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Speaker 1: License and registration. The driver flinched, blinked a few times,

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and scrambled for the glove box. He panicked missed the latch.

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When he finally opened it, papers spilled out, and he

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sat there frozen before scooping them up. I've been a

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police officer for two decades. Night shifts out in the

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country usually meant nothing more than drunk drivers, runaways from

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one of the nearby shelters, or coyote calls from ranches

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with loose venting. It was rare for anything to linger

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in my mind after a shift ended. Most of it

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was the same monotony, repeated again and again. But that

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night was different. That one etched itself in slow, vivid pieces.

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I still haven't managed to fully pull apart. The moon

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had been high in full casting a silver wash over everything.

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Parked off country Road eight, half asleep when a car

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zoomed past me, going at least two times the speed limit.

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I sighed and figured it was just another guy out

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too late, probably drinking. I flipped my lights on and

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found them pulled over near the bend without much resistance.

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I walked up to the driver's side. The car was

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an old Toyota, probably early two thousands, primer patches and

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the fender muffler rattling. Both men inside looked wrecked. The

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driver was gripping the wheel hard enough that I could

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see the tension pushing veins through the skin. His hair

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was flattened with sweat. The guy in the passenger seat

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stared forward, not blinking, hands in his lap. That's where

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it all began. The driver handed me his license with

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both hands. Finally, his voice cracked when he spoke, can

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you give us a fine? Anything? Please? We really we

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just need to go. I ignore the nagging, and he said,

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asked what I always ask. Have you two been drinking?

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They both answered, but not together. They looked at each other,

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first silently, like they were trying to argue how much

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to admit. Then the driver said no. Passenger echoed it,

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his voice low and scratchy. I looked them both over again.

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All right, I'm going to run your information turn the

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vehicle off for me. The driver hesitated, but ultimately killed

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the ignition. I returned to my cruiser and ran the

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plate and driver's name. Nothing suspicious, nothing at all. Actually,

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the owner of the vehicle matched the driver. Everything came

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back clean. When I returned to their window, they gotten

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significantly worse. The driver's head was twitching toward his shoulder

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every few seconds, like a muscle spasm. The passenger was

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in a similar condition. When the driver spoke again, his

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voice had a strain that sounded close to breaking. You

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don't understand. We have to go. We're out of time, sir.

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Can we just go now? That's when I started getting angry.

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Everyone always at somewhere to go. It gets old. I

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told him to keep his hands on the wheel and

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to relax. This doesn't have to be a big thing.

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You listen, I listen. You're making this worse by acting jumpy.

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I'm going too easy to perform a field sobriety test

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for me. The driver's eyes darted to the mirror and

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then to the trees ahead. His leg was bouncing. Now,

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heel thumping against the floorboard. We don't have time, please.

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I took a deep breath, stepped back, and started a

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circle toward the back of the vehicle to get them out.

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That was when the engine roared to life again. Tires

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screamed against the dirt shoulder as they shot forward, fish

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tailing back onto the road and vanishing around the bend.

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I stood there for a second, blinking. My first thought was,

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what the hell are you running from? I sprinted to

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the cruiser through the door open and called it in.

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This is Unit eighteen. We got a ten eighty fleeing vehicle,

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silver Tiota heading eastbound on country Road eight two occupants.

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I'm in pursuit. The tires back gravel as I pulled

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out onto the road behind them. The moon followed us,

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both glaring and wide. The car struggled to hold a line.

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It swerved out of its lane every time. The tires gripped, overcorrected,

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and skidded. The tail lights bounced in and out of view.

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Ahead of me. Ahead of us was a wooden sign

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camp winding pines youth retreat. The trees thinnerhead and the

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gravel turned to soft earth. My head lights caught the

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rear of the car as it fished out sideways, back tires,

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chewing up dust and pine needles. The engine reved again,

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the lost traction entirely. I saw the nose of the

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Tiota swing off the road and the whole car vanished

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through the tree line. A split second later, there was

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the sound of branches snapping and a hollow metallic thud.

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I hit the brakes and threw the cruiser into park.

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My boot hit the dirt before I'd finished radioing the update.

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Vehicles crashed east perimeter of Winding Pines, approaching scene. Now

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my blood was hot. My thoughts weren't entirely rational, because

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all I could focus on was the fact that they'd

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gone from a routine stop to endangering everyone at that

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camp and themselves too. I pulled the flashlight and unsnapped

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my pistol holster, just in case. People typically get dangerous

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when cornered, and this is about as cornered as you

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can be. They had to have a reason for speeding

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away like that. The car had come to a stop

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against a thick pine, The front end crushed in but

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not folded. Steam hissed from the hood. A branch had

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punched through the back window and scattered glass across the

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back seat. Put your hands where I can see them,

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I shouted, no movement. I approached the driver's side, light

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cutting through the cabin. The driver's air bag had gone off.

