Fry Lives, a short story-Written by Celia P.
Carolyn Fry saw the surprised look on Richard Riddick’s face, followed by a look of anguish in his eyes. One second she was pressed against him, the next she was whipped from his arms in a flurry of flapping wings and screeching vengeance. She saw Riddick fall to the ground before being completely enveloped in darkness, then saw nothing more.
Carolyn could feel the vice-like grip of the creature’s talons around her arms and waist. The spot in her back where she had been speared ached horribly and her legs tingled. She felt herself slipping towards unconsciousness, but the cold rain pelting her skin and clothing made it impossible. She didn’t want to be conscious for what would happen next. Eaten alive by ravenous monsters; it had been a fitting end for Johns, but not for her. It wasn’t fair.
Carolyn felt the impact as another winged creature dove into her soulless captor. Just like when they had made their run through the canyon, the creatures were attacking each other and fighting over any morsel of food. Even through the rain, the others could probably smell her blood and were coming for their share of her.
More creatures joined in on the bombardment, and Carolyn quickly felt the talons loosening. With the last bit of strength she possessed, she wiggled fiercely and felt herself slip from the monster’s grasp. She prayed the fall would kill her, but the dark night had disguised that she was only a few feet from the ground. She landed in a deep puddle and felt the icy water surround her. Screeching and slashing continued to reverberate in the air above her. Carolyn rolled on her side and saw that she had landed on the outskirts of the old mining town. The emergency lighting was twinkling like a distant star, beckoning her toward it. She had to try. Again.
“Please, God,” she prayed in a silent whisper, crawling out of the puddle.
The monsters continued their aerial battle, momentarily preoccupied enough for her to crawl the short distance back to town. The creatures were definitely phobic about light and Carolyn didn’t see any on her way back. The few that had been in town had stuck to the dark corridors between the buildings, which was where she and Riddick had been separated.
A bright light shown down from above a doorway on one of the buildings on the edge of town. It was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. It was enough to keep the monsters at bay. As she leaned against the metal wall and let the light shine on her, she heard the skiff start to power up. Carolyn pushed herself up on her numb legs and started stumbling toward it.
“No, please. I’m still alive. Please.”
As if they had heard her, the engines powered down. Impossibly, maybe they had seen her. Maybe they were waiting. Maybe they were coming back for her. Carolyn tried to walk as fast as she could, but the injury to her back made it difficult. She turned a corner and could see the skiff through the pelting rain, but had to stop. A winged creature with poised talons and sharp teeth was standing in the dark alley between her and the skiff.
“Not fair!” She cried angrily.
She had more than redeemed herself by going back for the others. By going back for Riddick. She deserved a break from Fate. She didn’t want to die on this planet. She wasn’t going to die on this planet! Carolyn looked for another route, but before she could make a decision, the skiff’s burners raged to full power, emitting a blinding white light.
“No!” Carolyn screamed, shading her eyes with her hand.
The creatures congregating in the old mining town shrieked and were either melted by the blast or flew away. Riddick had made it back to the skiff. Still shading her eyes, she watched as the skiff headed for orbit, pushing it’s way through a solid curtain of flying black monsters. She hadn’t made it in time. Not that Riddick would have waited for her. He had probably figured her for dead. No reason for him to wait.
Knowing the creatures wouldn’t keep their distance for long, Carolyn headed to the one place she might have a chance to make it. Despite the tingling in her legs, she made herself stumble to the coring room and shoved the heavy doors closed behind her. The emergency lighting was pretty dim inside, but still it was better than nothing. It enabled her to spot the huge wrench on the floor near the door, which she used to slip through the handles as a brace until she could find another chain. Imam, Riddick and Johns had pulled the heavy grate over the boring hole leading down into the earth, firmly locking it in place. The former inhabitants had dug it to drill coring samples and had unfortunately left it open when they had tried to hide from the very same monsters during an eclipse 22 years earlier. The monsters had flown up through the opening from below and devoured them all. Not that anyone could have forseen her ending up back there. Imam had just wanted to make sure no other creatures could come up through the hole and kill anyone else.
Feeling her strength failing fast, Carolyn quickly looked around the shelves and was able to locate another thick chain to wind through the handles to the doors. She picked up the heavy lock that had held together the original chain, using a slim piece of metal to jimmy it open. She slipped it through the new chain and clicked it firmly in place.
Carolyn’s legs finally gave out on her, and she sank down to the floor. The cool metal doors felt good on her back. Tears streamed down her face as she tried to think ahead. Imam had said he had gotten the impression from the model that the eclipse would be an everlasting darkness. She hoped he was wrong. The suns had to come up again eventually. She hoped the emergency lighting would hold out until they did rise. As if Fate was testing her again, Carolyn could hear the emergency generator start to cough and sputter. Tired and exhausted from her ordeal, she could do little more than huddle in the flickering lights and pray for the darkness to end.