Project Chimera

Bridget

7:10 PM

After circling the entire kids' section for what felt like ages, I finally spot the jacket in Katie's size. Ten minutes of pointless wandering and not a single 'helper' offered any actual help, just staring blankly as if I had three heads. I snatch one jacket in black and another in pink-Katie's current favorite color.

"Just these two," I mutter to the disinterested cashier. She rings me up in silence, barely glancing my way, sliding the jackets into a plastic bag. "Come again," she drones, though we both know she couldn't care less if I did or didn't.

I speed-walk toward the mall exit, knowing full well Katie's going to chew me out for running late. Each hurried step brings the exit sign into clearer focus, and I'm moving fast, my mind already on the excuses I'll have to give. Suddenly-bam-someone slams into me, my bags flying out of my hands, the contents scattering across the polished floor.

"Just great."

"I'm so sorry!"

"Are you alright, miss?"

Two young men crouch beside me, quickly gathering my things. They're about my age, maybe a little younger. One, with a soft Taiwanese accent, hands me the jackets.

"Sorry about that."

I force a smile. "It's okay, really. Nothing broken."

"Do you know where the restaurant is around here?" the other man asks, still holding one of the bags.

I give them directions, and we exchange polite farewells. It's nice to encounter friendly people, I think, though I'm still a little rattled.

As I step onto the escalator, something strange happens. The entire mall plunges into an eerie, oppressive stillness. The escalator grinds to a halt beneath me, and the usual buzz of voices and footsteps vanishes, replaced by a deafening silence. My stomach tightens with unease. It's not just the escalator-everything has stopped. The entire mall has gone dead.

The hairs on the back of my neck prickle. The air feels heavy, thick, like before a thunderstorm. My skin tingles with static, but it's bright outside-no sign of rain, not a cloud in the sky. My mind scrambles for answers. What's happening?

A boom echoes through the space, distant but unmistakable. It rattles the air, vibrating through my bones. The murmurs of confused shoppers fall away, replaced by an anxious quiet. Then, another boom, closer this time. Louder.

The woman behind me on the escalator fumbles with her phone, calling the police. "Teenagers playing some kind of prank," she mutters, but I don't buy it. Something's wrong-deeply wrong.

We start edging down the stalled escalator, trying to act calm, but there's an unspoken panic simmering beneath the surface. The entire building feels...off. Like it's holding its breath.

Suddenly, a harsh scraping sound erupts from somewhere above. I whip around just in time to see one of the massive stair railings tear free and crash to the floor beside the escalator with a sickening thud. The ground shakes beneath us.

Now it's time to panic.

People scream, shoving to get off the escalator, scrambling for safety. But then-another set of railings collapses. And from the twisted wreckage, something emerges.

A figure.

I freeze. It's tall-inhumanly tall-its limbs too long, its movements disjointed and unnatural. It's almost colorless, like a smudge of darkness that refuses to fit into the world around it. The thing's head is a smooth, metallic shape, no discernible features. Just wrong. All wrong.

For a heartbeat, everyone stands still, staring in shock. Phones come out, cameras flash. And then, the creature releases a shriek-high-pitched, piercing, like metal being dragged across stone. It surges forward with terrifying speed, and the world around me erupts into chaos.

I break into a sprint, my heart hammering in my chest, my breath coming in ragged gasps. My only thought: Katie. My little girl, waiting for me in the car just outside. I need to get to her.

Behind me, the creature tears through the crowd, limbs flailing. I hear the unmistakable sound of flesh being ripped apart-screams that cut off abruptly. I want to look back, but I can't. I won't.

Don't look back.

But then my traitorous body does just that. I glance over my shoulder, and my blood turns cold. Bodies lie scattered in the creature's wake, torn to pieces, lifeless. The thing moves impossibly fast, and there's more than one now.

My legs burn, but I push harder, my mind locked on one goal-escape.

A few of us burst out of the mall, our terrified cries filling the air. The exit is in sight, just a few more steps. But then-a shadow blots out the sun.

A second creature leaps from above, landing in front of the exit with a heavy crash. It blocks the way, its long, twisted arms unfurling like a spider preparing to strike.

"Back! Go back!" someone yells, but it's too late.

I whirl around, heart sinking. The first creature is there, blocking our retreat, closing in fast.

Am I going to die here?

