Work Text:
The water is fairly calm, the air is quiet and the sky is overcast. Raelle and Scylla sit in a small boat with no motor, laying back and looking to the sky.
Seemingly from nowhere, the sky darkens and the wind around them picks up; sprinkling rain drops start falling. Raelle and Scylla lean up and look toward each other before looking out to the water. The surface is now marred with ripples as the rain starts to fall faster. Raelle squints and sees something in the distance. Scylla notices her focus and turns to follow her gaze.
With the rain falling more, it’s hard to tell what it is but something has appeared in the water. It looks like a gigantic tree log has fallen into the water. As Raelle and Scylla get a better look at it, realization dawns on them at almost the exact same time. It was an alligator. A huge one. It must’ve been 15 feet long, maybe more. It’s yellow eyes reflected and then it lunged forward, speeding toward the little dingy they sat in.
Raelle and Scylla scrambled to get a hold of the paddles they’d placed on the floor of the boat. They finally manage to get a hold of them and start navigating toward shore. Their hearts start to race, unsure if they can out paddle an alligator in its natural element. The other problem was that even if they made it to shore, the slope of the hill is… taxing to say the least, probably 60 degrees or more. Raelle tried pushing that thought out of her mind. The alligator was gaining and the shore was still probably a hundred feet away.
They kept paddling, as hard and as fast as they could. What else could they do? Raelle starts to hear violent swishing of the water behind them but the shore is close now, only a few more strokes.
The boat crashes into the shore and Raelle and Scylla are catapulted onto the damp, leaf-ridden ground. Raelle reaches over toward Scylla and grabs her hand, pulling her further inland with her. There is a crash behind them. Raelle can’t help but look back, the alligator has completely destroyed the boat and come onto land. They are both slipping on the leaves as the continue to ascend the hill.
Now that it is out of the water, Raelle can hear it starting to hiss and growl behind them as it moves ever closer. Raelle can hear Scylla’s breathing become more labored and erratic as the sounds of the gator close in. They’ve almost made it to the top of the hill. Raelle pulls with all her might, pushing Scylla in front of her and she reaches the top. Shortly after, Raelle makes it as well. The door to the wooden cabin they are staying at is only 30 feet away.
Suddenly, something solid knocks Raelle’s feet out from underneath her. Scylla turns around, her face stricken with horror at the sight of Raelle on the ground and the beast right behind her. The next thing Raelle knows is an indescribable pain as jaws clamp down on her torso and arms. Her skin burns as it tears; teeth sink in and Raelle cries out. She attempts to use her free arm to lodge open the jaws but the creature is just too strong for her.
Raelle turns her head toward Scylla, as her hand falls to the ground.
“Run, Scyl. You can’t save me. Please get out of here.” Raelle says, struggling as her body starts to feel cold.
“Rae…” Scylla says, trying to keep her voice steady. Tears fall down her cheeks.
The gator lets out a loud hiss in warning.
“It’s ok. Go- ahh.” Raelle says, before crying out as the gator clamps down with renewed vigor and breaks Raelle’s arm that’s inside of it’s mouth.
Scylla looks for another moment before turning and running into the house. She emerges a few moments later and goes to the car. The engine roars to life and the car speeds off into the distance.
Raelle’s vision finally goes black.