Megan jumped from sleep mode to instant alertness. She scanned the surrounding brush with the little remaining light which flickered from the amber coals of the fire. Her left hand held a small pistol. The safety clicked off. She listened carefully to the noises of the night.
Crickets chirped.
A gentle breeze blew across the long grass.
Her heart pounded softer and softer. Her free hand gripped the LED flashlight. It shined across the prairie for what seemed like miles.
Nothing was around. At least not a thing she could see.
Megan quickly dismissed her decision to walk across the back country roads of Kansas alone. The Sergeant trained her well. And every day in the last twenty-two years spent proving herself to the man. The need to surpass his expectations constantly churned in her stomach. The stubbornness was inherited honestly. She wasn't the son he wanted, but she was still the man's only child.
The woman packed away her defenses and started prodding at the fire. A couple of more hours remained until sunlight rose across the horizon. Her eyelids grew heavy.
CRUNCH!
SNAP!
Megan seized the weapon once again. The noise was near by, maybe only twenty feet away. It has to be an animal, she thought. Something small moving in the brush. No need to get worried. You can handle this Megan. The flashlight penetrated the darkness.
A loud, high pitched SHRIEK interrupted her thoughts. What the hell?
Almost instantly another SHRIEK came from behind her. She quickly turned and scanned the area. The tall grass rustled about twelve feet in front of her. The SHRIEK came a second time. Then immediately back from the original spot.
Were these animals communicating? Was it mating season? Did they mean to harm her? Could they be hunting her? These questions fired in her brain. The dueling SHRIEKS broke her contemplation.
A third SHRIEK joined in. This one on Megan's left around fifteen feet away. In all the time spent camping, she had never heard any sounds similar to these.
She attempted to remain calm by taking deep breaths while she examined the options.
At least three creatures surrounded her in a sea of the tall, grassy, Midwestern plains. These things may or may not be hunting her. The wind made endless waves to the horizon. About thirty yards was an old country road which led to the unknown and came from nowhere. A car had not traveled by in hours. No houses in sight. It was only Megan left to make a stand or flee.
She slowly backed toward the road ready to make an escape and suddenly stopped. The Sergeant wouldn't be pleased by the choice. He would stand ground and fight the enemy head on.
A chorus of SHRIEKS began.
One.
Two.
Five.
Seven.
The sounds came in all different directions. All moving closer to her every second.
Megan knew running away was the smartest option. But pride kept to her place. She readied herself for the battle and became determined to hold her ground. Victory will be mine, she thought.
She tried to establish the number of beasts in the grass. The beam of light inched back and forth across the terrain until it reflected back at her. An even higher pitched YELP of pain came from the rustling grass. The animal rapidly ran in the opposite direction.
Megan did not get a good look at the camouflaged creature, just its black eye which reflected the light.
Then multiple SHRIEKS commenced in an aggressive tone.
Megan fired a warning shot in the air. It echoed across the night. Hopefully the sound would scare the animals away. She cocked her head and listened carefully for movement. Only silence. She thought, Did I scare them off?
She surveyed the grass, nothing on the first sweep. The second time around, it appeared a large clump of grass was edging towards her.
Megan realized it wasn't a mound of dirt after all. Fear crept up to her throat, but swallowed it back down in her pit of emptiness just as she had done so many times before.
The plod of grass had claws sticking out from underneath it. Four sharp talons lay next to four others. An elongated and thin nose protruded the base. It ruffled as it sniffed the air. The black eyes set on each side of the nose. The grass was actually quills growing out of bushy fur on the creature's back.
Another shot boomed across the night. The bullet drove into the ground inches away from the animal. Dirt flew into the air.
The creature now GROWLED in a low, threatening tone. It rose up on all fours, ready to attack. Fanged teeth exposed. It was as big as pit bull.
Megan aimed her gun. This threat would soon be terminated. Then the next one and then next until this problem solved. She had one full clip in her pocket and plenty of bullets left in this one. All of focus and concentration was on this animal.
She never heard the other animal closing in from behind.
The creature ran towards her on thick, stubby legs. At the moment of impact, it let out the same GROWL as the other one. Megan squeezed the trigger as the animal’s claws ripped through the flesh on her right calf. Blood poured from the wound as muscle and tendons were shredded.
The bullet pierced into the creature’s head. A direct hit connected between its eyes, splattering blood and small chunks of brain on the ground.
With adrenaline kicking in, she turned the gun down at the ravenous beast and blasted away. One of the bullets entered its head. It collapsed. Dead. She wobbled as bad leg could no longer hold the weight and recognized the seriousness of her injury.
The GROWLS rumbled in the air. Another animal took off running towards her. It lunged for her face with its fangs exposed.
She managed to get her arm up and take brunt of the blow. The gun flew from her hand upon collision. The pain felt like sharp knives slicing her forearms. More blood emptied from her.
The grass turned red.
Megan held back the tears. Her father always said show the enemy no weakness.
Ten creatures emerged from the grass. They sensed the blood in the air and a weakened victim. Simultaneous GROWLS hummed as the beasts circled the prey.
Megan realized her fate. She cursed her father, the damn Marine Sergeant and his fucking rules. She cursed herself for being dumb and bullheaded; knowing the opportunity for safety had long passed.
The animals attacked. They scratched flesh from her body. They chewed the meat from her bones. They bit into organs. They lapped the spilled blood. The feast was good.
Tears never came from Megan. Not even when the pain became too much to bear. The Sergeant would be proud she showed the enemy no mercy.
THE END
copyright 2009
by Sean Kimmel
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