086. Decision, 2

(Rose)

I climb over a fence surrounding the property. I barely see the others ahead of me.

Toward the next house I go. I begin to guess a house uphill and hidden behind little woods, further away from this one I reach. I still don't feel much hope just from another house. From where I stand, I don't see how this nightmare is supposed to end around here. I want to flee much further away.

I realise I've lost my bag. I think I recall seeing Ann carrying it. I hope so. I know it wasn't the one she dropped at least, it looked different.

I finally reach the house here. Behind me, the beast is running again after me and confused by the fence. That's not really a surprise but still it worries me greatly. Fences stop normal animals, usually. There must be an opening anyway somewhere. Everything looks derelict around here, almost abandoned.

I reach the rear side of the house, and walk along a wall to reach the front door.

The girl looks at me, visibly scared. I think she want to close the door on me but I rush in and close it with her. I admit I must look scary.

She realises I haven't really killed the monster and states so. I nod and pat her head with a blood stained hand without thinking. My words are lost in my throat and the emotions still melting inside there.

Ann says it's a relief from somewhere behind me. I'm angry at her, but not so much and I stay silent.

~

We push a big piece of furniture from the dining room against the front door to block it. Then we climb upstairs and barricade the stairways with other pieces of furniture. I'm not sure it was the best course of action but none of us had any better idea then.

We catch our breath in a large room. We feel that we can, although we don't really know.

But everything is quiet again. Maybe the beast went somewhere else.

It's still the middle of the day but we feel exhausted enough to sleep again. It's as if we all had been drugged or poisoned. We feel awful and sick, with coming and passing migraines. We all go vomit somewhere outside the room at some point. It's as if there was poison in the rain water before and we hardly get better now that it's sunny again.

I think about the face I struck with the pitchfork when I look at the sickly girl. I don't know what I should say or do. I just try to survive...

I ask Ann for my bag. She makes a cute sound and goes get it for me. She gives it back with a pained smile. I don't understand how she managed to smile. I'm feeling so far away I almost forgot how to speak. It took me a while to find the right words.

In my bag, my books and the few other things are mostly there. Some are a bit moist and wet. There's the key to my home, the one to my shop in town, and my pen. I've lost my watch. I don't really care about it right now.

The girl is looking around in the other rooms. Ann and I are too tired to move, and sitting facing each other in large armchairs. We don't really look at each other, just at nothing in the distance, trying to get our spirits back. We listen to the little sounds that her girl is making in the room behind.

After a while she comes back proudly, holding a rifle, a box of bullets and a dull cavalry sword. We don't know what to say at first, and end up thanking her without really meaning it. But if we are clueless about what is going on in the area, we all understand they might help us saving our lives.

Ann is experienced with neither weapon, but feels more safe with the rifle. I think that it's a mistake to believe the strongest weapon is the best choice in her case, but I don't have the strength to voice that thought.

I've never handled any of these weapons either. I don't mind settling for the dull and slightly rusty cavalry sword.

Though the handle is easy to grip, I seriously doubt it could be a useful weapon against these things. Unless it jumped at me slowly and left me the time to prepare, there would be no way for me to pierce and kill it with that thing. And I couldn't be naïve enough to think that it would cut through anything but butter or jelly.

I gave it to the girl. She might feel safer that way. She began to mimic practice, holding it with both hands. I'm worried, realising the slaughter is likely not yet over.

I left them and went in the other room to see if I wouldn't find anything that suited me better.

The room was a bit dark, filled with boxes and suitcases. It was strange, and so old.

I found a sickle. I took it. I was about to leave when I thought I might find something else. I went through the last boxes. Bottles, books, sculptures, pieces of wood or metal. Nothing useful.

I found some more tools in another corner. I found a four feet long copper pipe. I can use that.

I go back to the main room. They are looking worryingly at the ceiling. They heard something above.

We find out that the door in the corner doesn't lead to a wardrobe or closet, but stairs leading to the dark attic.

I don't feel reassured when Ann says she will cover me with the rifle and takes aim in the most bizarre possible way. I tell her to wait in the room and to shoot if it's not me coming down. She meekly agrees. I just don't want to be shot in the back.

And I climb up there, not really thinking. It's dark and dusty, except for the broken window to the wind on the side, bringing some sun light in here. I expect to find either nothing, little animals or just someone else hiding in fear. I don't expect to face an enemy as the house wasn't turned upside down nor smeared with blood.

I call for anyone and all I hear for a reply is a weird gurgling sound. I step further inside the attic and look at it. I think there's someone lying on the wooden floor and twitching. I grip my pipe tighter. The body is twitching in the shadow of some crates. I'm scared but still uncertain.

I hear the girl right behind me asking me something, making me jump.

- Is it human you think?

R - Step back...

I wasn't averting my gaze from the body.

- Will you stab it like you did before?

R - I don't know.

- I know you want to.

A cold shiver runs along my back. I hear crackling noises behind me.

I fear that the body twitching was a lure, and I fell into the trap.

~