Pandora's Box

Chapter 19

The vanguard strike team continues to fire at the Reaper while they focus their guns at the creature while it avoids every bullet.

“Ninety PERCENT!” Brandola shouted to Captain Reyes.

While Jennifer and Alexander, are hiding in a corner while they watch the soldiers fight the creature.

“What are they doing?” she whispered.

“I don’t know,” Alexander whispered to her.

“Let’s just watch them work,” she whispered back.

“The bullets can ricochet here since we are in the open, so I suggest we find a new place to watch,” he suggested.

“Okay, if that’s what you say so,” she said.

Then the two crawled down as they thread the place carefully not to be detected by the soldier, who are busy firing at the creature.

Since the soldier who came across the two corpses they have seen earlier, really disturbed them. So, they handled the bodies, to show respect to them. So, they removed the two corpses from hanging and put them somewhere where no one can see them.

That’s why Jennifer and Alexander did not come across, her sister’s corpse. She is hoping that she can find her here.

The two find some safe space to watch the batallion as they don’t have even the slightest idea, what is happening around them.

“Ninety-Nine PERCENT!” Smith shouted as the photon cannon charges its light inside.

“READY TO FIRE SIR!” Brandola said.

Captain Reyes turned around and lowered his gun as he rushed towards the photon cannon.

“Boys prepare to fire! We only have one shot at this so we have to perfect the timing,” Captain Reyes, added.

“Yes sir,” they replied while they rush. Captain Reyes, pointed his gun as he thinks of a strategy. But the creature was not there anymore as it lurks in the sides of the shadows...

It snatches one of Reyes’s soldiers again, dragging it back to the darkness. It was quiet as the gunshots echoed all around.

With that, the Reaper did not waste any time as it snatches other soldiers as the fight goes on and on.

Holland noticed that his mate Tom, was missing and immediately noticed that he is the only one there firing his gun towards the creature, He stopped firing his gun, and paranoia was inflicted inside his heart.

He hugged his gun like a teddy bear and steps back.

“Mommy,” he said as he is seeing his past, inside a dark room, where he has awoken from a deep slumber and strange sounds echoing outside his window.

Hallucinating from the shadows, his imagination playing with him thinking that it was some sort of monster creeping around to get him and preventing him from laying down.

There are so, many things, that go inside his mind, the terror of being a child with the wildest imagination inside.

But before he could snap back to reality, the reaper already snatched him from the darkness, and as the Reaper pulls him back from the darkness, where Holland fears the most.

He just saw nothing as he notices himself being dragged and his consciousness fading back to the void.

When Captain Reyes looked back, he noticed that his battalion was completely obliterated by the sinister creature, he saw blood trails and maniacal laughter of the creature echoed out from the whole place.

“s**t,” he cursed as he looks back to the photon cannon but he was even more surprised to see the ones behind him also disappeared.

He stepped back as he distances himself from the darkness as he is aware that the creature is lurking from within.

“WHERE ARE YOU?!” he shouted. “SHOW YOURSELF YOU MONSTER!” he shouted again, as he begins to fire his gun randomly. “COWARD!” he shouted again.

“YouUrR Daughter is mine,” the creature said in a menacing way that made him feel chills coming up to his spine. When he heard the creature’s chilling voice, his knees began to shake as he is about to fall and he begin to hallucinate.

“GET YOUR DIRTY HANDS OFF MY DAUGHTER!” he shouted as the fear inside his heart. Then he steps back as he crawls away from the darkness.

Even he knows that his family does not live inside the country he knows that this creature can reach them if everything goes against their plans.

There is something that they can’t stop this cre-

“BOSS!” one of his men that controls the photon beam grabbed his shoulders. Captain Reyes was taken aback by reality quickly. He saw that his remaining soldiers are still on the side of the photon cannon.

He was just taken by the hallucination of the creature that is trying to throw him off.

Before the scythe could even hit the captain, he run towards the photon cannon to reach his other men.