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He was slumped against it, head back, mouth open. A

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thin line of blood ran from his eyebrow to his cheek.

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He was breathing. I swung the beam to the passenger side.

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The guy in the passenger seat hadn't survived. His arms

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were bent under him, and his legs were angled against

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the passenger's side seat in a way I didn't think

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was even possible. The neck hung off his collar, bone

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head tipped unnaturally with a jaw slack and lopsided. It

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was a grotesque scene. That's when the driver gasped awake.

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He fought with the seatbelt for a second, then shoved

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the door open, landing on all fours in the dirt.

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I stepped up fast and pointed the flashlight at him.

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What the hell do you think you were doing? You

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ran from a stop and killed your friend over what?

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He didn't answer. He didn't even look at me. He

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rolled on to his back, eyes skyward, then suddenly turned

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over again and started scrambling to his feet. I grabbed

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for his wrist, but he tore away, stumbling once before

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crashing into the tree line. God damn it. I snarled

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and ran after him. Low branches clawed up my shirt,

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pine needles filled my boots. The sound of him moving

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ahead wasn't fast or steady. He was desperate and clumsy.

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I caught up to him nearer slope, where the tree

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cover thickened. He was crouched with one hand pressed to

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the dirt and the other to his chest, trying to breathe.

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Sweat poured off him in waves, soaking through the collar

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of his shirt and streaking down his arms. His pupils

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were huge, swallowing almost all the color. I grabbed him

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by the elbow and pinned him against the pine trunk. Hey,

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are you on something? You high? I held my grip

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and looked him over again. His pulse was racing under

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my thumb. You need Narkan, tell me now. He didn't

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answer right away, and people that need narkan usually never do.

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His mouth open and close a few times before anything

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came out. What did make it out didn't make sense.

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Listen you if you just if you hide now, maybe

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I won't know you are nearby. I'd seen overdoses before,

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plenty of them. Some twitch and mutter, others go still

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and drop. This looked like the textbook interpretation of a situation.

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When Narkan was to be administered at AESAP, I told

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him to stay with me and started guiding him back

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the way. We came. He will with me, barely. It

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almost seemed like he was trying to fight my grip,

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but he was too weak. He dragged his feet and

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his breath scraped through his throat, eyes darting wildly. We

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made it to the tree line and I got him

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too the cruiser. The back seat was clean. I helped

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him in, closed the door and stepped back. I reached

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for the radio on my shoulder, despatch, there's is Unit eighteen.

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I've got one fatality of the crash site and one

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possible overdose. Suspect is incoherent, requesting e MS priority. I

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went around to the front of the cruiser and opened

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the glove box, pulled the knark and kit free checked

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the spray, and turned back. The shouting coming from the

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back of the vehicle stopped me. It was a low, thick,

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clicking sound, almost like wretching, but wetter. I stepped around

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and aimed the flashlight at the rear window. He was shaking.

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His whole body was moving with these wild spasms, his

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limbs flailing against the seat and his jaws snapping open

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and shut. He started to break apart. It began at

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the arms, skin pulling apart in long wet lines. Muscles

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swelled underneath it, roar and coiled, growing outward. Thick strands

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of fir pushed through the seams. His shirt tore open

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at the chest, then peeled away as his shoulders expended.

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Bones cracked and reset themselves. I heard them go, one

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at a time, snapping like twigs under foot. His mouth

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opened in a silent scream, and a second row of

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fangs pushed out of his gums, while the original teeth

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dropped into his lap. His face stretched forward as the

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scullery shaped eye suckets shifting as they sat further apart.

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A snout forced its way forward, the cartilage crunching as

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it grew. The cruiser exploded outward as it launched itself

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through the window. The back half of the car ripped open.

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Metals screamed, and plastic shattered. I staggered back and drew

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my side arm, took aim and fired one, two, three.

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The shots hit. They had to have. I saw dark

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bursts bloom through the fir, but it didn't drop. It

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didn't even flinch. Then it started moving. Its nose twitched,

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turning toward the direction of the camp. There was a

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noise off in the distance somewhere far beyond the trees,

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it sounded like a bell or something similar. It heard it,

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and it started running toward the youth camp. Its whole

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body dropped low, and it moved on all fours, fast

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and lopping each stride pushed it deeper into the woods

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until I couldn't see it any more. I stood in

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front of the scene I just witnessed, with my gun

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stillop frozen in time. I raised the radio to my

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mouth with a hand that wouldn't stay still. My finger

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hesitated on the transmit button because I didn't know what

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to say. My head was still ringing, but that wasn't

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why my voice came out unsteady. This is Unit eighteen.

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I paused and tried again. Someone is heading toward camp

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winding pines, um big, heavily armed. I think my vehicle

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is destroyed and he he ran off toward the camp

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and eaed back up. Now emergency priority, he replied. Didn't

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take long copy that Unit eighteen. The nearest support is

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sixty minutes out. Dropper sport is unavailable. Do you need medical?

