Chapter 56
1060 Words
Susie was crouching in the bushes, having just finished releasing herself. She hadn't even had the time to pull up her pants. She was now sitting on the ground in fright, unable to move. Normally, I might have taken a second look, but right now...
Just five feet in front of Susie, a terrifying creature was staring at us menacingly! This thing was enormous, over nine feet long, larger than any brown bear I had ever seen.
The largest Kodiak brown bear in the world was just over 6 feet tall, with an average weight of around 1400 pounds. But this monster in front of us was over 9 feet long. Based on its appearance, it must weigh close to a ton!
Imagine a 5'3" person standing in front of a 5'11" person—there was a significant difference in size! This creature exerted such terrifying pressure that it was suffocating!
Moreover, we were so close to this massive beast that its presence as an apex predator made our legs weak.
I had often heard that some animals could intimidate others purely through their presence and aura, making them too scared to move. I used to scoff at this idea, but today, I believed it. The creature before us was not only terrifying but also unfamiliar. It was a new species I knew nothing about.
If I had to guess its origins, based on its appearance, I would suspect it shared a common ancestor with Australian koalas. This creature's head resembled a koala's so much. Australia had long been isolated from other continents, and it was home to many unique ancient species like kangaroos and platypuses.
The island we were on likely harbored such monsters for similar reasons.
Unlike the cute and somewhat silly-looking face of a koala, this giant was ugly and ferocious. Its eyes were like a wolf's, cold and cunning. It had protruding fangs, gleaming white and razor-sharp in the darkness. Its limbs were muscular and powerful, exuding explosive strength, with claws that glinted like knives in the faint light.
In an instant, my clothes were soaked with sweat. If I was so terrified, I couldn't imagine how scared Susie must be. She was already paralyzed with fear, sitting motionless at the entrance.
The creature's eyes locked onto Susie. It opened its mouth and roared, its foul saliva dripping slowly onto the snow, both nauseating and terrifying.
Susie's mental defenses collapsed, and she couldn't help but cry.
The beast seemed agitated by this, its eyes turning a blood-red color. It started moving slowly towards Susie.
Susie was so frightened that she couldn't move, and now she couldn't even speak. She closed her eyes in despair, awaiting her fate.
In this moment of deadly crisis, an idea flashed through my mind. I turned on the flashlight and shone its bright light directly into the creature's eyes.
The sudden burst of light confused the beast. Its fierce eyes observed us coldly. When it realized the source of the light, I even sensed a hint of disdain in its gaze. Then it planted its front paws on the ground, preparing to pounce!
In a split second, I reacted quickly, raising my gun and pulling the trigger!
Bang!
The gunshot shattered the night's silence like a thunderclap. For many years to come, I would vividly remember the sound of that shot. Accompanied by the roar of the gun, a bullet whizzed through the air!
I didn't have time to aim, but fortunately, the creature was close and large. The shot didn't miss the mark. It hit the beast's shoulder!
The monster roared in pain, a sound even louder than the gunshot. Snow from the trees fell with the roar, creating an extremely terrifying scene.
The sudden injury bought us some time. While the beast howled in pain, I grabbed Susie, threw her over my shoulder like a sack, and dashed towards the cave.
I moved as quickly as possible, but the beast recovered soon. The shot hadn't incapacitated it; instead, it was thoroughly enraged.
Just as I turned, I heard a terrifying whoosh behind me.
In that moment, I forgot everything. My mind was blank except for one thought: run, run, run! I sprinted madly with Susie in my arms, finally reaching the cave as a chilling crash sounded behind us.
The monster's claw slammed into the ground, creating a massive pit in the snow. The ice beneath the snow cracked like a spider web, a testament to the terrifying strength of that strike.
I yelled at the other girls in the cave, "Close the door now!" As I shouted, I grabbed the pine tree I had cut earlier and shoved it against the door.
Though terrified, the girls acted quickly as instructed. They rapidly shut the door, and I managed to brace it with the long log.
Just as we secured the door, the deafening roar of the monster echoed outside once more.
We had traps set up at the entrance of the cave, but I had never anticipated an attack from such a massive creature. The traps were too small, designed primarily to fend off wolves.
At that moment, the traps outside were useless.
Soon, the sound of the wooden door being struck violently filled the air! It felt like the ground was shaking, with stones falling from the cave ceiling like rain, as if an earthquake was occurring!
We all pressed the long logs against the door with all our might, but everyone was filled with fear. The monster was terrifying, and the wooden door was already on the verge of breaking. It wouldn't hold much longer!
Crystal and the others were pale with fear. Stella and Zoe had tears streaming down their faces, but they were too scared to even cry out loud, only silently sobbing as if any sound might draw the predator's attention.
My heart was heavy. I wanted to protect them, but I felt powerless!
"Don't be afraid, we'll be fine. It can't get in," I said, trying to sound reassuring while holding the logs firmly, but even I didn't believe my words.
'Are we going to die here today?'
As if in response to my thoughts, a loud crash echoed, and the door broke open, leaving a gaping hole. The monster's claws, gleaming in the dim light, reached through the hole, thrashing violently.
- Writer
