Give me a Break

A scream. It sliced through the air like nails on a chalkboard, sending a jolt of cold fear down her spine. But this wasn't any ordinary scream—it was guttural, primal, like something from a nightmare. At first, she thought it was coming from the basement, where the other rookies were investigating the hidden stairwell. But no. It was from outside.

"Wait, what?" She muttered, scanning the windows, heart pounding in her ears.

Byte's voice crackled in her ear, tense. 

"You need to get out of there. Now. I'm reading four heat signatures, surrounding you—appeared out of nowhere."

Her blood ran cold. "Four? What do you mean, 'out of nowhere'?"

"I don't know, I just know they weren't there a second ago. Now they're moving fast. Really fast. Get to the west wing, now."

Before she could fully process it, her eyes caught movement through the cracks in the boarded-up windows. Shadows—long, distorted figures charging toward the castle with unnatural speed. Whatever these things were, they weren't human. Byte's voice broke through again, strained with urgency. 

"I've got visuals now—they're like... humanoid, but elongated, with sickly, pale skin stretched tight over skeletal frames. Their limbs are too long, like they've been twisted and broken a hundred times. And those mouths—too wide, filled with teeth."

She swore under her breath. Byte didn't need to tell her twice. She bolted for the staircase, her feet flying over the crumbling steps as she made her descent. The castle was a maze, but she'd memorized enough of the layout to navigate it on autopilot. As she hit the second floor, she could already hear the splintering of wood behind her. They were inside.

A second scream echoed through the castle, this one much closer—almost right on below her. She risked a glance over her shoulder, and her breath caught. Four of them, grotesque in the low light, clambered through the main hall, their elongated limbs moving with unnerving speed and precision. One of them spotted her, its hollow eyes locking onto her with a feral intensity. Without warning, it launched itself toward her, mouth gaping wide as it let out another bone-rattling scream.

She barely had time to dive out of the way, her reflexes kicking in just in time to avoid being skewered by the creature's claws. "Thank god for my speed," she muttered as she scrambled to her feet. Hands shaking, she locked her gun, aimed, and fired.

Byte's voice buzzed in her ear again. 

"Shoot for the head—aim high! They move fast, but they're not invincible."

Her first shot missed, the creature dodging with lightning speed. It screeched, teeth gnashing together as it closed the distance between them. She fired again, and this time, her bullet found its mark. The creature's head snapped back with a sickening crunch, and it collapsed in a heap, twitching on the ground.

"One down, three to go," she breathed, trying to steady her heartbeat.

The remaining three weren't deterred by their fallen companion. They charged in unison, their movements chaotic and wild. She fired off another round, but only grazed one of them. The lead creature reached her in seconds, swinging a clawed hand toward her with deadly precision. She ducked, narrowly avoiding the strike, and kicked out at its legs, sending it stumbling backward.

"Move, move, move!" Byte barked, his voice barely audible over the chaos.

She sprinted down the hall, skidding around a corner just as another creature lunged for her. She heard its claws scrape against the stone wall behind her, inches from her head. Her lungs burned, and her legs felt like they were on fire, but there was no time to stop. No time to think. 

The second floor stretched out before her, a long corridor lined with doors—most of them locked or barricaded. Her mind raced. She needed a plan, fast. The creatures were gaining on her, their footsteps thundering behind her like an oncoming storm. 

One of them leapt at her from behind. She twisted just in time, feeling its claws graze her arm as she spun out of reach. The pain was sharp but brief—adrenaline was doing a good job of dulling everything except survival instinct. She swung her gun upward, unloading two more rounds into its face. The creature dropped, its body convulsing as it hit the ground.

"Two down," she muttered. "But where the hell are the others?"

Byte answered before she could finish the thought. 

"They're flanking you—one coming from your left, one from the right. Don't get cornered!"

With a burst of speed, she charged forward, throwing herself through the nearest door and slamming it shut behind her. Her breath came in ragged gasps, and she pressed her back against the door, listening. The hallway outside was eerily quiet now, but she knew they were still out there, hunting her. 

Byte's voice came through again, calmer now but still urgent. 

"They're regrouping. You've got a few seconds—reload, and get out of that room. You're trapped in there."

She fumbled with her gun, hands shaking as she reloaded. Just as she was about to move, she heard it—a low, guttural growl from outside the door. 

"Oh, come on," she muttered. "Give me a break."

With a deep breath, she pushed off the door and sprinted toward the window on the far side of the room. Without thinking, she smashed through the wooden shutters, sending shards of glass and wood flying. As the cool night air hit her face, she didn't hesitate—she jumped. 

The ground rushed up to meet her, and for a brief, terrifying moment, she thought she might not make it. But she landed in a roll, using her momentum to spring back to her feet.

Byte's voice was back, steady and impressed. 

"Nice one. Now get back inside the castle—those things are still on your tail."

She didn't need to be told twice. With her heart pounding in her chest, she sprinted back toward the nearest entrance, already hearing the growls of the remaining creatures as they closed in behind her.