Don't Get Eaten

Chapter Twenty One

I wasn't able to react fast enough.

The smell immobilizing me to where I finally fall to my hands and knees on the ground and bile rises up my throat.

"Fuck, Jinsen watch out!" I hear Jacob yell, but my body couldn't move.

It felt like everything was going in slow motion. I barely look up, watching this horrible looking creature crawl on the side of the large shelf, staring right at me and pounces off and straight to my head.

I was stupid enough to simply just close my eyes. Squeezing them tightly like that action alone could prevent what was about to happen. Then I hear a loud whack above me and something slamming against the shelf next to me.

Snapping my eyes open I stare at the creature as it begins to scurry away back into the darkness because there was a bright light shinning on us up ahead.

"Holy Shit! Jinsen, Jacob are you both okay?!" Lacy calls out, running towards us.

She was alone and looked highly concerned. I looked behind me to see Jacob with one of the wooden slabs, holding it like he was using it as a weapon. Then I realized that was what the noise had been. He had used it to hit the creature with.

I was glad we grabbed these wooden beams right before. The smell lessens to where I was able to breathe normally again. On shaky limbs I stand back up to hear her say,

"I had a bad feeling that this place held some of them." She keeps the flashlight she was holding on the spot the creature had been just moments before.

I can hear Jacob breathing in deeply as he too tries to push the nausea down to where it was bearable. It was still there but not as bad. Lacy looks to the two of us and frowns.

"Where are the other two?" She demands.

And I remember the scream. I feel my face drain from the previous rush of blood of almost dying just now.

"I had heard a scream, which was why I came in after you all. But I'm going to guess it didn't come from either of you, did it?" She asks next.

All I could do is shake my head. I was afraid that if I spoke I was going to full on panic. She shines the light on the trolly of wood.

"Alright, you two head out now with what you have. I'll go find the others."

She goes to turn away, but I quickly stop her. "No way, I'm going with you."

Not sure where this sudden courage came from, but I just know there was no way I was getting out of here without Zared and Seth. No way in hell. She just huffs at me and doesn't argue and I was thankful for that.

"I'll come right back after I drop this off to Lani." Jacob announces and before either of us say anything he starts running with the trolly and out of our sight.

Lacy doesn't wait for me as she heads off in the opposite direction. Pushing back the queasiness, I scan everywhere I could see, hoping we weren't just about to run into another one of those things. We walk for another five minutes when we hear it.

A clanging sound further back in the building.

"Damn it. I think it's coming from the back room." She whispers.

"What if they're back there?" I ask peering through the haze of light, shadows slightly playing tricks on my eyesight.

The clanging doesn't change its rhythm nor does it get any louder or quieter. It was like a slow steady beat as if the wind was just pushing an open door repeatedly. But there was no wind to cause such a reaction. What if they weren't in there?

My heart wouldn't stop pounding and my lungs hurt trying to keep my breathing steady.

"Well, I guess there is only one way to find out." She sounded annoyed, yet cautious too.

And I totally get it. We start walking again and once we reach the entrance to the back we slow our pace. The double doors stood wide open, and it was purely pitch-black inside. My stomach clenches tight on the thought of going in there. But if Zared and Seth were inside there was no way I would just leave them when they could be in serious danger.

Lacy looks over to me and nods her head, making me nod right back. Together, with her flashlight guiding the way, we enter the dark abyss.

Not being able to see anything was an understatement. Even with the flashlight, it was hard to figure out what was inside the large room. The more we moved in, the louder the clanging started getting, telling us we were getting close to it. I wanted to whisper out Zared's name, but I was afraid of getting unwanted attention on us.

I stand slightly behind her since she was the one carrying the light for us. I wasn't sure why the creature ran from her when it flashed on them, maybe light in general was something they just couldn't handle period.

But knowing that, I felt a little bit safer that we had it. Should have brought one myself. But I was so consumed with panic and anger that Zared had left me this morning that all rational thoughts pretty much flew out the window. Now I was regretting just a little that I didn't prepared myself better before leaving the hotel.

But I was majorly regretting that I enforced coming in this fucking building at all. Was it really worth it by risking all their lives? I would have been just fine doing it myself, even if I got myself killed. But I will never forgive myself if any of them got hurt or died trying to help. Me and my big stubborn ass.

I really needed to rethink my priorities now that we were in this kind of situation.

Lacy suddenly stops, making me bump into her from behind. She ignores me, straining her eyes up ahead. She wasn't moving the flashlight from the spot she currently had it on and my nerves spikes big time. Did she hear something else? Saw something move? The clanging was louder than ever, but the beat didn't lessen nor did it change.

I peer closely ahead of us and there, just behind empty thin metal shelves, was a large counter space filled with objects of various kinds. And just below it one of the cabinets was moving back and forth creating that large clanging.

I frown when I realize nothing was making it do it though. Not that we could see anyways. She slightly turns her head at me and frowns even deeper looking just as confused as I was feeling. I was going to guess this was her first time seeing something like this. I just shrug my shoulders and we both look back at the moving cabinet door.

We go take a step towards it and as we did, something large and heavy slams right down unto my shoulder, sending thousands of terrifying sparks to shoot through my entire body. I don't think twice about it as I shoot out my fist and contact with something hard and yet soft too.

And a loud crunch follows in the silence of the large room, causing the clanging to stop all together.