"Shit," the Mayor muttered.
The word ca out low, more irritation than fear, as the entire fra around them creaked again.
Outside, the Hunter adjusted its stance.
It didn’t rush.
It planted itself beside the overturned LC300, its limbs pressing against the crushed side panel as if testing the strength of the vehicle.
Then it pulled.
The sound that followed was heavy and raw. tal stretched past its limit, bolts snapping one after another as the reinforced fra began to give way. The side panel bent outward first, just a few centiters, then more as the force increased.
Inside, Jayson felt it through the floor.
"...It’s ripping it open," he said, voice tightening as he braced himself against the dashboard.
The driver scrambled, finally freeing himself from the belt. He dropped hard onto the interior, palms sliding across broken glass and dust as he tried to get his footing.
"Get out! We need to get out now!" he shouted, panic breaking through.
But there was nowhere to go.
Their side was pinned to the ground.
Was where the Hunter was.
Another pull.
Stronger.
The rear fra tore with a sharp crack, the sound echoing through the cramped interior as part of the structure gave way. The tal didn’t just bend this ti.
It split.
A jagged opening ford along the side, the edges twisted and uneven, letting in a sliver of dim light from outside.
Cold air rushed in.
Along with the sll.
The woman let out a strangled cry, pressing herself deeper into the corner, her hands shaking uncontrollably as she stared at the opening.
Jayson raised his rifle imdiately, aiming straight at the gap.
"Back up!" he shouted, though there was no space to move.
Outside, the Hunter leaned closer.
Its limb pressed against the torn tal, then pushed.
The gap widened slowly, the steel bending further inward under sustained pressure. The fra around them groaned again, every joint and weld protesting as the creature forced its way through.
The interior lights flickered.
The vehicle shifted slightly on its side.
The Hunter’s limb slid inside.
It scraped against the seats, dragging across the interior, leaving dark streaks as it searched blindly for movent.
The woman’s breathing broke into panicked gasps.
"Please... please..." she whispered, her voice barely holding together.
Jayson fired.
The muzzle flash lit up the interior for a split second, the shots deafening in the enclosed space. The rounds struck the limb at close range, the impact causing it to recoil slightly.
For a mont, it pulled back.
The space went still.
Jayson held his aim, breathing hard.
"...Did that—"
The answer ca imdiately.
The entire side of the vehicle slamd inward.
The Hunter hit it again, harder this ti, tearing more of the fra loose. The jagged opening stretched wider, tal peeling back like it was being unzipped by force.
The gap was no longer small.
Now, it could see them, its face opening wide, revealing what lay inside.
The space between them disappeared.
The woman froze.
Her body locked in place, her breath caught halfway in her chest as she stared at it. Her hands pressed against the seat behind her, fingers digging into the leather, trying to push herself away.
But there was nowhere to go.
It reached in with a sudden burst of speed, its limb snapping forward and closing around her upper body. The force pulled her off balance instantly, dragging her across the seat.
"NO—!"
Her scream filled the interior, sharp and desperate as she tried to grab onto anything. Her nails scraped against the seat, against the tal, leaving shallow marks as she resisted.
Jayson reacted.
He lunged forward, grabbing her arm.
"Hold on!" he shouted, bracing his body against the fra.
For a second, it held.
A brief, strained mont where both sides pulled in opposite directions.
The Hunter didn’t struggle.
It simply pulled harder.
The strength behind it was overwhelming.
The woman’s grip slipped.
Her hand slid out of Jayson’s grasp.
And she was dragged out through the jagged opening, her body scraping against the torn tal as she disappeared from view.
Her scream cut off abruptly.
Jayson stayed where he was, his hand still extended, his chest rising and falling as he tried to process what had just happened.
The driver didn’t move.
Didn’t speak.
He just stared.
The Hunter returned.
It leaned back into the opening, pushing more of its body through the torn fra. The tal bent further around it, the gap widening as it forced its way in.
The remaining woman broke.
She scrambled toward the front, slipping over debris and broken glass, her breath uneven, her voice shaking.
"Please—please—"
The Hunter reached for her.
Jayson fired.
The shots cracked inside the vehicle, the sound deafening in the enclosed space. The rounds struck the creature, causing it to jerk slightly.
But it didn’t stop.
It pushed forward again.
Its limb caught her.
She scread as it dragged her back, her body twisting as she tried to break free, her hands clawing at the floor.
Jayson grabbed her again.
"Don’t let go!" he shouted.
For a mont, he held her.
His grip tight.
His arm straining.
The Hunter pulled.
Stronger.
The difference in strength was clear.
Her arm slipped.
And she was torn away from him, dragged through the opening just like the first.
Her scream lasted longer this ti.
Then it stopped.
Inside the LC300, there was nothing left between them and it.
The Mayor was stunned.
"Jayson, do sothing about it."
Jayson didn’t answer.
For the first ti since this started, he didn’t have anything to say.
His rifle was still raised, but his hands were no longer steady. His breathing ca out uneven, chest rising and falling as he tried to lock back in.
Outside, the Hunter didn’t leave.
It stayed at the opening.
Watching.
Waiting.
Then it pushed further in.
The torn tal groaned again as more of its body forced through the gap, the fra bending wider, giving it more room. The interior shifted slightly from the pressure, the vehicle creaking as if it was about to collapse in on itself.
The driver scrambled backward toward the front, slipping over glass, his hand searching blindly for the door handle.
"It’s coming in!" he shouted.
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