5. Last Stand

I try to force an escape route by throwing my last remaining grenade to the barricade of the unnaturally grinning german soldiers. Boom! The earth shudders and blast dirt, along with my enemies, to the heavens. I sprint and dive, rolling head long in to a tree. Thud! I hit my head against the tree, my vision is blurry and I feel dazed. I wobbly try to get on to my feet. The gap closes behind me and they soon encroach Tanner from all sides. Bam! Bam! Bam! the steady hammering of the BAR resonates among the night sky. Soon our angel of a flare fades away and darkness takes hold of the forest once again.

I hear the barbaric yells of Tanners last stand which is soon muffled by almost mocking, terrorizing laughter. I dare not stay here! I try to sprint still dazed through the forest dodging trees and branches in the darkness as I run. I must find the others! I travel a short distance before I hear voices. Suddenly I trip and fall over a root and am launched forward. I slide a short span before stopping. I hear the sounds of guns cocking. I look up Sarge, Avery, and Townson have their weapons pointed down to me. "Wait! Its me!" I cry. "Ryan we almost shot you. Where the hell is Tanner?" says Johnson. I reply, "They got him sarge." I rise to my feet and brush the leaves and earth off myself. "What the hell are they?" spouts Townson. Avery chimes in, " I don't know but they aren't just Germans."

The moon light only dimly illuminates the forrest, just enough for us to see in front of us. Just then laughter fills the forest again like a pack of unholy hyenas on the prowl. We look to each other, eyes wide with fear. "We have to leave. Townson take point, Avery the rear, Ryan help me with Coleman." orders Johnson. We assume our positions, the laughing stops, and we hear the leaves rustle around us. Me and sarge pick up Coleman who is still on the canvas. Our unnatural enemies move with great speed. They stalk us like wolves hunting their prey.

We trek hurriedly through the woods, me and sarge still hobbling with Coleman's injured body. Avery in the rear armed with only his 1911 service pistol stops. Suddenly he is tackled to the ground. Standing on top of him is a shadowy figure. He screams firing his pistol wildly. Gunshots break the silence along with Avery's terrified yells. Just then a figure speeds between Me and Sarge knocking us to the ground and snatching Coleman from the canvas. Then Coleman and the shadowy figure disappear in to the dark. Sarge quickly rises to his feet pulling his service pistol. "Come on you bastards! Fight like real men!" He shouts defiantly. He get his wish and is knocked to ground. A shadowy figure stand over him. He fires three shots with his Colt 1911. Three rounds pass through the figures chest, no blood can be seen, it shudders but does not fall. "Townson Run!" cries out Sarge like a father defending his child. Townson, watching, turns and sprints into the dark night. Flashes and gunfire can be heard following him.

I, still dazed, look over to Avery and find that he is gone. No trace of him remains. I try to rise to my feet and stand wobbly. I take my Thompson and level it with sarge's attacker. Just then his unholy assailant lounges on sarge. Johnson yells in terror. I watch the figure bite deep in to sarge's neck, blood gushing from his wound. Johnson turns his pistol to his self and with a flash ends his life before his attacker can finish him. I stand there awe struck as the figure rises slowly and turns to me and grins sinisterly.

Just then I am slammed into a tree, and with my back against it, I grapple with my assaulter. The shadowy figure takes shape as a German soldier as he presses my thompson against my chest. His burning red eyes look in to mine. I see pure evil. His face is so pale it glows and with a sinister grin he reveals he has fangs! I wrestle with the assailant, and try to free my hand from the Thompson but my finger slips the trigger and it lets out a rapid fire hail of bullets. The flashes temporarily blinded me, I pull from my holster my service pistol and fire point blankly in to his head. His skull explodes in a flash of light send fragments everywhere, there still is no blood. I push the newly deceased body off me and look up to see three pairs of glowing red eyes staring down at me.

The moonlight shines off their pale faces. Its Avery and Townson! But their eyes glow as they grin horrifically. I am terrified as the one in the middle steps forward. Its the german boy I saw hanging just this afternoon. He pounces on me pinning my hands. He wrestles with me, my arms tired and im still dazed. I try to throw off my attacker but it is to late he plunges his fangs in to my neck. I am shocked with pain as I feel the blood quickly drain from me. I grow dizzy and my vision blurs. The figure finished with his grim task rises and stares down at me wickedly grinning, his red eyes pierce my soul. I see Avery and Townson fade in to the dark becoming shadows of their former selves. Everything fades to black.