Chapter 57
1072 Words
As the sharp claw continued its frantic movements, the hole in the wooden door grew larger, with wood chips falling like rain.
Other parts of the wooden door couldn't withstand the immense pressure either, and cracks began to appear all over it, as if it was about to burst open at any moment!
The girls were pale with fear, their eyes filled with despair.
At this rate, the wooden door wouldn't last much longer. Once the monster broke in, with its terrifying size and ferocious hunting abilities, we were doomed!
Even with a gun in my hand, it would be useless. At such close range, I wouldn't even have time to shoot before being killed by the monster.
Earlier, the only reason I had a chance to shoot was because the flashlight had temporarily blinded the creature. This old WWII rifle required cycling the bolt after every shot, which would give the monster plenty of time to kill me multiple times over.
Seeing that everything was about to end, I went mad. 'Damn it! If I'm going to die, I'm taking this monster with me!'
With that thought, I let go of the log I was holding and raised my gun, aiming at the hole in the door, firing shot after shot in a frenzy.
Perhaps because it had been shot before, the monster outside seemed to pause after I started shooting, retracting its claws. It gave me a chance to keep firing, and soon a small pile of empty shells accumulated at my feet.
With each gunshot, there were sounds of angry or pained howls from outside the cave.
After this burst of shooting, my magazine was empty, and the hot barrel brought me back to my senses. The other girls were holding their breath and exchanging looks. It suddenly became quiet outside, with only the sound of the wind and snow breaking the silence.
'Could it be that I killed the monster, or it ran away? Did we survive?' I panted heavily, my hands still trembling.
Everyone found it hard to believe!
The girls looked at the desolate scene through the large hole in the wooden door. There was no sign of the huge monster that had been there moments ago.
After a moment of stunned silence, they hugged each other and burst into tears.
Having been stranded on this island for so long, we had faced numerous life-threatening challenges, such as food shortages. But never had death felt so real, brutal, and terrifying as it did now!
Seeing the girls cry and laugh hysterically, venting their emotions in a seemingly crazed manner, I couldn't calm down. There was an underlying sense of unease that I couldn't shake.
Since arriving on the island, I had dealt with many animals. They had taught me many lessons, making me realize that even the weakest creatures, like rabbits or insects, had their cunning. So, top predators were even more dangerous.
I didn't let my guard down. Instead, I approached the door cautiously, raising my flashlight. I didn't see any sign of the monster, but I still couldn't relax. The wooden door seemed fragile against such a creature, but it was better than nothing.
I decided to repair the door while the immediate danger was gone. Fortunately, I had gathered a lot of wood before nightfall, which could now be used to reinforce the door. With that in mind, I quickly got to work.
"My... my pants..." Susie's shy, soft voice broke the silence. "The monster ripped them off."
Susie awkwardly tried to cover herself with her hands, looking embarrassed.
Mandy frowned and moved to shield Susie quickly, hesitating as she said, "We don't have any spare pants right now, and it's too dangerous outside. Maybe we should leave it for now?"
"But I can't stay like this." Susie was on the verge of tears. "The monster is gone now, right? I'll just go out quickly and get my pants. Don't worry, I'll go alone. It's not far from the entrance."
Crystal nodded in agreement. "She does need her pants back. It's not just about modesty. It's freezing out there, and she'll get frostbite without them."
"We do have some fur material, but making pants will take time, and we can't afford to waste the fur," Crystal added with a helpless shrug.
Mandy, though worried, realized they were right.
"Be careful when you go out. If anything feels off, come back immediately, okay?" Crystal said, looking at Susie seriously.
Susie nodded and, seeing that I was still busy fixing the door and not paying attention to the situation, ran out of the cave quickly, blushing.
As soon as Susie left the cave, I got up with several suitable pieces of wood and headed towards the door, muttering, "I need to block this door completely. If that monster comes back while we're asleep, at least the door will buy us some time."
"Zack, wait a minute. Susie just went out to get her pants," Crystal quickly stopped me.
I widened my eyes in shock and shouted angrily, "Susie went out again?! Who let her go out?"
The girls had never seen me this angry before and were all too scared to speak.
Gritting my teeth, I put down the wood and picked up my loaded gun, heading towards the door. What I saw next almost made me scream in fright.
The monster hadn't left at all; it was crouched outside, lurking menacingly.
In my earlier panic, I had shot wildly, and all the bullets had flown straight out. The monster, having been hit by a few bullets, had moved to a spot where my bullets couldn't reach, crouching still.
Susie, who had just run out, hadn't noticed the monster's presence. The monster followed her silently.
Suddenly, the monster roared and raised its claws, lunging at Susie's back.
"Susie! Watch out behind you!" I shouted.
Hearing my voice, Susie tried to crouch down instinctively, but the monster's huge claw still raked across her back.
"Ah!" Susie screamed and fell to the ground.
I raised my gun quickly and aimed at the monster's eye, firing a shot. I was much calmer than before, and the bullet hit its right eye precisely!
A piercing howl of pain came from its mouth.
It raised its front leg high, trying to shield its face in agony, roaring wildly. Not wanting to give it any chance, I pulled the trigger again.
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