Albert's body was suddenly yanked through the air. In the next second, the massive creature swooped low and slammed down exactly where he had been standing a heartbeat earlier, blasting the surrounding earth into a spray of dirt and shattered grit.
Dragged by the tremendous force running through the webbing, Albert rolled twice across the ground before finally coming to a stop.
At the same time, Karl shot up onto the vulture's back. The first thing he saw was the enormous, fleshy parasite lying squarely atop the bird's broad, raw back.
The thing was still alive. Its bloated body pulsed and rose with each breath; it must have latched onto the vulture only recently. Karl could even see fresh blood pumping steadily into its half-translucent abdomen as it fed—every contraction drawing more crimson inside.
It was enough to make his scalp crawl.
The moment he spotted it, he shouted down at Albert and the others, "I—I—I see it! There really is a bug on this bird's back!"
