This week's fictional short story is by Benjamin Munson-Ellis, a 10th grade Media Communications major.
Ben’s Story: I wrote this because I always have good ideas or pitches for stories, but I typically don’t write them down. When I had the inspiration for this story, I couldn’t pass it up. It also helped that on the day I wrote this, almost all of my teachers were out sick. So I had the availability to write my story. I like to write stories about alternate realities that can be based in our current world.
The Hunt
It got me. I tried to shoot it but it got me. Nicked my ribs as it charged out of the clearing. Now I lie on the ground bleeding from the side of my stomach as a light snow coats the meadow.
My radio crackles “Bobby!” and cuts in and out.
“Bobby-where are you? Did you see it?”
I reach for my radio but my arm shoots with pain as I stretch it. I wince with pain as I grab onto the radio.
“Yeah Tim…yeah I saw it, shot it too.”
My rifle now bent and distorted, lies 3 yards away from me.
My radio crackles again, “Have you seen Don? He got away from me and he’s not answering his radio.”
I sigh, “Which way’d he go?”
Tim answers, voice brimming with distress.
“Well…he said that we should split up and we should try and find the Howler on our own.”
Tim’s radio cuts off for a second before beeping back in.
“Where are you?”
I look at my surroundings for the first time since the attack, carefully.
"I'm-um I’m in a clearing due east of the truck.”
Tim answers, shaken, “Well, I'm by the waterfall, can you get to me?”
I look at my legs, deep wounds paint my thighs.
“I can’t get to you, but I can at least get your attention. '' I unholster my flare gun and shoot a flare into the sky. Red as the sun cuts through the icy winds and heavy snow, it explodes like a firework at least a mile into the sky.
Tim responds, “I see you, heading there now!''
Finally, rescue is coming. I rest my head against a log as I start to drift off into unconsciousness.
I woke up in the passenger seat of the truck. Gauze around my waist, arm and legs, Tim drives down the highway, seemingly unphased by the previous events.
“Tim, where’s Don?”
Tim’s eyes well with tears.
"He…I couldn’t find him-” just as Don's lifeless body slams on the windshield and he slides over the hood of the car.
“OH MY GOD!!” I scream in terror and shock.
Tim’s eyes dilate as a large lion-like creature emerges from the side of the highway and he attempts to swerve the car out of the way but the truck slams into the monster, but it uses its horns to flip the truck over. Crashing over the side of the road, the truck lands upside. From my seat I see Tim’s body, the shards of glass embedded in his chest have dyed his shirt red with blood. I myself had somehow cheated death once again with the broken glass stuck in my already wounded left arm. But I can hear it, the beast, pacing around the car, leaning in close to the driver’s side of the truck, I stay as still and quiet as possible until I see the beast’s lion-like muzzle drag Tim’s corpse from the wreckage of the truck, then silence. A horrible silence louder than any beast or machine known in the modern world. The faint sound of an engine grows louder and louder by the minute until almost a dozen black vehicles arrive. Suddenly, I'm dragged out of the wreckage and immediately questioned.
“Which way did it go?!'' the man commanded.
All of the people that exited the van were clad in SWAT-like gear and masks. Brandishing nets and cattle prodders, they survey the area with shot nerves and ferocity of a fight unknown.
“Um…um it-um-it went east I think,” I sputtered.
The men exchanged worried glances before one spoke up.
“Sir! How far are we from Pleasant Lake?”
I responded, "Just about 5 miles out…why?”
The men hurriedly conversed amongst themselves again before the same one spoke to me again.
“Where were you coming from sir?”
“Umm I live a couple hours away in Boston and just came up here to go on a trip with some friends.”
“Alright. We’re going to take you to the hospital and get you patched up and then we're going to go after Creature-X...”
He continues talking but I begin to see black as I slip into unconsciousness again.
I wake up in a hospital bed, my left arm is gone, just a stump wrapped in gauze remains. My legs are also wrapped in gauze, but I'm thankful I can feel them once again, but questions still remain.
Who were those men?
And what was Creature-X?
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