Sam had never wanted to shrink away until she no longer existed more than she did at this moment. Anything to avoid the creatures', the Shades', touch. The thought of just becoming one of those things, losing herself...one touch and it would be over. Samantha Shea would no longer exist and what remained would turn into...something. Something that clicked and creaked and had claws and just... Not for the first time, and certainly not for the last, Sam wished for home.

August's words about the statue distracted her from her thoughts and she let out a yelp as he shoved her. she spun in time to see him swing at a Shade had been about to pounce on her, and Sam's head swiveled around, trying to be completely aware of her surroundings. But she was afraid the feeling of panic that was overtaking her would cloud her senses. All they had to do was get away from the statue, from their source of life. And they'd be fine. But she could hear them getting close, see the bushes around them rustling as they were surrounded. The Shades would be on them in a heartbeat when they tried to run.

At August's suggestion of a distraction she heard Dorothea whisper her name. Sam turned her head to look at the cat on her shoulder, her panicking eyes wide. She told her to scream. Sam looked at her for a moment as though she hadn't understood, as though she were crazy. Trust her... Not long ago, just that morning in fact, Sam had asked Dorothea to trust her. Looking at her now she knew she needed to extend Dorothea same courtesy. And besides. What else could she do?

She spared August a glance and heard nothing from him. No objections or suggestions. So this was all they had, then. Sam took a breath and threw her head back and screamed. 

It was surprisingly ear splitting. Sam had never needed a reason to scream like this before, and hadn't known she could produce a sound so shrill or loud. Her eyes were squeezed shut, too afraid to see how the Shades reacted to her screaming, and when she began running out of air she took a quick breath and started screaming again. It was uncomfortable, her throat ached, and if she suspected if she lived her voice would be weaker. But if there was any consolation it was that she could no longer hear the clicking sound of the Shades.