The Other Side

Enemy Territory (Ch. 3)

The frightening roars persist. Robert has lost track of how long he and Anna have been running down the tight tunnel, but he knows they can't keep it up. Not only are they getting further and further away from the lunar module, but despite running at full force, the sound of the creature only gets closer and closer.

In this desperate moment, Robert can only wonder where Michael and Sophia are. Did they travel down here too? Or were they too afraid? His mind tries not to wonder if they took the lunar module and left them to die. Tim wouldn't let them, right?

Robert and Anna make a right turn and something ahead catches their eye. An opening to a larger room of some sort. What the astronauts heard and initially thought was some random distant sound has now become a familiar sound that's easy to place. But it can't be possible...

"Anna, do you hear that?" Robert asks.

"Yeah," she answers. "It sounds like... water."

Robert turns his head to get a brief glimpse behind him and he instantly regrets doing so. The creature is much closer than he thought. He estimates it is at least only two or three yards behind them. If they slow down for a second, it's over. He grips the claw in his hands, knowing he'll have to use it.

He and Anna run through the small rectangular opening in front of them, and the sight almost makes their pace slow down dramatically. They have just entered a huge opening with giant stone walls all around them. They stand on a very narrow rocky bridge that looks to have been naturally formed. Below them is a large water current that is rushing by at a great speed.

They look around at their surroundings in awe before turning back to the monster. It emerges from the opening, but at a noticeably slow pace. It's now on all fours, and it is carefully proceeding across the bridge. Its blue eyes never leave the water below it.

This is the first sign of any sort of intelligence the astronauts have seen from the hostile creatures. They turn from it and their heart drops upon seeing a wall. This is a dead-end. They turn back to the creature, who's now more confidently proceeding through the bridge, still at a careful pace.

Robert freezes. It'll take just a few more carefully placed steps before the creature reaches them. His brain rapidly attempts to find some sort of solution but to no result. He looks down at the water, contemplating he and Anna just jumping for it. But this isn't some sort of movie. The strength of the current would surely damage their suits. All it takes is one tear and they're dead.

The creature makes its move. It leaps into the air. Robert's feet are glued to the ground. He can only stare helplessly at his rapidly approaching doom. He then feels the long claw his hands were gripping tightly get yanked from him. It all happens in a flash. Anna steps forward, and as the creature gets within inches of the two, she plunges the claw into its eye and through its skull.

The creature's arm falls to its side and its upper half lands on the bridge, with its lower half dangling off of it. The rest of it quickly begins sliding off of the narrow rocky structure, with its weight dragging Anna with it. As she begins to fall, her arm is caught by Robert, with both the claw and the dead creature falling into the current below, which carries its corpse deeper through the cave.

Both of them pant in exhaustion. Then, without a word being spoken, they embrace in a tight hug, with both of them not wanting to let the other go. It was almost over. They were near inches from death. If Anna hadn't acted when she did...

"Are you okay?" Robert asks, concerned.

"I'll be honest, Robert... I've been better," she responds.

Robert chuckles, still holding his wife tightly. After a few seconds, the two let the other go. They then finally look around at their surroundings, taking in the stunning view now that their lives are no longer millimeters from coming to an end.