Aris, Sonya, and Rachel set up a workstation, a table clustered with three chairs. They set the Shade's wings on top, and then, began discussing. "Look, that term, spring, and glade, are continuing on in the code. Each wing continues to have it imprinted on it."
"Hmm," Sonya said thoughtfully. "What's a glade, though?"
"No matter," Aris responded firmly. "We need to figure it out. Look, there's more." He gestered to the numbers. "Five, four, seven. It has to do with the code. Notice spring and glade are all uppercase, while the rest is not." He dotted those and glanced up. "You have more sheets?"
Sonya nodded. "I still have all the notebooks and that boxed sheets. Oh, wait--spring is getting repetitive. Wall Nine is continuing on, too. There's a few different patterns, one of them is with Wall Nine, and the term, Spring. Must have to be something; there's much more on those wings."
"Yep," Rachel agreed. "We just have to decode all of it." Then, she grinned. "Why didn't we figure this out in the beginning? Why--"
The ceiling began to split open, gigantic cracks forming. The Shade was emerging through the roof. "Everyone, hide!" Harriet commanded through the earpiece. Aris shoved himself into the tent and inside the sleeping bag. But it was no use. The vicious creature growled, lashed out at the entire area.
"Aris!" Sonya cried out.
He struggled, as the Shade seized his arm. He tore himself out the grasp, but the Shade, and the new deadly creature barged in, growling as it flung itself at Aris. Then, he realized something. The Shade was only aiming itself at him only, the only male.
Rachel! he shrieked. Rachel! The girls were attempting to fire at the Shades, but then, they grasped the girls and flung them away, instead of abducting them. No...! he shouted in his mind. Rachel was struggling beneath the Shade's arm, as it lunged at her, and Aris leaped up.
"No!" Sonya cried out. "We need you; don't get pricked! Quit!" She tried preventing the Shade from assaulting Aris, but it roared at her and jabbed her, but to his astonishment, she didn't go unconscious like they all thought she would. The Shade tore its attention back to its victim.
It jabbed at Aris. He struggled to his feet, even thrusting the spear at the heart. But even as gore spilled out of its heart, it continued on with its assault. The ceiling finally splintered completely, revealing wide cracks above, bulbus creatures and Shades alike barging in.
A Shade grasped him. He struggled, but this time, was blinded by a wide shaft of green light from its wing. Someone hurtled a knife at the Shade, but it continued assaulting him. This time, a dozen pricks jabbed into his arm, giving him no chance to flee, as he couldn't see where he was going.
Everything faded into darkness, then, Rachel's and Sonya's voice fading as black spots began to swim in his vision, as he landed on the floor.
ns 15.158.61.8da2
