal did something that shocked him.

It's dodged the bullet.

With wide eyes, Charlie lowered his gun.

"No way".

The Animal then charged for the man.

Charlie threw his gun at it and darted straight into the dark woods.

He ran as fast as he could, with every strength he had left. He didn't want to know whether he was being chased or not.

He just kept moving, Stumping his feet in the soft, mushy soil below him.


Hitting his shoulders on trees as he ran by and leaves from nearby shrubs and plants whipping his face and even his eyes. He got scratches from some exposed branches, but none of these things stopped him.


He felt his leg hit something hard on the ground so hard, He fell to the floor and splashed his face into a muddy puddle.


Charlie shot his head up and quickly spun back to see what made him fall and to make sure the Creature wasn't on him.

He let out a loud Gasp that was drowned in rolling thunder as he saw the headless body that looked like Cole, laying below his legs.

In fear, He began Moving back with his hands and legs, kicking away from the corpse when his hand dropped on something.

Charlie froze in place because he knew what it felt like when you touch someone's face.

His index finger was in a warm wet hot opening.

He slowly spun and saw Cole's severed head, staring up at him with its widened eyes and its tongue handing out.


Charlie let out a whimper and shot himself away from the head, moving in another direction.

His breathing was heavy and his heart heating heavily.

He couldn't believe what was happening. He couldn't believe what he had seen tonight in a matter of minutes and hours.


He had watched two of his friends get dragged away like rag dolls and one of his friends get decapitated, now, he was staring at the severed head of one of the strongest and toughest men he had ever known.

Charlie felt a lump in his throat and his arms started to tremble, but he knew he was not going to cry.

He was a man.

He rubbed down on his wet face and squinted In the Wet, Cold Darkness around him.


"I've gotta be strong".

"I can-".

"ARRRRHHHHHHHHHH FUUUUCK!!!",

Charlie heard his own bone crackle and found himself Scream, as white hot pain tore through his left shoulder.


"Bleep!!", The man Screamed and heard his voice echo in the darkness around him.

Then, he felt a powerful force pull him away, and waving him from side to side, Slamming him into one tree and then another.

Everything smelt metallic and burnt and the world around Charlie was moving fast.


When the vice-like grip on his shoulder tightened, Charlie heard another bone crushing sound, followed by an excruciating pain.


He knew he was about to die.


The reality of what was happening, hit the man as hard as the trees he was being slammed into.


If he didn't do something, He would never see his daughter again.


"Ruby".


The sound of his daughter's name and the vision of her face smiling up at him suddenly strengthened him.


Charlie caught sight of what looked like a lean tree stump passing by as he was being dragged.

With a loud roar, He reached over and wrapped his palms around it, and then realised he had stopped moving.


The grip on his shoulder tightened more. More bones crushed, but Charlie didn't let go.


He heard the Creature growl beside him as it too, had no intention of letting the man go.


Charlie's entire body was held in tension between the tree stump and the jaws of the animal.


"God, Help me!", The man raised his head and Screamed into the air.


The Animal kept pulling, while Charlie pulled himself towards the stump, and at some point, Charlie could swear he was going to be torn into two.


Then suddenly, He was free from the animal's grip.

Charlie didn't know how it, or what happened, but he was free.


He felt himself hit the tree stump, hard, and without looking back, He stood to his feet and threw himself into the woods, running as fast as his legs could carry him.


Panting loudly and heavily, the injured man ran through the darkness, blades of leaves and twigs slapping at his face ,with branches tearing at his sides.



He then tripped over and fell, his body hitting the muddy ground.


He laid there for a while and then pulled himself up to his knees against the mind blowing pain that was tearing at his body.



Still Panting, He began blinking at the world around him. He spun to make sure nothing was behind him and the looked forward. The rain drops had reduced in intensity and rolling thunder could be heard in the distance.



He knew he wasn't safe, not until he had left these woods entirely.


"Have to keep moving".


Still on his knees, Charlie felt something hot flowing down his left side, He knew it was blood, but he didn't think it would be that much.


He titled his gaze to the left side of his shoulder and let out a loud Gasp at what he saw


"He's left arm was gone".


Charlie gave out loud sobs at his limbless left side, staring in disbelief.


The Bastard had torn out his left arm. That was why he was able to break free of its grip.


A loud and distant roar made him jump and then he spun round to hear the rustling of grass and shrubs getting louder and closer.


It's Coming.


Charlie figured the way he was Bleeding profusely, there was no way the animal would not have followed his scent.


At that point, Charlie dropped his shoulder and sighed. He could feel his body giving up on him.



He was weak, had lost a lot of blood and didn't think he could run any further.



"Ruby".


The thought flashed again.


"I'm not dying today".


Charlie looked back as he heard heavy thumping on the ground. The rustling of the shrubs getting louder. He looked forward again and Clenched his jaws.


"I'm not dying...today".


He suddenly mustered up strength and pulled himself up. Hot and excruciating pain tearing through him as he screamed out loud.


"I'm not dying today!!".


Then the injured man began staggering forward once more.