At the end of the secure tunnel the gate had been left open.

Jess stood at the other end of the tunnel and tried to judge the distance. A hundred metres?

She edged forward. Glancing up above the walls at the steel fencing, she sensed she was being watched.

A sudden flurry outside – snarling, shrieking and motion. No point in caution now. Jess sprinted along the tunnel, straining to get there before they could get in.

Jess grabbed for the gate just as they reached it on the outside. It was wrenched away from her, but she held on. She had to protect those left inside. If she could just force the latch closed…

Written as part of the Friday Fictioneers challenge hosted by Rochelle Wisoff-Fields (more details HERE). The idea is to write a short story of 100 words based on the photo prompt (above).

To read more stories based on this week’s prompt, visit HERE.