Bloodboots: A Breadcrumbs For The Nasties Short Read Online Free
Author: Steven Novak
snout dripping blood. When it had its fill of Jackson’s belly, the howler turned its attention to us.
Its eyes were incredible, horrifying, deep crimson, improbably red. It growled, low and steady, upper lip quivering, moonlight glistening off gargantuan teeth. Instead of howling, it roared. There was something human about that sound, half a word, so much rage. I recognized it. Some of us ran. The rest froze. I stumbled, tripped over what remained of David, narrowly avoided the feasting gimps. The monster was already charging, huffing with every step, feet like car tires, kicking dirt. It was ten feet away when a bullet hit its side. Another hit its leg and the creature slid to a stop, snarling at the gunfire. The ground around it erupted, a maelstrom of lead, bullets piercing flesh, blood like falling rain. On the opposite end of the base a contingent of soldiers was approaching, dark shadows and flashing muzzles. Instead of charging, the howler sprinted toward the barracks to its right, into the shadows, using them as cover.
It was smart. It wasn’t just a mindless eating machine, barely aware of its own existence. It wasn’t like the gimps, wasn’t even like us. It was something new.
The soldiers were unorganized and spread out, barking orders they had no intention of following. The insanity of the situation caught them off guard. They forgot their training. As they approached the buildings they continued to fire, no idea what they were shooting at. It didn’t matter. Bullets ricocheted off steel, exploded in dirt, shattered windows. They were aiming at anything, hitting everything, tearing the poor bastards inside to pieces.
They didn’t care.
Taking aim at the ground, they forgot to watch the sky. If it hadn’t been for its eyes I never would have spotted it. The howler was on the roof of a building to the left, keeping low, watching. It waited for the soldiers to move into the space between the bullet-riddled barracks. It wanted them huddled together, shoulder-to-shoulder, unable to defend themselves. When it leapt into the shadows I couldn’t see much of anything. The darkness ate them all, left only screams. I heard two distinct voices before the gunfire began, listened as two men died. The area erupted in flashes and noise, gunfire and yelps. Something vaguely resembling a body was tossed from the shadows, face sunken, bones like shattered glass. Another body followed, and one after that. The forth was tossed so high it landed on a nearby roof. When it bounced the arm popped off, headed in the opposite direction. Something exploded. A fireball spread from between the structures, blasted outward, bits of steel taking to the air, everything on fire. The force of the explosion caught me off guard; I felt it on my face, unbearable heat. It punched my chest, turned my legs to rubber, and knocked me to my ass. Something popped in my ears. The world went away, replaced by a steady hum, so sharp I felt it in my brain.
Less than three minutes and a single howler, that’s all it took.
In less than three minutes our base, with our well-trained soldiers, had become a warzone.
I tried to stand; my legs wouldn’t work and the humming in my ears did a number on my balance. Forward became backward, up was down, and legs and brain were no longer communicating. I was on my knees when the howler emerged from the flames, half its body missing, exposed ribcage reflecting the glow of the fire. Three of the monster’s legs were working, forth a twisted stump of mangled bone and mush. The creature shuffled from the inferno awkwardly, smoke pouring from its nose, breathing fire. I was almost on my feet when it stopped, wailed, and snarled at the moon. The sound dropped me back to my ass. The howler’s backside was up, cooked tail waiving like a torch in the night, throwing flames. When it finished screaming it stopped again, sniffing the air with its blackened snout.
It looked in my
Its eyes were incredible, horrifying, deep crimson, improbably red. It growled, low and steady, upper lip quivering, moonlight glistening off gargantuan teeth. Instead of howling, it roared. There was something human about that sound, half a word, so much rage. I recognized it. Some of us ran. The rest froze. I stumbled, tripped over what remained of David, narrowly avoided the feasting gimps. The monster was already charging, huffing with every step, feet like car tires, kicking dirt. It was ten feet away when a bullet hit its side. Another hit its leg and the creature slid to a stop, snarling at the gunfire. The ground around it erupted, a maelstrom of lead, bullets piercing flesh, blood like falling rain. On the opposite end of the base a contingent of soldiers was approaching, dark shadows and flashing muzzles. Instead of charging, the howler sprinted toward the barracks to its right, into the shadows, using them as cover.
It was smart. It wasn’t just a mindless eating machine, barely aware of its own existence. It wasn’t like the gimps, wasn’t even like us. It was something new.
The soldiers were unorganized and spread out, barking orders they had no intention of following. The insanity of the situation caught them off guard. They forgot their training. As they approached the buildings they continued to fire, no idea what they were shooting at. It didn’t matter. Bullets ricocheted off steel, exploded in dirt, shattered windows. They were aiming at anything, hitting everything, tearing the poor bastards inside to pieces.
They didn’t care.
Taking aim at the ground, they forgot to watch the sky. If it hadn’t been for its eyes I never would have spotted it. The howler was on the roof of a building to the left, keeping low, watching. It waited for the soldiers to move into the space between the bullet-riddled barracks. It wanted them huddled together, shoulder-to-shoulder, unable to defend themselves. When it leapt into the shadows I couldn’t see much of anything. The darkness ate them all, left only screams. I heard two distinct voices before the gunfire began, listened as two men died. The area erupted in flashes and noise, gunfire and yelps. Something vaguely resembling a body was tossed from the shadows, face sunken, bones like shattered glass. Another body followed, and one after that. The forth was tossed so high it landed on a nearby roof. When it bounced the arm popped off, headed in the opposite direction. Something exploded. A fireball spread from between the structures, blasted outward, bits of steel taking to the air, everything on fire. The force of the explosion caught me off guard; I felt it on my face, unbearable heat. It punched my chest, turned my legs to rubber, and knocked me to my ass. Something popped in my ears. The world went away, replaced by a steady hum, so sharp I felt it in my brain.
Less than three minutes and a single howler, that’s all it took.
In less than three minutes our base, with our well-trained soldiers, had become a warzone.
I tried to stand; my legs wouldn’t work and the humming in my ears did a number on my balance. Forward became backward, up was down, and legs and brain were no longer communicating. I was on my knees when the howler emerged from the flames, half its body missing, exposed ribcage reflecting the glow of the fire. Three of the monster’s legs were working, forth a twisted stump of mangled bone and mush. The creature shuffled from the inferno awkwardly, smoke pouring from its nose, breathing fire. I was almost on my feet when it stopped, wailed, and snarled at the moon. The sound dropped me back to my ass. The howler’s backside was up, cooked tail waiving like a torch in the night, throwing flames. When it finished screaming it stopped again, sniffing the air with its blackened snout.
It looked in my
Readers choose
Oscar de Muriel
Jeff Lindsay
Chrystle Fiedler
J.B. McGee
John Hawkes
Jedediah Berry
Julie Moffett
Barbara Colley
Suzanne Brockmann
Linda Kupecek