Page 33 of Becoming Brandy

The thud of fist on ribs echoed through the room. She thought she heard bones crack as Wrek crumpled backward, slamming into the ground. Grass sprayed up as his body dug a trench into the turf. Brandy scrambled to get out of the way.

“Wrek!” she said, reaching for him. His body skidded to a stop, but Wrek did not get up.

The beast turned red eyes on her and strode forward. Her eyes locked on its six-inch claws.

Wrek lurched up just in time to stop the beast from striking Brandy. The long-clawed hand bashed into his shoulder with another horrible crack. Wrek cried out in pain, but then gritted his teeth and pushed up from the ground, wrapping his big arms around the beast’s middle to stop him from advancing on Brandy. Veins on his neck popped out as he struggled to contain the beast.

She watched, terrified, as the beast slashed nails down Wrek’s back. Blood sprang up from the furrows in his tattered shirt. Though Wrek must be in agony, he held on for dear life.

“Brandy, go!”

She scrambled up, her heart hammering. She hated to leave him, but how could she stay? She wavered between running for help and staying to fight. But one more look at the beast and she knew there was nothing she could do.

“I’ll be back, Wrek.” But he either couldn’t hear her or respond. He had the beast in a bear hug, gripping his own forearms to bar the beast from wrestling free. But it seemed like the beast was not as interested in tearing Wrek apart as it was in trying to get to her. Red eyes flashed as it watched her back way. Its nostrils sniffed in her direction. The creature roared and slashed at Wrek, more blood spraying into the air.

Brandy ran. The wall was part of the simulation, making it hard to find. Once her hands slammed into the membrane that separated her from the hall, she pressed her palms to it frantically “Open, open, open.”

It didn’t comply.

“What’s happening?” She pressed her palm to it again, but nothing happened. She smacked it and punched it, screaming. Still, it stayed closed. Maybe the beast had locked her in. Noises behind her made her whirl around. The beast had broken free, and it was tearing across the park toward Brandy.

Fear broke out like goose bumps over her body. The beast would tear her to shreds. She crouched low, wondering if she could run, but she knew it was much faster.

Wrek popped up, gaining on the creature. He was bleeding heavily from multiple places, slashed and scratched until shreds of his skin were hanging in chunks. “Wrek!”

Brandy gasped as he jumped on the beast’s back. Wrek punched with the strength she didn’t think he was capable of. His fist pounded into its ribs with swift well-aimed thuds that echoed through the simulator. The creature turned to Wrek, roaring and driving its claws into his chest like a set of steak knives. Blood seeped onto his already-soaked shirt.

But Wrek didn’t seem to notice. He fought like a wild man, all punches and elbows. His teeth were gritted. The veins on his neck pulsed as he hit the monster under the jaw and pounded him in the skull. The beast staggered, bumping into a tree before stabbing Wrek in the ribs. Wrek winced, but he used that moment to pull his arm back and deliver a terrible punch.

His knuckles smashed into the creature’s jaw, snapping its head up. There was a crack of bone on bone. The beast dropped to his knees. Its arms sagged. Then it fell forward, settling into the grass. The bloody claws furrowed into the dirt as it gripped for purchase once before falling for good.

Brandy gasped, a sound of relief, triumph, and pure shock. Wrek had won. She inched carefully in Wrek’s direction. He was staring down at the beast as his blood continued to drip onto the grass.

“Wrek, are you okay?” she asked, hovering over him.

He raised his head with a weak smile before he fell to the ground.

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