Night Walkers - Halloween 2023

Chapter 25

"What? Where will you go?"

"I don't know, for now anywhere out of this place."

"Where's Skyler? Does she know?"

He nodded. "She's coming with me."

"You're both leaving?"

"We're escaping this hell hole. Our ancestors should have left a long time ago, I don't know what stupid reasons they had for staying." Roland sighed. "We wanted to take you with us, but you're not in any condition to leave the hospital."

"Take me with you anyway, drive me to the nearest hospital out of town." I begged.

He shook his head. "We thought of that too. The nearest hospital is an hour away, there's no way you could make it there with how bad your wounds and infection are."

Tears welled up in my eyes. "Please don't leave me here."

A pained expression crossed his face, as he gently squeezed my hand. "I'm so sorry, Amellia."

The tears escaped as I shook my head. "Don't leave me. Take me with you, please."

He closed his eyes and tears trickled down his face. He leaned down and brought my hand to his lips, pressing a soft kiss on the back of my hand. "I'm sorry. I hope you'll forgive us one day." He said quietly. "I have to go now; Skyler is waiting for me."

He softly laid my hand back on the bed beside me then stood up.

"Roland, please don't. I don't want to be left here alone."

Without saying another word, he leaned down and kissed my forehead then exited the room. More tears flowed down my cheeks, as I heard him run back down the hallway. I couldn't blame them for wanting to leave and I know they tried to find a way to take me with them in the condition I'm in. However, I still couldn't help but feel abandoned and betrayed. The last two people I counted on, had left me.

Eventually, I cried myself to sleep.

A noise woke me up after what felt like only an hour into my sleep, however, the clock on the wall opposite my bed, told me it was fifteen after two in the morning.

Suddenly a faint scream came from somewhere down the hall. Then another followed soon after, slightly louder.

Panic began to rise inside me as I messed with my IV's trying to pull them from my arm; wincing as they moved around inside my veins.

Another scream, this one was closer than the last.

My heart pounded in my chest. They're coming for me, like they did Carson.

Carson and Roland's words began to replay in my mind, as I finally I freed my arm from the IV's and struggled to get out of the bed.

'Rule number one; Stay calm. They are attracted to fear, if you stay calm, they won't sense you.'

A fourth scream came from the room next door. A nurse sprinted into my room, briefly surprised to see that I was out of bed and standing in the corner furthest from the door. I recognized her to be the nurse who tended to me the last time I was in the hospital, Rebecca. She pressed her back against the wall just inside the doorway, putting her finger to her lips, signaling to me to keep quiet. Little did she know, as long as we were scared, there was no hiding from them.

'Rule number two; when hiking with companions, always have an unspoken code word amongst the group. If you are separated and you hear them calling your name, ask for the code word. If they can't give it to you, run.'

The loud thudding footsteps of several nurses and doctors could be heard as they ran past my room.

'Rule number three; if someone asks you to join them on a walk in the forest at two in the morning, run. Then call the police because that person is not who they appear to be.'