Amity and Enmity

Chapter 59

Day: 1359

Days Left: 4121

Lives Saved: 7

Henry glanced behind as he saw the skeletal monster scramble down from the cliff, charging ahead at the follower at the end of the line.

"Run!"

Those at the bottom panicked, clambering up the heap, some faster than others and thus breaking formation. Everyone else began to run, a few slipping and tripping on the uneven mountain of crippled bodies, falling. The rope tugged, pulling the people at the top of the line with them.

"Stay calm!" O'Sullivan yelled, his voice resounding across the wasteland. He gripped tightly onto the rope, preventing himself and the others before him from being pulled down too, his followers at the top copying, but their footing was weakening by the moment. His words could not break through the sheer panic of those near the bottom as they struggled to climb up, the rope connecting them more of a hindrance now.

The skeletal monster clambered up the mountain on its four hands and grabbed the follower closest.

"Run! Run!" everyone screamed, climbing up in desperation.

As the skeletal monster picked up the follower, the rope connecting them to the others was pulled with them. It was not enough to combat the sudden force eBut, even with O'Sullivan and the others tugging from the top.

"Cut the rope! Cut the rope!" O'Sullivan yelled to those at the bottom as he clung onto a nearby follower to remain stable, both of them and Henry slowly sliding down the mountain.

The monster's rib cage opened up, and it stuffed the screaming follower inside, then it seized the rope and pulled the next follower along, also stuffing them into its rib cage, and then it reached for the third-

"Cut the fucking rope!" O'Sullivan screeched.

Everyone reached for their weapons, desperately cutting through the thick rope, some quicker than others, but the third last follower, in fear, dropped their dagger, screaming as it was pulled inside of the monster's torso.

"We need to kill that monster!" O'Sullivan yelled as he cut the rope connecting him to the follower before him, but he was still attached to Henry. "We either escape together, or we stay down here together!"

But no one listened, fear overtaking any semblance of loyalty as they cut their rope, leaving behind fallen friends and comrades. Some continued running to the top of the mountain, others fleeing to the side and going back down, away from the monster, and then some were unlucky, their ankles grabbed by the earth nymphs underneath and pulled down, their screams fading away as they were consumed.

The skeletal monster paused momentarily; the three followers inside its stomach shrivelled, wasting away into bone as skin grew over the monster's frame. With a bigger meal, the monster grew more flesh, growing a hunchback and long hair sprouted over its head. It cocked its head upwards, revealing what once was a skull, now a horrifying human face, eyeless and gaunt like the skin was stretched over the bone structure.

Henry noticed Karina making her way up in the middle of the pack, pushing a nearby follower as the monster began to chase from behind. The hyena guard carrying Nia had dropped the lantern in favour of escaping quicker, the same with the hyena guard carrying the crate containing Terry the cockatrice.

"Nia..." whimpered Henry as he saw the bony hands of the earth nymphs grab at the lantern.

He glanced behind, seeing that O'Sullivan was putting on his mask.

If he transforms, then he'll easily kill the monster, Henry thought. And then, I would be forced to go through the portal.

About to activate his mask and transform, O'Sullivan yelped as Henry yanked the rope connecting them both, and they toppled down the mountain. O'Sullivan's cyclops mask flung off his face, lost somewhere in the pile of bodies.