Chapter: Blood in the Water
The town loomed ahead through the mist — skeletal remains of buildings jutting out of the water like broken teeth. Roofs sagged, windows were gaping black holes, and what once was a bustling riverside market was now half-submerged and eerily silent.
Their boat bumped gently against a collapsed pier. Lucian was the first to leap ashore, hand steadying the rickety craft for the others. Behind him, Aurora clutched a backpack tight to her chest, her eyes wide and scanning.
"We'll be quick," Lucian said, his voice low. "Grab food, medicine — whatever we can carry."
They split up, picking through the wreckage. It was while rifling through the ruins of a convenience store that aurora heard it — a whisper, a scrape. She spun around and almost collided with a teenage boy, dirty-faced and shaking, holding up empty palms.
"Please," he rasped. "Don't hurt us."
Behind him, a small group emerged from the shadows — five in total, all hollow-eyed and desperate. Survivors.
Lucian lowered his weapon slightly. "We're not here to fight," he said carefully. "We're just looking for supplies too."
Before they could talk more, the water behind them churned violently. A terrible screech pierced the fog.
Monsters.
From the riverbank, sleek shapes exploded out of the water — grotesque, scaled, and ravenous. Their movements were horrifyingly fast, part reptile, part nightmare.
"RUN!" Lucian shouted.
Chaos erupted. The group sprinted for the boat, the monsters snapping at their heels. Aurora shoved the teenage boy ahead of her. They scrambled onto the battered craft — but the weight, now almost doubled, sent it lurching dangerously to one side.
"It's sinking!" someone screamed.
Lucian heart pounded. There was no time to argue — the boat was already dipping under. The monsters shrieked, gaining on them.
"Leave it!" Avery barked. "We need a bigger boat — NOW!"
They sprinted along the ruined pier, frantically searching. The monsters spilled onto the docks behind them, their slick bodies slithering at terrifying speed.
Among the ruins, Lucian spotted it — a large fishing trawler, half-submerged but still intact. It was tethered loosely, bobbing with the current.
"There!" he yelled, pointing.
Aurora was already running, dragging one of the younger survivors by the hand.
The group scrambled over debris, their feet slipping on wet boards. Behind them, the monsters let out guttural howls — closer, closer.
Lucian reached the trawler first, vaulting over the side. The deck was slick and covered in debris, but it would float. It had to.
"Everyone, onboard!" he screamed, pulling bodies up over the side.
Monsters hurled themselves onto the docks, their jaws snapping inches from fleeing heels. One survivor fell, screaming, but Egwene grabbed him by the arm and hauled him to safety.
With a roar, Theron sliced the tether loose. The current seized the boat, dragging it away from the collapsing pier just as the monsters lunged — missing by a breath.
For a long moment, they drifted, gasping, blood pounding in their ears.
Above them, the sky was darkening — and they all knew this was just the beginning.