Asia was partly right, Denver was heavy and carrying his dead weight was getting tougher and tougher with each step Ethan went down.

As Denver's head bobbed side to side, Ethan kept one hand around Denver's wrist and the other around his waist. He grunted as he heaved Denver to the last step on the flight.

Inches from the door Ethan extended his hand toward the handle. The loud thud of metal echoed through the stairwell as Ethan wrapped his clammy fingers around the silver handle. He pulled the handle but the door stayed firmly into place.

"Shit!" Ethan cursed under his breath

Denver pulled his head up, slowly opening his eyes, "What's going on." He slurred his words. "Where's Asia?"

"Right behind us." Ethan yanked on the door even though he knew the task was fruitless.

"I locked it." A familiar voice sounded behind them.

Ethan turned around as quickly as he could with the extra load hanging onto him. "Matilda." He repeated the name Keller uttered as he stared at the pixelated woman. "What do you want? Open the fucking door!"

"I believe it wastes everyone's time if I repeat things that are already known." Matilda's hologram folded its arms. "So, I won't. What I will say is... since you want to leave so badly, then I'll give you a way out."

Ethan exhaled excitedly, "You will! Which way is it."

"On the landing." Matilda held out her hand gesturing up toward the landing he just traveled down. Ethan looked up as red orbs glowered at the top stair. "Kill him and I'll let one of you free...just one."

Ethan's breath became ragged. "One. Just one."

"One. Only one. You decide." Matilda looked up at the top stair. The corner of her mouth kicked up. "Luther engage."

Luther blinked his eyes as if something was turned on. He moaned ferociously flexing his fingers.

"I've known you my whole life." Ethan wrapped Denver's arm from around his neck and prompted the dozing boy in the corner. "I fed you.... all my life." The woodsy pine and juniper oozing from the pores of the creature reminded Ethan of all the nights he spent in the Alabaster Woods. "You don't have to do this."

A low animalistic rumble vibrated in Luther's throat as he placed his broad barefoot a step.

Ethan eyed the claws that speared out of what was supposed to be Luther's toes. He gripped his hand around the handle of the gun and extended his arm, resting the base firmly in the palm of his other hand. "You don't have to do this." He placed his finger on the trigger as Luther took another step down the stair and closer to them. "I took care of you. I feed you. You can trust me." Luther's growl grew rougher as her corked his mouth open showing thick, pointed fangs. "You don't­—"

Ethan's words were cut short as Luther bent his muscular legs and lunged in the air. Ethan fired two shots. Both slid through Luther's abdomen but did nothing to stop his trajectory. Gliding through the air, Ethan came face to face with the beast he fed human flesh. Its red eyes were accommodated with reptilian skin, a stubbed nose, thin lips and a short neck that lead to a fur covered torso. Ethan's eyes widened at the freak of nature catapulting towards him.

Ethan fired once more sending a slug into the beast's shoulder before Luther pounced like a tiger. The force sent Ethan crashing to the concrete floor. He gasped as his head clonked against the ground. Sharp needle-like claws dug into Ethan's strewn shoulders as Luther tried to munch his way to Ethan's neck.

Thick, cloudy slobber slathered Ethan's face as he tried to hold the abnormally strange animal away from his neck and face. Ethan's screams begin to stir Denver, who started to shift his head from side to side.

Ethan kicked his legs roughly trying to buck the beast off him. Resting his hand at the base of Luther's neck. Ethan quickly moved his hand to the front pocket of his pants.

One hand was not enough to hold off Luther. Ethan's arm collapsed under Luther's immense tension. Luther plunged his yellowing teeth into Ethan's neck like a steak dinner. He pulled at Ethan's flesh. Ethan's guttural holler yanked Denver out of his delirium.

Yelling at the top of his lungs as Luther clenched his jaws firmer on his flesh and began twisting his head side to side, Ethan kept his hand in his pocket rummaging for the thing he searched for.

Ethan fought the urge to faint as his hand wrapped around the metal. He choked back the pain of Luther trying to rip a chunk of meat from his arm and teeth slicing into tendons.

Ethan jabbed the slender blade into Luther's neck quickly and repeated but the animal didn't let go of its feast. It just sunk its teeth in deeper and dug his claws in further.

Ethan's scream died to a squealed whimper as a blood vessel in his eye busted from the pain surging through every neuron of his body.

"Ethan. Ethan." Denver blinked his eyes trying to pull himself out of the effects behind in Lucid yield. All he could pick up was outlines of shapes and color through his blurred vision. But that wasn't what stirred Denver. It was the panic of Ethan's yelps and the racing of his heart that disturbed Denver's soul.

Denver crawled across the floor trying to will his dormant muscles to move. One hand fell on Ethan's trembling leg and one slapped against the floor. Denver heard the pulse of another heart; regular than the ones he knew, different than the ones he trusted. The aroma of blood circled his nostril and adrenaline started to build, course through his veins.

He used the wall to stand up forgetting about the radiating pain in his chest. The creature reeled its head back dragging in a deep breath as its nose had been under water. Denver leaped onto its back, wrapped his hands around his furry shoulders and used the only weapon at his disposal. He immersed his teeth into the leathery flesh of the creature's neck until blood leaked over the soft skin of his lips.

Luther exploded to his feet. He reached his hands back trying to snatch Denver off him. Denver wasn't fazed by the clawing to his sides, he refused to let go of the beast.

Luther rammed his back against the hard cement wall. Denver yelped. Another hit to the wall made Denver pull his mouth off Luther's neck and howl from pain. Luther pounded his back against the wall once more but Denver refused to relinquish the animal. Denver wrapped his arms around Luther's robust next, like a vice. Denver's arms began to throb and his flesh burned as Luther clawed at it but the sight of Ethan's limp body on the floor gave him more will to hang on.

Ethan gasped audibly, yanking his eyes open to behold the horror unfolding in front of him. He reached into his side pocket, pulled out a dagger and let it slip from his hand.

The dagger slipped through the air and speared Luther right between the eyes. Luther's knees buckled, his eyes rolled back and his head thrashed against the stairs. Denver scuttled away from the creature as Matilda's hologram reappeared.

She fluttered her eyes over them, "I must say this didn't go how I expected." She shrugged with a coy smile. "Regardless of which, about what I said before; about a way out." She dropped her smile dropped. "I have a lying nature. I'm a computer after all. Good show, though." Her hologram dematerialized. 

I think Ethan needs to find a doctor. Don't you?