Spiral

From Tunnels #5: Spiral "What's that?" Dappled with blood, an ivory-colored tail swept from side to side. Then, as the creature clawed its way up the Limiter's corpse, the tail disappeared from view. Reluctantly the larva stopped feeding and lowered its body in readiness. More food, with beating hearts, was coming its way. It suddenly broke from cover and scuttled into the corridor. The sight of its head was enough to make those hearts miss several beats. Will's and Chester's jaws dropped in shock. Although the larva's torso was amphibian, its head was that of a human infant--with distinct features. Covered in off-white scales, the eyes, nose, and ears were perfectly formed, albeit the mouth was filled with shiny white spikes for teeth, and the tongue, as it flicked out, was at least a foot long. Worse still, the wail it emitted could have been that of a child. Excerpted from Spiral by Roderick Gordon, Brian Williams All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.