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I stared at the ruined back of my cruiser. I

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didn't waste time trying to rationalize what I'd seen. If

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I stood there thinking about it, I wasn't going to move.

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I keyed the mic again, negative, unmed. I'm going in.

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I let the radio fall back to my shoulder, then

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turned toward the trunk. It took some force the pride open.

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The frame had twisted when the back exploded out. I

200
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grabbed the shotgun from inside, racked it to make sure

201
00:14:43,799 --> 00:14:46,320
it was live and check the sling for rounds. I

202
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kept clipped in a side pouch. I jogged up the trail,

203
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following the dirt where its weight had torn into the soil.

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They were wide at the front and dragged behind, deep

205
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enough to catch a boot heel and trip someone if

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they were aren't careful. Up ahead, tucked behind a split

207
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rail fence with a cheap floodlight flickering against the roof,

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I went up and knocked hard against the window. A

209
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man inside jolted awake and nearly spilled the styrophrone cup

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from the desk. I raised my badge before he had

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any chance to say anything. Police Officer Dunley, something's loose

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in the camp. I need you with me. Are you armed?

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He blinked at me, still half way out of sleep,

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then nodded, yeah, what's going on. There's something in the camp.

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I don't know what, but the kids aren't safe. He

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stared at me a second longer, and I could see

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the disbelief behind his eyes. But a moment later he

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opened the drawer and pulled out a pistol, tucked it

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into a hip holster, and locked the door behind him.

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We started toward the center of the camp. He finally

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spoke behind me, are you going to tell me what

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we're looking for? I didn't stop walking. You wouldn't believe me.

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I just saw a police officer walk out the woods

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looking mannick. You might be surprised what I'll believe to night.

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I didn't answer. He picked up his pace to match mine.

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The kids they're all inside right now, I asked. Yeah,

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we just got here to day. I drove the kids here.

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Most are probably asleep. Staff as light out around ten.

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It's a full week retreat. They get the run of

230
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the place during the day, bonfires, archery, swimming, all that

231
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at night dispose the staying cabins. What's out here? I

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didn't have answers. Every question he asked was something I'd

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already tried to ask myself and come up short. After

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a while, I raised the and and told him to

235
00:17:01,279 --> 00:17:06,279
stop asking so many questions I didn't know. We cleared

236
00:17:06,319 --> 00:17:10,079
the brush line and the tree cover opened. Ahead of

237
00:17:10,119 --> 00:17:13,480
us was the center trail, wide enough to fit a vehicle.

238
00:17:14,519 --> 00:17:17,599
On the left, two cabins faced each other across a

239
00:17:17,640 --> 00:17:20,319
patch of lawn, and at the end of the trail,

240
00:17:20,599 --> 00:17:25,880
angled slightly toward the turnlop, was a boss. As we

241
00:17:25,920 --> 00:17:29,119
approached the cabins, I slowed and lowered the barrel of

242
00:17:29,119 --> 00:17:33,440
the shotgun. The guard caught up beside me, still scanning

243
00:17:33,519 --> 00:17:37,400
the dark. Tell me how this place is laid out,

244
00:17:38,000 --> 00:17:43,440
I said. He glanced around and started pointing. There are

245
00:17:43,480 --> 00:17:46,799
six cabins in total, all lined up in two rows,

246
00:17:47,079 --> 00:17:50,319
three on each side. Staff buildings over there, past the

247
00:17:50,319 --> 00:17:53,440
main trail near the mess hall. We've got a generator

248
00:17:53,519 --> 00:17:56,279
shared behind that, and the first aid hut closer to

249
00:17:56,319 --> 00:18:00,559
the lake. No perimeter fencing, but we've never needed it.

250
00:18:01,880 --> 00:18:06,880
And inside, I asked, each cabin's got two rooms, one

251
00:18:06,920 --> 00:18:09,319
for the kids and one for the staff assigned to them.

252
00:18:10,000 --> 00:18:12,400
Usually a counselor or a teacher sleeps in the same

253
00:18:12,480 --> 00:18:17,400
space or the next room. How many in each. This

254
00:18:17,480 --> 00:18:21,039
group is light, maybe six or seven per right now.

255
00:18:22,960 --> 00:18:26,599
We stopped outside the nearest door. The building was quiet.

256
00:18:27,160 --> 00:18:30,440
A single bulb over the entryway flickered but stayed on.

257
00:18:31,640 --> 00:18:34,680
I looked through the window, nothing but the outline of

258
00:18:34,720 --> 00:18:39,400
bunks in the dark. Here's what we're doing, I said,

259
00:18:40,240 --> 00:18:43,640
We go in quiet. Wake the adult first. You help them.

