Excerpt
Duncan loaded up the two-paintball guns with a combination of salt pellets and paint pellets. He put a bag of magnesium pellets and magnesium-filled balloon bombs into his backpack. Night vision goggles were propped atop the heads of both Samuel and Duncan. Nightfall had crept in while they loaded up their weapons and supplies. The night goggles should be able to pick up and display the unique heat signatures of the water beasts.
Duncan told Samuel to freely shoot his paintball gun if a water beast is seen or even if he so much as thinks he sees one. The paint pellets will easily mark the beast and the salt crystal pellets will slow down and destroy the water monsters.
Duncan and Samuel slid the night goggles down over their eyes. They both activated the goggle control button to display the infrared vision view. They brought the paintball guns up to ready position. They stepped out of the entrance into the raging, powerful storm that openly welcomed them with wet liquid arms.
Bright green images filled Duncan’s view. He slowly inched past the overturned Hummers. He headed in the direction of Zachary’s cabin. He could see a soft, whitish glow coming from the cabin window as he approached the small building.
Samuel followed in Duncan’s footsteps. He never left his eyes off of the surrounding terrain. Movement! Samuel turned. He saw something...something...move near his right…he turned…but…nothing. Was something there? Were his eyes playing silly tricks on him? He had to be careful…cautious.
It was very difficult for Samuel to see due to the intense and heavy rainfall. The powerful surging wind gusts waged a swirling war around him. Leaf and dirt debris violently twisted and loosely blew everywhere. Each time there was a lightening strike…an extremely bright flash of light would briefly blind the two men of any vision due to the sensitive nature of the night goggles to any exposure to extreme or bright light.
Samuel was not used to wearing night vision goggles. They felt very awkward on his eyes and the green vision was unusual. The distorted greenish images seemed to be playing tricks with his head. He tried to stay as close to Duncan as possible. His job was to cover Duncan’s back against possible attack from a water beast. Samuel was very scared. He felt slightly disoriented.
Again…movement to Samuel’s right…then quickly to the left. Samuel reached out for Duncan. Duncan stopped moving. “Hold on…I saw something. I think…I am not sure. I saw a flash of movement and then it was gone. I think something is following us…popping in and out of the storm.” Samuel said.
“Okay…just be careful. Keep on eye out…but let’s keep moving. We are almost there. Follow me.” Duncan turned and ran toward the cabin. Samuel briefly searched the area. He ran after Duncan. Then he saw it…in the sky above. The creature was very large. It was gracefully flying through the storm unaffected by the turbulence created from the windstorm.
The water beast displayed a large head. It was shaped like a bat with the extended wings of a predatory bird. The amazing water beast glided effortlessly in the thick falling rain.
“Watch out…Duncan!” yelled Samuel. “Above you…look up!” The large bird-like water beast came silently swooping downward. It’s watery talons outstretched and ready for attack on the two courageous men armed only with paintball guns.
Duncan stopped and turned. He aimed his paintball gun at the incoming flying beast. He pulled the trigger. Duncan let off a few fast-moving rounds of salt and paint pellets in the direction of the swooping watery figure. Instinctively, and before the flying water beast could grab a hold of Duncan, Samuel dived and pushed Duncan from the potential clutches of the wet dripping talons of the bat-bird water beast. The water beast now marked with purple, pink and yellow paint turned upwards toward the sky. It circled the woods for another run at the two men. The creature seemed to be slowing down a little bit.
Because of the impact with the ground, Samuel’s paintball gun had flown from his hands. It had fallen about twenty feet from where he lay. Loose pellets could be seen in muddy puddles next to the paintball gun. Samuel rolled onto his feet. He ran toward the paintball gun.
“No…leave it!” yelled Duncan to Samuel. Get to shelter…hurry run…it’s coming back! Run…Samuel…Run!”
Duncan turned toward the flying creature. He shot some more paintball pellets at the diving bat-bird water monster. The beast was rapidly heading directly towards Duncan. Duncan turned. He saw Samuel running towards where the old rusted trailers were located. Duncan rolled on to the ground just seconds before the talons reached him. He let go a barrage of salt pellets into the bottom of the bat-bird water creature as it closely passed over him. More color filled the inside of the flying water thing. It fluttered in the storm’s wind. The creature was both beautifully colorful and hideous as the salt reacted with the monster.
The chemical reaction caused by the salt crystals and water was in full effect inside of the water creature. It suddenly slowed down, stopped, and forcefully dropped to the ground in a multi-colored slushy, salty, gooey mess. A colorful rainbow of slimy and salty pools of wet mush was all that remained of the bizarre and dangerous flying water beast.
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