The Thing

"Looks like it worked," Billy said, flicking on his lighter to see by as he ventured into the warehouse. He could just make out the shapes of George and Danny peeking tentatively through the doorway before following him inside, knives gripped tightly in one hand and packs of matches in the other - their only defense against the oppressive darkness.George took the lead while Danny covered the rear, moving slowly with weapons at the ready. Up ahead, Billy smacked into a wall before finding stacks of non-perishable food and indistinct shapes of boxes and bottles. Its cover thick with cobwebs.Billy's foot collided with something on the floor. He crouched, discovering a flashlight caked in dried blood that refused to wipe away. The beam it emitted was dim and red, but it was better than fumbling blindly in the dark. Knife and flashlight in hand, he pressed onward, ready for anything.Elsewhere, George and Danny crept through the aisles at a snail's pace, knives at the ready. George held his steady while Danny repeatedly lit matches that did little to pierce the darkness."Can you smell that?" Danny whispered, nose crinkling at the faint odor of charred meat wafting through the air.George nodded, his face serious. "Like burnt pork."A sudden sound behind them made Danny whip around, his freshly lit match extinguishing from the draft and enveloping them in pitch blackness. He fumbled with trembling hands to light another, and when the small flame finally bloomed, it revealed nothing but empty space."Let's keep moving," George muttered, already continuing down the aisle. Danny's flame exposed a trail of blood, its source unseen, staining the floor ahead. They exchanged uneasy looks but pressed on.Soon the door loomed out of the darkness. "The door!" George rasped. "Give me some light. Let's get the fuck out of here." Danny angled the match at the lock, hands quivering. George fumbled for the right key among the bunch he'd lifted, eager to escape this nightmare."What about Billy?" Danny asked hesitantly."Fuck Billy," George growled, still struggling with the keys.A viscous drop splatted onto Danny's nose. He recoiled in disgust, raising the match to see the source. The tiny flame illuminated a horror above their heads that made Danny's blood turn to ice. "Danny, the fucking light..." George started impatiently before following Danny's petrified gaze upward. Both men froze in abject terror, the match flame trembling violently in Danny's grip. Illuminated above the door was a pair of enormous hairy legs, shifting slightly as if preparing to pounce. More legs followed, accompanied by the sinister scuttle of countless limbs against the ceiling.Billy was alerted by a panicked scream, his heartbeat thudding as he sprinted down the corridor towards the sound. Bursting into a larger space, the neglected light switch he slapped barely sputtered to life, revealing a gruesome display: bodies wrapped in thick webbing dangling from the ceiling, swaying lightly as if suspended in liquid. Horrified, he glimpsed Danny fleeing through a door that slammed shut behind him."Hey no-!" he started, but it was too late. Danny slammed the door shut behind him, the lock clicking into place. "Son of a bitch," Billy muttered under his breath.A loud thump and scuttling noise from above cut him short. He wheeled around to see an enormous shadow rear up where the ceiling met the wall. Scrambling backward, he took shelter behind a shelf.Frantically looking around, Billy spied a sub-machine gun hanging by a strap from a deceased soldier tangled in webs above. To his left sat a ladder and cleaning tools - a broom and mop. Moving quickly but quietly, Billy set up the ladder beneath the soldier's dangling corpse. Broom and mop in hand, he cautiously poked his head above the shelves. Across the warehouse, he could see the massive spider - at least ten feet tall - clutching George's lifeless body in its dripping fangs. Getting a closer look at its cluster of glassy gray eyes made Billy shudder.Using the tips of the mop and broom, Billy carefully worked at the strap holding the gun in place. After several agonizing moments, it finally released, sending the weapon clattering to the floor along with his makeshift tools. The noise echoed deafeningly through the empty space. Billy ducked down just as the spider dropped George's body and scuttled toward the sound, footsteps amplified against the concrete floor.The spindly legs of the spider can be heard approaching rapidly. Billy grabbed the Uzi, fumbling to disengage the safety as the hulking arachnid crashed through ceiling tiles. Bullets ricocheted wildly until one struck the overhead light, casting everything into inky darkness.Billy scrambled backward until his back hit the wall, the spider's frenzied footsteps receding after its chilling shriek. Holding on the dim flashlight with his teeth, he did a quick check of the Uzi's magazine before pressing onward, hyperaware of any signs of movement in the eerie blood-red glow.Reaching the first row of shelves, he paused, flashlight bobbing from side to side. At the next row, a dangling corpse jerked abruptly as if shoved. Breathing growing ragged, Billy continued while scanning the ceiling.Before the third aisle, a heavy thud presaged the spider bursting from the floor right at him. Billy crashed backward in a barrage of gunfire as the creature changed course before reaching him. Tracking its retreat with the flashlight proved futile, the darkness swallowing it in an instant.Billy pushed himself back up, flashlight clenched in his teeth while checking his ammo. He moved toward the next-to-last row when another thump sounded behind him. Whirling around, the flashlight revealed the spider mid-lunge just before it slammed into him, sending the light spinning away.It rolled to illuminate the struggle, the arachnid's fangs clamped around the gun. With enormous effort, Billy wrenched the barrel around and fired point-blank into its mouth. It relinquished its grip with an ear-piercing shriek as the Uzi fell away. Seizing the opportunity, Billy buried his knife in the soft tissue beneath its jaws. Writhing in agony, the spider released him and disappeared into the gloom.Scooping up the gun and flashlight, Billy followed the trail of oozing blood up the wall and onto the ceiling. Catching the glint of fluid dripping down, he anticipated its position and expended the remainder of his ammo overhead. The spider wailed as it fell backwards to the floor with a reverberating thud.Clicking impotently at the empty gun, Billy cast it aside and grabbed the Molotov cocktail he had strapped around his waist. Flicking the lighter ablaze, he ignited the rag fuse and slowly approached the prone spider."I hope you like flaming cocktails," he muttered. Hurling the improvised bomb, the spider erupted into flames, its screeches intensifying as it thrashed violently. Billy watched the grisly spectacle."Keep the knife" he said with finality, leaving the charred arachnid behind.Reaching the final corridor, Billy discovered George's mutilated corpse. He stared at it before calling out, "Danny, it's dead! You can come out now." Only silence answered him. With a dismissive shrug, Billy took the keys and left his former companion corpse behind without a backward glance.