260
00:18:43,680 --> 00:18:47,680
Get the kids up, no screaming, no explaining. Tell them

261
00:18:47,680 --> 00:18:51,640
to head for the bus, Stay low, stay quiet. Once

262
00:18:51,680 --> 00:18:57,839
they're there, they crouched behind it and wait. He swallowed hard,

263
00:18:58,079 --> 00:19:02,599
then nodded. Push the door open. It lead out a creak,

264
00:19:03,000 --> 00:19:06,839
but not enough to wake anyone. The air inside was stale,

265
00:19:07,319 --> 00:19:11,160
heavy with the warmth of sleeping bodies. I moved toward

266
00:19:11,200 --> 00:19:14,200
the back, where I could make out a single adult

267
00:19:14,240 --> 00:19:18,119
figure in the bed along the far wall. I leaned

268
00:19:18,160 --> 00:19:21,960
in close and shook their shoulder. Once they starred and

269
00:19:22,039 --> 00:19:28,240
squinted at me. Please stay quiet, I whispered, flashing my badge.

270
00:19:28,880 --> 00:19:31,920
Wake the kids, get them dressed enough to move. Tell

271
00:19:31,960 --> 00:19:34,279
them it's a drill. If you need to lead them

272
00:19:34,279 --> 00:19:38,680
to the bus and crouch behind it. The teacher nodded

273
00:19:38,759 --> 00:19:41,519
and sat up fast, already calling out in a low

274
00:19:41,640 --> 00:19:44,920
voice to the bunk nearest to her. The kids began

275
00:19:44,960 --> 00:19:48,839
to stir. The next few minutes passed without a sound

276
00:19:48,920 --> 00:19:53,400
louder than soft shuffling and half whispers. The children dressed

277
00:19:53,400 --> 00:19:57,480
in silence, the teacher guiding them out one by one,

278
00:19:57,960 --> 00:20:00,000
leading the group with a hand pressed to the water.

279
00:20:01,160 --> 00:20:04,000
I stood at the threshold and watched until the last

280
00:20:04,039 --> 00:20:08,200
pair ducked into the dark, headed toward the bus. The

281
00:20:08,240 --> 00:20:12,519
guard moved beside me, his hand on his weapon, breathing unevenly.

282
00:20:14,039 --> 00:20:19,039
One down. I said, we didn't linger. We moved onto

283
00:20:19,079 --> 00:20:24,400
the second location. We eased in flashlight, low barely tracing

284
00:20:24,440 --> 00:20:28,359
the floor. Bunk beds lined both walls. The kids in

285
00:20:28,400 --> 00:20:32,240
them were out cold, limbs tangled in thin sheets. Some

286
00:20:32,440 --> 00:20:35,880
are toys on their pillows, shoes beside the frame, an

287
00:20:35,880 --> 00:20:40,720
old paperback books slipped beneath mattresses. I stepped between two

288
00:20:40,759 --> 00:20:43,640
of the beds, careful not to let my boots squeak

289
00:20:43,680 --> 00:20:48,519
on the waxed floor. No movement, no sounds except snoring

290
00:20:48,799 --> 00:20:52,240
and the soft click of the cabin windowpanes shifting against

291
00:20:52,240 --> 00:20:57,640
the breeze. This cabin was bigger. We woke the teacher up,

292
00:20:57,920 --> 00:21:00,920
gave them the same commands and got underway to the

293
00:21:00,960 --> 00:21:04,680
next room. In the third room, it was the same

294
00:21:04,799 --> 00:21:09,079
drill on the fourth one. However, the door's base had

295
00:21:09,200 --> 00:21:12,759
visible claw marks on it. I motioned to the guard

296
00:21:13,079 --> 00:21:16,920
and we took our positions on either side. I opened

297
00:21:16,960 --> 00:21:21,880
it slowly. I could feel it before we even stepped inside,

298
00:21:22,880 --> 00:21:27,359
a drop in the air pressure. My flashlights scanned the bunks.

299
00:21:28,000 --> 00:21:31,319
Kids were asleep, and I kept scanning the room looking

300
00:21:31,359 --> 00:21:35,480
for anything. The security behind me let had an audible

301
00:21:35,519 --> 00:21:39,880
gulp and touched my shoulder. I turned to look at him,

302
00:21:40,440 --> 00:21:46,839
but he didn't speak. He pointed up above us, pressed

303
00:21:46,880 --> 00:21:51,200
against the beams between the rafters who was watching it.

304
00:21:52,759 --> 00:21:55,640
Its claws were buried in the wood, six of them

305
00:21:55,720 --> 00:21:59,920
spread outward to anchor its weight. The arms were stretched

306
00:22:00,079 --> 00:22:04,839
long and sinewy joints bowed out in unnatural angles. Its

307
00:22:04,839 --> 00:22:08,920
stomach rose and fell with short breaths. Mucus hung from

308
00:22:08,920 --> 00:22:12,640
its mouth in strands. Its chest was still wet from

309
00:22:12,680 --> 00:22:17,519
the transformation. Patches of firm matted to beare swollen muscle.

