Blood seeped through the makeshift bandages with every step, staining the ground. The cube retracted into the floor, leaving behind the girl. She turned to face me, her eyes pleading for comfort. I held her tightly against me, her breathing syncing with my own labored gasps. We clung to each other as the otherworldly vegetation started shifting and streams of light began pouring out of each of them. They wrapped around my wounds like gentle hands, soothing the pain and healing my flesh.
As the little girl held me close, her soft hair tickled my nose. It smelled just like my sister’s. Memories of her flooded back, overwhelming me. In a matter of minutes, my wounds completely healed, and she slumped against me unconscious with a minor nosebleed-healing me had taken a toll on her, and seeing her like that brought back my last moments with my sister.
On our walk home from school, buildings collapsed, and the ground shook. A hole opened wide, and my little sister fell in. I stood there, motionless, unable to move or do anything but cry.
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I snapped out of my flashback, feeling the girl’s weight on my chest. Her eyes snapped open, but only a hiss escaped her lips. She mouthed a word: snake. The floor shifted beneath us, like a living creature waking up from a long slumber. Seconds later, a giant serpent exploded from beneath the floor, twisting its head towards us. Its scales glistened like metal, and its eyes burned like fire. The serpent’s roar was deafening, shaking the walls and the ceiling. I grabbed the girl and sprinted towards the doors, dodging the debris and the serpent’s fangs. She clung to my chest for dear life; her nails digging into my skin.
An alarm blared. Sixteen ball turrets descended from the ceiling, firing at the serpent. It smashed its tail against the walls, scattering rubble throughout the facility. We slid through a fine crack in the blast door just as the serpent slammed into it with a concussive thud. The ceiling collapsed onto the serpent, caving in the blast door. Dust and smoke filled the air, making me cough and choke.