Alger’s Dimension Part 11
“Alger’s Dimension” is a horror novelette, first published by “Disturbed Digest” in their December 2017 issue. If you’re just entering this story, you can start from the beginning by going here, or if you want to see all available parts to date, you can find them here. A new part of this story will be released every day, with the 13th and final episode coming out on Halloween.
Declan’s hair was soaked with sweat, trails of it ran down his neck and back. His lack of shoes didn’t slow him down, but the penetrating darkness all around him and uneven ground did.
His breathing came in sharp, uneven breaths. He wasn’t sure how long he had been running, but he was near the end of his strength. The other-dimension creature still pursued him. His rigorous daily exercise routine alone could not have carried him this far. It was adrenaline that brought him here, but he was at his end, ready to collapse, and the creature behind him showed no sign of slowing down.
Declan’s hope of gaining an advantage on the creature faded when he realized he’d underestimated the strength and speed of the beast.
The menacing clicking sound and growl pursued Declan, and he quickened his pace, not daring to look back.
He still had a good lead, but he felt certain that the creature was toying with him, capable of closing the distance whenever it grew tired of the chase. But that was the trouble–he wasn’t sure that it was ever going to get tired.
His leg muscles screamed at him. He felt a trembling throughout his body, but refused to stop. He began to stumble more, and he knew one of these times he wasn’t going to recover from it. In fact, his movements were already getting heavier, clumsier.
His breaths came quick and ragged, each gasp more forced. His throat burned from the exertion of moving air in and out of his lungs. He tried to steal a glance over his shoulder, but he couldn’t get a clear look at the creature.
One of his bare feet caught on a tree root snaking across his path. He used the momentum of his fall to tuck and roll, but he became entangled in something and landed, sprawled out on his stomach.
Although he was dazed, his instincts told him to get moving. Declan pushed off the ground, but a hand gripped his arm, hindering his escape.
He recognized the mangled face of Dr. Clayton Kazmarack and was overtaken by fear. Kaz’s eyes were bloated and cloudy, his lips blue, but something else disturbed him more. The grimace on Kaz’s face showed pain and terror, even in death.
A guttural growl erupted from behind Declan, drawing his attention away from the professor. The sound echoed, amplifying with each repetition, coming from every direction at once. Declan could hear the sound rolling through his head and reverberating through his body. He felt violated by the sound, exposed. His neck snapped to the direction of the sound. He knew he could not escape this beast, but he had to try.
You can find all sections of “Alger’s Dimension” here.
