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Authors: Charles E. Yallowitz
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animal’s snorts and grunts, but Cassidy cannot understand what he is saying. Scrambling to her feet, she struggles to get out of the truck as the two beasts continue their attack. Crawling into the open, the blonde whistles for her partner who is nervously standing between the rhinos. Their horns are stuck in the trailer while Lloyd calmly pats them on the head. With a nervous laugh, the killer ducks under one of them and backs away from the aggravated beasts. Joining Cassidy, he helps her gather up the supplies and they sprint for the jeep, but the animals quickly free themselves and go back on the attack.
“What happened?” she asks as they run by their vehicle and into the trees. They hope the rhinos are unable to follow, but doubt their luck will change so suddenly. “Did you do something to them? They were ignoring us this whole time and now they’re trying to kill us. I know you did something, Tenay!”
“I may have dropped my boxers and slapped my butt at them,” Lloyd replies as he leads the way back around. He can hear a tree falling over as their snorting pursuers try to follow. “Who would have thought they’d understand that gesture? Any ideas on how to get out of this mess that I take full responsibility for? Odd that we haven’t been shot yet.”
A bullet shatters a branch above Cassidy’s head, causing her to glare at the man. “You had to say it. Run back to the trailer and maybe my new plan will work. Take these things because I’ll need both hands.”
The rhinos are on their heels as they try to get to the trailer, the tall obstacle preventing Penny from getting a clear shot. Cassidy pulls the pin on the fire extinguisher and prays it is full as she whirls around to face the two animals. With a loud hiss, the cold foam sprays from the nozzle and hits the rhinos in the face, driving them away. Slumping to the ground, the travelers watch the beasts retreat onto the distant road and disappear around the bend. The sound of a tireless wheel scraping against the ground and a car getting rolled over is the last they hear from the animals that will haunt their dreams for several nights.
“You look like a buffet had sex with a hand grenade,” Lloyd mentions with a laugh. Getting to his feet, the serial killer stares at the jeep and wonders if they can reach it. “If Penny is still out there then we’re stuck again. Though she can’t see her babies, which means she’ll have to move on soon. At least if I understand these Guardians now.”
“We left the doors open and the key is in the ignition,” Cassidy points out, wiping the smooshed pastries and mutilated gummy snacks off her skin. Unable to make any progress, the young woman resigns herself to a sticky driver’s seat and a quick stop at the first water source they can find. “Even with these things, we can dive in and take cover. At this point, I’ll drive blindly until I have to make the turn over there. Think I got the distance and timing in my head, but it’s better than dragging this on any longer.”
Penny’s loudspeaker crackles to life, but the Guardian’s voice does not follow. Instead, the sounds of a struggle and a strange gurgling hiss drifts through the air. Seeing this as their chance to escape, the pair rush toward the jeep and toss their loot into the backseat. Clambering inside and slamming the doors, a pain-filled shriek erupts from the loudspeaker before someone smashes the device. Glancing out their windows, the travelers barely see a flailing figure plummeting off the top of the distant hotel. Even though the travelers know that a sniper rifle would be useful, neither of them feel a temptation to loot Penny’s body and hideout.
“Guess it can’t get any worse after this,” Lloyd declares as the jeep starts and heads down the road.
“If you think you’re a character in a story then you know that’s a terrible thing to say.”
“I do, but I really want something else to happen.”
“Can we please get
“What happened?” she asks as they run by their vehicle and into the trees. They hope the rhinos are unable to follow, but doubt their luck will change so suddenly. “Did you do something to them? They were ignoring us this whole time and now they’re trying to kill us. I know you did something, Tenay!”
“I may have dropped my boxers and slapped my butt at them,” Lloyd replies as he leads the way back around. He can hear a tree falling over as their snorting pursuers try to follow. “Who would have thought they’d understand that gesture? Any ideas on how to get out of this mess that I take full responsibility for? Odd that we haven’t been shot yet.”
A bullet shatters a branch above Cassidy’s head, causing her to glare at the man. “You had to say it. Run back to the trailer and maybe my new plan will work. Take these things because I’ll need both hands.”
The rhinos are on their heels as they try to get to the trailer, the tall obstacle preventing Penny from getting a clear shot. Cassidy pulls the pin on the fire extinguisher and prays it is full as she whirls around to face the two animals. With a loud hiss, the cold foam sprays from the nozzle and hits the rhinos in the face, driving them away. Slumping to the ground, the travelers watch the beasts retreat onto the distant road and disappear around the bend. The sound of a tireless wheel scraping against the ground and a car getting rolled over is the last they hear from the animals that will haunt their dreams for several nights.
“You look like a buffet had sex with a hand grenade,” Lloyd mentions with a laugh. Getting to his feet, the serial killer stares at the jeep and wonders if they can reach it. “If Penny is still out there then we’re stuck again. Though she can’t see her babies, which means she’ll have to move on soon. At least if I understand these Guardians now.”
“We left the doors open and the key is in the ignition,” Cassidy points out, wiping the smooshed pastries and mutilated gummy snacks off her skin. Unable to make any progress, the young woman resigns herself to a sticky driver’s seat and a quick stop at the first water source they can find. “Even with these things, we can dive in and take cover. At this point, I’ll drive blindly until I have to make the turn over there. Think I got the distance and timing in my head, but it’s better than dragging this on any longer.”
Penny’s loudspeaker crackles to life, but the Guardian’s voice does not follow. Instead, the sounds of a struggle and a strange gurgling hiss drifts through the air. Seeing this as their chance to escape, the pair rush toward the jeep and toss their loot into the backseat. Clambering inside and slamming the doors, a pain-filled shriek erupts from the loudspeaker before someone smashes the device. Glancing out their windows, the travelers barely see a flailing figure plummeting off the top of the distant hotel. Even though the travelers know that a sniper rifle would be useful, neither of them feel a temptation to loot Penny’s body and hideout.
“Guess it can’t get any worse after this,” Lloyd declares as the jeep starts and heads down the road.
“If you think you’re a character in a story then you know that’s a terrible thing to say.”
“I do, but I really want something else to happen.”
“Can we please get
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