Chapter 26: Shriekers

Everybody is now in the lab studying the new evolution of the monster. First objective is to figure out how it sees and tracks its prey. They had placed the creature in a cage. Everybody is now ducking behind desks and other objects, out of it the monster's sight.

First up, Jupiter raised up a broom into the air from where she hid and moved it around above her head. The creature in the cage did not response at all to it. She then began to tap the broom against the wall and desk to see if it would notice. Yet again, the creature did not response at all.

"Hmm…" Jupiter said to everyone, "The creature doesn't seem to notice at all. Anyone else have an idea?"

Robert then raised his hand up above his hiding spot and began to shake it. Suddenly, the creature raised its flap up for a moment and shut it again. It then began to shriek loudly in response.

"Well there you go," Robert said standing up with everyone else following his example, "This thing got thermal/infrared vision on him. That's how he's able to find us."

"But why does that thing shriek anyhow?" Michelle mumbled rubbing her ear, "It's not like anyone of his buddies and hear him."

The creature began to shriek once more and Ronjad moved closer to the creature. He put his hand near the bars of the cage, and pulled it back. "Here's a reason," he said to everyone, "Everyone one of this things shriek, they release a burst of hot and warm air around it. From what I just felt, this thing releases a very big amount of it."

"So that's how they summon their friends to come," Sakura said trying to process all of the information being passed all over the room, "But that still doesn't explain why these things attacked the radio tower and cars."

"I think I know why," Lovrina said, "The engines were running in the cars, giving out an amount of heat visible to these creature or as I call them, shriekers. Also, the radio tower was working and all of the machines inside of it were also running, releasing a lot of heat."

"So that's why they attacked the tower and cars," Robert said, "They thought they were food."

"Wait a minute!" Sakura said shocked, "The reason why they were attacking so smart was because they were so stupid?"

"Whatever the reason," Jupiter said writing a lot of this information down in a notebook, "We made a big discovery here with this creature."

The creature began to shriek again, increasing the annoyance in Michelle. She grabbed one of the MREs that Robert was eating, out of his hand and tossed it into the cage. "Ah shut up and just eat that," Michelle mumbled.

The creature opened up its mouth and its tongue slithered out of it. "Oh I get it," Ronjad said watching the creature feel its way around the cage for the food, "The creature also uses its tongue to scan the ground for anything edible as well."

"You mean shrieker!" Lovrina corrected him.

"That's what we are going to call one of these things now?" Jupiter said, "Oh well… we do need an official name for this thing."

"Hey!" Sakura said pointing at the cage, "Something's wrong with our shrieker." They looked at it and noticed it had eaten the food now, but now it was gagging, almost looking like it was going to puke.

"Ah great!" Michelle said looking at Robert, "Your stupid food is making it sick!"

"You feed it to him or her," Robert said annoyed. Suddenly, the creature puked out an odd shaped object that looked similar to a reptilian egg. Then, the object began to move and something burst out of it! It was a miniature shrieker!

"What the…" Lovrina said, "Did… that thing… just hack up an egg?"

"Incredible!" Jupiter said shocked, "Just incredible! An actual creature on this planet that doesn't need sex to reproduce! It just needs food!"

"All the credit is to me by helping make this discovery," Michelle said proudly.

"Hey!" Robert said annoyed, "It was my food!"

"Well whatever," Ronjad said, "This is an interesting discover… can we go back to civilization now. This whole day isn't worth staying here for anymore."

"I'm with him," Sakura said, "I just wanna go home. I don't like it here, I just wanna leave. Plus, is it just me or is that thing getting bigger?"

"Come on!" Jupiter said to everyone, "Where's your sense of excitement and wonder in this discovery!" Suddenly, a window behind her that viewed the garage was smashed up by a different shrieker!

"My excitement is going out this door along with me!" Sakura said in a panic running for the door outside. Ronjad quickly grabbed one of the picks from the table and slammed it into the creature's skull, killing it.

He glanced out the window and into the garage and saw a ton of shriekers eating away at Robert's stash of MREs he had in crates in a corner of the room. "Ah crap!" Ronjad said to everyone, "Those stupid monsters are eating at those MREs. We got to get out of here quickly!"

Everyone freaks out and charges out the door. They decided to turn around the building, but are stop at the sight of a bunch of shriekers pouring out an opening in the garage. They all turn around and head straight for another building. "Wait a minute!" Jupiter shouted at everyone, "Don't go that way! It's a…"

Too late. Everyone charges in and shuts door behind to release something. Only one whole side of the building is finished! The roof hasn't been even put in yet! "Ah man!" Sakura moaned, "Today isn't just working out for us!"

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Author Notice: Yes… a very short chapter than usual but I just wanted to get the information out about the shriekers anyhow and I wanted to make sure there was at least one chapter update this month.

It's time to announce the Top 5 Stories of the Month. The winners for August were as followed:

1. Hybrids: Outbreak By: Twilight Equinox

2. Kingdom Hearts III: Trials of the Keyblade By: Darius Almighty

3. Protection By: Alexz Recoro

4. Linked By Friendship By: KH-Akyra

5. Emerald: The Legend of Hoenn II By: Katie Legends

Are you an anime fan? If you are, then you'll want to listen up for this announcement! Any fans of Death Note should already know that Viz is now releasing the TV series on volumes, starting in November, but that isn't my announcement. The big news is that Cartoon Network's Adult Swim is picking up the series and will premiere the first episode Oct. 20th at midnight or 11 p.m. depending on where you live.

In the next chapter, Ronjad and his friends now must find a way to escape from the monsters with there lives. But can they escape the shriekers that are growing smarter with every move our heroes make?

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Next to Come: Chapter 27: Intelligence

Date: 9/30/07

Reviewers: Patinator

Shadow Guardian of the Gate

AshK

Colt-Man