Abby waited, listening to the strides of the Ronin as it got louder and more distinct. She wanted to run. Every single ounce of her was telling her to get up and keep running. That if she tried hard enough or if she ran fast enough she could make it. But she knew better. She knew there was no way in hell she could outrun that thing. That this was it. This was her do or die moment. The same moments that her squad had been put through countless times over the past year. Only difference is she's the last one left. There was no one else after her. She was the last standing survivor of Project Alpha Special Forces.
   The Ronin exploded through the trees on the outskirts of the forest sending a volley of wooden shrapnel in all directions. It moved like a bulldozer slamming itself into everything in its path, disregarding anything that stood between it, and its prey. Paralyzed in fear, Abby laid on her back, hands shaking, neck off the ground, staring at the Ronin trampling toward her.
   She slid her index finger down and away from the frame of her nine millimeter, resting it on the trigger. Abby took in a deep breath. She exhaled as slow as she could and aimed down the sight, pulling the trigger. Shot, after shot, after shot, landed directly in the Ronin's head, blowing out one of its many eyes and ripping out the back. She knew each of her shots were landing from the backish-red blood that sprayed from the entrance and exit wounds where her bullets made contact. This is it, I'm going to die. I'm going to FUCKING die, she screamed in her thoughts. Abby's pistol didn't phase the Ronin. It screamed and snarled, stampeding off balance towards her.
   Large chunks of the trees dispersed randomly into the clearing, showering Abby in a volley of ligneous hail. She rolled over onto her side to soften the blow of the falling wreckage, knees sucked into her chest and arms covering her head. Abby's fingers inadvertently loosened around the handle of her pistol as remnants of the trees pummeled and abused her body. She tried to tighten her fingers around the grip, but her hand pulsed open with each concussive blow and it bounced out of her hands.
   The Ronin unleashed a ghastly shriek, closing the gap and lunging at Abby. She quickly rose to her feet but was immediately shut down by the Ronin body checking her at full speed. Both Abby and the Ronin toppled head over foot, rolling further into the clearing, down the grassy side of gentle hill. The soft incline of the hill added to their momentum and Abby pushed off the Ronin with her legs, separating herself from the entanglement.
   Abby unsheathed the divers knife from the holster on her thigh rather than go for her rifle slung around her torso. There wasn't enough time. The Ronin was already clambering between biped and quadruped, barreling right at her. She jumped back dodging the first swing of its blades, but the second followed too fast for her to react. Her arm dropped to the floor sliced cleanly off at the bicep, and she retaliated by jabbing the knife into the Ronin's gut, staring it straight in the face. The Ronin lunged its arm through Abby's stomach, lifting her off the ground. Blood poured from Abby's mouth as she bellowed a primordial scream from her core. Her body dangled in the air, flopping around in whatever direction the Ronin moved its arm. Her eyes involuntarily closed.

   Abby gasped for air and fluid rushed into her lungs. She panicked and tried to move, but couldn't. She couldn't reach or grab for anything. Both her arms were cauterized at the biceps. Abby flailed her legs in the air as she hung from the ceiling of an abandoned cabin. She tried to yell, but the lower half of her jaw was long gone with the contents that made up her voice. Air bubbles surfaced past her eyes as she hissed and gurled fluid inside the mask suctioned to her face. Abby turned her head. Dozens of more survivors hung from the ceiling syncopated. They all looked the same. All the survivors were women, stripped of their clothing, and armless with tentacles running in and out of their bodies. Each of the women identical to the next, bellies transparent and distended.
   Abby looked down. Her stomach was also distended. Something was wiggling inside her. Squirming. Sloshing. Her eyes widened and air bubbles surfaced past her face inside the mask.