Drew of the Stars

Chapter 5 and 6

CHAPTER 5: MEET A CUTE LITTLE MONSTER

Drew and Adam were walking along the corridor when they reached the end of it. They are facing a closed door. Adam hesitated. After staring it for a while, Drew said, "Well, the door isn't going to open by itself. Let's go through it." She started to go toward it.

"You don't want to do that," said Adam.

"Why not?"

"There's a big and scary monster behind it."

"How do you know?"

"That's where I came from before hiding inside the locker."

"There's nothing there. Have you seen any monsters around here?"

"Just because we haven't seen any, doesn't mean they don't exist. I'm telling you, there is a monster behind that door!" Adam was insistent.

"Well, in that case, I'll just arm this gun of mine, and you open that door. If there's a monster behind it, I'll shoot it dead!"

"I don't want to open the door. It may cut my lifespan short."

"You'll be fine. Ready? On a count of three. One... Two.... Three!"

Adam yanked the door open, and Drew was surprised since it turns out that there is a monster right behind that very door. It was calmly eyeing her. Then it decided that Drew posed no danger. It stood up on its legs and opened its big mouth, ready to swallow her. Drew reflexively squeezed the trigger and shot the creature dead. It flopped to the floor, its head all shot up. Drew was breathing heavily.

She looked over the creature. It was mean and nasty all right. With various sharp horns and extremely wicked rows of teeth. It was about the size of a cow.

"Didn't I tell you there's a monster there, huh? Huh?" demanded Adam.

"This is your big and scary monster?" countered Drew. "It's not scary at all! Look! It's dead!"

"Uh, yeah, it is." admitted Adam.

"Alright. Let's go!" Drew confidently strode forward.

"There's a big and scary monster there!" Nevertheless, Adam followed her.

"It's not that big!"

"_That_ one is not too big. There's a bigger one up ahead."

"How big is it?"

"Big and nasty. Almost two stories tall. Capable of ripping off wall like knife through butter."

"Quit exaggerating. No monster is that big."

"This one is!"

"I'll believe it when I see it!"

"Why won't you believe me?"

"Because what you say is impossible! I have seen the recorded data on the ship and there's nothi..." her words trailed out. "Did you hear that?"

"Yes," he said. "I believe it's coming from that direction." He pointed to a set of double door. "It could be the monster."

"So, we kill it." She indexed a fresh magazine into the gun.

"Are you sure? It's really big. Do you hear how noisy it is?”

"I think we can handle it." She sounds so self-assuring.

"If you say so. On three?"

"On three." she confirmed. "One... Two... Three!"

Adam yanked the doors open, and they were met with several really angry alien creatures. They are really mean and nasty looking. Their misshapen head twisted around angrily. These alien creatures are different from the last one Adam and Drew encountered earlier. While the last alien creature was about the size of a cow, these ones are about the same size as Chihuahuas, and about as threatening. Drew waxed them all no problem. It didn't even take her more than 3 seconds to do it. She smiled smugly at Adam, who had his jaw to the floor.

CHAPTER 6: MEET THE REALLY BIG MONSTER

After clearing several more hallways, Drew and Adam arrived at a hangar. The place originally contained some airplanes and other vehicles. At this time, there was none of them. There are various tools and other mechanical implements such as those that you find in a garage. The large door opening opens to the outside. The sunlight shines through the large opening. The place has a large platform along the far wall, with stairs coming up from the ground to the platform along the wall's edge. Drew and Adam were walking along the platform.

"It was so big, it can chew up a vehicle and spit it out!" Adam was describing the monster he saw.

"What do you think it is? Jaws?" retorted Drew.

Unknown to them, a large animal eye opens and can be seen through the small holes on the wall behind them. It followed them along.

"It's a big and scary monster!" insisted Adam.

"Admit it, you're just a big liar and a coward!"

"Do you think I just made things up?"

"Are you telling me that you not only dropped your weapon, but also your pack and other gear?" asked Drew.

"Yes! They're heavy and slowing me down."

