chapter 4 : Tragedy

We remained in the darkness, waiting for the first rays of sunlight. That would be the time when the ghouls would leave the surroundings, but for now, we were trapped in an inferno of grunting and crunching. The sound of their footfalls dragging across the damp earth was getting louder and louder, the air filled with a putrid stench that made it impossible to breathe. I gripped Adell's hand tightly, my trembling fingers squeezing his until the knuckles paled. He didn't say a word, but his gasping breath betrayed the fear he was trying to hide.

Crunch!

The sound of something breaking under the weight of a footstep made me shudder. Adell clung tighter to my body, digging his nails into my arm. The noise repeated, again and again, closer and closer, louder and louder.

Crunch! Crunch! Crunch! Crunch!

The terrifying sound was as if the ground itself was cracking under the pressure of those hungry creatures. I couldn't take it anymore. I had to know what was going on, so I carefully approached the door hinges and took a look.

What I saw took my breath away.

A group of ghouls, their gray, misshapen bodies covered with festering sores, clawed at the door of the hut before us. Their fingers, long and gnarled, dug into the rotting wood, tearing splinters with each movement, chunks of rotting flesh falling from their fingers. At that moment, the door gave slightly and a high-pitched shriek escaped from the rusted hinges. One of them, its jaw hanging to one side, growled greedily as it sank its claws into the open crack.

Crack!

With a loud bang, the door cracked in two. A man emerged from the shack, wielding a rusty baseball bat, his eyes bloodshot and his breathing ragged, reflecting a face marred by fear and rage.

-Ahhh! Bastards! -he shouted, and rushed at the ghouls with unbridled fury.

The bat smashed into the skull of one of them and a wet, crunching sound echoed through the air.

Crack!

Loud and clear, the ghoul's head crackled like a rotting pumpkin, a stream of dark blood splattered its face and all around it, chunks of grayish brain fell to the ground, mingling with the mud. But the creature did not fall. Instead, it staggered backwards, its head hanging to one side as a guttural growl escaped its mouth. The man didn't have time to react before another ghoul advanced toward him, sinking its teeth into his shoulder and ripping off a chunk of flesh in one swift motion. Blood gushed out, soaking his shirt and splattering the faces of the creatures around him.

-Arggg! -The man's scream echoed through the night, a piercing sound that chilled the blood in my veins.

Wasting no time, another one of them, eyes glazed over and mouth full of sharp, broken teeth, lunged at his neck, opening its snake-like maw before closing with an ominous snap. The teeth sank into the flesh, tearing the jugular with ease. A gush of hot blood splattered the ground and the man's body collapsed like a sack of bones. The ghouls lunged at him, their hands and mouths tearing at what was left of his body. The sounds of tearing flesh and broken bones filled the air, accompanied by the guttural growls of the beasts.

-Ahh D-Dad! -Suddenly, a muffled scream came from the old hut where the man had come from.

My gaze was directed towards that place, and I saw a young woman, with a pale and disjointed face, covering the mouth of a little girl who was crying desperately. The moonlight dimly illuminated her silhouette, revealing the terror in her eyes. The ghouls, attracted by the sound, raised their heads from their feast. Their faces, covered in blood and chunks of flesh, turned toward the hut with an expression of insatiable hunger.

-Ahhh! Mom! -The girl's voice was a desperate wail, but her mother could do nothing but hug her and try to silence her, hoping not to be noticed by the beasts devouring her father.

The ghouls abandoned the man's corpse, now unrecognizable, and headed for the cabin. One of them, its mouth full of blood and chunks of flesh, growled as it advanced. The door of the hut swung wide open, unopposed, the ghouls swarming like a swarm, rushing to satiate their stomachs.

-No! Please! The woman's voice screamed in agony, in a last desperate attempt to survive.

The first ghoul grabbed her by the arm and its claws sank into her skin. She screamed, but the crunch of bones drowned out the sound as another ghoul bit into her neck. Blood gushed like a spring, drenching the dirt floor. The girl, paralyzed with fear, could only watch as they devoured her mother with immensity, the stuffed animal in her hands falling to the ground, attracting the attention of the beasts. One of them pounced on her, its jaws opened to close around her little head.

Crack!

The last thing I heard was the crack of its skull. I could no longer watch. I backed away from the door, my hands shaking as I tried with all my might to hold back the nausea. Adell stood beside me, his face sunk into my shoulder to stifle the sobs. The screams of the woman and girl had long since ceased to be heard, replaced by the sound of devoured flesh and crushed bones.

The air smelled of death and despair. And I could only hope that the sun would come soon, before those creatures found our door. I grabbed Adell and hugged him tightly, wanting to erase the scene I had just witnessed. With bated breath, I felt like time had stopped in this ramshackle hut.