Encounter — Flavor Sterlot — Chapter 5

Look Behind You!

Anger filled Andersen. He quickly slid back the bolt, pushed it back in, then turned and fired at a point just above Bashar’s missing skull. A blinding flash struck the man just before he pulled the trigger. Still, his rifle fired.

An inhuman scream filled the air and Bahar suddenly dropped to the ground. His body fell face forward and the remnants of his brains spilled out on the ground. Towering over the body was a horrifying creature with long legs and skin like the bark of a tree. Bloody pincers hung down from an ant-like head with ruby eyes.

A split second later, Sandi suddenly screamed as pulled herself to her feet. Still, the distraught woman frantically backed away while dragging the corpse of her sister. Behind her, Jones scrambled to his feet and took off while trying to slide his pants up. Andersen pointed his rifle at the creature, only to see the thing disappear in front of him.

He fired anyway, immediately hearing a thump. Quickly cycling in another cartridge, his next shot appeared to miss, since he had heard no impact. However, the lethargy in his mind disappeared. The hunter stood there for a while, listening for anything beyond the struggling noises coming from Sandi as she continued to drag her sister’s body away.

Andersen took a few paces forward, carefully scanning the area, then kneeled at the spot where the creatures stood. It was too dark to see tracks, but he saw Bashar’s wide-open eyes. His twisted face still held a look of shocked disbelief. The top half of the man’s skull was gone, and grayish matter oozed from the cavity.

Son of a bitch!