"As well as your armor?"

"It was uncomfortable. I took it off before hiding in the locker!"

"Uh-huh. And how come we never find it?"

"I don't know. Maybe one of the little monsters took it."

By this time, they reached the end of the platform. Drew, who walked in front, reached the top of the stairs. She turned toward Adam who was walking at a distance behind her, looking sully.

"I just think that none of your explanations make sense. Just how big did you say the monster was?" asked Drew.

Adam, who was looking sully, now looked downright terrified. "Be.. buh.. big.." he stammered. His knees were jello and his arms gestulade wildly in wide arcs, indicating massive size. His eyes bulged out of their sockets with fear.

Unknown to Drew, the big and scary monster that Adam insisted telling, do exists. In fact, it was standing up, the head stood just feet behind Drew who remained blissfully unaware of the big head right behind her. If you take Tyrannosaurus Rex and combine it with Rancor monster, with the head of Godzilla, you'd get a reasonable facsimile.

Drew was exasperated with what she thought was Adam's cowardice, and a snort alerted her of something massive behind her. She spun around, hefting her big rifle in her hands. The extremely short distance between her and the alien creature startled her. "Ah!" she exclaimed as her hands reflexively went up to shield her face. The gun flew out of her hands in consequence, and down the stairs it went.

CLUNK-CLUNK-CLUNK-CLUNK. The sound reverberated throughout the hangar. Drew, Adam, and the big and scary alien creature were transfixed to their respective spots.

CLUNK-CLUNK-CLUNK-CLUNK. The big rifle made its way to the bottom of the stairs.

CLUNK-CLUNK-CLUNK-CLUNK. Nobody moved. Nobody said a word.

CLUNK-CLUNK-CLUNK-CLUNK. Drew and the big alien creature stared at each other while the terrified Adam looked on.

CLUNK-CLUNK-CLUNK-CLUNK. The gun finally reached the bottom of the stairs. It skittered harmlessly on the floor. Drew involuntarily flicked her eyes to it.

The monster smirked.

The monster opened its jaw wide. Rows of wicked and nasty teeth can be seen lining up the mouth. The undulating multiple lines of teeth would be fascinating to any biologist intend of studying alien life form. The accompanying gigantic roar, though, would be enough to scare anybody within a kilometer distance.

Drew didn't bother to count the teeth. She didn't bother to measure the actual width of the gaping maw, nor did she bother to admire the thick scales the monster had. She ran.
"Run! Run! Ruuuuunnnn!" she turned tail and ran at speeds rivaling Formula One racecar.

Adam didn't need to be told twice. He pulled 180 and pumped his legs as hard as he could. Drew overtook him. Adam was staring at the sort, little girl being burdened with pack, outrunning him. "Wait! How come you run faster than me!" he asked.

Drew kept running. "I don't know!" She yelled. "Keep running!"

She reached the door at the other side and closing it fast. Adam managed to just squeeze by before she slammed it shut. She immediately locked the door and leaned onto it. The following shock as the monster slammed into the door actually dented the whole wall. Drew was tossed facedown to the floor, sliding for quite a distance. Fortunately, the door held firm.

"Ooowwww," Drew moaned. Her grenades were clipped at her chest harness and had hurt her in the sliding fall.

Adam was quacking with fear. "Toss a grenade! Toss a grenade!" he urged.

Drew took a look at the situation. There was a vent opening above the door. Outside, the monster was huffing and puffing by the door. Drew pulled a grenade, popped the safety pin, and threw it through the ventilation opening. An explosion was heard several seconds later.

The monster gave a tremendous howl and started to bread down the door in earnest. Drew and Adam looked at each other. "I think we just managed to piss him off." Drew said.

"Shoot it! Shoot it!" Adam was beside himself.

Drew reflexively groped around for her rifle, and remembered that she just dropped it down the stairs. She looked embarrassed. Adam wasn't saying anything, but it's obvious he knew that Drew did what he did: Dropped the gun in fear.

