The Healer

Chapter 42: A Night

The Griever let out another wild scream of joy, it finally caught up to Evelyn. She scrambled to her feet and fled. She ran faster then she ever had. Her legs burning and her lungs squeezing. She still had the scene to drag her hand across the corners of each turn. There was another noise that her terrified mind started to pick up on. A loud grinding, stone on stone. The floor was vibrating, it made her legs tremble. The walls. She had run into the section of the maze that was shifting. Just her luck. Now she was really lost! She was exhausted, disoriented, bleeding, a Griever chasing her and now she had moving walls to contend with. 

Clamping her own hand on her mouth to keep the sob inside, she kept running. She took a corner so fast, her bloody hand slipped. She fell and hit the stone floor hard, rolling a few times, she felt her head smack the ground for a second time that night. She lay there dazed for a few moments. She knew she had to get up and keep going, but her vision was doubled. Evelyn lay on her back, willing her stomach to stop turning, she could feel the bile rising. The ground was vibrating and she knew a wall close to her were she lay was moving. The metal on metal was sharp. The Griever was close. With a sob and a cry of pain, Evelyn rolled onto her stomach, pushing herself up onto her hands and knees. She had to clamp her eyes closed and let the dizzy spell pass. 

The Griever rounded the corner and screamed again. Like it was excited to find it's pre again. Evelyn pushed her self up onto shaking legs. She had to stumble to the side as a wall slid behind her changing the halls, she was now trapped. The wall behind her and the Griever in front of her. She pressed back against the wall. Her head whipped back and forth trying to figure out what to do. She had nothing but a small knife she used in the MedHut. She had no idea what happened to her bag. The Griever screamed again. The whirring was a loud constant hum. Her heart slammed against her ribs. The horrifying tail whipped around its body. The claw opened and snapped shut, adding to the terrifying noises. Evelyn tried to swallow, but her throat was tight and very dry. She pressed her hands against the wall. The Griever crept closer. She waited, keeping a tight hold on the rising panic. It was try get passed the deadly monster or die. Her breath was ragged and broken. 

10 feet. 

She could see its long sharp fangs; sharp enough to pierce her right through.

5 feet. 

She could see its beady eyes, watching her. It screamed at her. She ducked as the claw swung at her. The tail slammed into the wall, something broke off and clattered to the floor. Evelyn didn't stop and  look, she ran. Scrambling underneath the giant blubbery body. She came out on the other side. The Griever lashed out with one of its back legs tripping her. She hit the ground hard and rolled. She didn't have time to see if anything was broken, she got up and ran. Adrenaline and fear was pumping through her. Running for her life again, she had to take a corner around a moving wall. 

The Griever was angry. It turned and chased after her. She saw a wall sliding closed, if she could make it, she might be able to lose it. It was right on her heels. Her breathing was short gasps, she had sharp pain in her side and all her muscles in her legs were burning. The wall was only a few feet away. She dove for it. The Griever followed. She pushed through the wall. The Griever screamed and lunged for for.

She screamed in pain.

She felt the teeth pierce through her. 

The wall slammed shut.

The Griever instantly stopped moving. The scream died in its body. The jaw unhinged, and Evelyn fell from its mouth. She crumpled to the floor, screaming in pain. The pain was so intense her stomach heaved and her world went black. 

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Evelyn woke with a strangled cry. Her throat was dry. Her eyelids were heavy and everything hurt. Searing hot pain was throbbing through her. She lay unmoving, trying to work up the energy and courage to move, she knew it was going to burn. She pushed her self up into a sitting position. She gasped and clamped her jaw and eyes closed. Tears leaked out the side of her eyes. She had to stop and breath through the pain. Once the waves of pain and nausea subsided, she opened her eyes.