Herdenmord - ONC2021

New World

I woke up to Jamie's elbow in my ribs. "It's time to go," she said.

I turned to look at her, wincing as the movement tweaked stiff muscles. "Blue Tree Hill?"

"Yeah."

"We need weapons." I wasn't going out there without something. Anything.

"Yeah. I left the baseball bat in the house."

We stared at each other, grim faced. "Do you reckon it's worth going in there?"

"Only one way to find out."

"Maybe we can find some weapons in here," I said. Just looking at the garage door gave me chills.

Jamie opened the passenger door. "Let's have a look."

Aaden lifted his head and rubbed his face, then his eyes snapped open and he sat up straight. "What's happening?"

"We're looking for weapons," I told him.

He gently extracted his arm from around Dimi and got out of the car. We searched the shelves. I found an axe, a tire iron, and a couple of fishing knives, and Jamie found a couple of hammers and a shovel. Aaden scored the best find—a solar powered recharger. We piled everything in the back of the car. It wasn't much, but it was going to have to be enough. Jamie looked at the pile and rubbed her thumb over her lips. I knew she was thinking about something.

"What is it?"

"I want that bat. It felt so good in my hands."

"You really want to go and get it?"

"Yeah. Besides, I need to go."

I stared. "Just go here. You know nobody cares about..."

Jamie went to the garage door, pulled back the towels and eased the door open. Aaden grabbed the axe and stood behind her, weapon ready in his hands.

The corridor was empty. The only sign of animals were scratch marks on the floorboards and the door. The bathroom door gaped open, halfway along the corridor, and the baseball bat was in the movie room, just before the corridor opened into the kitchen.

"Don't go in there, Aaden." Dimi was awake, staring at him through the rear passenger window.

Aden slapped the back of the axe into his hand, looking totally badass. "I'll be okay." He pushed past Jamie and started for the movie room, Jamie one step behind. Aaden peered through the bathroom door and gave us a thumbs up.

When they reached the movie room, Jamie slipped inside and reemerged with the bat in her hands and a wicked grin. She and Aaden scouted the living area and returned to us.

"There's nothing down here," Aaden said, his voice low. "Just us."

We all used the bathroom. I was halfway through when I heard something shift above me. Something upstairs. In my bedroom. I listened, almost forgetting to breathe. The thing upstairs held its breath too. I finished up as quickly and quietly as I could and stepped into the corridor. Jamie and Aaden were in the living area, but Dimi had returned to the garage.

I waved my hand frantically at Aaden. He caught sight of the movement and raised his eyebrows. I pointed at the roof and shook my head, then indicated the garage with my chin.

Aaden grabbed Jamie's hand and started for the corridor. Jamie looked outraged for half a second before she got the message. They were quiet, but it didn't matter. As they passed the fridge a loose floorboard creaked, and the thing upstairs heard it.

A great scrabbling of claws on wood sounded and something heavy hit the upstairs landing.

"Run!" I hissed, fleeing down the corridor in front of my friends. I made it through the door and stood to one side, waiting for them to pass so I could slam the door closed on whatever was after them. It thundered down the staircase and skidded into the kitchen. Harley. He hurled himself down the corridor like a huge, angry brick, snarling as he came.

I almost got the door shut. He hit it with such force that it slammed back, and he managed to push his wide skull through the gap.

"Shit!" I grunted, putting my shoulder to the door. I pushed as hard as I could, but Harley wouldn't retreat. He didn't know how.

Jamie joined me, hurling herself against the door. Harley let out a sharp yelp, and stuck his forepaw through the gap, using the door frame to pull himself forward. He got his neck all the way through. All he had to do was worm his shoulders through and sixty pounds of fanged muscle would be in the room with us.

"Hold it," Aaden said.

"I'm trying!" I growled, managing to feel pissed off despite my terror.

Something whizzed past my head and I heard a solid thunk. The pressure on the door vanished and Harley slumped, his chin hitting the concrete. A thick, metallic wedge had appeared in his skull.

The axe.

I backed away from the door, almost tripping on my own feet, my mouth gaping. How did the axe get in Harley's head?

Jamie and Aaden exchanged high fives. "Nice one," Jamie said.

"That's what I call, burying the hatchet," Aaden joked.

Dimi vomited.

Aaden's face morphed from smiling to concern in a heartbeat. He rushed to Dimi's side. "You okay, baby." His voice was so gentle. They were definitely together. It was as good a time as any to let us know. I stole a glance at Jamie. She was watching them, looking as worried as Aaden. If she was jealous, I couldn't see it.

"We should go," she said. She tried to pull the axe out of Harley's head. Harley's chin hit the floor again with each savage tug, snapping his teeth together.

Snap. Snap. Snap.

I turned away. The smell of vomit and the sound of dead teeth was making me feel sick, too. "Is this what it's going to be like from now on?" I asked. I wasn't sure I could handle it.

Jamie finally worked the axe free. "Nah. When we get to One Tree Hill the army will do this stuff. We'll be safe."

"Let's get there then." I turned on my phone. "Has anyone tried their phone? Is there a signal?" I waited, holding my breath. There was a signal! My phone beeped and Quan's name popped up.

Leaving now. Be there in five.

I checked the time. The message had been sent fifteen minutes ago.

"Quan's coming, but he should be here by now."

We're ready. Where are you? I texted back. I waited, but the phone stayed stubbornly silent.

"I think something's happened," I said.

Jamie held a finger up. "Listen!"

I heard it then—the sound of a car engine sputtering down our street.

"Get in the car," I said. "I'm opening the door."

Jamie jumped in the front seat with her baseball bat and slammed the door shut. I pushed the button on the roller door and ran for the car. I didn't feel safe until the car door closed behind me.

The roller door opened slowly. I was so ready for an attack I couldn't believe it when I saw only sunlight on an empty driveway. I started the motor and eased forward.

Quan's car was slowly weaving toward us. The front grill was bent and steam spewed from the radiator. I couldn't see who was driving. Quan and his tinted windows!

The car pulled to the side of the road and Quan almost fell out. There was blood over his face and he held a hand to one eye. Aaden jumped out and ran to him, but Quan waved him back. "Get in the car!" he yelled.

Aaden waited for him anyway and they ran to the car together. I kept watching his car, waiting for his family to squeeze themselves out of the back seat.

"Where is everyone?" I asked as soon as he pulled the door shut behind him.

Quan's face was a mask of pain. "I'm alone."

( 11631 words)