He waited, his gun at the ready as the creature got closer, and closer. Its steps were lumbering and slow. The monster gargled as it sniffed the stale air while its bony hands tapped the ground as if it were trying to find some sort of indent or change in the surface. In the darkness, the monster looked up and made a sound. Not a growl or a roar, but a replication of a man’s scream before he died.

  ‘Oh God! Help me!’ The monster repeated, a clever way to lure someone to it by perfectly mimicking the last words they said. It knew Neshoba was in the room with it, hunting for its first meal in a long time.

  Neshoba couldn’t recall what sort of monster stood near him. From what he could tell, the creature was some sort of ambush predator that preyed on humans and their tendency to help anyone in need. He couldn’t tell if it was an El Cuco, a Baubas, a Metminwi, or a Bauk. All these creatures should have been extinct at least a century ago, but they all matched the behaviours the monster demonstrated.

  As the monster took another step, Neshoba jumped out of cover and blinded the monster by shining the torch into its eyes. The beast cried as it covered its eyes, revealing itself to be a Bauk. A large humanoid creature with deep red fur and a bear-like appearance. Neshoba sighed in relief as he noticed the monster’s ribs, showing that the beast was famished.

  Seeing and knowing his target, he fired a few shots into the creature. It let out a high-pitched scream as the enchanted bullets tore out chunks of its flesh. Desperate, it dashed deeper into the office area, knocking away tables and chairs as it sought cover away from its ambusher. Even though it hadn’t consumed flesh for a long time, it was still fast.

  Nes’ ears rang. Firing a gun in enclosed spaces was never a good idea for one’s hearing. But while Neshoba reloaded, he grinned as he would be allowed to use his skills once more. It had been years since he had hunted and slaughtered a creature of horror, and the Bauk would provide that itch he desperately needed.

  Before Neshoba could rush to where the Bauk was hiding, the monster jumped out and caught the experienced hunter off guard. Neshoba dropped his gun and torch as the beast crashed into him, its fangs prepared to bite down on his exposed neck.

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  Thinking fast, Neshoba rolled onto his back and used his momentum to throw the creature off him. Before the Bauk could get up to launch itself for another attack, Neshoba reached for his knife and slashed at the creature’s cheek to keep the creature away and maintain some distance.

  However, as Neshoba raised his knife to plunge it into the monster’s skull. With a loud thud, the Bauk smacked him to the other side of the room with the back of its hand. Nes groaned as one of his ribs popped and cracked as he rested one hand on his side.

  The hunter coughed as he got back onto his feet. His heart raced as it pumped his body full of adrenaline; a feeling he missed as the age of monsters came to an end. While his mind screamed in fear, his instincts demanded that he retreat to safety. Neshoba stood his ground and stretched.

  Neshoba wiped his lips with the back of his right hand before spitting on the ground. ‘Alright, let’s play dirty then.’

  The beast snarled as it pounced at the hunter. In one swift movement, Neshoba grabbed the creature’s arms and knocked it down with a hard kick to the side of its right knee. It screamed as its knee shattered, but before it could retaliate, Neshoba grabbed its lower jaw and tugged on it to the side to dislocate it.

  It was all over, as the monster fell to the ground, grabbing its loose mouth in despair and trying to reattach it. Neshoba picked up his gun and walked over to the ancient creature.

  ‘A shame,’ he calmly said to the wounded beast. ‘I missed the old scuffle. Shame it must be against a weaker foe.’ He finished before shooting the creature in the head. An unceremonious end to what could be the last of its kind.

  He walked over to the file he had put down and picked it up. Flipping back to the page where it talked about Jackson, so he could memorise the location of Appleseed. That time, determined to figure out what truly happened during that day when the world turned against its oldest defender.