“How was it?” he asked when he reached his men.

“Ready to fire sir,” one of them asked.

“HELP!” their attention was taken by Brandola being taken by the creature.

“f**k!” he shouted as he fires towards the creature but as usual the creature can dodge and avoid any damage from them.

“Be strong inside and don’t be taken by his paranoia,” he added.

“Yes sir,” Smith answered as Captain Reyes is going to his side to help him carry the heavy photon cannon that they will use to stun the creature.

“Alex,” Jennifer called to him.

Alexander slowly turned his gaze towards the troubled lady.

“What’s the matter?” he asked.

“Did you see how that creature, quickly murdered those soldiers?” she remarked.

“Just don’t look,” Alexander mumbled.

“How am I supposed to look away? I am not a kid anymore Alexander, I don’t need any protection, my sister, she could be d-“

She was cut off when Alexander put his finger in between her lips before she could mutter any words that will let her down.

“Jennifer, look at the brighter side,” he said.

“This place is too dark already, and the hopelessness of what that creature can do,” she replied.

“No, Leon is alive, and your sister may be also hiding here somewhere from that deadly creature,” he added.

“Possible,” she muttered that one word. “So, you are saying that it is also possible that she did not make it,” she added and Alexander was surprised by that and all that he can do for now is to stare at her with sad eyes.

There is nothing that he could do to cheer her up because she is correct that they need to face the harsh reality of what they are facing right now.

“Stay here,” he said as he stands up from hiding.

“Where are you going?” she asked Alexander who is seemingly preparing himself for what he is planning to do right now.

“Just stay here and I will make sure that you will meet your sister again,” he replied looking at her with serious eyes, and Alexander does not know if he will succeed with this plan of his as he is fully aware that this may take his life.

“He-“

“Op op, just watches,” he said and then he turned his head towards the two struggling soldiers that are being played by the creature nonstop. He started to run towards them.

“Who are you?” Captain Reyes asked Alexander when he reached them.

“It does not matter right now, and it seems like that you need help,” he said, as he picks up a rifle that has been dropped by one of the fallen soldiers that is being played by the creature.

“We sure do boy,” Captain Reyes replied to him.

“That’s good to know,” Alexander replied.

He began to fire where he can see the glimpse of the creature.

“Just keep the creature away from us, and use that emergency flashbang, when it comes near,” he commanded Alexander as he throws the only flashbang in his hand. This sudden bright light may damage the creature but they don’t have any choice left to take.

“Roger sir,” he said as held tight to the flashbang that was given to him.

“It’s been an honor to serve with you,” Captain Reyes said, and that phrase rang into his ear as it did not hear that right. It seems so wrong.

But the fast movements of the creature caught his attention as he pointed his gun towards the creature.

“Dude,” he said.

But Captain Reyes did not give any attention to Alexander anymore as the captain assisted Smith to fire the Photon Cannon, which is their only hope of surviving this grim fate that they are facing right now.

“Well, that is something that I can do for her right now,” he whispered to himself. He reminded himself why he is risking his life right here and right now.

The maniacal laughter of the creature echoed throughout the place again. It was very scary for him that he was there, unlike earlier he was hiding.

He pointed his gun and it is a good thing that he has experienced. All people that will be part of this nation must learn how to fire and carry a gun for self-protection because events that happen inside this country are very unpredictable and they won’t know as long as they don’ know when and where the creatures will rage on. They don’t have any idea what to do.

He saw the creature running very fast towards them, and his heart beats faster than the creature.

“Oh god!” he exclaimed as he dropped the gun and he stood there in fear waiting for a s***h that will end his journey in this world.

That mischievous smile of the creature will haunt him forever in his life.

“She is mine,” the creature with its groggy voice as it slides towards him.

But before the reaper could even swing his scythe, Jennifer bumped into Alexander and she took the flashbang from his hand and without hesitation, she pulled the pin and threw it in the face of the creature.

All of a sudden everything became so bright that they can’t see anything.

They lost their consciousness.