Story 817: The Clawed Nightmare

Dust and debris settled in the collapsed tunnel, the silence stretching long enough to make Leon’s pulse slow.

Then, a skittering sound.

Leon barely had time to shove Evelyn behind him before something burst through the rubble.

A hulking, sinewy figure, its elongated arms dragging along the ground, claws scraping against the concrete like nails on a chalkboard. Its mouth hung open, a grotesque, unhinged maw with a long, writhing tongue flicking at the air.

And then—it leaped.

Leon barely dodged as the creature landed with a force that cracked the ground.

“Mia, shoot it!” he barked.

Mia didn’t hesitate. Her rifle roared, sending three rounds into the creature’s chest. It barely flinched.

Evelyn grabbed Leon’s arm. “We need to run!”

But the creature was faster.

In a blur of motion, it lashed out, its claws slicing across Leon’s shoulder. Pain flared, hot and deep. He stumbled, blood seeping through his torn jacket.