“We should go…”
Alan took another step backwards.
The predator continued forward.
Slowly.
Every step deliberate.
“Sid?”
No answer.
Alan glanced around.
Kaya stood on the opposite side of the kiln, backing away cautiously.
Edgar remained frozen beside the glue bowl.
“Sid?”
Still nothing.
Alan turned completely.
“What on earth?”
A partially naked skeleton carrying a spear was already sprinting through the vegetation in the distance.
Alan stared.
“SID!”
The gorgon ignored him.
Its nostrils flared.
Then its gaze settled on Edgar.
The goblin skeleton still had patches of pink flesh clinging to his bones.
Fresh.
Edible.
Alan’s voice sharpened.
“Run.”
Edgar didn’t move.
“RUN!”
The predator stepped forward.
Once.
Twice.
Edgar finally stumbled backwards.
Then the gorgon’s head turned.
Toward Alan.
Its nostrils flared again.
The dinosaur hide wrapped around his body.
Alan froze.
“Oh.”
The gorgon lowered itself.
Its hind legs compressed.
Alan ran.
“IT’S BEHIND YOU!”
Sid’s voice echoed from somewhere deep within the vegetation.
Alan made it three steps.
Four.
The gorgon launched.
If you come across this story on Amazon, it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.
CRUNCH.
Its sabre-like fangs punched through his spine.
Alan folded instantly.
Momentum threw his skull forward.
Stone rushed up to meet him.
CRACK.
The existing fracture gave way.
His skull shattered across the cavern floor.
Silence.
“ALAN!”
Kaya’s scream tore through the cavern.
ALAN!
ALAN!
ALAN!
The echoes rolled into the darkness.
The gorgon stood over the scattered remains.
Edgar finally moved.
He bolted toward a dark patch.
Sid watched from between the pale stalks.
Motionless.
The predator raised its head.
Then turned.
Toward Kaya.
She backed away.
The gorgon advanced.
One step.
Another.
Sid tightened his grip on the spear.
Then stepped out.
“I’M RIGHT HERE, YOU UGLY BASTARD!”
I’M RIGHT HERE, YOU UGLY BASTARD!
I’M RIGHT HERE, YOU UGLY BASTARD!
The gorgon stopped.
Its head snapped toward him.
Sid waved both arms.
“Yes. Hello.”
A low growl rolled from its throat.
Sid pointed at himself.
Then turned and ran.
The gorgon lunged after him.
One stride.
Two.
Three.
The vegetation swallowed them both.
Sid disappeared between the pale stalks.
The gorgon reached the edge.
Stopped.
Its nostrils flared.
Silence.
It stepped forward.
The plants shifted around its shoulders.
Its head moved from side to side.
Searching.
Another step.
Sid waited behind a thick cluster of stalks.
Closer.
Closer.
The gorgon passed him.
Sid lunged.
“HAH!”
The spear drove forward.
THUNK.
The crystal punched between two ribs.
The gorgon shrieked.
Sid’s eye lights widened.
“Oh.”
The animal threw itself sideways.
The spear nearly tore free from his hands.
Sid staggered after it.
“That was deeper than expected.”
The gorgon spun.
Its lips peeled back.
Blood darkened the fur along its ribs.
Sid raised the spear again.
Less enthusiastically this time.
The creature lunged.
Sid thrust.
Too early.
The gorgon twisted past the point.
“Ah.”
A claw tore through the vegetation inches from his skull.
Sid ducked.
The spear shaft caught awkwardly against the ground.
The gorgon crashed into it.
THUNK.
The crystal punched into the side of its neck.
Dark blood sprayed across Sid’s ribs.
The impact ripped the shaft sideways.
Sid nearly lost his grip.
The gorgon shrieked and tore itself free.
Its momentum carried it several metres before it crashed through the vegetation.
Sid stumbled after it.
The predator scrambled upright.
Blood streamed from the puncture in its neck.
Sid stared.
A pause.
“Oh.”
Another.
“Aren’t you durable?”
The gorgon backed away.
Sid stopped advancing.
His eye lights narrowed.
Blood bubbled from the neck wound with every breath.
One eye tracked him smoothly.
The other twitched.
Its head remained slightly tilted.
The right forelimb wasn’t taking its full weight.
Sid went still.
The panic vanished.
His gaze travelled across the animal.
Shoulder.
Neck.
Ribs.
Forelimbs.
Interesting.
The neck wound had restricted its range of motion.
Its breathing was uneven.
Weight shifted toward the left.
Compensation.
Sid tilted his head.
“Your mobility has decreased substantially.”
THUNK.
A rock exploded against the side of the gorgon’s skull.
The predator recoiled.
Kaya stood beyond it.
Another stone already in her hand.
Sid moved.
The gorgon swiped blindly.
Its claws passed inches from his ribs.
Slower.
Much slower.
“Excellent.”
Sid drove the spear into the right shoulder.
CRUNCH.
The crystal punched through the joint.
The forelimb collapsed.
“SCREEEEEE!”
Sid ripped the spear free.
The gorgon twisted toward him.
Too slowly.
He thrust again.
Into the neck.
Again.
Between the ribs.
Again.
The gorgon staggered.
Sid followed.
One more thrust.
THUNK.
The creature collapsed.
Silence.
Sid remained where he was.
Spear raised.
Waiting.
Nothing.
He poked the animal once.
No response.
A pause.
“Interesting.”
He looked down at the weapon.
Then at the corpse.
“That worked considerably better than expected.”
Vegetation shifted behind him.
Kaya emerged.
The rock was still clutched in her hand.
Her gaze passed over Sid.
Over the dead predator.
Then stopped.
Alan.
Fragments of his skull lay scattered across the stone.
His body remained where the gorgon had dropped him.
Kaya went still.
“Alan…”
No echo this time.
She approached slowly.
“No…”
Sid glanced over.
Then down at the shattered skeleton.
“A shame, really.”
Kaya looked at him.
Sid wiped the gorgon’s blood from the crystal spearhead.
“Anyway, we’ll need Barbara to drag this back to the kiln.”
Silence.
Kaya slowly turned.
“What?”
“For processing.”
Her eye lights narrowed.
“Processing?”
“Yes.”
Sid looked toward the carcass.
“It would be wasteful not to.”
His gaze travelled along the animal’s spine.
Then its limbs.
Then the enormous skull.
His eye lights brightened.
“Those bones are excellent.”