Humpty's bones

Five

We’d discovered that the big TV had a games feature. Jenny and Pitt were figuring out how to get the two silver androids onscreen to shoot down the helicopter gunship when…

‘Hey guys.’ Adam’s eyes bulged in fear. ‘Did anyone hear that?’

Pitt studied the onscreen Game Help. ‘Hear what?’

‘Bad news, guys. Someone’s coming down the stairs!’

This time we froze.

‘What if we’re caught down here?’ I whispered. ‘It might be the police.’

‘Or soldiers?’

Adam shuddered. ‘Or the thing that smashed open the door.’

That complex of subterranean rooms had been brightly lit. But somehow the light seemed to fade. The bright greens and oranges of the furniture became dull. That big glassy TV screen seemed to resemble a huge alien eye. One that stared with hatred. Or so it seemed to me. A cold, cold sensation crept through my veins. For some reason a pain flared above my right eye. It must be THAT SOUND. I’d heard nothing like it before. Something was coming down the stairs we’d used just ten minutes ago.

Jenny whispered, ‘It doesn’t sound like ordinary footsteps.’

A soft clump, clump. Shivers ran along my arms.

Pitt turned to face the stairway door. It was closed. Even so, he heard all too clearly. ‘A voice… but can anyone hear what it’s saying?’

‘That’s no human voice.’ I heard a low snarling. Also, I made out words but not in a language I understood. ‘Neefer-ratt-saaar.’

‘It’s getting closer.’

The door began to creak open. ‘Neefer-ratt-saaar.’

‘Run!’

‘But where,’ cried Adam. ‘That’s the only way out!’