The door finally broke down caused by relentless hammering by the monster. It tried to squeeze by, but the door opening was too small. The frame cracked around the door, allowing the monster to nip at Drew's heel. She ran, followed by Adam.

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They were running through a hallway, with large opening to the courtyard at the end. "What are we going to do now?" asked Adam.

Drew thought for a moment, then making a decision, she said," Keep running out to the yard. Lure out the monster there in the open."

"That's what we'll do?" asked Adam.

"That's what _you'll_ do. _I_ will be hiding here while you do that." She jumped into an open hatch on the floor, grabbing the door handle while she did it. The hatch door slammed shut. Adam did a quick turnaround and reached it at the same exact time the hatch door clicked locked.

Adam was pounding at the hatch door on the floor. "Wait! Wait! What about me?"

"Start running!" came the answer.

"Shit! Shit! Shit!" Adam was swearing his head off. A blast at the end of the hallway made Adam whipped his head. He saw the big and scary monster just broke the wall, and now eyeing him greedily. "SHIIIIIIIIIIIT!" Adam ran as fast as he could. He was crying like a baby. "I should have listened to Momma and stayed in school. Now I'll die millions of miles away from nowhere."

He was still crying when he spied a vehicle by the entrance. His cries turned to laughter of joy as he climbed the open top, modified propane powered golf cart, used to haul materials from the field to the compound. His hand went to the ignition, and found no key hanging there. His laughter turned to cries as he frantically searched for the missing keys.
The monster was bounding enthusiastically toward Adam. Adam decided that enough was enough, and jumped out of the vehicle. He was clumsy and tripped, falling to the ground. His crying turned to laughter as he spotted the keys on the ground. Someone must have dropped it there. He grabbed the keys, jumped back into the vehicle, inserted the key to the ignition, and joyously turned it to start the engine.

Nothing.

Nothing happened. No engine start, no starter turn, nothing. Adam's laughter turned to crying as he frantically turned the key over and over. He was doomed. He bashed his head to the steering wheel. He bashed his fist to the dashboard in frustration. The engine started! Adam quickly sat up, shifted the gear, and mashed the gas pedal. The vehicle bucked forward just in the nick of time and the monster made its lunge to the vehicle, missing it by inches. The monster snarled in disappointment.

Adam was laughing his head off. The vehicle was running smoothly. Then he saw that the exit off the compound was blocked by debris. He was stuck there! There are crates, containers and supplies strewn everywhere, and that created some paths in the courtyard.
The monster was bounding behind him. Adam drove around some containers, keeping the monster behind him in circular path. He was crying his eyes out, for he saw no way out of the situation. Eventually, the vehicle will run out of fuel, and the monster will catch up to him and he will die, eaten by the big and scary monster.

He was driving around in circles when he suddenly stopped. There was a monster in front of him! Quickly, he glanced around for a quick escape path, but then he noticed that there was no longer a monster behind him. Is the monster in front of him the one that was chasing him? It's hard to tell, since it was facing the other way.

Adam cocked his head in confusion. He was pondering what to do when the monster suddenly roared and stood up on its legs. Adam recoiled in horror. Then the monster fell to the ground, dead. Adam was confused.

It was then that he saw a shuttle hovering in front of them. Its gun barrels still smoking from recent discharge. Obviously, the shuttle had just killed the monster. "Hey! Over here! Over here!" Adam furiously waved his hand trying to get attention.

"Are you alright?" came the reply from the shuttle.

"Yes! I'm alright." said Adam. "Come down at once and pick me up!"

"I can't. There's no landing space there in the yard. Too many debris."

"Well, why don't you..." Adam's voice trailed off. "Is that you, Drew?"

"Yes."

"How did you get to the shuttle so quick?" asked Adam.

"I'm still back there inside. I'm controlling this shuttle via remote control."

"Oh."

"I'm going to put the shuttle somewhere safe. Then we'll plan our next move from there." Drew said. She navigated the shuttle away from the compound as Adam slumped in his seat.

Time: 1 hour
Words: 2346