Reapers

Chapter 4

Howling winds swept through Washington DC like a plague, collecting dust and litter. Strong gusts whistled against the apartment building, stirring her from slumber.

Farwa curled into a ball on her mattress, squeezing a fuzzy duck plush to find comfort. Her bones began to tremble involuntarily. It's just wind...it's just wind...Nothing will be out in this weather.

The loud crash of metal echoed somewhere beneath her. Farwa squeaked, burying her face under the covers. A noise sounded somewhere on the floor beneath her. The 13th floor; which was always thought to be haunted, as the elevator never included a button numbered '13' for many thought it would bring bad luck.

"It's nothing...It's nothing..."

Another creak.

Damn.

Farwa kicked off the covers and grabbed the flashlight on her nightstand. She needed to be brave, it was likely that it was just the wind pushing one of her boarded windows. Her poorly nailed in boards...

Something got in! Something got in! I just know it.

She tucked her arms in, keeping them close to her chest. The flashlight flickered in her frightened fingers. Farwa shuffled forward, her toes meeting the cold tiles of the dining room. A shiver slithered down her spine.

While her heart screamed not to, her brain argued that it was her responsibility to make sure that her shelter was secure. She unlocked the door and stepped out of her apartment and into a hallway lined with doors. With the electricity down, the building was shrouded in darkness, save for the dying flashlight in her hands.

Farwa tiptoed down the stairs, waiting for the smallest of sounds so she could conjure an excuse to run back to her room. But the building was silent. And that's what unsettled her.

The girl occasionally peeked behind and above her, in case something was prepared to pounce. Or perhaps she watched too many movies where the protagonist gets ambushed by the monster.

She swallowed as she reached the thirteenth floor, a sudden rush of cold passed through her. Farwa hugged her elbows and proceeded. Maybe it was just the wind that intruded her shelter.

She waved the flashlight around like a sword, hoping that any creature would disintegrate in its light. The light caught on a door, slightly ajar. Farwa covered her mouth to keep from gasping. Room 324. That door had been locked, so she was unable to get inside.

Her advance grew slower, ready to sprint down the hall at the first sign of danger. The door swayed back and forth, an ear-splitting creak with each movement. Each sound made Farwa's heart skip a beat. The wind. It's just the wind..

She approached closer...a voice screaming at her to turn back. Turn. Back. But her feet kept moving. She placed a hand on the door to stop the squeaking, she peered around to look into the room.

A vile smell greeted her.

Dark stains smeared across the walls, furniture and dishes broken and in disarray. A sliding door on the other side of the room, the glass shattered and sprinkled across the stained carpet. The curtains shredded and danced frantically with the wind. Farwa detected a metallic smell.

Blood.

The stains were blood.

Her lungs froze, body moving before her mind could catch up. She found herself sprinting to the stairs, her flashlight slipped from her sweaty grasp. A weapon. Farwa realized. I didn't bring a weapon.

The last of fatigue retreated from her joints, now aware of the danger. There was something here.

And it knew it had company.

Despite her fears, Farwa was able to reach her room and barricaded the door with whatever she could get her hands on. She found several large kitchen knives, which she collected and stuffed under her mattress. She curled up in bed, hoping to hide and avoid any confrontation.

Monsters always had an advantage at night.

All that could be heard was the howling of the wind and Farwa's conscious breathing...was she breathing too loud?

A clunking tumble of wood, followed by the shrill shatter of glass. Farwa pulled in her legs with alarm. The boarded windows. She was so focused on the door that she hadn't done anything to enforce the windows.

Her hands searched for the knives. Only one was in close reach. One. Rain began to patter on the roof, echoing right above her. Farwa creased her brows. There were two floors above her, how could she hear the rain on the roof so clearly?

Tapping.

Not rain, footsteps.

Like the skittering of a multi-legged bug somewhere above her. Bugs, Farwa shuddered. Why does it have to be like a bug?

Alas, the noise stopped. Farwa pointed the knife towards the ceiling, knowing well from movies that silence meant it was ready to attack.

She waited five heartbeats. 12 heartbeats. 40.

Nothing.

_____________________________________________________________________________

It broke her windows, but it didn't enter through them. Farwa squinted at the spider web-like cracks in the glass, now reflecting the orange light of the morning sun. "What's the point of breaking my windows if it was going to attack from above? To just confuse me?" Farwa combatted her fear by trying to look at it like a puzzle rather than real life. If there's one thing she loved, it was a good riddle.

"Wouldn't that just be...a waste of energy? It couldn't have known what I was like, or how strong I was. Unless..." Farwa yelped and went to immediately board the windows again. "There was one outside and another inside!"

She found herself stuffing everything she could into duffle bags. "I can't stay here much longer. Another night and they'll find me for sure." She filled only one bag when she stopped. "But where do I go?" Her eyes traveled all over the apartment, a wave of sadness washed over her. And how much can I take with me?

Farwa felt shackled here, to all of the fond memories she had in this home. Would her family want her to stay and defend it? Or run and stay alive?

I'll be back with help. I promise.

"Stay alive it is." Farwa muttered.

She scribbled in her journal a list of things that needed to be done.

To Do:

Step 1: Scout the local area for a strong shelter and make sure it's secure. (Board the windows, cover any holes, etc.)

Step 2: restock toiletries and medical supplies. Restock food in case there is no place locally and I'd have to travel farther.

Step 3: Once the things above are complete, pack stuff. (Only the necessities!)

Step 4: After bringing this stuff to the new shelter, make sure to leave a message to any rescuers.

Unfortunately, Farwa soon learned that just completing Step 1 was no longer possible.