After the Snow Ball

Chapter 17

Then he saw it.

It advanced towards him, snarling. It's flesh pulsed, rippling. It was bigger than any of the others Jonathan had ever seen.

Jonathan moved back, carefully stepping over the bear trap. The demo-dog came towards him, dripping with dark slime.

Then it stopped.

Jonathan kept moving, hoping it would follow and land into the bear trap.

It didn't.

The right side of its skin began to ripple and expand; up and down. There was a rip, and then another one crawled out of the gaping hole in the skin.

The demo-dog's skin repaired instantly, sealing itself. The newly-born demo-dog growled and took off at a run after Jonathan.

He turned around and bolted back to the campsite.

"Nancy!" He shouted, hoping to warn her and the others. "They're here!"

--

Nancy stood up abruptly.

"Did you hear that?" She asked Eleven and Max, who looked at her curiously. They shook their heads.

"Nancy!" A voice shouted in the distance.

This time the two girls heard it as well.

"Jonathan." Nancy stated quietly, her face pale. "Jonathan!" She cried again, running into the woods.

Eleven and Max exchanged a look and ran to alert the others. Nancy ran still, shouting his name into the woods.

The trees soon blocked out the light of the campsite, and the woods were quiet around her.

"Jonathan?" She screamed louder, tears of desperation flooding down her cheeks.

There was no reply. Nancy ran her fingers through her hair. Maybe he's back at the campsite, maybe he made it, she thought to herself.

Nancy turned around, heading back.

She stopped, staring right into the faceless head of the demo-gorgon.

She didn't make it back to the camp.