Dominance

Chapter 5: Who Turned Out The Lights?

Sara screamed again, and again, and again.
Her throat felt raw, and her voice began to waver, but she still did not stop.

Both boys on either side of her cringed at her wailing, covering their hands over their ears. Sparkie retreated back underneath the metal bedframe. Twister roared for her to stop. Not just with words, but also with a ferocious rumble in his throat. It only added to Sara's hysteria. Her nails dug painfully into her palms.
Employees gathered outside of her cage. They yelled at her too. But she could not hear them over her own continuous screaming.

Eventually, the staff had had enough. The door swung open and a burly guard tackled and restrained her against the cold floor. A nurse was directly behind him, a needle and vial of clear serum in her hands. Sara kicked and thrashed about with all her might, but the man holding her down was easily three times her size.

Suddenly complete darkness flooded the room. The hum of the power faded into deep silence. And so did Sara's mindless screaming.

Sara took full advantage of the confusion and managed to twist out of the confused guard's slackened hold. She kept tucked to the floor trying to stay totally out of sight and slipped out of the open door. People moved frantically around her. Many bumped past her unable to clearly see who was who. Sara gradually crawled her way under one of the desks to avoid the chaos.

The staff yelling from all directions was accompanied by the distinctly harsh sound of grinding metal. Flashlights started clicking to life, scattered about and throwing strips of light wildly around the laboratory. Heavy footsteps of shadowed figures dashed past Sara with more urgency as the shouting intensified further. In the distance was a sickening ripping sound, followed by an antagonised shriek and then panicked screaming. Banging and crashing mixed with deep, thunderous growls. Someone yelled for the guards. Another fumbled with a ring of jingling keys.

Just as her eyes had begun to adjust to the dim downlights a pair of black boots and uniformed pants crossed her view. A security guard bent down and shone a beam of light into Sara's face. Her vision burst into white and she instinctively threw up her hands. Sara fought with all her might as he grasped at them and tried to haul her out.

She managed to squirm her way out of his grip just as the glass of a clear dividing wall exploded.

Sara unintentionally let out a surprised squeal. The guard jumped back with a yelp, shielding his eyes from flying shards of debris.

Sara reverted to cowering under the desk as something big landed heavily on the console. The metal warped and moaned under the weight. She huddled herself tighter and held her breath. Silently praying the frame would not cave in.

A huge paw came down from the desk. And then another.

This creature had massive claws. Not sharp like talons, but large and strong enough to crunch and crack the scattered pieces of thick glass beneath them. Each lower leg featured what she could only assume were natural armoured skin plates. It moved like a big cat, graceful and predatory, but was easily three times the size of any great cat species. It towered easily over the stunned man. A snarl crackled from its oversized, bared teeth.

Emergency floodlight lights flickered a couple of times before remaining on, revealing the guard's shocked expression. He stood frozen as the monster let out a bellowing roar.
Then it lunged.

The guard didn't stand a chance against its mass and was instantly knocked down. Sara clamped her hand over her mouth to stop herself from screaming again as the man's face crushed in its jaws.

Blood oozed from the beast's mouth, drizzling down large jutted fangs and soaking into a thick, magnificent mane. The markings on its muscular legs were faded stripes, the same as on its long tail, which transitioned into a fluffy plume. It looked like something out of a fantasy novel, or a mythological fairy tale. Like a monstrous hybrid between a lion, a dog, and something fierce and other-worldly.