Page 14 of Killian
“I love you,” she said.
“I love you too? I think maybe I’m confused about either events or this conversation.”
She dropped her tabletop, crossed the space to him, grabbed him by the backpack straps, and pulled him to her for a passionate kiss.
“Possibly both,” he said as she stepped back. He tangled his hands into her hair and pulled her back for another kiss. Weird shit was happening. He wasn’t certain who or where he was or what was going on, but when she kissed him, he felt as though he could conquer the world.
Moira stomped back to the mess she’d made of the table, picked up a table leg, and tossed it to him. Then she scooped up one for herself, grabbed the tabletop, and held it over her head.
“I will fight bugs with you, but I want you to know that I hate them so hard that I might puke if one touches me.”
“I think they’re silverfish,” said Killian. “They looked like really big silverfish.”
“That doesn’t make it better,” said Moira.
She had saidfur.She couldn’t get bugs in herfur.
“Yeah, sorry, just trying to think.” He hefted his table leg. “OK, let’s do this. Same plan, but whack any bugs on our way to the other bookcase.”
“Got it,” she agreed.
They approached the archway again. This time Killian could see the unmistakable outline of a silverfish clinging to the outside of the curtain.
“Oh, God,” moaned Moira. “That is so gross.”
Killian lined up and smacked his table leg against the silverfish. It launched with a satisfying splat out into the darkness. But then, as if that had been the signal, the silverfish rained down over the doorway. Killian swung his improvised bat frantically, and Moira lined up on the other side, giving a credible left-handed batting clinic, but there were a lot of bugs.
“Get your tabletop ready,” he yelled. “We’ll make a run for it.”
Moira hefted her wooden shield, and Killian readied himself. The waterfall of bugs had slowed, but now they were on the ground, moving with slow deliberation.
“We head for the center aisle again. Once they can’t fall on us, we should be able to outrun them. Ready?”
Moira nodded.
Killian saw one trying to crawl into the room, and he kicked it. He watched the silver armored body launch, but then…
Thwap.
Something long and pink snatched the silverfish out of the air. It was followed by an audible crunch.
He looked over at Moira.
“I think we should go now,” he said.
Episode 7
Into the Library
Killian
Killian grabbed Moira by the hand, and together they sprinted toward the cover of the nearest bookcase. When they reached it, Killian held the glowstick aloft and stared back at the pavilion. On the roof sat two long serpentine forms with dappled skin and round dark eyes. Their stubby toes and sharp claws held them in place as they crawled over the edge and face-first down the wall. The massive lizards flicked their tongues, pulling silverfish into their jaws with a satisfying crunch. The tide of silverfish was now being turned back and only a few were making it as far as Moira and Killian had run. Killian stepped forward and booted one of the creepy things back into the melee.
“Giant geckos,” said Moira in disbelief. “Those are giant fucking geckos.”
They both heard the hard click, click, of gecko nails followed by another cracking noise as a silverfish was munched in half.
“Sure. To go with the giant bugs,” said Killian, pulling Moira with him toward the central aisle. “Where the hell are we?”
