Stay in the Light

    She lifted the lantern aloft, projecting its glow around her. As long as she remained within the center of its light, she would be safe. Taking long strides, she trudged through the soft snow, leaving two long trenches behind her. Emanating from the darkness surrounding her came the cacophony of snarling growls. The creatures lay just out of her sight, but she could hear them shifting and circling in the darkness. Every few steps, she would come across a large print that had broken across her path. As long as she remained within the light, she would be safe.

            She continued pushing through the snow. She did not know how long she had been at it, or how far she had gone. It could have been a lifetime.  A cold wind pushed through the snow, sending white drifts swirling around her. The lantern flame spluttered and danced. Quickly, she pressed the lantern against her chest. Cradling it, the light cut into a semi-circle, drenching her back in darkness.

Claws like razors ripped into her leg. She cried out as she was yanked backward, the lantern plummeted into the snow. Its flame danced wildly from its pocket in the snow. Claws and teeth, one indistinguishable from the other, ripped and tore into the meaty flesh of her calf. Screaming out, she plunged gloved hands into the snow before her in an attempt to claw her way towards the lantern. Her slick gloves slipped through the snow, failing to catch hold. She could hear more creatures thundering through the darkness towards her. Bracing herself, she peeled her eyes from the lantern’s light. Spinning wildly onto her back, she stared into the darkness. She could only make out the large silhouette of a creature, its long silver teeth dripping with her blood. Rearing up her free leg, she brought her heavy snow boot crashing into the thing’s face, sending it sliding backward into the snow and off of her leg.

           As the creature cried out, in pain or surprise, she did not know, she flopped onto her stomach, frantically crawling towards the lantern. Heavy limbs punched into the snow behind her. She threw her hand towards the lantern. A clawed hand once again pulled at her mangled leg. Her index finger hooked the handle of the lantern as she was pulled back. Thrusting her arm into the air, the lantern swung wildly, throwing light all around her.

Whipping her head behind her, she stared wide-eyed in horror at the thing that attacked her. Its hairless body was covered in grey flesh only a few shades darker than the surrounding snow. It moved on four grotesquely elongated limbs. Coming off of its forelimbs, were large hands resembling those of a human’s. The fingers were impossibly long; claws, dripping with scarlet, protruded from their tips. Its face was almost human-like, almost. The nose and mouth protruded from the face forming a snout. Its cracked lips dripped with her blood. It retreated into the darkness until all she saw was the lantern’s flame reflected in the creature’s milky white eyes.

           Eyes locked, lantern still held aloft, she made to stand. She screamed out as she tried to place her weight upon her mangled leg, a stream of ghostly breath issuing from her mouth. Steadying herself on her good leg, she peeled her eyes from those of the creature and cast them down. Her right leg was stable. But her left. Her left leg had been mangled. The creature’s claws cut deep ribbons into her calf and thigh, exposing the bubbly adipose tissue. Blood streamed down her snow pants, reflecting the light from the lantern, pooling in her snow boot. Again, she shifted her weight to test the leg’s stability, screaming out in pain.

Lifting her eyes from her legs, she was faced with total darkness. She knew the creature had not left; it had simply shifted from her view. Heartbeat thundering in her ears, she strained to make out the sounds around her. Snow crunched and shifted around her. The creatures continued to circle.

Keeping the lantern raised high above her head, she began to move. Limping through the snow, dragging her disfigured leg behind her. A glistening trail of crimson left in her wake. As long as she stayed in the light, she told herself, she would be safe. As long as she kept the lantern lit, until morning she would be okay. She hobbled through the snow, the crisp air like needles in her open wounds. The lantern bobbed overhead, the flame flickering wildly in its globe.

From overhead, there came a violent jerk. The lantern had nearly been ripped from her grasp, she hung on by her fingertips. Frantic and wide-eyed, she cast her eyes above her. There, in the snow-laden branches of a birch tree crouched one of the creatures. If it was the same one that attacked her or a new one, she did not know. Eyes blazing, outstretched claws reflecting like silver knives in the firelight. Once more, it made a swipe at the lantern. Missing the handle, its claws sliced through her gloves, exposing the skin beneath. Bubbling black welts grew where the creature’s flesh had made contact with the light.

She pushed through the snow, trying to direct her path away from the perched creature, lowering the lantern, gaining a firmer purchase on the handle. The creature above her let out an ear-piercing screech, a thick fog of breath rising from its maw. Leaning on the branch, it through its arm out once again. This time its claws made contact. Not with the lantern, however. Claws sank into the side of the woman’s head, causing her to awkwardly lurch backward. Her scream matching that of the creature’s, her own foggy breath rising from her curled lips. She could feel warm blood flowing down the side of her head, pooling in her ear. In vain, she tried to continue forward, but the creature’s claws remained embedded deep within her flesh.

From the branches above, using its three free limbs, the creature crawled towards her. Snow cascaded down from the branches, melting in the warm blood that was now drenching her. There was a hungry look in the creature’s eyes, she saw her terrified crimson face reflected in those milky orbs. Gathering all of the strength she had left, she thrusted the lantern into the creature’s face, breaking the glass globe. The creature howled with pain as its face began to blister and blacken. With a wet sickly squelch, it wrenched its claws free from her head, rubbing and scratching wildly at its own face.

As the creature released its hold on her, she let out another scream, her legs buckling beneath her, sending her crashing back into the snow. She was unable to push on. She had lost feeling in her mangled leg. Her head swam and her vision blurred as she continued the hemorrhage blood. Squinting her eyes into focus, she brought the lantern crashing down on the creature’s head. The splintered glass shattered, embedding thick shards in one of its eyes. The creature recoiled, snapping its head back and forth. Oil splashed from the base of the lantern, covering the creature and herself. The flame of the lantern took hold, following the slick path. Engulfed in flame, the creature thrashed wildly, clawing at its blackening skin. The girl merely slumped over, the pain was immense, but she had no breath left to scream. She watched as more creatures clamored through the birch trees encircling them. Watching, eyes blazing. Staying out of the light.