Chapter 5

"Samuel?" My eyes moved to my sister whose hand was rising towards my face. the surrounding skin melted away and underneath was a white malnourished hand. Its icy touch sends shivers down my spine. 

I continued to tremble as my eyes stayed on my sister. I lift my hand and rub my eyes, but even now I could only see that slender, creepy figure in her. With no change having happened, I instinctively push her arm off me.

"Samuel, what's wrong?" I couldn't look at her. Her voice hadn't changed, but her physic made my heart ache and clogged my nose with the smell of blood. I didn't know where these strange feelings came from, nor did I understand why I was so afraid.

"I'm sorry, Sarah. After coming back from the restroom, the world seemed to have changed so much." Sarah stared at my back, unable to understand why I acted like this. She wasted little time and threw her arms around me. 

My eyes were focused on the window. I could see her head peeking from behind me through the reflection. She was there in the flesh my sister. I could feel her body warmth coursing to me, consoling me in these troubled thoughts. She was like my guiding angle that lifted me from these dark depths.

Her hands grabbed me, and she turned me around. "Samuel, know that through whatever you are going through, I will always be there for you, just like you when we were younger." As she spoke, her monstrous figure began to change back into the person I had known for many years.

"Right, like I did for you." Her words left me with a newfound confidence, but also confused. I didn't understand where the latter came from, neither did I know what she was referring to.

"Those two seem to get along better than this morning." Kathleen stared at them with a satisfying look on her face.

"That's great. The cold atmosphere Samuel had around him seems to have been melted." George stood next to her, doing the exact same thing.

"Why don't you join them, or are you going to stay here alone?" Kathleen glanced over her shoulder and saw Jean sitting on a nearby bench. Her eyes were glued to the floor.

"Sarah seems happier around him. So, I shouldn't butt in, she'll talk to me if she wants to." She continued to speak under her breath, but nobody picked this up. "Nobody else matters to her except him, in the first place."

"What should be our next course of action?" They were waiting around while the danger outside became more paramount. This didn't sit well with Darius, so had raised the question to stop them from squandering any more time.

"We stay inside and wait. There is nothing else we can do." Maria made her stance extremely clear when the question arose. Witnessing the sight of one of those repulsive creatures, she immediately made it her duty to actively prevent their presence from ever crossing her path again.

"I don't think that's a smart idea. We have nothing to eat, and we don't know how long we might have to wait for a rescue."

"We could wait for the military. I'm sure they can take care of the situation." Darius spoke up against George, but he didn't sound so sure.

"Are you willing to put your life in another person's hands? That doesn't sound like the Darius I know."

Darius knew what George said was the truth, but one glance at his wife was enough for him. "I'm staying." His decision left no room for negotiation. It was clear and simple. 

As they deliberated on their course of action, their attention turned to the brother and sister, whose footsteps resonated inside the room. As they engaged in a short conversation, Samuel strolled along the glass entrance, his gaze fixed intently on the outside scenery. Not long later, he turns his body towards his sister and pushes her to the side. 

The glass before him shattered into pieces as a creature lunged at him. With a swift motion, he positioned his arms between him and the creature, bracing for impact. With a quick and fluid motion, he spins his body to the right, effortlessly discarding the threat before it can inflict serious harm. Quickly adapting, the creature gets on all fours after tripping on the floor. While growling towards Samuel, it notices everyone other human in the room.

Rather than pressing on with its attack, the creature abruptly halts, raises its head, and unleashes a piercing howl. Subsequently, a bullet swiftly cuts through the air, silencing the creature, however too late to prevent the sound of its howl from reverberating throughout the entire city.

"Are you alright?" Blood flowed down my arms, but the pain had not hit me yet.

"I'm fine." Instead of acknowledging the streaming red, I glanced back outside with narrowed eyes.

"We have to leave." Everyone looked at me, not understanding why I would say that. Upon reflecting on my words, Kathleen's eyes widened in comprehension, realizing the urgency of our need to leave. 

I noticed the rest were still not fully grasping my thoughts, so I decided to speak up once again."Why would it howl? That makes little sense. It was so eager to attack me, but then it stopped."

"It's a dump animal, Samuel. Why would you think it could have a plan in mind? Also, if you think I-"

Kathleen Interrupted Maria while she was talking. "No, his logic is sound, Maria. The only reason I could guess why it would howl is-"

"To call the rest of its pack because it couldn't finish the hunt alone." I Spoke over Kathleen and she agreed with what I said and nodded. 

"We should leave, now!" Distress could be clearly heard in my voice as I grabbed Sarah's hand and walked out of the building.

Kathleen looked at her husband and daughter. "Let's go with them."

Darius stood up and stared at his wife and son. "You know I would always be on your side, but I think we should follow them."

"If you think I'm going out there, you must be crazy."

James glanced between his parents, not knowing whose side to choose. So, he kept to himself.

"We don't have time for this, Maria! If we stay here, we might die, if we go outside, we might die. We don't know which has a better chance of survival, but I do know staying together will give us the better odds." Darius grabs her arm and pulls her up. He could tell from her body language that she wasn't displaying one of her usual stubborn ticks, as she wouldn't be shivering. "Maria." He wrapped his arms around her, embracing her tightly.

"Son, we are leaving." Hands held, Darius and Maria went after them. Now that everyone had joined them, they moved onto the main street.

"What way should we go?" George looked at Samuel and Sarah, who knew their way around the city. 

While considering the fastest route to find food and shelter, I glanced to my left and was immediately paralyzed by what I saw up ahead.

"What's wrong, Samuel?" George didn't get a response from me, but everyone understood without words after seeing what I did.

everyone froze up, unable to move. All our hearts sped up, beating like a drum at a high tempo. 

