Jasmine threw herself back just as the creature slashed the position she stood at. Then claws penetrated the metallic floor of the train with a loud scrapping sound.
She fell on her back and quickly forced herself to get up as fast as she could but fear still gripped her conscience hence she delayed in taking any action.
From the corner of her eye, she could see Ema still frozen in the position she was in when the abomination had gotten into that carriage.
The creature now fixed its attention to a terrified Ema. Just like it did to Jasmine, it lifted its hand to strike her.
Ema had a look of horror on her face as she saw the hand descend upon her. Had it not been for Jasmine's fast thinking and action in pulling her behind, she would have been like red paint on the metallic canvas.
Jasmine worked hard to push her friend over to the opposite side of the carriage. She turned to the other passengers in the other carriage who were watching her confrontation with the creature to beg them to open the door.
The other passengers looked at her with horrified expressions. On one hand they considered saving them as the thought of being linked to her death, even though indirectly, bothered them but given the gravity of the situation, it would have been better to leave the both of them to suffer the wrath of the creature and for them to live.
They couldn't risk giving it a chance to enter the carriage and devour them all.
"Please open up. We're going to die here," Jasmine pleaded endlessly but none took action.
Instead they moved away from the door, giving Ema and Jasmine looks of pity.
In the end, their strong sense of self preservation and fear for their own lives outweighed the guilt being an indirect cause of the death of two souls.
As she was busy pleading, the creature tightened it's hind muscles and placed its arms forward on the ground, looking like it was getting ready to dash. Ema took note of the stance and for the first time since the whole situation escalated, she got the courage to do something that saved both of their lives.
The creature suddenly accelerated towards with a pounce like movement towards the duo. Ema who had already noticed this pushed Jasmine away from the door while she went to the opposite side.
There was a blur.
The was a loud and something colliding with the door and dislodging it.
There was the sound of a group of people being crushed as their flesh was grinded between the two metallic surfaces.
There was a shout.
There were cries.
There were screams.
In an instant, all hell broke loose and blood became the highlight of the night.
Bodies flew.
People screamed and shouted.
Some mourned only for a fraction of a second before their insides began spilling out of their abdomens.
Cries for help.
Prayers to God.
Their horrid expressions evident on their faces as they met their end.
The screech of the creature as it tore its victims apart with it's mouth wide open and tongue hanging loosely outside its mouth.
Thirty seconds.
Thirty seconds is all it took for all souls within that carriage to sleep, never to wake up again.
The same case applied to other carriages.
The carnage was spread across the whole train.
Both Ema and Jasmine shook each time they heard the deafening screams of those who were perishing.
The situation was so bad that they even wondered whether anyone could possibly survive the ordeal.
And that left them with one question still in in mind.
Could they survive ? And even if they could, how?
Jasmine wasn't able to come up with any solution.
To fight meant death.
Running away wasn't an option as it's not like they could go very far.
Hiding maybe?
No, there weren't any suitable places that they could hide in.
"We have to play dead." Ema abruptly said.
"What?," Jasmine asked in a manner suggesting that she had heard what she said but was surprised by her suggestion.
"We have to play dead. We could mingle with the corpses if we have to in order to fool it. In order to fool them"
Jasmine was not in support of the idea of mingling with corpses. She was about to protest but Ema shut her down.
"Jasmine. I'm sure you've noticed that we have very few options, if not none at all that could guarantee our survival. So I suggest we do this and if it works then well and good. If it doesn't...."
Her voice died out, her head lowered.
She couldn't complete the sentence.
Jasmine could already guess what it meant if the plan failed.
Even so, it was the only solution on the table.
Jasmine didn't hesitate any longer and she helped Ema rise.
"Come on, let's go to the other carriage. The creature seems to have been gone from it so we can use it." Jasmine said.
They both turned and immediately bent to vomit upon beholding the disturbing scene before them.
Scores of torn up corpses were spread all over, blood painting almost the whole carriage red
Some soft dying groans could still be head from a few individuals who still clung on to life making it even more unsettling.
It wasn't easy coming to terms with the scene before them but either way they had no choice.
They got in and pushed through the pungent smell of blood that filled the air.
"To make it more believable, let's smear blood all over us." Ema suggested, though her expression showed that she wasn't comfortable with what she said.
The process was fast. Jasmine quickly smeared blood all over her body while trying to avoid the empty stares of the dead beneath her. It was hard, especially when she saw a whole family lying together with hortid expressions on their faces.
Ema took slightly longer as she hesitated getting blood on her.
She eventually got a hold of herself and did the necessary.
After that was done, they piled up corpses above themselves.
All this was done just in time for then to avoid two more of those creatures who seemed to spawn out of nowhere.
They both held their breath as that the creature's passed above them.
They had to remain motionless if they were to pull of the stunt successfully
Jasmine flinched slightly every time she felt the heavy footsteps.
Ema found it way harder to not stay still as she faced the corpse of a man who kept begging to be saved and not wanting to die over and over again in front of her face which made her almost retract
The plea was silent, the voice behind it having faded away.
Ema read his lips and could feel the man's longing to live.
She could only close her eyes and endure.