My legs buckle, and I drop to my knees, hands over my head in a futile attempt to shield myself. I scream-a primal, desperate sound-hoping, praying it's not the last sound I'll ever make.

The creature charged at me with inhuman speed, its shriek slicing through the air like broken glass. I squeezed my eyes shut and kept my head bowed, whispering prayers through clenched teeth. I didn't dare breathe. My knees dug into the freezing tile, trembling, as if I could will the ground to split open and swallow me whole, anything to avoid being torn apart.

The stench hit me first. Rot, blood, and something worse, something unnatural. It was close. Too close.

I didn't think. My body moved before my mind could catch up. I looked up-

-and saw another creature crashing down from the floor above, landing squarely on the one that had nearly reached me. The impact was violent, a tangle of limbs, claws, and snarls.

My gaze darted upward. Standing at the shattered edge of the upper floor was the man I'd given directions to just moments ago. His eyes met mine, wide, breathless, alive.

I didn't thank him. I didn't speak.

I ran.

No thoughts, no words, just raw instinct. I bolted down the corridor, heart hammering, every footstep echoing like a countdown to death.

And then-everything goes black.

Paul Santiago

7:20 PM

It's been six years. Six whole years since I last saw that little rascal. "Little"? I chuckle to myself. He wouldn't be little anymore. If I'm doing the math right, he'd be 22 by now-ripe for marriage even. The thought of it makes me smile. And here I am, well past the "ripe" stage myself.

"What's got you smiling like that?" A familiar voice teases from behind.

I turn around, and there he is-the so-called little rascal, standing tall and bold. Oh, how times have changed.

"Well, I'll be damned," I breathe out, taking in his height. "Look at you! You're what, 5'11?"

"6'2," he corrects, a grin on his face.

We stand there, just staring at each other for a few moments, and in those few moments, memories from the past flood back-like it was only yesterday we first fought in the ring. We met at The Gym, an underground club training fighters: boxers like myself, and martial artists-judo, Muay Thai fighters-like him. I was a lost cause back then, no past, no future. I had been in darkness my entire life, but he became the light I never thought I needed. A son I hadn't asked for, and yet one I couldn't have done without.

And now, seeing him after all these years, after both of us went chasing our dreams, I realize something: he saved me. He gave me a second chance at life, and he doesn't even know it.

"Yeah," I say, subtly wiping away a stray tear with the back of my hand. "Come on, buddy, let's get some grub."

I pat him on the back and lead him into the mall.

As we navigate through the mall, looking for a nice restaurant, I can't help but laugh when we bump into a lady, sending her things scattering to the ground. Oh, great.

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" I apologize quickly, kneeling down to help pick up her belongings.

"Are you okay, miss?" Khalan asks, bending down beside me.

The woman looks a bit flustered but smiles. "Oh, it's alright, really," she says, catching her breath.

She gathers her things and turns to leave. Figuring she might know the area, I ask, "Sorry to bother you, but do you know where the restaurants are around here?"

She kindly gives us directions, and we part ways with a quick "thank you."

---

After we settle down to eat, Khalan is mid-story, laughing as he goes on about my encounter with The Drew Anderson, one of the world's top MMA fighters.

"No way!" he exclaims. "So you're telling me you were in the same room as The Drew Anderson?"

"Yes, but he's actually not as tall as he looks on TV. Rumor has it he's 5'9, not 6 foot."

Khalan laughs, clearly happy that he's taller than one of his idols.

I try to join in, but I can't shake the feeling gnawing at me. I didn't just come here to catch up. I came here to tell him something important-that I'm quitting boxing for good.

I practiced at home, running through what I'd say, trying to brace myself for how he might react. Disappointment? Anger? Pain? The thought of losing him makes me sick. Or maybe... maybe he'll understand, a small voice tries to reassure me.

He's still talking about his excitement for his upcoming fight when I interrupt him.

"Hey, Khalan?"

"Yeah?"

I pause, my throat tightening. What do I say?

Come on, Paul, say something, I tell myself. He notices my silence and stops chewing, a worried look crossing his face.

"What's wrong?" he asks.

"I just... I can't keep-"

BANG!

A loud bang echoes from across the restaurant. I don't know whether to be relieved for the interruption or worried.

"What was that?" Khalan asks, already standing.

"Stay here," I say, moving toward the door. Another bang echoes, then another, followed by an eerie silence. My heart sinks.

"Khalan, we need to-"

Bang!

