Crossroads

Jason’s pulse pounded in his ears as they sprinted through the alleyways. The gunshot still echoed in his mind, a sharp reminder that people are just as dangerous as the lizards.

Mia led the way, moving fast but careful, her eyes scanning every corner. Jason kept Ryan close, gripping his wrist as they weaved through the ruins of the city.

The streets felt like a trap.

Every open space an invitation for something.. or someone.. to find them.

They kept running.

Then.. a dead end.

A collapsed building blocked the alley, the rubble piled high.

Jason cursed under his breath. “No way through.”

Mia turned, her expression tight. “We go back.”

Jason didn’t want to. Didn’t want to risk running into whoever fired that shot. But there no choice.

They turned..

And stopped.

Footsteps.

Close.

Jason’s grip on his knife tightened. Mia raised her gun. Ryan shrank behind Jason, his breath quick and uneven.

Then.. a shadow moved.

Jason’s heart slammed against his ribs. Too big to be human.

Mia whispered, “Lizard.”

Jason felt his stomach drop.

The creature emerged from the ruins.. a monster with scales dark as oil, its limbs unnaturally long, jagged claws scraping against the ground.

And its eyes.. they aren’t mindless.

They are focused.

On them.

Jason didn’t hesitate.

“Run!”

⸻

They tore through the streets, the lizard close behind, its guttural growls sending ice through Jason’s veins.

It fast. Faster than the others.

Jason glanced back.. it gaining on them.

His mind raced. Nowhere to hide. No time to fight.

Then Mia veered left, toward a crumbling department store.

Jason followed, hauling Ryan inside just as Mia kicked a door shut behind them.

For a second, silence.

Then.. BOOM.

The lizard slammed into the door, the impact rattling through Jason’s bones.

The door held.

But not for long.

Mia grabbed Jason’s sleeve. “Upstairs. Now.”

They ran, scrambling up a shattered escalator as the lizard rammed the door again.

BOOM.

Jason’s breath came in ragged gasps.

Ryan tripped. Jason caught him, pulling him up.

The lizard crashed through.

Jason didn’t look back. Didn’t want to see it coming.

They hit the second floor, darting through aisles of dust-covered shelves.

Trapped.

No exits.

Jason’s mind screamed for a solution.

Then he saw it.. an old elevator shaft.

Open. Exposed.

A way out.

Mia caught on instantly. “You first.”

Jason didn’t argue. He grabbed Ryan, hoisted him over the edge. “Hold onto the cables!”

Ryan hesitated. Jason shoved him.

Ryan grabbed onto the thick metal wire, sliding down the shaft. Gone into the darkness below.

Mia went next.

The lizard stormed into the room.

Jason jumped.

⸻

The fall longer than expected.

Jason hit the ground hard, rolling on impact. Dust and debris rained around him.

Ryan coughed. “I-I think I twisted my ankle.”

Jason grabbed him. “Can you move?”

Ryan nodded through clenched teeth.

Above them, the lizard screeched. Pacing. Watching.

But it didn’t jump.

Jason let out a shaky breath.

For now, they are safe.

But as he looked around the dark, ruined basement, he knew one thing.

They had only escaped one death… and walked straight into another.

Jason’s breathing slowed as his eyes adjusted to the dark. Dust swirled through the air, lit only by the dim shafts of light filtering from the ruined ceiling above.

The lizard is still up there. Pacing. Sniffing.

But it isn’t coming down.

It’s waiting.

Jason didn’t like that.

Ryan groaned beside him, shifting his weight onto his uninjured foot. Jason steadied him, glancing at Mia. “Where the hell are we?”

Mia scanned the space. It looked like an old storage basement, filled with rusted shelves and collapsed boxes.

More importantly.. no other exits.

Ryan swallowed hard. “Are we trapped?”

Jason didn’t answer. Because he didn’t know.

⸻

Mia moved first, stepping carefully through the wreckage. Jason followed, keeping Ryan close.

The basement is too quiet.

Too still.

Jason’s gut twisted. They had learned by now that silence is never good.

Then.. Mia stopped.

Jason tensed. “What?”

She didn’t answer.

Instead, she pointed.

Jason followed her gaze and.. his stomach dropped.

On the far side of the basement, partially buried beneath fallen beams and shattered concrete..

Bodies.

At least five. Maybe more.

All of them fresh.

Ryan’s breath hitched. “Did the lizard do this?”

Jason isn’t sure.

Because some of the wounds looked… different.

