Better a Pair

"Cath, wake up, wake up.....cath you need to wake up now.."

A hushed paranoid voice echoed through Catherine's, a reverb filled it at first before it became clear as to what she is hearing. She opened her eyes dazed and confused not knowing what's going on. It's Jonathan, waking her up. She couldn't grasp what he was saying at first and when she realized what was going on, it sent shivers down her spine. 

"Cath, come one get up, someone is trying to break in." Jonathan said as he kneeled besides Catherine while clutching the rifle in his hand. 

There are men outside the RV, conversing quietly, while attempting to break the RV's door with presumably a crowbar. Jonathan told her to get up immediately and that they need to prepare themselves quietly incase they mean harm. Catherine having just woken up is both scared and irritated, irritated that they couldn't even catch a break, scared as she doesn't know what they want or if they are aware that they are inside. Jonathan hid their bags and all the other supplies that he believes would "tempt" the strangers outside while instructing Catherine to hold the pistol and hide it behind her back. 

The strangers outside can be heard quietly cheering and some complaining with how long it takes for the door to be opened, but eventually they did. The 2 stood near the the door frame of the bedroom with both their guns hidden behind their back waiting for the intruders who are now entering. 

"Jesus Christ!" The man exclaimed as he stumbled back outside the RV "You two scared the shit out of me!" the guy donning a Blue denim jacket said while clenching a crowbar in his right hand. 

The people he was with soon followed close to him, but he assured them that he is alright. Jonathan and him engaged in conversation, with the stranger asking if this is theirs, they told him no and he still apologized for breaking in. The stranger asked if they heard the announcement on the radio about the evacuation in Tulipdune County. They said yes and they are trying to get there too. The stranger replied that they are too and that they hope to make it in time, but then there was silence. He pulled out a case of cigarettes and asked the two if they smoke, Catherine told him no, and all he responded was, "pity". He entered inside the RV more with his friends following him behind while sarcastically asking if they can come in. Jonathan told them that they need to leave, but the strangers only laughed at him and eventually the mask fell off completely and they asked what they got. 

Jonathan didn't respond, and the stranger and his friend laughed while he asked once more what they got. Joseph remained quiet, while putting Catherine behind him more and while he does so the stranger tilted his head to the side trying to see Catherine more as she hides behind Jonathan. The stranger looked behind him, smiled and then finally spoke their true intentions. 

"If you can't give us anything how about you give us the girl" The stranger said as a grin forms in his mouth while looking Jonathan straight in his eyes

"You better leave" Jonathan responded. 

"Really? Us, leave? How 'bout you hand 'er over instead" The stranger responded back.

"Not gonna happen buddy" Joseph firmly responded.

"I don't think you understand the situation "buddy", you're outnumbered and outgunned, if you leave now....you won't see what's going to happen to 'er." The stranger responded while he taps on the crowbar he holds while wearing a smirk in his face. 

Joseph can only look back at Catherine, quietly and subtly telling her that its going to be okay. The stranger asked him once again, which of which he prefers. To see what they'll do or for him to leave instead and leave it to his Imagination. Joseph only responded that they rather leave instead. The stranger and his group laughed again, but the stranger is now more angry and dedicated to get what he wants. He mistakenly mocked him by telling him that his "wife" would be better in his hands and he is not waiting anymore and he suddenly moved forward trying to swing his crowbar at Jonathan. But one thing he didn't count on or realize is that Jonathan and even Catherine was more well armed than any of them. Upon the stranger getting close to Jonathan, he instinctively and rapidly lifted his rifle and for a moment you can see the fear in the strangers eyes moments before Joseph pulled the trigger. The bullets shredded right through him, painting the inside of the RV red with his blood. And as soon as the scene occurred, the stranger's friends tried to run but they were caught by the spray of the bullets but one was only grazed in his leg, which ended with him falling on the ground outside. 

He tried to crawl away from the RV. but Joseph was soon outside ready to finish the job. He pleaded for his life, pleading that it was Colin's idea and not his, but Joseph doesn't care and he isn't listening, lifting the gun up, aiming the gun at his head and finally finishing him for good. 

Catherine couldn't believe what she saw, she couldn't believe that the first real human beings they saw attempted to kill, rob and rape her. She was also surprised seeing this side of his friend a ruthless and cold killer, who just killed 5 people. But she is happy that he is, because otherwise he and she would be down on the ground dead. 

