Herdenmord - ONC2021

Aaden

By the time Aaden made it off the bridge, the dogs were swimming silently to shore, their eyes fixed on us. We ran, but we'd not got far before hearing the scuff of paws on the path behind us.

"We're going to have to kill them," Quan called, sounding as desperate as I felt.

Jamie stopped running. "You go," she said as I passed her. "This path will take you to the front door." 

Dimi stumbled along behind me, one hand on her middle. She looked green. I was beginning to think she'd been poisoned somehow. "Come on, Dimi. It's not far now."

She groaned, her eyes dark circles in a white face. She was clammy with sweat. If she fainted we'd never make it.

I stopped for a second, pulling a bottle of water from my backpack. She shook her head to tell me she didn't want any, but I tipped it over her head and neck. She threw me a weak smile and nodded before staggering on toward the hill. I groaned when I realised the path curved around behind the hill. 

I cast a glance behind me. The dogs were almost at the line Quan, Aaden and Jamie had formed, their weapons held ready. I cringed when I saw the dogs. A Labrador, a heeler cross and some big mastiff thing.

I put my arm around Dimi and we moved as fast as we could. I tried to ignore the snarling and yelping behind me as the dogs reached my friends, but I had to pay attention when I heard Aaden screaming our names.

I looked back. The heeler cross had made it through the line and was coming after us, fast and low. Aaden was chasing it, his axe ready in his hands, but it was too fast. It was going to reach us before he caught up.

I let Dimi go and stood in front of her. My heart was pounding so hard I could barely breathe. My arms felt slow and heavy. I lifted the tire iron and the dog threw it a quick look and circled around me, trying to get to the easier target behind my back. I swung the iron at its body and connected with a haunch. It let out a yelp but it managed to get behind me. Dimi screamed as the dog's teeth found her.

Aaden charged in and buried his axe in the dog's mottled back. The dog howled and released its grip. Blood darkened Dimi's calf. It was a bad bite.

The dog writhed and snarled, snapping at its own back, trying to rid itself of the axe. It was still dangerous. I stepped forward and brought the tire iron down on its skull. The heavy thud and reverberation down the iron made me feel so sick I almost dropped it. The dog collapsed, snapping feebly at the grass.

"It's still alive," I whimpered.

"No it isn't," Aaden said, taking the tire iron. He smashed it down, finishing the wretched thing off. He handed me the bloody iron and yanked his axe from the dog's spine before kneeling to look at Dimi's leg.

Jamie and Quan caught up. "Aaden, we gotta run," Quan panted. He pointed across the road.

I looked at the rolling, yellow hills and my heart sank into the pit of my stomach.

Horses.

Four of them.

I didn't bother to say anything. I needed every breath.

Aaden offered me his axe. "Take this."

I took it wordlessly, wondering why he didn't want it anymore. I got my answer when he pulled Dimi's backpack off and swept her into his arms, ignoring her protests. He started jogging along the path, Dimi clinging to his neck.

Quan and I jogged along the path with them, but Jamie cut across the grass, straight for Blue Tree Hill, looking for the entrance to the bunker. After a minute, she turned back to face us, waving us toward a tall stone wall. "Here!" We left the path and ran to her. Jamie kept going, running along the gradually lowering wall. I realised it was a ramp. If you were coming from the road that ran through the park, rather then from the river, you could drive up the ramp to the mouth of the bunker, embedded halfway up the hill. We had to get up there.

Jamie turned back again and whatever she saw made her run at the wall and jump up against it, grabbing the topmost stones with her hands. She pulled and toed herself up the wall, gaining the top as we neared her.

"You have to climb," she said, reaching a hand down to us. "Now."

Quan leapt up the wall toward her, grabbing her hand. She set her feet and let him use her as an anchor, scrambling up beside her.

Aaden set Dimi on her feet and she immediately threw up again. I was scared now. Scared she was dying. "Dimi, what's wrong? Are you sick? What did you eat?"

Dimi couldn't answer. She panted, her hands on her knees, ready to vomit again.

Aaden looked at me, his eyes hot and proud. "She's not sick. She's pregnant. With our baby."

In the silence that followed Aaden's pronouncement, I heard the heavy thud of approaching hooves.

"Blue, get up here," Quan yelled, leaning over the wall.

I stared at Dimi and Aaden. I didn't want to leave them. I don't know why Dimi being pregnant made a difference, but it did. I needed to make sure she was safe.

"Go!" Aaden screamed in my face. He pushed me toward the wall.

I leapt, managing to catch Quan's outstretched hand. Jamie reached down for me and between them they hauled me quickly up the wall.

Jamie was straight back, stretching her hand down. "Dimi!" she yelled. "Hurry!"

I turned to help and sucked in a breath. I could see the horses galloping up the path. Two bays, a dun and a grey. They were so big and they moved so fast. I leaned over the wall too, stretching my hand down. "Dimi! Aaden!"

Aaden put his hands together for Dimi to step into and boosted her up the wall. Jamie gripped one wrist tightly and Quan managed to grab the other one.

I could see the pink inside the horses' nostrils now.

"Aaden," I screamed, reaching down.

Aaden took a step back and then ran up the wall. I grabbed his hand, leaning back, but his weight almost yanked me over. I sat back into my haunches, holding his hand desperately. Jamie and Quan hauled Dimi onto the ramp and then Quan was with me, grabbing Aaden's other hand. We pulled him up and he managed to hook his leg over the wall. He smiled at us, looking like he was about to crack a joke.

And then the dun horse rose up the wall beside Aaden, eyes bulging, and sank huge, square teeth into his thigh.

Aaden was gone.

(16075 words)