Howard tries to say something back, but the words aren't coming and the monster's moving and he knows what happens next. He's seen death enough times. That knowledge freezes his feet to the floor and brings his arm up, holding the flare gun.

He didn't want to use it because setting the beast alight would hurt Cedric. Because it might not work. Because either way, it'll draw the monster's attention.

But at the moment, he realizes he doesn't care. The flare gun makes a sputtering sound and fires. The little firecracker-shaped flare hits the monster in the back right as Cedric stabs the creature in the side. A trail of flame shoots up the creature's shoulder. The monster squeals and smacks Cedric aside, almost as if it's incidental, and whirls around, confused by the new threat and attack.

Howard gets enough time to whimper in fear when the monster switches direction and lunges at him in a blind panic. He doesn't get enough time to turn and run. The monster crashes into him and the momentum takes them both tumbling down the stairs.

Into the kitchen comes awful noise, bodies slamming and falling against walls and carpet in the fall down the stairs, wood splintering, the monster screaming and then stopping.

It takes less than a second, and then the only sound is Howard's, gasps and wheezes for breath and moans of pain. He's been spared by sheer luck - during the fall, the monster impaled itself on its own claws. It's two feet away, bleeding out on the basement floor and still smouldering from the shoulder.

But lucky to not be dead isn't saying much. Howard's got a burn on the side of his head and on his side. One arm is bent at a strange angle. And what will concern Cedric most - Howard's not getting up.