310
00:22:19,160 --> 00:22:22,519
It stared at the smallest bed in the room. The

311
00:22:22,559 --> 00:22:25,359
girl in it had a face turned up, breathing through

312
00:22:25,359 --> 00:22:30,440
a mouth. One arm hanging over the edge of the mattress.

313
00:22:31,160 --> 00:22:38,279
I raised the shotgun and fired. The blast lit the

314
00:22:38,359 --> 00:22:41,640
room in one flash. The slug tore through its shoulder,

315
00:22:41,920 --> 00:22:46,039
ripping a chunk of its back out. It roared no,

316
00:22:46,759 --> 00:22:50,680
It screamed something deeper than anything I'd ever heard to

317
00:22:50,720 --> 00:22:57,440
this day. Kit woke up instantly, and chaos erupted. I

318
00:22:57,480 --> 00:23:02,119
pumped the shotgun and fired again. This time, the thing moved.

319
00:23:02,599 --> 00:23:06,000
It came down fast, not a fall, but a lunge

320
00:23:06,039 --> 00:23:08,599
that ripped it free of the ceiling and sent pieces

321
00:23:08,640 --> 00:23:11,920
of beam flying with it. I tried to shoot once

322
00:23:11,960 --> 00:23:14,680
more as it hit the floor, but before I could

323
00:23:14,720 --> 00:23:17,960
even so much as take another step, it slammed its

324
00:23:18,039 --> 00:23:21,039
arm into my weapon and shattered it clean in half.

325
00:23:22,240 --> 00:23:25,960
The guards shouted behind me. The monster rammed into him

326
00:23:26,160 --> 00:23:29,960
and knocked him against the back wall. Then it disappeared

327
00:23:30,000 --> 00:23:33,720
through the open door in a blur of limbs. I

328
00:23:33,759 --> 00:23:37,039
stood there, holding the ruined half of my shotgun, my

329
00:23:37,200 --> 00:23:41,680
arms shaking, lungs heaving. Get the kids to the bus,

330
00:23:42,200 --> 00:23:48,480
I shouted, turning toward the guard. Now move. He stumbled up,

331
00:23:48,759 --> 00:23:53,119
paled and wide eyed, but he nodded. We yanked open

332
00:23:53,160 --> 00:23:56,079
the rest of the doors and started dragging everyone awake.

333
00:23:57,079 --> 00:23:59,240
Any One who asked what was going on got told

334
00:23:59,240 --> 00:24:04,759
to move on. Some listened, some hesitated. I shoved them forward.

335
00:24:06,000 --> 00:24:12,559
Screaming started in the distance, not children, adults, someone farther

336
00:24:12,640 --> 00:24:17,160
in the camp, in a separate spot. I turned toward it,

337
00:24:17,240 --> 00:24:21,519
but didn't move. I couldn't go. If I left now,

338
00:24:21,960 --> 00:24:24,720
even to try and stop it, the kids would be

339
00:24:24,720 --> 00:24:28,799
put in danger. Keep them moving, I told the guard,

340
00:24:29,119 --> 00:24:34,319
get them to the damn boss. I'll follow go. I

341
00:24:34,359 --> 00:24:37,839
stayed behind them, waiting for it to show again. The

342
00:24:37,880 --> 00:24:41,039
only thing I had now was my nine millimeter, nothing

343
00:24:41,079 --> 00:24:45,039
worth using, but I had to try. The bus came

344
00:24:45,079 --> 00:24:47,960
to life, cutting through the noise of crying children and

345
00:24:48,000 --> 00:24:52,359
panicked adults. The last few teachers climbed on, pushing kids

346
00:24:52,359 --> 00:24:56,079
down the aisle. I looked out toward the woods once more.

347
00:24:57,039 --> 00:25:03,160
The trees were quiet, and somehow that was worse. I

348
00:25:03,200 --> 00:25:07,319
boarded last, and the door slammed shut behind me. The

349
00:25:07,319 --> 00:25:10,480
guards sat in the driver's seat, white knuckled on the wheel,

350
00:25:10,880 --> 00:25:14,839
eyes flicking between the road and the mirrors. Awoke the aisle,

351
00:25:15,160 --> 00:25:20,119
gun drawn, scanning every window. The bus groaned as it

352
00:25:20,160 --> 00:25:23,960
moved forward. I felt each shift in the tires, every

353
00:25:24,039 --> 00:25:27,599
bump of dirt and gravel. We got back on the

354
00:25:27,680 --> 00:25:32,680
road and kept moving at a steady pace. I was

355
00:25:32,720 --> 00:25:35,279
near the back of the bus, facing the left side,

356
00:25:36,599 --> 00:25:43,680
and suddenly, through the trees there was movement. It was running,

357
00:25:44,240 --> 00:25:49,319
keeping up with the bus. Its gate was off. One

358
00:25:49,400 --> 00:25:52,960
arm hung the limp at his side, still dragging the

359
00:25:53,079 --> 00:25:56,319
arm I had hit with a shotgun. The other clawed

360
00:25:56,359 --> 00:25:59,880
forward with each leap, digging through brush, flinging it behind me.

