Page 159 of Mayhem and Minnie

Reaching the leader of the formation, I note that he’s close to my height, with the other minions in the back a full foot shorter.

Piece of cake.

Flexing my arm, I throw the first punch, aiming for the head. They might look strange, but every creature, soulless or not, has a vulnerable spot, no? The head would be my first guess, but I suppose I’ll find out if I’m right.

Just as my knuckles make contact with the dried-up flesh of the mummy, its skin becomes malleable, as do its bones. They curve and bend following the shape of my knuckles, thereby deflecting the blow.

My eyes widen.

But before I can think of an alternative, the creature opens its mouth to release another loud bellow. The air pressure from the scream hits me in the chest, throwing me back.

I hit the ground, but I’m not deterred.

So it’s not the head…

“You idiot! You’ll get yourself killed,” Minnie shouts from the back.

I ignore her. Breathing hard, I get back up and move for a different attack.

My fist makes contact with the creature’s sternum, and the same thing happens.

The surface of its body becomes gooey, almost absorbing my fist inside of it.

I quickly yank it back.

“Fuck!” I mutter.

The creature watches me, still unmoving. Its mouth opens for another bellow, but I’m ready, this time dodging the air blast.

Minnie reaches my side and places a hand on my shoulder.

“Stop,” she whispers. “If you don’t get involved, they won’t hurt you. They’re not allowed to harm humans.”

“What?” I blink in surprise. There’s so much to unpack from that statement, but we don’t have time for it.

Just as Minnie moves, the sentinels move, too, stomping their skeleton-like feet on the ground and moving the formation so that the tip of the triangle is directly in front of her.

Before I can ask Minnie what she means, or what the hell is going on, the creatures open their mouths in tandem, sucking in air before releasing another shrilling sound.

This time, the air blast isn’t released immediately. It builds up, gathering the strength of the entire formation.

Yet the aim is clear.

Minnie glances at me, her expression sad before she pushes me to the side just as the creatures release their blast.

It converges into a single line aimed at Minnie, and before I can do anything, it hits her.

Her mouth drops open in pain, her entire body seized by an invisible force.

She’s not thrown back as I was. Instead, she’s immobilized by that air pressure, held in place. She cannot move or do anything.

“Minnie?”

“Run,” she mouths, a barely audible sound.

She tries to speak again, but she seems frozen on the spot. The air gathered around her is turning opaque, almost as if it’s solidifying to keep her inside.

I don’t even think as I use my entire body weight to slam myself against the forming wall.

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