"So much for seeing other people, fuck this asshole" Jonathan said while angrily kicking the man he just shot in the head "We need to get inside the RV, I'm sure they heard all of it"

"What about the bodies?" Catherine asked

"Help me drag them outside, Hurry and help me before those things come!" Jonathan responded

They wasted no time dragging the other 4 bodies outside, saving themselves from the smell as they wait it out. As Jonathan and Catherine dragged the last body out, he noticed something bulging out from the guy's back, as if they couldn't lucky enough, he had a gun all this time just behind his back which he never used which really implies that they thought they were an easy picking.

After dragging the body outside they closed the door, with a table cloth that Jonathan saw at the table, he used it to tie what was left of the door handle unto the hook near the door. They could only wait as those creatures appear once again, they both peeked through the blinds, opening a small gap enough only for the eye to see outside. As they waited, they heard something fell on the roof of the RV, they managed to remain quiet as they knew what it is. As it walked in top of the RV, you can hear its heavy footsteps walking cranking and echoing throughout the inside. 

Eventually it came down from the roof, and it saw the dead bodies laying down on road. It didn't do anything to do the bodies yet, but it was just circling around almost....curious as to why they are there. It came closer bit by bit, extending its slender bleached out arms shoving and poking at the bodies on the ground. It let out a growl numerous times before other UFBO's show up although these ones are the flightless ones. They did the same circling around the bodies, shoving and poking them as well. It seemed that their curiosity reached its peak, as they soon jumped on the bodies and tore it to shreds scattering all of their body parts on the now red asphalt road. The PSA might've gotten some things wrong but it is true that they do not want to eat us, they just want to rip us to shreds. 

Catherine looked away from the hole in the blinds she is looking through, not wanting to see what is going on outside, Jonathan, although disgusted by what he is seeing, still peeked through the windows just to see if they will leave after the carnage. Catherine just sat through floor of the RV hugging her legs wishing the carnage outside would be over soon. Minutes passed and Jonathan told her that the creatures left, she didn't respond she just sat there quietly. He knows she didn't like what she or what happened to them, unlike him she isn't used to seeing this kind of things, so he knows what going through her head. Jonathan sat next putting his hand to her shoulders telling her that what happens won't be the first time and it won't be the last, the worlds change now he tells her and they have to be fast, strong and alert otherwise they wouldn't make it. But she didn't respond she just stared at the floor covered in human blood and some remains and Jonathan didn't force himself to her, he knows its best to let her be.

"Where did you learn how?" Catherine softly asked. 

"I was deployed for two years, I was a Merc, a...mercenary I had to find ways to pay the bills, It's the only way I saw how" Jonathan responded. 

"Was it hard? The first time you did it? Did you regret it?" Catherine asked while looking straight into Jonathan's eyes. 

"You just get used to it" Jonathan calmly responded. 

Jonathan simply walked away, going towards the room and putting what just happened besides them for a while. What is the world now, is it really that different? Monsters and killers roaming the streets both waiting for their chance to catch an easy prey. It feels surreal for Catherine, none of it feels real, none of it feels it should be but there it is now. From eagerly waiting for the wedding to making sure they are alive within the next hours. Maybe she should begin accepting the world at it is now, because at the back of her mind she is still hoping that this will all eventually go away. 

The RV and surrounding place is quiet, the only sound around is silence and nothing else. She spent at least the last 2 hours sitting on the floor pondering about the world she is in now. What could've happened if she was alone, would she even make it? She looked back at her childhood, remembering the days her Dad would wake her up trying to get her to help around. She could remember seeing the dark blue sky and the sun on the horizon rising up as she made her way into the barn. She could see the bar with the faded red paint, a haystack stacked upon each other sitting on the side of the barn. Even if you were still far from the barn you can already smell the cow and horses they keep inside. She could remember hating it, having to wake up to it everyday, finding ways to make her chores easy. When it was time for her father to teach her hunting she would find ways to get out of it. One thing she was good at was feeding the animals in the barn, as well as tying up knots to lift some of the fruits and vegetables so the rats running about in the ground sometimes wouldn't get to them. 

Looking back now she wished she paid more attention, both hunting and the other skills her father were teaching her could've been useful now, if only she knew what the world would be she could've paid more attention. It's dark now the only light is the one provided by the moon. She figured it's time to rest, who knows what will happen again the other day. Before she went to the bed of the RV, she felt a vibration in her pocket. She grabbed her phone, it's a message from Jonathan he's in town at a convenience store near the plaza. A smile formed in hear face from ear to ear and her cheeks turned red, at least there is still something good in this world, at least she has something to look forward to.