The Last Eagles

The Last Eagles
By Stephen A Abell

Number of Words: 499



Twenty million pounds, two lives, and a through and through bullet wound to his own arm is what the expedition cost. When he brought the last Bald Eagles eggs home safely, the price had been worth it, now he was not to sure. His bullet wound had been clean and luckily, the ranger taking the shot had not been using explosive rounds. Wallace and Granger were not so lucky. He had watched as the shell impacted into the rear of Wallace’s skull and turned his face into bloody pulp on exit. Damn, what had the problem been? They hadn’t killed the birds; they could still mate again.

Now as he stood facing the twin nightmares he wished he could rewind time.

The remnants of Wallace and Granger appeared from nowhere. One moment he was on the phone talking business, trying to sell on the eggs, and the next the abominations stood before him. Each was a macabre mess of blood, sinew, flesh, and bone. Granger’s lower half of his face had completely disintegrated in the bullet’s explosion, leaving the bridge of his nose covered in bleeding tattered flesh. One eye remained in its socket, while the other dangled on the pinkish bone of his cheek.

Wallace had taken his bullet high in his head, sending the shrapnel spinning around his skull looking for an exit, ripping the insides to shreds. A good size of his front skullcap had blown out; some bone still clung to the torn skin. Inside the hole, you could see the grey and pinkish brain matter. Another sizeable hole was in his bottom palate, this dislocated his jaw as it escaped through the soft skin of his chin. His mouth was missing teeth where the bullet’s shrapnel ripped them free of their gums. Dark blood poured copiously from the holes peppering his face, dripping from the slivers of skin hanging loosely around them.

As he watched in horrified silence, he noticed movement coming from the ruined faces. It took him a second to realise his guides eyes were wobbling in strange and unusual ways. It was almost as if…

The sound brought cold realisation to his veins and he tried to turn and run. However, the sight of his guides eyes cracking open held him fast. From within, came the impatient screech for food. Bright yellow beaks pushed viciously through the newly formed holes. The screeching became louder, silencing the cracking of the shells. Stunned, a head popped through the enlarged hole of Granger’s right eye. Not a featherless head of a chick, but the full and beautiful plumage of an adult Eagle. Now all four heads were searching and crying out for food.

He did not have the time to stagger backwards or throw his hands up in defence, the four birds exploded into the world, instantly growing in size, and as their carriers fell to the floor lifelessly, they swooped upon him, ravenous with revenge.

They pecked: They ripped: They tore: They Ate.

For the "Invalid Item"  Contest.
Prompt for April 11th to April 17th - "Eggs"
Come and try it out.