Screams from the Abyss

Culling

Jaden's lungs burned as he crashed through the twisted underbrush. Beside him, Mei vaulted over a fallen log with practiced ease, while Ryker brought up the rear, constantly glancing back at their unseen pursuers.

The howls grew closer, a cacophony of hunger and rage that seemed to come from everywhere at once.

"There!" Mei pointed to a dense cluster of those tar-barked trees. "The roots form a cave. It's defensible."

They scrambled into the natural shelter just as something large crashed through the space they'd occupied moments before. Jaden caught a glimpse of matted fur and too many eyes before Ryker pulled him fully into the shadow of the roots.

For long minutes, the only sound was their ragged breathing and the snuffling of the creature outside. Jaden's shadows coiled restlessly around his arms, responding to his fear and adrenaline.

Finally, the sounds receded. Mei let out a long, shaky breath. "That was too close."

"No shit," Ryker grunted, peering out through a gap in the roo