A high-pitched yell cut through the quiet as a man behind me screamed. With a twist of my body, I saw a horrifying splatter of blood, stark and shocking against the untouched white of the snow. I followed the glistening trail of blood, each droplet falling from an angular metallic mouth.
It was a Dog, up close and personal.
The Dog ripped off one of the robed men’s arms, the severed limb dangling grotesquely from its jaws, blood dripping down its snout. Its black eyes narrowed, the red irises gleaming like embers through the swirling snow. Its sharp teeth were bared ina snarl, its ears perked straight up, and a growl rumbled in its chest.
“Fuck,” one of the men yelled. “A pack of Dogs is heading our way.”
My heart stopped, and my body froze. I hadn’t seen a Dog or been in danger since the night my mom died. Am I next?
A rapid series of gunshots shattered the silence, immediately followed by a Dog’s entertained yelps. One bullet reached its mark, the impact sending a spray of dark liquid spurting across the cold, white snow. With worried whimpers, the pack of Dogs formed a protective circle around their injured brother, allowing it to retreat.
A tremor ran through me. I’d never been so close to death in years, and the fear was paralyzing. A thought struck me—don’t the humans control the Dogs? Reaching to my face with my bound hands, I pulled at one of the contraption’s arms, breaking it off into my hand. “Can’t you turn them off?”
“What are you talking ab—” The man’s words were cut short as a Dog, barking fiercely, leaped and knocked him to the ground.
Three more Dogs emerged from the swirling snow, their sharp teeth bared in a guttural growl that vibrated in the frigid air. Perfectly triangular teeth lined their mouths, glinting ominously. With each step, a rusty, mechanical creak echoed through the air, like an old clockwork toy. White tendrils of smoke curled into the crisp morning air as the Dogs’ breaths hitched, heavy and ragged, their oil-slicked tongues lolling from their mouths.
“Someone help me!” The man punched the Dog that was pinning him into the snow.
As the blow landed, the Dog’s metal eyelids flickered shut, reducing its red pupils to two tiny points. A gasp of horror escaped my lips, and my body froze as I watched the Dog’s jawsclamp down on the man’s face with a sickening force. Fresh blood pooled over the white snow, dripping from the mechanical creature’s chin.
Their tails curled along their spines, and the Dogs crouched down with their hindquarters in the air. The next few moments were a chaotic blur of snarling Dogs, lunging bodies, and the deafening blasts of gunfire echoed through the air. A spray of black oil splattered the ground as the men’s terrified screams echoed around me.
I watched as one man was thrown to the ground, the impact muffled by the thick snow, while another stumbled, his useless gun clutched in the Dog’s jaws. A large man in front of me expertly shot at each of the Dogs pouncing at us, keeping them at bay as more emerged from the snow. It was like they were hiding in the swirls of snow in the wind, biding their time in the middle of the storm until they’re needed.
I needed to get out of here.
While the Dogs were focusing on my robed captors, I ran. My heart hammered against my ribs, a frantic drumbeat against the roar of the Dogs and the shouts of my kidnappers as I focused on escape. The cold wind rushed into my face, like a frostbitten punch. The snow was so deep and powdery that with every step, my knees rose higher and higher as I ran. I knew I had to keep pumping my legs to get away.
A sharp yank on my loose pants pulled me to the ground. With a wad of tattered cloth clutched firmly in its teeth, a Dog stopped me from fleeing. Without a second thought, I yanked on the pant leg, the fabric tearing with a satisfying rip.
Though still cold, the snow felt almost warm against my frozen skin. A powerful force slammed into my back, sending me sprawling into the powdery snow. A bloodthirsty Dog, its eyes burning red with hunger, glared at me, its low growl vibrating in the air.
It sprang at me again, its weight pressing me into the soft, cold snow. The impact knocked the air from my lungs. Its metallic breath reeked of gasoline on my cheek. My ears caught a faint whirring behind the Dog’s head before they turned to black. The creature paused, a strange familiarity in its stance, and I screamed, a futile sound in the carnage around me. Knowing my fate was sealed, I squeezed my eyes shut, waiting for my life to end.
Would my father be sad I was gone? Maybe it’s wishful thinking.
A gunshot rang through the air, hitting the Dog with a metallicclank. With a sharp jerk of its head, it shifted its gaze from me to its new prey. The creature’s body slid off my shoulders, its legs spreading wide as if to shield me from the gunshot.
The light-haired man in a unicorn mask dashed over, his fingers trembling. “Are you alright?”
My breath was heavy, but I managed to nod. I stretched my bound hands towards the man’s, and felt him pull me upright. “Come with me, I need to make sure you’re safe.” His voice was light, yet concerned.
A snarl ripped from the Dog’s throat as it sprang between us, its jaws snapping shut inches from the masked man’s face. It looked back at me with its coal-black eyes before throwing its heavy, muscular body into me, sending me sprawling to the ground once more.
“Don’t touch him!” The masked man jumped into the air, a knife glinting in the moonlight.
With a snarl, the Dog’s head whipped around and lunged at the man, who was arcing through the air. With his arm outstretched, the blade sliced through the beast’s underbelly, a wet, tearing sound accompanying the swift motion. A single,piercing yelp escaped its lips before it disappeared into a billowing cloud of powdery snow. It was dead.
He saved me.
The man ran back to me and asked again, “Are you okay?”
The world was melding together. I wasn’t sure if it was a trick of the snow or if something was wrong with me. My head spun, but I managed to whisper, “I-I’m fine.” He lifted me from the frigid, snowy ground, and a wave of dizziness washed over me as the world swam in and out of focus before darkness closed in, and I collapsed.
Chapter Eleven
Am I dead?
