" The Brace of Shadows"

Chapter 2: The encounter.

The thunder of Alex's pulse was loud in his ears as the creature's gaze dwelled in his direction, its pale, sinewy body gleaming faintly in the filtered sunlight through the vines. For a moment, the world seemed to hold its breath along with him.

Move. Move now, his instincts yelled, but it was the fear that held him rooted.

A low, guttural growl issued from the creature-a sound that sent shivers down his spine. The thing cocked its head to one side, listening, then took a tentative step forward, its twisted limbs creaking like old wood.

"It hears me. It knows I'm here."

A surge of adrenaline overpowered his fear finally. Alex clutched the knife tightly and sprang around the rusted car, keeping low. His heart racing, he searched for cover or an escape route, but the street ahead offered only broken cars, piles of rubble, and a collapsed storefront for cover.

The creature's growl rose to a sharp, high-pitched shriek, and he knew he had been spotted. The sound echoed through the ruined city, bouncing off the crumbling skyscrapers like a predator's call.

He ran.

The wind whipped past him, and he was running for the fallen storefront. He leaped over the rubble, legs trembling but still good enough to continue on. Behind him, the sound of claws on pavement grew louder, closer.

Alex flung himself through the broken window hard onto the floor, amidst shattering debris. Shards of glass bit into the surfaces of his palms, which he ignored. Crawling deeper into the shadow-filled interior, he tried hard to control his ragged breathing.

The shriek of the creature resounded outside, then it cut off. The silence was worse.

Alex leaned his back against the cold, damp wall and clutched the knife tightly in his hand. He strained his ears, listening for any sign of movement.

And then he heard it: the soft crunch of glass.

The creature was inside.

Alex cursed under his breath. He scanned the room for an escape, but the only exit was the way he'd come. Shadows danced across the walls as the creature moved closer, its guttural growls growing louder.

Desperation kicked in. He grabbed a broken pipe lying on the floor and flung it across the room, to the opposite corner. The pipe clattered loudly against the wall, and the creature darted at the noise in less than a second, moving unnervingly fast and jerky.

Using the distraction, Alex scrambled to his feet and was off in a flash. He leaped back through the window and hit the ground hard, but didn't stop to catch his breath. Down the street he sprinted, dodging abandoned cars and piles of debris.

He didn't dare to turn around, but the rustling sound of pursuit from the creature was unmistakable: it was faster, and it was gaining.

Ahead, he saw the manhole cover missing from the middle of the street and dove toward it, grabbing the rusty ladder and sliding into darkness below.

He hit the ground with a splash; the foul stench of the sewer then assaulted his senses. He stumbled forward, dim light from above quickly fading. The creature's shriek echoed above, followed by the sound of its claws scraping against the ladder.

It's following me.

His mind hit panicking mode as he burst into a blind run in the dark, his boots slapping through the filthy water. The tunnel did seem endless, and then the sound of his feet and those chasing after him morphed into one chaotic symphony of fear.

Before him, through a faint light-a piece of grating that has been broken and allowed a tinge of daylight to pour in-he scrambled furiously toward it, trying to find any way of escape.

In a flash, his foot caught on something and he went sprawling face-first into the water. The knife flew from his hand, clattering against the concrete. He rolled onto his back, gasping for air, just as the creature's shadow loomed over him.

It let out another piercing shriek and lunged. Alex's hand flailed for the knife but came back with another object: an old metal rod. Swept up in the absentmindedness of his thoughts, he swung it with all force. The metal rod landed on the creature's skull, returning in a shrill, buckled shriek as his body faltered backwards. Alex didn't wait to see if it would revive. He picked up his knife, stuffed the rod in the pack and headed toward the light. He emerged from the sewer into a narrow alley and collapsed against the wall, gasping for air. The shrieks of the creature were faintly echoing from below, but it did not follow him. For now, he was safe. However, as he looked down at his shaking hands and blood-smeared knife, he finally realized a truth: He was not just trying to survive; he was being hunted.