27

The monster kept on trying to smash it's way through the door as the dresser went up in flames. It screeched as the flames burned it, but it didn't stop trying to get through the door. I looked around the room that was quickly filling with smoke. I grabbed a book off the floor, and threw the book through a window. Jumping through the window, and getting out of there as quickly as I could. 

I was adding more cuts, and bruises to my body in the process. Jumping through windows wasn't the best way to flee, but I wasn't about to stick around as the house burned down with a literal monster inside. My guts were on fire, and my head felt like it was made of lead. All my other injuries buzzed in my head like back round noise. I briefly wondered if this was what it felt like to wake up mid surgery. 

I didn't see or hear any vehicles anywhere nearby. I did however hear the huge bonfire that the first house had turned into. The second house had also caught fire. The flames were dancing along the dry lawns, and spreading like crazy. Apparently not being watered made the lawns really flammable. 

Fences, and decorations only added to the bonfire. All of Arlington's small suburbs might burn down at this rate. I ran across the road since I had another flaming house at my back, and the road might work as a fire break or whatever you call those pre burned or non flammable areas meant to block fires. I ran up to a house, and found the door was unlocked, but not standing open. I found a door with stairs that led down, and turned away from that to check a few other doors. 

Finding the small hall bathroom that had no windows, and stared into the empty bathroom for a few seconds before yanking off my bloody clothes. I gathered them up in a ball, and rushed into the kitchen. Washing as much blood off of myself as possible before grabbing some fresh towels that were in a cabinet. Leaving the vast majority of the cabinets open before opening the window, and throwing my clothes out the window. I rushed back to the bathroom, and grabbed some kind of floral spray out from under the sink. 

Slamming the door closed, and grabbing a large bath towel to wrap around my waist. Pulling it up to stop the bleeding, and stuffing a second one under the door. Jamming the spray behind the toilet in a way that made it spray out all of it's contents in the small isolated room. Stepping into the bathtub away from the door, and sitting down quietly to watch the door. All while in pitch black darkness. 

I listened to the can spraying for a while. My muscles were incredibly tense, and yet I was too exhausted to move. I felt for the plastic of the shower curtain in the dark. About the time I touched it there was the sound of the front door being slammed open. I withdrew my hand, and searched silently for one of the other towels I'd strewn on the floor when I was desperately trying to hide in the bathroom.

Whatever it was stomped around the house. I heard glass break as it wreaked havoc in the kitchen. It hissed, and snarled. The sheer weight of it making each, and every board complain as it sounded as if it was stomping around the house. The creaks as it drew closer to my hiding place made my heart pound in my chest. 

The door bowed against it's latch as something leaned on it. My breaths were coming fast, and the floral spray made me feel lightheaded which I would have found comical if it weren't for the monster leaning on the other side of the door. How could I feel lightheaded, and as if my head were made of lead at the same time? The door creaked. Groaning as more weight warped the door even further. 

More light finding it's way into the room in the process. Then the monster snorted, and walked away from the door. I slowly let out a shaky breath I didn't know I was holding. I waited for more noise as the beast moved away from me. I heard the window break, and the frame of the wall break as it shoved itself through the window. 

It screeched shortly after getting just outside of the house. I was pretty sure it had found my clothes. It thrashed around a bit for what felt like an hour before it sounded as if it had left. I relaxed completely. Sliding down in the tub limply. 

I could barely keep my eyes open, and my body refused to move further. Darkness consumed me. I was in agony when I woke up sometime later. I hadn't healed yet so it wasn't seven in the morning. I had no idea how long I'd been out, but my vitality stat had been working hard while I was passed out. 

My health was still under fifty percent so I wasn't in good shape. I stood up slowly. My bullet wounds no longer bled. The entry wound that I could see appeared scabbed over although my guts were still broiling. There was fresh clean pink flesh where my smaller scratches had been. 

I frowned to myself. I gripped the edge of the tub. Keeping the towel in place as I got up. I didn't want to rip it off before I had a chance to heal properly. I stood up shaking a bit from the chill in my bones. 

Maybe it was from blood loss or simply because I was sleeping in a bathtub. I braced myself on the bathroom counter as I stepped out of the tub. I placed my ear against the bathroom door, and listened to the crickets outside. Waiting a few minutes to make sure there was nothing moving around outside. I pulled the towel back gingerly, and cracked the door.