361
00:26:01,160 --> 00:26:04,799
Its face was set forward, mouth open, eyes locked onto

362
00:26:04,799 --> 00:26:10,519
the vehicle. I shouted toward the front, faster, go, don't

363
00:26:10,519 --> 00:26:14,759
slow down. The trees gave way to the slope that

364
00:26:14,839 --> 00:26:17,839
led down toward the bridge. I could feel the edge

365
00:26:17,880 --> 00:26:23,240
of it coming. It jumped. The impact shook the entire frame.

366
00:26:23,839 --> 00:26:26,799
The roof blowed inward, and metal popped near the rear.

367
00:26:27,880 --> 00:26:31,559
Kids screamed in every direction. The bus tilted for a

368
00:26:31,640 --> 00:26:36,119
moment before rocking back into balance. Something's on the roof.

369
00:26:36,880 --> 00:26:41,000
There's something on the roof, the guard shouted. He slammed

370
00:26:41,000 --> 00:26:44,519
the brakes for a second, but the whole chassy veered, wheels,

371
00:26:44,559 --> 00:26:48,720
catching the edge of the bridge. We can't swerve, I barked,

372
00:26:49,119 --> 00:26:53,039
keep it straight and we're never going over. The bus

373
00:26:53,079 --> 00:26:56,359
started to shake again. The weight shifted from front to

374
00:26:56,440 --> 00:26:59,720
back as the creature moved. You could hear the metal

375
00:26:59,720 --> 00:27:03,440
stre with every step it took across the roof. In

376
00:27:03,480 --> 00:27:06,759
a split second, a massive claw tore through the ceiling

377
00:27:06,839 --> 00:27:10,640
above the driver's seat, ripping down clean to the thin steel.

378
00:27:11,799 --> 00:27:15,480
The guard didn't even have time to scream. The strike

379
00:27:15,559 --> 00:27:18,559
came fast, and his head separated from his shoulders in

380
00:27:18,599 --> 00:27:24,119
a clean diagonal motion. His body twitched once, then slumped sideways,

381
00:27:24,720 --> 00:27:28,440
arm locked against the wheel. The bus tilted hard to

382
00:27:28,480 --> 00:27:34,519
the right. Then it flipped, metal tore against pavement. Screams

383
00:27:34,599 --> 00:27:38,720
drowned everything. The lights inside cut out, and my body

384
00:27:38,799 --> 00:27:42,599
slammed into the back seat in front of me. I

385
00:27:42,640 --> 00:27:46,519
remember the sound of windows shattering, the screech of steel folding,

386
00:27:46,920 --> 00:27:50,640
and the wet thump of bodies hitting the walls. We

387
00:27:50,799 --> 00:27:55,279
slid to a stop. Smoke seeped in from somewhere behind me.

388
00:27:56,319 --> 00:27:59,200
I was on my side, face mashed against the wall

389
00:28:00,160 --> 00:28:06,559
and my vision blurred. I heard screaming, but not from inside.

390
00:28:06,839 --> 00:28:11,920
Through the cracked windshields and side panels, I could see it,

391
00:28:11,920 --> 00:28:15,039
its arms, had wrapped through part of the roof's metal lattice,

392
00:28:15,359 --> 00:28:19,640
caught in the bend. Its legs thrushed against the air, claws,

393
00:28:19,720 --> 00:28:24,680
tearing through the breeze, searching for traction. It was still

394
00:28:24,720 --> 00:28:28,480
attached to the bus with its arm, it sought their

395
00:28:28,599 --> 00:28:32,079
useless arm was dangling in the air outside. Its weight

396
00:28:32,160 --> 00:28:35,880
was pulling the whole vehicle forward. The bus had stopped

397
00:28:35,920 --> 00:28:39,400
on the slope near the drop. The concrete barrier outside

398
00:28:39,480 --> 00:28:44,200
was cracked and sunken. If it tipped, we'd go over.

399
00:28:45,960 --> 00:28:50,400
The monsters screamed again, voice roar and furious, spit raining

400
00:28:50,440 --> 00:28:54,640
down through the cracks. Every time it flailed, the nose

401
00:28:54,640 --> 00:28:57,559
of the bus dipped a little further down toward the edge.

