The Bunker

The air was warm and humid this morning. The large green leaves hung from the giant jungle trees. Tom was sitting on his porch eating an apple, he was 14 and enjoying his summer break. He got to his feet and was going to head inside when he heard excited yelling. Tom looked up to see his three best friends running towards him. There was Brady who was a little plump and loved his favorite red hat. Next there's Mark, Mark was the tallest of us four even though we were all the same age. His cool, jet black hair and the large fixed blade knife he always carried around on his waist made him look like an explorer. Finally, there's Toby. He was a skinny boy who was the fastest one at school. He always seemed to wear a black tank top and basketball shorts. The three of them stopped at Tom’s feet panting and gasping for air.“What is it? what's wrong?” Tom quickly blurted. Then Tom noticed that they were all smiling about something.

 “Quick Tom, come with us! we found something awesome!” Toby yelled as he and the others started running.

 Tom chased after them and caught up. The dusty rocks and gravel beneath their feet crunched as we sprinted down a nearby dirt road. The friends then took a sharp turn into the forest and Tom followed. And soon we passed through the tree line, the tall jungle trees and the shrubbery covering the ground got thicker. As we got further into the forest, my friends started to slow down and eventually we came to a stop. At first, Tom was confused because he didn't see anything in front of them. Toby then grabbed Tom arm and pointed at what looked like a rock wall. Tom stared at the wall and then realized that it was actually an old iron military research bunker. It was encrusted in aging moss and vines.

  The large 7 foot rolling door was cracked open with a hole 2 foot wide. Mike daringly stepped forward and slowly put his right foot through the hole. When he felt the floor, he looked back at us smirking and then pulled himself the rest of the way in. “What the hell are you doing?” Brady yelled after him, but the doorway was already empty.

Tom walked forward to the door urging the other two to do the same and hopped through. Eventually, Brady and Toby summed up their courage and entered the bunker. 

The bunker was pitch black with a sliver of light coming through the doorway. Mark felt around on the walls until he found a large lever. When he pushed it up, lights along the ceiling flickered on and illuminated the room. The smell of dirt and decay filled the air and dust covered every object in sight. Tools and methane canisters littered the ground and walls. Desks covered in beakers, scales, and other scientific instruments lay scattered around. In one corner was a rack of rifles and explosives. Tom could not figure out why people would just leave all their tools here and not take it with them when they left. 

Suddenly, Tom heard a crash behind him and spun around. Brady had started picking up beakers and throwing them at the walls making them smash and shatter. He let out a hysterical laugh and threw more. Mark and Toby wanted to join the fun and started following his lead. Tom was then roped in and began throwing equipment into the floor and walls. The four boys laughed as scientific instruments flew through the air. Toby threw a digital scale across the room carelessly which crashed into a small glass tank knocking it off the table. It hit the ground and shattered. The loud sound of the pressure being released caught the boy's attention. Everyone stopped what they were doing and for a moment, the only noise was the birds outside.

“What was that?” Mark said, breaking the silence. Brady walked over to the pile of shattered glass and the others followed. Using his foot, he pushed the glass back and forth. He spotted something underneath the glass. He knelt down and tried to pick it up with his hand. As soon as he extended his arm, The glass pile quickly shifted and a black leech like creature sprung from the heep of shards and bit on to Brady's palm. Brady yelled in pain staggering backwards. He groped at his hand attempting to pull out the animal but it had already burrowed into his hand and was working its way through his body. He howled as he clutched his shaking arm. Everyone was frozen with fear. The room was silent except for Brady’s yells. Suddenly, he went silent. He was hunched over, no longer holding his arm. He started lurching forward as if he was going to throw up. He jerked a few times then took his shirt off and stumbled forward. He stopped moving forward and stood in the middle of the room still hunched over. The birds that were calling before had been silenced by his screams. As if being sliced with an invisible knife, lines of blood spread all over his body. His screams commenced and we're even louder. Brady's body started to swell and grow a noticeable amount and the cuts turned into gashes exposing his flesh. The yells coming from Brady turned into a waterlogged gurgling noise. As if a balloon popped, Brady's body was ripped to pieces from the inside. In his place was a horrific sight. 

A 6 ft long creature that could only be described as an alien was staring back at them. Its 6 arms and sharp talons were covered in blood from its immersion. As soon as it noticed the three boys, it bolted for Mark. He dove out of the way letting the creature smash into the wall behind them. The three of them ran for the exit but the beast swung its tail knocking Tom into the opposite wall. The other two boys slipped through the crack and made it out. The monster backed up until it was standing in between Tom and the doorway. The intensity of its stare was enough to make the hair on the back of Tom's neck stand up. Quickly, Tom looked around for something he could use to defend himself. The rack of weapons was too far out of his reach but a frag grenade had been knocked off the shelf when the beast ran into the wall. Tom scooped it up and ran right for the door. 

The creature looked ready to strike at any moment. Tom pulled the pin and raised a grenade over his head. But right before he threw it he turned and threw it into the pile of methane canisters. He dropped to his knees and slid underneath the monster. In one swift motion he sat up and dove through the crack in the military grade door. An explosion sounded behind them igniting the methane gas. A column of fire shot out the door over Tom laying on the ground. Slowly, Tom got up and walked towards his friends hiding behind a large tree. The three of them turned and walked home without speaking.