Alexander felt suffocated. His eyes widened in fear. The corridor felt endless.
He was running, but his legs felt like they were moving through waist-deep mercury.
Behind him, the sound of wet, heavy footsteps echoed.
Thud, drag, thud, drag.
A shadow loomed, taller than the vaulted ceilings, a mass of shifting darkness and jagged edges.
The monster didn't growl, it exhaled a frozen mist. Cold and suffocating.
In its massive, gnarled claws, it clutched a golden basket that swung empty. Alexander stepped back, but no matter how fast he ran, he could never escape the creature.
Then, behind the monster's large feet, he saw the figure of a baby poking its head out. Alexander's eyes widened, because if the monster moved, the baby would be crushed under its massive feet.
"No! Stop!" He tried to shout. But no sound came out.
The baby giggled softly, its beautiful eyes shining, moving atop the monster's feet and waving at him.
