The team kept running between the trees and rocks, with the monster chasing them from behind. Jesse turned toward Joseph while breathing heavily: "What happened? What is this thing?"
Joseph replied, exhaustion clear on his face: "We don't have time now. I'll tell you when we escape from this thing."
Jesse looked back to see the trees falling one after another and the sound of the monster's footsteps shaking the ground beneath them. He turned his gaze forward again and realized he was about to collide with a tree, but he avoided it at the last moment.
Meanwhile, Jenny, who was at the peak of terror and fear at that moment, began to feel exhausted. Her breathing became harder with every step she took, causing her to slow down. Then she started feeling severe pain in her lungs until suddenly… her foot tripped over one of the rocks.
In those few seconds, dozens of thoughts raced through her mind at the same time: "Impossible… impossible… impossible… I don't have any energy left to run more… I'm going to die… I'm going to die." Her train of thought was cut off by a hand that grabbed her and pulled her before she could fall. Jenny quickly turned around to find that Ethan had caught her before she fell, clear signs of exhaustion on his face.
Jenny regained her balance and continued running, saying in a voice full of fatigue: "Thank you."
Nicholas shouted, his face covered in sweat: "We won't be able to escape it. We need to think of something else because it's only getting closer and closer."
Jesse replied: "We have to hit its eye (panting). It has only one eye, so hitting it will distract it long enough for us to escape or even kill it."
Nicholas replied: "Good idea, but how are we supposed to hit it with all these trees? They're everywhere."
Jesse answered: "I don't know, man."
Jenny interrupted them in a voice filled with exhaustion: "Why don't we split up? That will make it follow one of us, and while it does, the others can aim their weapons at its eye and blind it."
Jesse replied: "Good idea." Then he shouted to the rest: "You heard what she said. Split up! Whoever the monster keeps chasing, shout their name."
A few seconds later, everyone split up and headed in different directions.
Jesse and Joseph went to the right, Jenny and Ethan to the left, while Nicholas continued running straight ahead so the monster kept following him, and the rest distanced themselves from the creature.
As soon as they were a few meters apart, they stopped in front of one of the trees, waiting for a sign to know who the monster was chasing.
The sound of its footsteps began to fade slowly until Nicholas screamed at the top of his lungs, calling his own name.
Jesse and Joseph caught their breath and rushed toward him.
On the other side, Jenny collapsed against one of the trees from exhaustion.
Ethan looked at her with fear and worry, remaining confused about whether to stay with her or head toward the monster. Jenny noticed Ethan's concern and said in a faint, tired voice: "Go to them. I'll be fine by myself."
Ethan took a deep breath and hurried toward them.
The monster caused massive damage to the trees while chasing Nicholas, so they were able to locate its position quickly. Jesse and Joseph met Ethan in the middle of the path and rushed together, following the trail of destruction.
After some time, they spotted the monster from afar. Jesse aimed his rifle at it and fired several shots to attract its attention. The monster turned and began moving slowly toward them. Everyone aimed their weapons at it, preparing to open fire.
With every step it took, their heartbeats quickened and their breathing became harder. It got very close to them.
Then suddenly, it stopped in place, shocking and surprising everyone. It bent down, picked up one of the shattered trees from the ground, and in a matter of seconds raised its arm toward the sky and threw the tree at them.
In those critical seconds, everyone jumped in different directions, narrowly avoiding the attack.
Jesse's heart continued to pound violently, as if it wanted to escape from his chest.
He placed his hand on his heart and began breathing with difficulty, then looked toward the others to find they were in no better condition than him.
The monster began walking slowly toward them. Jesse stood up with difficulty, his legs trembling and sweat covering his entire body. He looked with exhausted eyes at its yellow eye, which was devoid of any emotion.
It approached slowly like a wolf about to devour an injured rabbit.
Jesse gripped his handgun tightly, aiming it at the predatory eye. He closed one eye, aiming with all the precision he possessed at the eye. He placed his finger on the trigger, and the sound of the gunshot echoed through the forest.
Nicholas heard the gunshot, which made him rush toward them. The only thing on his mind was: "Did they do it?" He jumped over rocks and avoided hanging branches.
Nicholas reached them to find the monster covering its eye with its hands, staggering in pain. It slowly retreated backward as dark blood flowed from its eye. They watched it in silence, waiting for its next move.
It continued moving randomly in all directions while keeping its hands on its eye, as if screaming in pain but without making a sound. After several minutes in the same state, the monster suddenly fell to the ground, and a strange substance leaked from its eye.
Jesse collapsed onto the ground. Finally, he could rest for a while. He began catching his breath, and his heartbeat slowly returned to normal. Meanwhile, Nicholas went to the monster's corpse lying on the ground, looking at it with a disturbed expression.
He reached the monster's eye and found it had become like a hollow ball emptied of air, with its blood spreading underneath it like a small pool.
End of the chapter.