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I’m sorry, Taylor.
The laughter echoed back and forth in the open space and I took the opportunity to run faster. Suddenly my fingers weren't brushing along the wall anymore but flung out into an open space. I skidded to a halt and moved towards the gap.
The space was less than a metre wide and only half a metre deep. At the back were pipes that ran up towards the ceiling. I forced my way into the gap and pressed my back to the left hand side of the crevice, my feet against the right side.
The laughter continued as I shimmied my way up through the gap, climbing and climbing until I was sure I was out of reach. My head connected painfully with the ceiling and I gasped in shock before I could stop myself.
“Dig him out from in his hole!" the croaky voice cooed in a twisted, singsong voice.
I held my breath as three of them appeared below my hiding place. They gathered together and the laughter stopped. My legs trembled as I held them wedged against the wall to stop myself from falling.
From my vantage point I could only see the tops of their heads which were covered in lank, greasy hair. I braced myself and pulled a knife into my grasp.
The Creepers moved strangely, crouching towards the ground with their arms swaying from side to side and their hands curled into claws as they seemed to be sniffing.
My mouth dried out as I waited to see if they could find me by scent or not.
One of them very slowly raised his head and my heart pounded unevenly as I awaited the inevitably. It took a lifetime for his gaze to reach mine and when it did a huge grin crept across his face.
“Hello friend," he purred in a way that was anything but friendly.
My breath caught in my throat and I did the only thing that made any possible sense.
I twisted my body and kicked out against the rear wall as I flung myself towards him. A cry of rage left my lips as I dove at him with the knife held before me. The Creeper's eyes widened in shock but he didn't have time to react before we collided.
We tumbled to the ground. My knife dug into his arm as he yelled out and I was thrown aside. The Creeper screamed and screamed, a haunting sound that filled the space around us and made my ears ache. I scrambled to my feet, the bloodied knife held out in front of me as the two remaining Creepers assessed me hungrily.
I placed my feet, put my back to the wall and moved. I don't know if it was survival instinct or stupidity but something took over and I felt my lip curl back as my resolve hardened. I’m not going to die here.
I flung my knife and the Creeper standing on the right fell backwards, the hilt protruding from his chest.
The other Creeper rushed me and my fingers scrambled at my belt for more knives as I stumbled back.
My hair shifted as something flew past my face and a glint of silver caught my eye. The Creeper crumpled to the ground with a screech. The final Creeper, still clutching his bleeding arm and screaming, turned and fled into the darkness.
Coal stood behind me with another knife drawn and a ferocious look on his stunning face.
"Are you okay?" he growled and I nodded mutely. “Good. Come on.”
He led the way and I raced to keep up with him, my limbs trembling with the shock of what I’d just done.
"Alicia? Laurie?" Coal shouted for them as he started running back to the rows of computer consoles and I followed close on his heels.
“We're here!” Alicia flew from the end of a row several columns away from us, Laurie right behind her and relief poured though me at the sight of them.
“We have to get back to the elevator shaft. Now," Coal said as we ran to meet up with them.
“It's the only way in, it could be overrun," Alicia replied, holding her machete ready.
“It's the only way out too, we have to try."
We chose another row at random and pounded along it as fast as we could. The others left their flashlights off to help keep our position hidden and I squinted in the darkness that surrounded us. The dim red lights of the next room drew us forward and I spared a glance behind me. There were two shapes moving in the darkness to our rear, visible only as they passed in front of the flickering blue LEDs.
“Hurry," I panted, pushing my legs as fast as they would go.
We skidded out into the red lit room, our shoes slipping on the black, tiled floor.
A long limbed Creeper lurched out of the shadows towards us with glee in his eyes. Coal didn't hesitate, his knife flew straight and true, knocking the Creeper to the ground without a sound.
