The Day of Reckoning

Chapter 5: Giant Problems

I watch as Ramil walks away, leaving me with my back against the shelf and my heart pounding in my chest. I feel my cheeks heat up as I recall our conversation.

Gosh, I'm still baffled by Ramil's approach. Poking me in my chest, pinning me against the wall like that... I never expected Ramil to be so assertive, intimidating, even. It was... kinda cute, to be honest...

My heart continues beating, so I turn back and keep looking for wet food to take my mind off of it. Why am I so flustered right now? It wasn't that serious! Fuck, I can't believe this! I take a deep breath, my irritation evident in my huff. Dammit, Ramil, getting me all hot like that. Who the hell does he think he is!? What an ass--

The ground shakes under my feet as I scroll through the shelf. What the hell? It shakes again. Is this an earthquake or some shit? What's going on!?

The shaking gets more intense, making suppiles fall off the shelves. Okay, what the FUCK is going on here!? "Ramil! What the hell is happening!?" I call out.

"How the hell am I supposed to--"

Ramil's reply gets cut off by the back wall of the store practically exploding! Bricks, rubble, and debris go flying across the store, shaking the building right down to its foundation! I squint my eyes to see what the FUCK just happened, but the dimness of the store keeps me from seeing exactly what it is.

Ramil suddenly runs up on me and grabs my wrist, trying to pull me with him. "Dude, come on!" he demands, yanking on my arm. We start running for the exit with Ramil leading the way, but before we can reach the door, a loud roar erupts through the store, hurting our ears. "AGGH! What the hell!?" Ramil questions.

We look up to see what just made that noise, and what we see is something that him nor I would've ever expected.

A t-rex sized Reaper stands in the hole it created, scanning the Stallmart for its prey. Only one thing comes to my mind when I see it.

"That's a giant fucking Reaper."

Its head suddenly snaps in our direction, its eyes locking onto us like its just spotted a wagyu steak. It roars again before starting on its way towards us. "FUCK!" I shout. Ramil and I get to our feet, and he scans our area quickly. "Over there!" he exclaims, pointing to an employee only door at the back of the store. "That's our exit!" Ramil kicks it into full gear, running ahead for the door.

"Hold up, fast-ass!!" I shout after him, trying to catch up. The Reaper shrieks again, and the ground gets back to shaking as it gives chase. "Shit, shit shit!!" Ramil shouts. His head snaps to his right so quickly, I'm surprised he doesn't get whiplash!

"Rory, watch out!!" he yells. In an instant, Ramil reaches into his satchel and rips out a small juice bottle filled with some yellow liquid. He chucks it to the side just as a Reaper jumps out for me! Fuck, how did I not see that!? I pull out my hammer and swing it like a baseball bat, whacking the Reaper into a nearby shelf.

"Watch your six and flanks!" Ramil demands, grabbing his spear.

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean!?" I ask him.

"IT MEANS DON'T GET SNUCK UP ON!!" he shouts back, swinging his spear at another Reaper. I follow his swing with my own, knocking the Reaper back into another one. "We're almost there! Pick up the pace!" Ramil tells me. We're only a few more steps away from getting the fuck outta here! Ramil's hand reaches for the door, and--

"SHIT!!" he yells, suddenly jumping backward. I skid to a stop as the giant Reaper's tail swings down to the floor in the blink of an eye, blocking our path to the door and nearly crushing Ramil while it does! "Fuck! What now!?" I ask him. The Reaper begins spinning around, its tail sweeping across the floor and knocking over the shelves and displays in its path. It's coming straight for us!