Mia moved cautiously, kneeling beside one of the corpses. Jason didn’t want to look, but he forced himself to. They had to know what they are dealing with.

The first body.. a man, maybe in his 30s.. had deep, jagged gashes along his torso. Claw marks. Definitely a lizard.

The second.. different.

No gashes. No bite wounds.

Instead, a single bullet hole in the forehead.

Jason’s stomach twisted.

Mia exhaled. “Somebody else is down here.”

Jason stood. “Which means there’s a way out.”

⸻

They searched quickly.

Jason’s nerves are on edge. Whoever had been down here before… are they still here?

Mia moved ahead, stepping over fallen debris. She reached a rusted metal door, tested the handle.

Locked.

Jason ran a hand through his hair. “Think we can break it?”

Mia shook her head. “Too noisy.”

Ryan limped closer. “What if we.. ”

A sound.

Jason froze.

Ryan’s voice cut off.

The noise came from the darkness ahead.

Not from above. Not from the lizard.

Something is down here.

Jason’s pulse hammered. He moved quickly, pushing Ryan behind him, raising his knife.

Mia aimed her gun at the darkness.

Then..

A voice.

Weak. Raspy.

“…Help.”

Jason’s breath caught.

Mia stiffened. “Someone’s alive.”

Jason hesitated. Every instinct screamed that this is a mistake.

But then Ryan whispered, “We can’t just leave them.”

Jason gritted his teeth. They didn’t have time for this.

But deep down, he knew..

They are running out of time anyway.

And if there is even a chance this person could help them get out.. they had to try.

Jason swallowed his fear and stepped forward into the dark.

Jason’s breathing slowed as his eyes adjusted to the dark. Dust swirled through the air, lit only by the dim shafts of light filtering from the ruined ceiling above.

The lizard is still up there. Pacing. Sniffing.

But it isn’t coming down.

It’s waiting.

Jason didn’t like that.

Ryan groaned beside him, shifting his weight onto his uninjured foot. Jason steadied him, glancing at Mia. “Where the hell are we?”

Mia scanned the space. It looked like an old storage basement, filled with rusted shelves and collapsed boxes.

More importantly.. no other exits.

Ryan swallowed hard. “Are we trapped?”

Jason didn’t answer. Because he didn’t know.

⸻

Mia moved first, stepping carefully through the wreckage. Jason followed, keeping Ryan close.

The basement is too quiet.

Too still.

Jason’s gut twisted. They had learned by now that silence is never good.

Then.. Mia stopped.

Jason tensed. “What?”

She didn’t answer.

Instead, she pointed.

Jason followed her gaze and.. his stomach dropped.

On the far side of the basement, partially buried beneath fallen beams and shattered concrete..

Bodies.

At least five. Maybe more.

All of them fresh.

Ryan’s breath hitched. “Did the lizard do this?”

Jason isn’t sure.

Because some of the wounds looked… different.

Mia moved cautiously, kneeling beside one of the corpses. Jason didn’t want to look, but he forced himself to. They had to know what they are dealing with.

The first body.. a man, maybe in his 30s.. had deep, jagged gashes along his torso. Claw marks. Definitely a lizard.

The second.. different.

No gashes. No bite wounds.

Instead, a single bullet hole in the forehead.

Jason’s stomach twisted.

Mia exhaled. “Somebody else is down here.”

Jason stood. “Which means there’s a way out.”

⸻

They searched quickly.

Jason’s nerves are on edge. Whoever had been down here before… are they still here?

Mia moved ahead, stepping over fallen debris. She reached a rusted metal door, tested the handle.

Locked.

Jason ran a hand through his hair. “Think we can break it?”

Mia shook her head. “Too noisy.”

Ryan limped closer. “What if we.. ”

A sound.

Jason froze.

Ryan’s voice cut off.

The noise came from the darkness ahead.

Not from above. Not from the lizard.

Something is down here.

Jason’s pulse hammered. He moved quickly, pushing Ryan behind him, raising his knife.

Mia aimed her gun at the darkness.

Then..

A voice.

Weak. Raspy.

“…Help.”

Jason’s breath caught.

Mia stiffened. “Someone’s alive.”

Jason hesitated. Every instinct screamed that this is a mistake.

But then Ryan whispered, “We can’t just leave them.”

Jason gritted his teeth. They didn’t have time for this.

But deep down, he knew..

They are running out of time anyway.

And if there is even a chance this person could help them get out.. they had to try.

Jason swallowed his fear and stepped forward into the dark.