402
00:28:58,599 --> 00:29:03,079
I pushed myself up, head swimming. If it kept pulling,

403
00:29:03,519 --> 00:29:06,759
the bus was going into the river, and we'd go

404
00:29:06,880 --> 00:29:10,839
with it. I grabbed my pistol from beside me and

405
00:29:10,960 --> 00:29:14,640
moved toward the front. Every inch I crawled made the

406
00:29:14,640 --> 00:29:18,680
bus shift. The people around me were mostly unconscious, but

407
00:29:18,799 --> 00:29:22,680
were slowly stirring awake, causing the bus to list even more.

408
00:29:23,799 --> 00:29:26,240
I pressed my shoulder to the wall and used the

409
00:29:26,279 --> 00:29:30,119
seats to guide myself forward. The smoke inside the cabin

410
00:29:30,200 --> 00:29:33,839
had thickened. I raised the pistol up at an angle

411
00:29:33,880 --> 00:29:36,720
from the side of one of the cracked windows. Aims

412
00:29:36,799 --> 00:29:40,599
sent a mass and pulled the trigger until the slide

413
00:29:40,720 --> 00:29:46,920
locked back. Countless rounds punched through it screamed, head snapping

414
00:29:46,960 --> 00:29:54,680
back once, but didn't fall. It was completely stuck. I

415
00:29:54,759 --> 00:29:59,279
dropped the gun. It was useless now. I looked around

416
00:29:59,279 --> 00:30:02,640
for anything I I could do or use. The shattered

417
00:30:02,640 --> 00:30:06,400
plastic and hanging wire offered nothing. I looked at the

418
00:30:06,400 --> 00:30:10,799
front panel by the windshield. There was a fire axe mounted.

419
00:30:11,559 --> 00:30:14,160
The bus was old, so old that it still had

420
00:30:14,160 --> 00:30:17,480
a fire axe. The glass over the case had already

421
00:30:17,480 --> 00:30:20,880
been cracked from the impact. I slammed my elbow into

422
00:30:20,920 --> 00:30:24,440
it and broke through. My fingers wrapped around the handle,

423
00:30:24,680 --> 00:30:28,160
and I yanked it free. The blade looked older than me,

424
00:30:28,880 --> 00:30:32,000
but it was solid. I didn't have time to second

425
00:30:32,039 --> 00:30:36,640
guess it. I crawled the last few feet, pushing through

426
00:30:36,680 --> 00:30:41,000
snap seat supports and shattered glass. The closer I got,

427
00:30:41,359 --> 00:30:44,839
the more it thrashed. Its body was angled down now

428
00:30:45,319 --> 00:30:48,400
and it had made progress in its thrashing, but I

429
00:30:48,519 --> 00:30:52,519
needed to send it down for good. I brought the

430
00:30:52,559 --> 00:30:56,400
axe down. The first strikes sank into the muscle above

431
00:30:56,440 --> 00:31:01,000
its wrist. It screamed and flailed maniacally, enough to tear

432
00:31:01,039 --> 00:31:06,160
across my forearm. Warm blood poured from the cut. I

433
00:31:06,279 --> 00:31:09,599
didn't stop. I raised the axe again and brought it

434
00:31:09,640 --> 00:31:12,240
down where the elbow had bent backward into the metal.

435
00:31:13,119 --> 00:31:18,400
The joint cracked, it loosened. I hit again and again.

436
00:31:19,359 --> 00:31:24,720
The tendon finally snapped. The rest of the body fell free,

437
00:31:25,400 --> 00:31:30,200
but the mangled arms stayed stuck. The monster dropped away, screaming,

438
00:31:30,839 --> 00:31:35,400
claws raking empty air, then vanished into the dark gorge below.

439
00:31:36,799 --> 00:31:41,519
The scream echoed for a few seconds, then cut off.

440
00:31:43,440 --> 00:31:47,279
The bus groaned again and shifted. We needed to get

441
00:31:47,319 --> 00:31:53,440
out of there fast. For a moment, no one moved.

442
00:31:54,079 --> 00:31:56,839
At teacher near the middle broke the silence and began

443
00:31:56,960 --> 00:31:59,599
yelling for everyone to stay calm and get out as

444
00:31:59,640 --> 00:32:03,960
soon as possible. I limped back along the floor, holding

445
00:32:03,960 --> 00:32:06,200
the cut across my arm with my palm to stop

446
00:32:06,240 --> 00:32:09,880
the bleeding. I helped the nearest ones get out first,

447
00:32:10,279 --> 00:32:13,680
guided them through the back panel as it opened. Other

448
00:32:13,720 --> 00:32:16,880
adults took over from there, ushering the kids onto the

449
00:32:16,960 --> 00:32:21,799
road and away from the bus. Smoke still clung to everything.

450
00:32:22,400 --> 00:32:24,960
My vision blurred from the blood loss and the ringing

451
00:32:25,000 --> 00:32:29,720
in my ears. I could barely feel my legs. Once

452
00:32:29,759 --> 00:32:33,160
everyone was off, I lowered myself down from the rear

453
00:32:33,200 --> 00:32:36,599
of the bus. I remember stepping on to the pavement,

454
00:32:36,960 --> 00:32:40,920
still carrying the axe, and standing there without saying anything.

