monsters behind us weren’t the only ones around. The entire city could’ve been crawling with them as far as I knew.
“We’ve got to catch up to them!” I shouted, figuring our odds of making it out of there alive would improve within the fleeing crowd.
Martin looked back at me and nodded. He barreled straight through the crowd, heading for the center. I tried to stick close to him, pushing through the desperate mob. Karla clutched her sides. Her face twitched with pain and exhaustion as she staggered forward. Terrified wails and shrieks reached us from the back of the crowd as stragglers were picked off by the approaching demonic horde. The old, the weak, and the injured begged for help as they struggled to keep up with the rest of us. Most begged in vain.
“Come on, Lala, keep up!” I screamed, straining my arm to pull her forward.
Karla broke out in tears, her face flushed with exhaustion. “I… I can’t. Just go.”
“Screw that! Now run, or I’ll kill you myself.” I flung her arm across my shoulders.
My legs ached as Karla shifted her weight onto me, her body warm and moist as it rubbed against me, but we managed to keep up with the crowd. She huffed and grunted as she picked up the pace. Her cinnamon cheeks were still bathed in tears, but the scowl on her face displayed her new determination. Martin slowed down, after glancing back at us, and ran alongside Karla. She was too short to rest her arm on his shoulders, so he locked arms with her. Karla sped up even more. For a second, I thought we’d actually make it out of there alive.
Oh, Jesus… what the hell?
Demons bolted across the rooftops of the battered houses at either side of us. The gritty air cloaked their advance, but their demonic eyes left behind a blazing trail of crimson light as they dashed forward. Shrieks of pure terror rang out through the crowd as the monsters overtook us, dashing past the fastest runners at the front.
The demon at the head of their assault leapt off the roof and onto the street, vaulting to the opposite rooftop straight away. It clutched something between its massive jaws. An anguished sound—a man's wail—came from where the beast had landed. Two more demons rushed over to the spot, and between the three of them, they made short work of their prey. Their large, glowing eyes danced around the man’s corpse as blood and gore rained down onto the street below.
Another creature swooped straight into the panicked throng, just a few feet ahead of where I ran. A woman’s tortured cries rose. Martin pulled Karla and me toward the sidewalk as we ran, skirting the scene of the carnage. The woman’s cries for help were swiftly cut down, and the monster leapt to the opposite rooftop with her mangled remains between its jaws. We ran under the creature just as it sailed through the air, and a stream of warm blood hit my face, blinding me. I stumbled as I kept running, but Karla helped me regain my balance.
Some people who’d witnessed the scene froze in place, terror stricken, while those behind them kept pressing forward, desperate to escape from the demons still pursuing us from behind. Weak moans reached me as people were shoved to the pavement and trampled by the frenzied mob.
The demons on the rooftops kept pouncing on our helpless column, picking us off one by one while the monsters behind us massacred anyone left behind. After only a few blocks of brutal pursuit, at least two hundred people must’ve been slaughtered.
We’d just reached the Cross Island Parkway, right at the edge of Queens, when I felt an excruciating cramp in my right leg as if a snake had bitten me. I yelled as I crashed to the pavement. Karla collapsed next to me, slipping out of Martin’s grasp.
My clothes clung to my body, drenched in cold sweat. Black spots swam across my eyes. I curled up and rubbed my thigh, but the pain only increased. Martin rushed to our side, saving us from being trampled by the people who ran past us
“We’ve got to catch up to them!” I shouted, figuring our odds of making it out of there alive would improve within the fleeing crowd.
Martin looked back at me and nodded. He barreled straight through the crowd, heading for the center. I tried to stick close to him, pushing through the desperate mob. Karla clutched her sides. Her face twitched with pain and exhaustion as she staggered forward. Terrified wails and shrieks reached us from the back of the crowd as stragglers were picked off by the approaching demonic horde. The old, the weak, and the injured begged for help as they struggled to keep up with the rest of us. Most begged in vain.
“Come on, Lala, keep up!” I screamed, straining my arm to pull her forward.
Karla broke out in tears, her face flushed with exhaustion. “I… I can’t. Just go.”
“Screw that! Now run, or I’ll kill you myself.” I flung her arm across my shoulders.
My legs ached as Karla shifted her weight onto me, her body warm and moist as it rubbed against me, but we managed to keep up with the crowd. She huffed and grunted as she picked up the pace. Her cinnamon cheeks were still bathed in tears, but the scowl on her face displayed her new determination. Martin slowed down, after glancing back at us, and ran alongside Karla. She was too short to rest her arm on his shoulders, so he locked arms with her. Karla sped up even more. For a second, I thought we’d actually make it out of there alive.
Oh, Jesus… what the hell?
Demons bolted across the rooftops of the battered houses at either side of us. The gritty air cloaked their advance, but their demonic eyes left behind a blazing trail of crimson light as they dashed forward. Shrieks of pure terror rang out through the crowd as the monsters overtook us, dashing past the fastest runners at the front.
The demon at the head of their assault leapt off the roof and onto the street, vaulting to the opposite rooftop straight away. It clutched something between its massive jaws. An anguished sound—a man's wail—came from where the beast had landed. Two more demons rushed over to the spot, and between the three of them, they made short work of their prey. Their large, glowing eyes danced around the man’s corpse as blood and gore rained down onto the street below.
Another creature swooped straight into the panicked throng, just a few feet ahead of where I ran. A woman’s tortured cries rose. Martin pulled Karla and me toward the sidewalk as we ran, skirting the scene of the carnage. The woman’s cries for help were swiftly cut down, and the monster leapt to the opposite rooftop with her mangled remains between its jaws. We ran under the creature just as it sailed through the air, and a stream of warm blood hit my face, blinding me. I stumbled as I kept running, but Karla helped me regain my balance.
Some people who’d witnessed the scene froze in place, terror stricken, while those behind them kept pressing forward, desperate to escape from the demons still pursuing us from behind. Weak moans reached me as people were shoved to the pavement and trampled by the frenzied mob.
The demons on the rooftops kept pouncing on our helpless column, picking us off one by one while the monsters behind us massacred anyone left behind. After only a few blocks of brutal pursuit, at least two hundred people must’ve been slaughtered.
We’d just reached the Cross Island Parkway, right at the edge of Queens, when I felt an excruciating cramp in my right leg as if a snake had bitten me. I yelled as I crashed to the pavement. Karla collapsed next to me, slipping out of Martin’s grasp.
My clothes clung to my body, drenched in cold sweat. Black spots swam across my eyes. I curled up and rubbed my thigh, but the pain only increased. Martin rushed to our side, saving us from being trampled by the people who ran past us
Similar Books
