The Tunnel

 

Lexa pulled her hand from Clarke’s grasp and took a tentative step towards the symbol. The creature rolled up on its side, and the movement startled Lexa into action. She wrapped her fingers around the wooden circle and darted out the door, grabbing Clarke’s outstretched hand as she went.

 

They were no more than a few hundred feet from the building when a crash sent Lexa’s legs stumbling in surprise. She would have fallen on her face if it weren’t for Clarke’s strong and steady grasp on her hand.

 

She didn’t even bother turning around. She could feel the creature stalking them again. Her lungs burned as she ran, Clarke’s steady breaths spurring her to run faster and harder. Clarke guided them to the pedestrian tunnel, and Lexa followed blindly.

 

Lexa slammed face first into Clarke’s back when she suddenly pulled to a stop. Words of confusion were on the tip of her tongue, but upon looking up, all questions were answered. The exit to the tunnel was blocked by a very unfortunate wall of orange construction fence.

 

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

 

Lexa turned, talisman still in hand, ready to sprint out the way they came in, but of course that wasn’t possible. The creature stood in the entryway of the tunnel, its overly muscled body flexing as it breathed. They were trapped.

 

The demon began its slow stalk towards them, and for every slow step, Lexa and Clarke took two backwards. It wasn’t long before their backs hit the orange fence. Clarke turned, her hands clawing at the plastic, desperate to find some weak spot, some chink in its armor, but to no avail.

 

Lexa turned the talisman over in her hand. She squinted and in the darkness could just make out an inscription. The demon drew nearer and nearer. Lexa had to make a decision. She could read the inscription aloud, hoping it was some sort of spell that defeated this demonic thing, or she could snap the talisman in two, destroying what could possibly be the thing keeping it on this physical plane.

 

Lexa should…