The flare erupted in brilliant red light, a pillar of fire that cut through the storm clouds. I held it high above my head, my arm trembling from exhaustion and grief.
"Come on… someone has to see that," I panted, staggering back from the edge.
I heard a single, ragged shout—his voice—cut off by a wet, final crack. Silence hit like a wall.
He was gone.
I sank to my knees on the cold concrete, the flare burning brightly in my hand. I survived. But I was alone. And the boy who had saved me, who had fought with courage I would never forget, was gone, too. I looked at the burning city, the flare a beacon of my failure and my survival, and I finally let the sobs tear free.
The wind whipped across the flat rooftoptop, carrying the smell of smoke. I didn't know how long I knelt there, crying, the flare casting long, dancing shadows around me.
Then I heard it.
The familiar scraping sound from behind me.
I froze, my sobs catching in my throat. Slowly, I turned my head.
The creature from the hallway had found its way to the flat rooftop. It moved with a horrifying grace, its broken jaw stretched into what might've been a smile. Its multiple eyes—all six of them—were fixed on me.
"R...unn..ing is... im..po..lite..."
I scrambled to my feet, sneakers slipping on the concrete. The rooftop felt vast and exposed, nowhere to hide.
Behind me, I heard claws scraping the roof as it got closer.
I ran as fast as I could. My heart pounded so loud that I could hear it. The creature's laughter followed me across the roof. As if it was playing with me, I knew it could've caught me already if it wanted. The monster was savoring this moment, showing a terrifying intelligence.
The monster slammed into my back.
I went down hard, chin cracking against the concrete. The pain shot through me as claws raked across my shoulders, tearing through my blazer like paper.
"Urghh—!" I went down hard, chin cracking against the floor. The pain flared immediately.
"Ghh—damn it!" Claws tore into my shoulders, ripping through my blazer like paper, the sensation of a sickening mix of burning pain and tearing of my flesh.
The smell of my own blood filled my nose.
"Th..ere~... much.. bet..ter..."
The monster's weight pressed down on me. I could feel its breath on my neck—it's hot, wet, and reeking of decay. Those terrifying teeth grazed my skin. I knew I was going to die at this moment. Right here, on the rooftop where I'd come to signal for help.
I didn't even have a weapon.
Panic started creeping in, scratching at the edges of my brain... but then something else kicked in too.
It wasn't muscle memory... God knows I'd never actually nailed this move ever.
But I'd seen it once. Half-assed my way through it during some self-defense workshop back in the dojo in school. A disarm technique from jiu-jitsu or aikido, honestly, I'd been checking my phone half the time.
Still, it was all I had. Do it now or you're dead, I said to myself.
I shifted, and hell, my ribs screamed. But I didn't try to fight the monster's momentum. I went with it. Let the thing push down on me, just a bit. Then I twisted hard to the left while whipping my body under its center.
The creature's weight went with me, totally thrown by the sudden shift. One claw scraped uselessly against the concrete. Its whole body wobbled.
I kicked off the roof edge with everything I had and drove my elbow into its side, shoving the thing off me.
It stumbled back, all those limbs scrambling to catch itself.
That's all I needed.
I rolled toward the flare, which had fallen nearby, grabbed it, and swung like a club. The metal cylinder connected with the creature's skull with a satisfying crunch. Black ichor sprayed across the roof.
The thing shrieked and staggered back. One eye had burst, leaking fluid down its ruined cheek.
I didn't wait to see if it'd recover. I scrambled away, grabbing a heavy piece of roof debris—a broken piece of metal railing—and turned to face the creature.
It shook its head, clearing the remaining fluid from its burst eye. The remaining five focused on me with pure hatred.
"You... will... die... slowly..." it hissed, its voice clearer now, more coherent.
We circled each other on the rooftop, the flare burning between us, casting our shadows long against the concrete. The wind howled, carrying the sounds of distant screams and the crackling of fires across the city.
I tightened my grip on the metal railing, my knuckles white. My shoulders burned where the claws had torn through my flesh, but I ignored the pain. The quiet kid had given his life so I could have this chance. I wouldn't waste it.
The creature lunged, and I swung.
Metal met bone with a sickening crunch.
The creature shrieked and staggered back, another of its eyes bursting. It was blind now, or nearly so, but it kept coming, guided by sound and smell.
"Can't... hide... from... me..." it growled, its voice a gurgling mess of blood and rage.
I backed away, searching for another weapon, anything to finish this. My eyes fell on a ventilation shaft cover that had been torn loose in the initial chaos. It was heavy, made of reinforced steel, with a handle on one side.
As I reached for it, the creature lunged again. I barely managed to dodge, its claws scraping against the concrete where I'd just been standing.
I grabbed the vent cover and hefted it with both hands. It was awkward, heavy, but it would have to do.
The creature paused, its head tilting as if listening to something I couldn't hear.
"More... coming..." it whispered, a strange note of what might have been excitement in its voice. "Fresh... meat..."
Before I could process what that meant, I heard it too—a distant whirring sound, growing steadily louder.