Krampus Plot, part IV

[lady_bols]

 She crawled out of the tent on her hands and knees, gritting her teeth.  The ground was hard packed dirt, and the air smelled clean and fresh. It was dark, and they were under a brilliant desert night sky.

"Oh, Ichabod.  Look."

Comments

[1stwitness]

"So this is... perhaps something the creature knows, in some way", he guesses. "Or... oh, no."

[lady_bols]

Alex watches the colour drain from his face. Every muscle in her body goes still, except for her hand, which is inching towards her gun.

"Ichabod? Talk to me."

[1stwitness]

"Turn around", he says - almost hisses, really. "Very, very slowly. It hasn't seen us yet."

From behind her, something clicks on the stony ground.

[lady_bols]

"...It?"

She pivots, slowly, holding her breath.

The 'It' in question is the size of a small dog. It's black and shiny and segmented, with two sharp claws and a tail suspended in the air over its back.

"Bloody hell."

She freezes, eyes wide as saucers.

"Okay? Now what."

[1stwitness]

"We shoot it?" he suggests hopefully. "Although perhaps we should first try to establish if there are any more..."

[lady_bols]

"Let's not provoke it. It looks like bullets might just bounce right off."

She's whispering, which is ridiculous but she is.

"Can you see any others?"

[1stwitness]

"Not as of now, but I wouldn't like to say there are none."

He finds himself whispering too.

[lady_bols]

"Do you think we could possibly be so lucky?"

She backs towards him, gesturing him farther down the path.

"Just walk. Slowly. Quietly. Maybe we can... oh god..."

There's another behind another boulder, and another clicking passed, on important scorpion business.

[1stwitness]

"Slowly and quietly", he agrees, trying to force himself to keep calm. "Have I mentioned I dislike scorpions?"

[lady_bols]

"Oh really. I'm not overly fond of them myself."

Alex swallows, her mouth gone dry as dust. She glances up the canyon.

"Back to back?"

[1stwitness]

He nods agreement and moves quietly into position, then begins moving up the canyon, making sure their paces are matched.

[lady_bols]

Her shoulder barely touches his, so she knows exactly where he is. She holds her gun at low ready, and her eye tracks every bit of movement in the dim light.

"So, I see four on that side, and five over there. How many over there?"

[1stwitness]

"...Two, I think", he says quietly, peering. "Unless more are concealed by the rocks, but I count only two."

[lady_bols]

"Lucky you."

They slip farther down the canyon, the ground sloping gently downward. The farther they go, the deeper into shadow they have to go.

"I can't see anything up ahead. Stop for a moment. I want to listen."

They pause, and she holds her breath. There's the clicking of the scorpions they can see. And then there's the clicking of the scorpions they can't see.

And then there's the scrape CLACK of something much, much larger, emanating from a deep cut a few yards up slope to their left.

"Ichabod."

[1stwitness]

"I heard it." His voice is tense. "I think we should stay as far as possible to the right, don't you? And pray that it can't see in the dark."

[lady_bols]

"The sense vibrations, don't they?" Her voice is barely audible, and she starts easing in the direction he's indicated.

The scrape CLACK stops for a moment, and then picks up again. A behemoth of a shadow creeps out from the edge of the canyon. The silhouette of a claw catches in the moonlight, and it's easily two metres long.

"Stay calm, Alex. Just go slowly. Quietly."

[1stwitness]

Ichabod seems to be struggling not to hyperventilate, with mixed success.

"Suddenly I find myself regretting the lack of edged weapons."

[lady_bols]

"You don't want to go anywhere near that thing."

Alex stumbles and nearly goes down, and all the clicking in the immediate vicinity stops. The silence is deafening.

"Get ready to run..."

[1stwitness]

"Running. Yes. Running now would be good." Beat. "And I recommend, if that monster emerges, firing at its tail."

[lady_bols]

There's a flurry of movement in the darkness off to their left and Alex brings her weapon up.

"Trouble is..."

She thumbs the safety off.

"I have no idea where we're running to. It could be a dead end. And last time I checked, neither one of us can fly."

[1stwitness]

"I think we will have to take that risk", he says, raising his shotgun and sighting down the barrel. "In this case, most definitely not better the devil you know."

[lady_bols]

"This is not going to be pretty."

She kicks at one of the smaller creatures, and it raises a claw, trying to grab at her foot.

"No, no, get back..."

A shot rings out, and the scorpion goes limp. The ones all around them raise their claws as if directed by some invisible source. And she can see the monstrous one do the same.

"Oh bloody hell."

She's already moving, a quick lope, hoping he'll keep up.

[1stwitness]

He does - and he's actively trying not to overtake her, or he might have left her behind.

"Here's hoping."

[lady_bols]

She stays close, holding her fire now, as she only has the one magazine, and she's kicking herself for not grabbing another two or three.

The behemoth of a scorpion casts about for the source of the movement, and the growing swarm of smaller (Ha! They're the size of dogs!) scorpions is giving chase. The behemoth turns towards them, and the snap of its claws is so loud, it rings in the canyon.

Her voice is no longer a whisper. She tries to sound cool and collected, but he can hear the edge of panic in her voice. "Ichabod, lay down some fire will you. Make him think twice?"

[1stwitness]

"Gladly."

Carefully, trying hard not to waste shells, he blasts at the scorpion - and, as previously stated, aiming first for the tail. If it has no sting, it can't inject venom.