Page 21 of Emerald

The creatures are closer now, almost upon me. I can hear their wet, squelching movements, and can feel the ground vibrating under the force of their collective approach. My heart is pounding in my chest, a wild, erratic rhythm that drowns out everything else.

I scramble on my knees for a short while, rocks cutting into me, frantic to get away, but I’m still stunned.

Just as I'm about to start running, a sharp voice cuts through the chaos. "Get down!"

I don't have time to react before someone grabs me from behind, yanking me out of the path of the oncoming horde. I'm pulled roughly to the side, and I stumble, nearly losing my balance again. But whoever it is keeps a firm grip on my arm, dragging me away from the creatures.

I manage to get a look at my rescuer—a woman, with silver hair and black eyes that gleam with intensity. She looks familiar, though my groggy mind can't quite place her. One of the other women from the ship, I think, though her name escapes me.

She's armed, holding a blocky, unwieldy rifle that looks like it's seen better days. It's not an energy weapon—the distinctive crack of ballistic fire tells me that much.

"Stay behind me!" she orders, her voice clipped and commanding. Without waiting for a response, she takes a stance at a vantage point halfway up the slope, her rifle trained on the approaching creatures.

I'm still reeling from the fall, my brain struggling to catch up with what's happening. But her words cut through the fog, grounding me in the here and now. I nod numbly, not trusting myself to speak, and scramble to find some cover behind a large chunk of debris.

The woman opens fire, the loud crack of the rifle echoing across the desolate landscape. Each shot is precise, and measured, and nearly every time she pulls the trigger, one of the pink creatures bursts into a spray of liquid, collapsing into a puddle of goo. They make large targets, with all of that wide, jiggling mass.

But for everyone she takes down, three more seem to take their place, surging forward with relentless determination.

I watch her for a moment, awe-struck by her calm under pressure, and her efficiency in dealing with the threat. But the sheer number of creatures is overwhelming, and I can see the strain in her eyes as she struggles to keep them at bay.

I can't just sit here and do nothing. I need to help.

My eyes dart around, searching for anything I can use as a weapon. That's when I see it—a rifle, lying discarded in the dirt a few feet away. It looks like it must have fallen down the steep hill, judging my how marked up it is.

I crawl toward it, my movements awkward and slow, but I manage to reach it before the creatures close in. My fingers close around the cold metal, and I pull the weapon to me, checking it over quickly.

It's battered, clearly salvaged from one of the fallen, but it's still functional. The weight of it in my hands is reassuring. I take a deep breath, trying to steady my shaking hands, and then rise to my feet.

"Cover me!" I shout to the woman, my voice hoarse and shaky.

She glances back at me, her eyes narrowing in surprise. But she doesn't hesitate. She adjusts her position, drawing the creatures' attention away from me so I can get a clear shot.

I took aim, my heart racing. I've handled weapons before, but this is different. Clearly not made for humans hands and the stakes are higher, the danger more immediate. I can't afford to miss. My finger tightens on the trigger, and with a loud crack, the rifle kicks against my shoulder.

I missed. I try again. And again, before I figure out how to aim it.

The nearest creature bursts apart, pink goo splattering across the ground. The sight gives me a surge sense of satisfaction, a small victory in the midst of chaos. Almost sexual, I realize.

I shoot again, another kill sending a shot of ecstasy through me, the junction of my thighs becoming increasingly wet.

But there's no time to celebrate. More of the creatures are closing in, and I need to keep firing.

I grit my teeth, forcing myself to stay focused. The woman is still holding her ground, picking off the creatures with a steady rhythm, but I can see the strain in her posture. She can't keep this up forever. We need to move, to get out of here before we're overwhelmed.

"We have to go!" I shout, firing another round into the horde. The creatures are so close now that I can see their slick, gelatinous bodies rippling with each movement. The sight sends a shiver down my spine, but I force myself to keep firing, to keep fighting.

"We can't outrun them!" the woman snaps back, her voice laced with frustration. She fires another shot, and another creature collapses into a puddle of goo, but there are too many of them. We're being pushed back, millimeter by millimeter, and I can feel the desperation mounting in my chest.

"Then what do we do?" I shout, my voice rising in panic. Another shot, another creature down. But it's not enough. We're losing ground, and I can see the creatures closing in, their pink bodies undulating and shifting as they swarm toward us.

The woman doesn't answer right away, her focus on keeping the creatures at bay. But I can see the tension in her jaw, the way her eyes dart around, searching for an escape route. She knows we can't hold them off forever. We're running out of time.

"This way!" she finally shouts, her voice sharp and commanding. She fires one last shot, then turns and bolts up the slope, her movements quick and sure despite the uneven terrain.

I don't hesitate. I follow her, my heart pounding in my chest as I scramble after her. The creatures are right behind us, their wet movements growing louder and more frantic. I can feel them closing in, can hear their sickening squelches as they surge forward in a mindless frenzy.

But we don't stop. We keep moving, pushing ourselves to the limit, our breaths coming in short, ragged gasps. The woman leads the way, her black eyes focused and determined when she glances back, and I do my best to keep up, my legs burning with exertion.

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