Hickman's Flare Gun

A cheap metal flare gun drawn in desperation by Hickman, its worn black grip scarred from past hurried grasps. The metal barrel is pitted from salt air exposure and one side bears a faded safety inscription nearly worn smooth. Hickman fumbles the cylinder into place with frantic movements, the sound of metal clicking echoing through the abandoned corridor before he swings the muzzle toward Clark. The weapon fires a bright magnesium flare that erupts in a blinding staccato that briefly paints the metal bulkheads in stark orange before Hickman pivots toward imagined movement, leaving acrid smoke curling from the barrel as he races up the ladder.