Still. Empty.
Kyle pants, spinning, searching.
His phone dangles uselessly in his hand.
KYLE (yells):
“Lolita!—”
No answer.
No echo.
Just the faint rush of water somewhere below.
Kyle steps forward.
Then, freezes.
Deeper in the wet
TUNNEL—
Something moves.
Not fast.
Not slow.
Just strange.
Kyle’s eyes strain.
For a split second, he could swear he sees a MAN. Kidnapping Lolita.
Taking her in Fireman's carry through a doorway in the side of the tunnel, her legs kicking, anklet glinting —
Then—
The proportions shift. Legs lengthen. The lower half stretches unnaturally as it slips inside. Then shrinks back to normal.
Kyle blinks hard.
His mind rejects it.
Under any other circumstances, he would run.
Turn back.
Scream.
But love overrides instinct.
Kyle takes a step forward—
Then—
A BLUR.
Motion erupts from the shadows to his right.
Kyle reacts without thinking—
He stumbles backward, arms snapping up to shield his face.
Something passes where he was standing—
A violent rush of air.
A swirl of SMOKE.
He scrambles up— practically vaults the fence, and RUNS.
___
[THICKET]
___
Kyle tears back through the brush, branches clawing at him. He doesn’t look back.
Leaves whip past his face.
His foot catches—
Kyle spills out of the trees, climbs, falling over the
fence, into the open grass, tumbling hard.
He rolls onto his back, scuttling backward on instinct.
At the edge of the thicket—
The SMOKE gathers.
Condenses.
A massive, indistinct SHAPE presses forward.
A CLAW slashes out of the smoke—
Just missing Kyle’s leg by inches.
Kyle kicks, scooting backwards, heart pounding.
The sun crests the hill.
Light floods the grass.
A sharp LINE OF SUNLIGHT cuts distinctly across the ground—
Separating light from shadow.
The creature halts at the edge.
It doesn’t cross.
It releases a SHORT, PIERCING SHRIEK—
Not rage.
Not hunger.
Frustration.
Suddenly—
It’s gone.
The smoke thins.
Dissolves.
Nothing remains but the retreating sound of rustling leaves.
Kyle lies there, gasping. Shaking.
For just a fraction of a second—
his body stiffens.
His eyes FLASH WHITE.
Barely noticeable.
After a few seconds—
They clear.
Kyle doesn’t even realize it happened.
He pushes himself up—
And runs.