Untitled: Part 5 [EDITS]

Leon loosened the grip on his gun, then tightened it again to reaffirm its existence. He peered into the darkness, hoping for some sense of what was to come, but it was only a black hole. Through the rain, the lights barely affected the foliage outside the fence. He stole a brief look at his counterpart, and that's when it attacked.

Without warning, a figure jumped out of the brush. Milo fired as a knee-jerk reaction, unsure of where exactly to shoot. The figure crashed into Leon, knocking him into the mud, splashing it all around. It scratched Milo's arm, pushing him to the side. Milo held himself up against a tree and fired again.

The creature let out an agonizing yell. It stood on all fours on top of Leon, pinning his arms and legs to the ground. Leon, momentarily stunned, attempted to look at his captor. Rain poured onto his eyes, making any vision nearly impossible. He thrashed both his hands in a feeble attempt to get his gun but the creature's grip was painfully strong. It breathed in ragged breaths, seemingly unprepared for any type of resistance. A warm sensation near Leon's knee prompted him to raise his head and strain to look at it. A tiny red puddle stood out in the otherwise drab setting. The figure was bleeding.

His arm bruised, Milo stood with his gun poised and ready. His eyes darted momentarily to the fence. They had left it open. He began inching his way toward it, slowly, so as not to attract too much attention. He kept his gaze on the dark figure. Small, beady eyes stared back at him. The figure was still shrouded in darkness, but Milo was sure it was something other than human.

More rustling from the bushes caught Leon's attention. He strained to lift his head to see, but the rain and darkness were too thick. He laid his head back down, kicking up more mud and grinding it deeper into his hair, and moved his eyes around to try to see Milo. He saw him briefly, but the strain was too much.

The rustling became louder and suddenly a man burst forth from the bushes. "Milo!" his voice called. The quick distraction was enough for the creature. It lunged at Milo, who had looked towards the stranger, bringing him to the ground, then rolling on its back and thrusting him into the air. Milo landed in the courtyard, just past the fountain, with a distinct thud, his gun missing.

Leon wasted no time. He was up once the creature's pressure was released, his limbs still stinging from its force. He looked and felt in the mud as Milo flew through the air. Finally his right hand landed on the gun and he grabbed it and looked up. The creature walked into the courtyard and Leon fired, emptying the entire round.

The man ran forward as the creature fell. Leon reached out his arm and stopped him. "Stay back, dammit!"

"We have to secure the perimeter immediately," the man said. "There's more and they're coming." The man pushed past Leon, jumping over the creature.

Leon turned towards the jungle, knowing his eyes and ears were useless. All he heard was rain. "Christ," he muttered.