Gas Mask Girls Issue #8
Emlynn Jones
The creature became Gamble’s world, all she could see was its bloody mouth reaching for her, all she could feel was its hot breath. Her training, her instincts all fled. She was going to die! Where was Doze? Why hadn’t she shot this monster?
Gamble tried to push the assailant off her, but she felt weak, so weak. The Dancer clawed up her side, coming closer to her exposed neck. Her left hand with the knife was trapped awkwardly under the creature, she tried to grab the knife with her right hand but it slip away from her bloody fingers. She cried out in frustration as the monstrous face grew closer. Closer.
Stupid! Stupid, stupid, stupid! Her mind screamed at her. How many times had Doze warned her? She was too brash during fights. She charged forward too quickly. Well, this time she wasn’t going to be around to hear Doze say “I told you so.”
A sharp crack rang out as something struck the Dancer’s head throwing the body off Gamble. Samantha stood behind, a long rebar in her hands. She struck the fallen creature several more times, panic in her eyes.
Gamble tried to get to her feet but fell back down in the attempt. She was dizzy, she was out of breath, she needed a moment to clear her head. The small arms fire continued to ring out throughout the valley, this fight wasn’t close to finished. She didn’t have a moment. She needed to move now!
“Please!” Samantha cried to her. “They’re inside! Please!”
Gamble shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts, trying to recover faster. She had never come so close to dying and she was shaken by the experience.
“Gamble!” Samantha persisted, “Please!” She gestured to the entrance to the mine shaft.
Gamble looked around, Doze was almost one hundred feet behind her. Had she really gone so far away from her support? What had she been thinking? The answer was simple, she hadn’t been thinking. She had let her rage control her and it had almost gotten her killed this time.
Things were going badly for Doze. She was down to a single pistol and close to being swarmed herself. She had a knife in her left hand, trying desperately to take out Dancers who got too near, using her remaining gun to take out anyone from a distance. She was losing and seconds away from facing death.
Gamble stumbled to her feet. She ignored the pain, she ignored the lightheadedness. Looking through the debris and corpses she found her bat. She grabbed her trusty ally and lurched to a stumbling run, heading towards Doze. Hoping she could make it in time.
Samantha cried out in fear and frustration, “No! I need help! Don’t run away!” She didn’t understand. She didn’t know what Gamble had momentarily forgotten. They were a team, and together they were stronger than alone.
Step by step, Gamble regained her balance and closed the distance between her and Doze. The Dancers were intent on their target, their backs towards Gamble, easy prey for her attack. She had taken down several of them before they became aware of the new danger.
Together, Gamble and Doze made short work of the remaining Dancers. Doze glared out Gamble, “We’re going to talk about this later! You nearly got us both killed.”
“I know,” Gamble replied. There was nothing else to say right now. Later.
Doze looked around on the ground and cried out in joy when she found her other gun, knocked from her hand at some point during the melee. She grabbed it, quickly assessing if the drop had done any damage.
“How much ammo you got?” Gamble asked her.
“12 rounds all together. That’s it.”
“Let’s hope it’s enough.”
Gamble looked up at the defenses. Four of the settlers, including Jay, were still firing at the raiders. She couldn’t tell from inside the walls how effective their fire was, but at least it seemed to be keeping the attackers from storming inside the compound. That was something at least. The compound hadn’t fallen. They still had a chance. But they needed a leader, where was-
Suddenly she remembered the impact of the bus. How could she have forgotten that, it had been only a few minutes ago. She searched her surroundings, trying to find out what had happened to Michael. To her horror, she finally found him, partially trapped under the bus. He was not moving, he didn’t look like he was ever going to move again. They would have to move forward without him then.
“You look bad,” Doze gestured to the blood-soaked pants and shirt.
“Later,” Gamble said, heading back toward Samantha who was weeping in frustration. “Come on Doze, we’re not down yet.”
Doze quickly caught up to Gamble, who was still limping from her wounds. “Gamble, are you sure?”
“I’m sure.”
They passed Samantha who cried out in relief as she realized where the two travelers were headed. Samantha tightened her grip on the rebar and followed them both into the darkened mouth of the mining tunnel.