Not A Small-Town Girl

----

A flurry of bullets rang out as the bodyguards fired into the

earth around Aran, their shots echoing through the cave.

Aran gritted his teeth and pulled with all his strength. The

thing under the earth was relentless, tightening its grip,

determined to drag him under.

David aimed and fired several shots at Aran’s feet, hitting

the ground with precision.

With a guttural growl, the creature let go, and Aran was

yanked free by the combined strength of the guards. He

scrambled away, shaken but alive.

“Aran, what was that?" David’s voice was cold, his eyes

narrowing.

----

"| don’t kn@v, Mr. Charrington," Aran

said, his @ice shaky. "| was walking,

and theground felt soft. Then >

suddenly, my foot was caughtby

asia like an octopusO

wrapping around me."

----

No one was rised at this

point—thereNtad been plenty of

strange creatures lurking inthe

caves. Bt the bodyguards were S

sweating bullets. If David hadnt

spotted the danger, they all would

ne been dead by now.

----

“Aran, what’s that smell?” Nathan asked, wrinkling his

nose. The stench was foul, a disgusting mix of rancid fish

and rotten durian.

Everyone turned to look at Aran’s legs, now coated in thick,

sticky slime.

“That must be from the creature," Aran muttered, looking

disgusted as he wiped off the muck. "God, it’s revolting.”

Nathan tossed Aran a wet wipe. "Wipe it off. As much as

you can. You’re a walking biohazard right now."

Aran nodded and started scrubbing at his leg.

The group now faced a new problem. The creature clearly

lived underground, but they didn’t know where its territory

started or ended. They couldn’t just walk blindly ahead.

----

"We can’t go ugh that whole

section in frant of us. Now that we

know there’s something oO

undergrotind, we can’t just walk S

through it like before. Our eyesGan’t

evervtell what’s underfoot," Jaden

sata, his voice grim.

"| think we should shoot as we go," one of the bodyguards

suggested. "The creature was hit by Mr. Charrington’s

shots, maybe we can keep it at bay that way."

----

Jaden gave the guard a look that could melt ice. "Go

ahead, try it."

The guard shrank back, feeling foolish. "Mr. Johnson, I... |

was just suggesting."

Aran, wiping off the last of the slime, spoke up. "We’re

running low on bullets. We can’t waste them here—who

knows what else is ahead?"

They needed a better plan, and quickly.

"Do we have any food?" David asked suddenly, his tone

casual, but his eyes sharp.

Jaden blinked, caught off guard. "Food? Are you hungry,

Mr. Charrington?"

One of the bodyguards opened his pack, revealing it was

stuffed with provisions—bread, sausages, crackers, even

fruit.

----

“Whoa, are you on a mission, or just out for a picnic?"

Nathan joked, shocked by the sight.

The burly bodyguard looked embarrassed. "Just a little

hobby of mine," he muttered, scratching his head.

David grabbed an apple and a pear from the pack, slipping

them into his pocket as he turned toward the dark path

where the creature had appeared.

“Mr. Charrington, get back! There are monsters ahead!"

Nathan shouted, alarmed. He sprinted after David,

snatching a rope from another guard.

David didn’t even glance back. "You wait here."

“Mr. Charrington, it’s dangerous! Please, be careful!"

Nathan pleaded, his voice full of concern.

David walked on, each step steady, while the bodyguards

followed at a tense distance, eyes never leaving him. They

knew something was about to happen, but they didn’t know

what.