Unseen Undead

Unseen Undead: 2

"Shit!" 

I woke up screaming. They're getting close I thought, wiping the sweat as it dripped down my forehead. The feeling in my stomach was getting worse. 

Sighing I thought to myself, I needed to do something, and I needed to do it quick.

I practically jumped out of my bed ignoring the horrible pain in my stomach as the bile rose. I flicked on the dim light bulb that barely lit up the damp cold basement, where I slept hidden away from the world. I swallowed hard preparing for their attacks. 

This was not going to be pleasant. I grabbed my fathers old axe and sharpened it for the last time, stuffing it into my ratty old duffle bag. I also put my crobar and wooden sticks that I have for safe keeping. Grabbing random defenses laying around the basement, I threw them in the bag as well.

Images of attacks flowed through my mind, making me barely able to concentrate. Looking out the old dirty window I saw it was still night. The dusk sky barely shone through. 

The village... The village is next.

"Damn it!" I screamed holding my stomach and leaning on the cold wall next to me. 

To close, to close for comfort. The visions were stronger then ever. 

"Fuck, fuck, fuck!" I whispered into the night.

Gathering everything up I headed up the stairs to finish the rest, not bothering to look back at the dingy old basement that has held me through all the bad times and good times.

After tossing the bag aside and rushing to find a box, I ran to the cabinet and started tossing as much food as I could into the box. I had a large enough supply of dry rice, canned vegetables, soups, crackers, and beans. 

Slinging the duffle bag across my back and dragging the box of food behind me, I made my way outside and down the front porch. There was only the faint light from the rising sun to illuminate the outdoors. The moon making it's final departure from the morning sky. The fallen leaves on the ground were damp from last nights rainfall.

I was just about to hurry back inside to gather a few final necessities, when I heard a loud snap towards the north side of the old cabin. Weary and afraid I grabbed the old axe out of the bag with shaky hands. I slowly walked around the west side of the cabin making not a sound. 

Gripping the axe tighter I moved stealthily further into the trees. I stopped noticing a large fallen branch. The end of the branch looked sliced and chewed. Standing directly below the now broken tree I gazed around cautiously. There was nothing but trees, everywhere. 

I couldn't see anything but the array of different coloured leaves hanging meekly from the old frail branches. Circling around looking for any signs of movement I noticed prints in the soft mud on the other side of the broken tree. 

Shaking my head I realized I was being overcautious. It's a forest, of course there's going to be prints. Loosening my grip on the axe I turned to head back towards the old cabin. 

Just when the cabin started coming back into view, I heard another snap. Only this time it just sounded like a twig. But it sounded close. Fear pulsed through my body again at the speed of light and the grip on my axe became deathly. 

Another snap behind me. 

Without giving it any thought I swung around quickly coming down hard on a soft object with the blade of the axe. The edge of the freshly sharpened blade cut deep and a shocked cry escaped from the mouth of the victim. It was only when the creature made it's last choked breath falling to the ground that I noticed the stream of blood dripping down their soft forehead. 

Suddenly reality spread through me like an electric current, I became petrified. My grip on the axe failed and I dropped to my knees.

"What have I done?" I whispered hardly audible.

How could I let my fear get the best of me. This was no harmful creature. I had not been under attack. I overreacted, the cost being an innocent life. The life of my past love. 

For the first time in decades my eyes laid on my beautiful Lorna. 

The dripping blood began to mix with her gorgeous silver locks. It had been 30 years since I had seen her last. Being divorced at the age of 24 we had both agreed to make out separate ways. She went to the big city, and I bought an old cabin on the outskirts of a small populated village. 

My hands trembled as I grasped the handle of the axe and pulled it from the side of her head. A loud scraping sound admitted from her head as the axe retreated from her now broken skull. Throwing the axe aside I sat motionless unaware of what I had to soon do. Blood began gushing harder for a long while until it eventually ran dry, the full supply of warm liquid now laying on the forest floor. 

Looking up after a long while I could see the sun higher in the sky; it had to be almost noon. I had to get to the village. 

The thought brought the urgent sense and the direct feeling striking harshly through my body again. Pulling my trembling body back to my feet was much more difficult then I expected, but once I regained my composure, I took another glance at the now dead Lorna.

The blood on her forehead now dried and dark. I tossed a few leaves over her body, covering the mass pool of blood in the dirt below her. Her eyes, still open in fear, were slightly rolled back into her head. A line of dried blood ran out of her mouth and dripped down from her nose. Her body looked perfect as always in her cheap knock off clothes. 

Suddenly anger filled my body, I had no remorse left for her. She left me. I distorted her perfect life, so she packed her bags and moved on. She wasn't innocent. She deserved to die. She shouldn't have been here in the first place. Why she was here, I had no idea. But that was her mistake. She should have stayed where she belonged. Far away from me.

I grabbed my axe off the ground and without another look at her, I left Lorna's body laying in the dirt as I made my way back to my old cabin. I ran over to the water barrel and rinsed off the blood from the axe before tossing it in the back seat of the truck with the duffel bag. 

Getting in the drivers seat and starting the engine, I took off quickly. Away from my old cabin. Away from my home. Away from my safety. Towards the village. Towards the chaos. Towards death.