455
00:32:41,319 --> 00:32:46,200
All the kids huddled together behind me. Everyone was covered

456
00:32:46,200 --> 00:32:51,799
in ash and blood and smoke, but we were alive.

457
00:32:53,880 --> 00:32:57,440
The bus led out a low groan. Something inside popped.

458
00:32:58,279 --> 00:33:02,640
The weight had shifted again, its front tilted toward the edge,

459
00:33:02,920 --> 00:33:06,759
the left side pulling down first. I yelled for everyone

460
00:33:06,799 --> 00:33:10,160
to back up. The whole thing tipped off the edge

461
00:33:10,480 --> 00:33:15,759
and slid forward. Tires scraped once against the concrete, and

462
00:33:15,839 --> 00:33:21,200
it dropped. Red lights flickered between the trees as the

463
00:33:21,240 --> 00:33:25,119
first cruiser appeared from the main road. Then two more

464
00:33:25,799 --> 00:33:29,880
ambulance headlights swept the edge of the woods. They finally

465
00:33:29,920 --> 00:33:34,839
came a blur of boots and flashlights closed in, radios buzzing,

466
00:33:35,680 --> 00:33:40,720
Paramedics pulled out, stretchers, officers fanned out. I watched all

467
00:33:40,799 --> 00:33:43,240
of it as if I were stuck in a tunnel.

468
00:33:44,640 --> 00:33:49,319
One of them called out my name, Jesus Danley, What

469
00:33:49,440 --> 00:33:54,400
the hell happened? It was Jameson, some one I knew.

470
00:33:55,400 --> 00:33:57,920
He took one look at me, then grabbed my shoulder

471
00:33:58,160 --> 00:34:02,880
and started leading me back toward them. Come on, sit down,

472
00:34:03,240 --> 00:34:08,320
you're bleeding. You're out on your feet. I didn't argue.

473
00:34:09,000 --> 00:34:11,360
I followed him to the back of a cruiser, where

474
00:34:11,360 --> 00:34:14,719
a paramedic opened a kit and started cleaning the cuts

475
00:34:14,719 --> 00:34:20,400
across my arm. Everything stung, but it didn't matter. The

476
00:34:20,440 --> 00:34:25,119
paramedic asked something, but I didn't answer. Then another medic

477
00:34:25,119 --> 00:34:28,840
approached through the clipboard. We need to know where the

478
00:34:28,840 --> 00:34:31,880
first body is, the one you radioed in at the

479
00:34:31,920 --> 00:34:40,599
original crash. You said, one fatality. I nodded where Jameson

480
00:34:40,719 --> 00:34:45,719
touched my arm. You said there was a wrecked car. Yeah,

481
00:34:45,960 --> 00:34:49,480
I said, My throat was dry in the forest back

482
00:34:49,519 --> 00:34:52,360
on the shoulder, near the main trail. It's not too

483
00:34:52,400 --> 00:34:56,920
far out. They helped me into the cruiser and drove

484
00:34:57,000 --> 00:35:00,960
me down. You passed the broken fence and came up

485
00:35:01,000 --> 00:35:04,920
to where the Toyota had hit the tree. Two meddicks

486
00:35:04,920 --> 00:35:07,199
got out and moved toward the rear of the vehicle.

487
00:35:08,400 --> 00:35:13,039
I stayed behind, leaning on the open door. Then One

488
00:35:13,039 --> 00:35:18,000
of them turned back and called to me, there's no

489
00:35:18,079 --> 00:35:25,960
one back here. I stood up straighter. What he motioned again,

490
00:35:26,920 --> 00:35:32,480
there's blood, but there's no body. We walked toward them,

491
00:35:32,960 --> 00:35:38,920
looked through the window myself. The back seat was soaked,

492
00:35:39,360 --> 00:35:41,760
you could still see the pattern where the blood had dried,

493
00:35:42,239 --> 00:35:45,239
pulled down to the floor mat. The seat belt was

494
00:35:45,280 --> 00:35:50,760
stained red and stiff. But the body wasn't there? Not

495
00:35:50,880 --> 00:35:55,039
a single bone, not a piece of fabric, not a trace.

496
00:35:57,199 --> 00:36:03,199
I stepped back, blinking. Jameson stood next to me. Was

497
00:36:03,239 --> 00:36:08,039
he dead when you saw him? Yea, I said, Could

498
00:36:08,079 --> 00:36:14,559
he have moved? No? I locked past the car into

499
00:36:14,599 --> 00:36:18,760
the trees behind the clearing. Her question rang in my

500
00:36:18,840 --> 00:36:36,960
head at that moment. Was it not the only one