Just like always, Abby seamlessly gets it, and they remain still as bottle shatters.

But the second it starts to run, Ellie's off like a shot, hefting the axe in her hand.

The stalker's fast, but she's faster, and it never sees her coming. Ellie swings the axe as hard as she can and it buries itself in the side of the thing's neck, lodging between two of the vertebrae. It goes down, twitching and grotesque, and Ellie gives one hard yank to get the axe out, but it's lodged in hard.

Her spine tingles -- she can hear at least two more skittering sets of footsteps.

They've flushed out more of them.