"Was that a-?"

I never heard the rest. The next sound was so loud, so raw, it shattered everything. My ears rang, my vision blurred, and for a terrifying moment I was deaf and blind.

The store across from us exploded inward. Not from a bomb. Not from a car. From... something.

Something fast. Too fast. I couldn't even register its shape. My brain scrambled to define it-was it a vehicle? Some kind of carrier? An animal?

No-worse.

I looked closer and from the ruins emerged the most horrific things I've ever seen. They look deformed, like something twisted and unnatural. Their arms are long and gangly, heads shaped like mailboxes but warped, grotesque. And they're fast-terrifyingly fast.

I turn to Khalan, shouting, "GET DOWN!"

BANG!

People around me dropped to the floor, ducking, screaming into their hands, whispering prayers into the linoleum. Someone sobbed. Someone else threw up. My own breath was caught somewhere in my chest, refusing to come out.

It felt like a dream-no, a nightmare I couldn't wake from.

I turned, frantically scanning the chaos for Khalan, but before I could even say his name-

BOOM.

The second one crashed directly into the store we were in.

Glass rained down like needles. Shelves crumpled like paper. My scream never made it out.

Paul 2.

The creature comes crashing into the restaurant, sending tables and chairs flying. Screams fill the air as people scramble for cover, tripping over each other in panic. Some dive under tables, others cling to walls, while a few desperately search for family or friends separated in the chaos. The place is a nightmare-bodies pressed into corners, shattered glass underfoot, the acrid smell of fear permeating everything.

The creatures tear through people as if they're made of paper. Arms, legs, and faces vanish into their massive claws. It's a massacre.

I turn to Khalan. He's frozen, staring wide-eyed at the carnage, his breath shallow and rapid. Beads of sweat are already forming on his forehead. He's terrified, and honestly-so am I. But he can't know that.

We can't die here. Not now, not like this.

"Come on, kid. On your feet. We need to move-quietly and quickly," I say, my voice low but urgent.

But he doesn't move.

"Khalan, I swear to God, if you don't move now!" I whisper-yell, trying not to attract any attention. The urgency seems to snap him out of it; he nods, breathing hard, and gets ready to follow.

We start crawling toward a smashed window, shattered when those things broke in. We're almost there when I stop. As if reading my mind, Khalan pauses, too. We exchange a look-neither of us can leave everyone behind. It's against everything we've trained for, everything we stand for.

He veers toward a group of teenagers huddling under a table, motioning them to follow him with a finger to his lips. Meanwhile, I spot an elderly woman and a child near the restaurant entrance, inching toward what they think is an exit. But there's a creature just above them, crouched and ready to strike.

Without thinking, I snatch up a chair from the floor and hurl it straight at the creature. It hisses and turns, its eyes locking onto me. Good. The woman and child shuffle away, unnoticed. But now I'm staring down those dark, soulless eyes, and it's readying itself for a kill.

It takes a stance-coiled, like a predator preparing to pounce.

I yell to the rest of the strangers gathered unfer the tables, "Go! Now!" And then, throwing caution to the wind, I bolt toward the window, hoping Khalan and the others have already gotten a head start.

The creature lunges just as I leap out of the broken frame, feeling shards of glass scrape my skin. Thank God I don't skip leg day.

But this thing is fast-faster than I imagined. It's already on me, its breath hot on my neck. I'm almost out of breath, but then I spot a set of collapsed railings just ahead. An idea forms, wild but maybe possible. I push myself harder, leading the creature straight toward the ruined barrier.

When I'm inches away, I grab onto the one remaining intact railing and throw myself to the side. The creature charges, unable to stop, and crashes through the weakened railings, falling with a vicious snarl.

"Khalan!" I yell, glancing around. He's at my side in seconds, the teenagers close behind him. For now, we're alive.

A shriek catches my attention. The woman from earlier, the one who gave us directions, is pressed against a wall, staring as one of the creatures comes toward her. But as it moves to strike, my fallen creature lands right on top of it, sending both tumbling.

Without another word, the woman bolts, disappearing into the shadows in search of safety.

"Khalan, we need to keep moving," I say, nodding at the terrified kids with him. He gives a quick nod, determination tightening his face.

We sprint, the sounds of destruction and horror trailing behind us. Creatures tearing through walls, screams ringing out. Hell has been unleashed, and all we can do now is survive.