She Flew

 

Jessica saw the puddle as she flew towards it, knowing she would land in it. She spread herself as she landed with a squelch in the heavy mud, filthy water splashing up all around her. She twisted as she landed; her uniform already sodden. She pulled the pistol from her holster, aiming back at the… at the… whatever it was that had hurled her across the farmyard into the puddle.

Her pistol wavered in her shaking hand as she looked for a target on the huge monstrosity lumbering towards her. Already, at this distance she could smell again the sopping wet shaggy fur that covered it from head to toe. She spat mud as she remembered it squeezing her against itself in a bear-hug before it threw her across the yard.

Through the pouring rain she saw it pause at the body of one of the farm workers. It snorted and thumped one of its huge legs down on the chest of the farm worker, grabbing at the man’s arm with its front paws… hands. The thing, the beast, tore the arm from the body and gnawed at the fleshy end. Jessica saw those huge pointed teeth and swallowed hard.

Aim for the mouth, she thought, taking her pistol in both hands. Her police radio squawked to life, she recognised her call sign.

‘Help is coming. Hang on, Jessica!’ the voice distorted, crackling and almost inaudible in the hammering downpour.

The beast threw the half-chewed arm over its shoulder, sniffed the air and turned back towards Jessica.

She swallowed knowing the beast would have her long before any of that help could ever arrive. She braced herself, aimed for the roaring bloody mouth and squeezed the trigger.