We spotted another one of those beasts on top of a car in the middle of the street. Next to it, another appeared, and then one more. Eventually, it became unfeasible to count them all on your fingers. Their ugly faces emerged not just from in front of us. They approached from every direction.

In fear, Maria pulled on her husband's arm. "Come on, honey." She tried to make her way back inside, but Darius didn't follow. Maria let go of her husband's hand, but when she turned around, she noticed there was no way for her to go back.

Hundreds of these creatures were surrounding us, covering the buildings and walls.

"This is all your fault. If we stayed inside, we wouldn't be in this situation!" Maria stuttered as she pointed her finger towards me. When I turned to look at her, my lifeless expression silenced her for a second. My mouth was hanging open as stared at the surrounding hoard with shock in my eyes.

"Don't start this Now Maria! Staying inside wouldn't have changed anything!" Katleen rebuked Maria, who was being completely unreasonable.

"We could have blocked off a door or something!"

"And lock ourselves up. So, we starve to death!"

"Shut up, both of you! Now is not the time for this!" Darius shouted over Maria and Kathleen. 

The feeling of exhaustion was becoming overwhelming. No matter what actions you took, it was impossible to remain hidden. It would follow you everywhere you went. Whenever you'd feel at your safest it appeared from thin air. You're like a toy, constantly played with for pure enjoyment, never dying but still feeling death. 

From the alley, she witnessed a man in complete distress sprinting down the street. He constantly checked behind him as if someone was tailing him. Regaining his composure and refocusing, the anguish on his face diminished. His actions halted as he took deep breaths, his gaze fixed on his trembling hands.

It was when hysterical laughter filled the street that his face of relief contorted back to fear. The woman in the back alley clenched her fist, recalling a recent memory while trying to remain silent.

"Honey, I can't." Her husband held her hand tightly while leaning forward.

"We can't stop now. What if they catch up?"

"I need to rest for a bit."

She glanced around, ensuring there was nothing in sight. "OK, I think you can take a short break." 

Laughter filled the air, and in an instant, her mind went completely blank. 

"We should leave." She wanted to run, but a strange uneasiness settled in her chest when she realized he wasn't coming along.

"We don't have time for this, honey! What if that thing catches up to us?" Suddenly, from the depths of darkness, a set of menacing red eyes locked at her, sending shivers down her spine. Despite her repeated attempts, he continued to restrain her. When she turned to face him, she witnessed his body collapsing to the ground. Pierced straight through his chest was a spear.

Stepping into the light, she could see it again with clarity. The being was a little smaller than the average person. It moved with grace and poise, a quality that was absent in the smaller creatures scurrying about, who emitted playful laughter as they danced around the taller one.

As she grasped her husband's cold fingers, she loosened his hold. The moment she managed to break free, all she could think about was how she never wanted to witness those things ever again. 

But now, once more, she hears the familiar sound drifting through the air. The only thing she could think about was her husband's corpse lying on the ground. To her, this sound signifies that death is coming.

Peering from the alley, she watched as it swooped down towards him. She couldn't stand the sight, making her turn away. He was impaled by the spear and slid across the road.

The tiny creatures arrived first and got their hands on his body. When the taller one arrived, he pulled out the spear. Two smaller creatures took off with the corpse once it was removed.

When the spear was clean, the creature scraped its tip along the ground. The sound was so harsh that it felt like it was scraping her eardrums. In pain, she let out a muffled groan, noticing this she immediately covered her mouth, hoping it hadn't been heard. Nothing happened for a few seconds, and in that silence, she could feel her heart pounding in her chest. As she peeked around the corner, it greeted her with a sinister smile.

With a deafening roar, the remaining smaller creatures sprinted towards her. Without hesitation, she sprinted off the instant it laid eyes on her. As she ran, the rhythmic thumping of their footsteps echoed in her ears, fueling her adrenaline.

Gradually, their footsteps faded into the background, becoming distant echoes that she struggled to make out. A sense of tranquility washed over her, no longer feeling the constant weight of being pursued. Despite her yearning for a brief reprieve, she understood all too well their tendency to play with your emotions, leaving no room for respite.

As she got to the end of the alleyway, the smell of blood in the air became denser. When she turned to her right, a horrifying sight greeted her - piles of lifeless bodies stretched out before her, while on top of them, she spotted numerous pairs of these little creatures. As she prepared to run in the other direction, she caught a glimpse of something that made her pause. 

Once again, she altered her plans. She zigzagged through the heaps of bodies. Despite being extremely close to these creatures, they didn't rush her instead watched as she passed by them.

The woman ran through the now-open street. She gulped, thinking back to what she had seen. Her mind couldn't believe that it was real. She constantly questioned her eyes, because if that thing wasn't a figment of her imagination. Her body knew what she was thinking, but the right words couldn't come to mind.

Her gaze was focused forward as her ears kept up with her surroundings. The woman's eyes were on a building. When saw what was inside, she gasped. Life, that's what she saw. Getting closer, she raised her voice and vigorously waved her hand to grab their attention. 

Inside the building, someone seemed to have noticed and ran towards her. Warmth filled her, it was so strong that happiness couldn't describe the joy she was feeling. These people might be her way out of this nightmare.

With her eyes focused on the blond woman making her way toward her, she noticed that at some point; the woman began to slow down. Not understanding why she behaved like this, not long later, she saw the woman's confused expression change as her eyes dilated.

"Look out!" Before she could completely hear the blond-haired woman's sentence, a force struck into her back, causing her to lose control of her body. An ear-scraping laughter filled her last moments, as she couldn't even scream in pain. 

Sarah's eyes widened as she watched the woman's lifeless body plummet to the ground and slide towards her. With her mind taken by horror, Sarah looked at the large piles in the distance, on top of them she could see small creatures jumping for joy.