The Last Winter

Saturday: What's Left (30)

Maggie
wwwwwwwww

"MAGGIE, YOU IDIOT!" I hear Veronica scream from somewhere down the steps.

The letter opener shakes in my hand as the demonic creature slowly turns to look at me.

"Y-You leave him alone!" I stutter, jabbing the dull knife in the air threateningly.

I'm pretty sure it doesn't know what I'm saying. Maybe I am really stupid.

It gives me an irritated hiss. Its thin lips spread out to reveal razor-sharp teeth in its mouth.

And the eyes...they're empty and dark. They make the hairs on my arms stick out straight. My heart goes still. I don't breathe.

Is this what a demon looks like?

"Maggie, RUN!" I hear Vena scream from somewhere below.

I don't move, even when the howler jerks its ugly head in her direction.

Without warning, it hops onto the balcony rail and drops down to the chapel floor in one swift motion.

I snap into action, rushing to the railing to peer down into the sanctuary.

"VENA!" I shout.

She's standing in the doorway to the next room, the one with...the others.

Her eyes are wide, and she's standing stock-still with her hands on the edge of one of the doors.

"VENA, MOVE!" I scream, just as frozen as she is.

But I'm too late.

In a quick blur, Vena is knocked backward into the next room, crashing onto the floor and out of sight, the howler on top of her.

I hear a mix of screams erupt simultaneously, from everyone--Veronica, Nolan, myself. And Vena. Her scream is the worst of everyone's--a long, drawn out cry of terror and pain. I hear her stop short, only to scream out again in quick, terrified bursts.

And then--nothing.

Veronica screams again, somewhere in the other room, watching in agony, unable to save her sister.

I don't hear Vena anymore.

My knuckles glow white as I grip the rail tightly.

I hear something fall and roll somewhere behind me, but I don't turn to look. Then Michal limps out of the closet. He quickly struggles down the steps, and I hear his quick breaths as if they are beacons of hope.

There are dead bodies in the next room. At least Michal isn't one of them.

"Vena," I choke out, and then I scramble after Michal.

My heart pounds against my chest and I can barely breathe as I race past Michal and cautiously scurry into the next room. It's darker in here than it is in the chapel. There are windows in the chapel.

But I can distinctly see the howler's scrawny back as the translucent skin jerks this way and that. The elbows move, and it is poised with its head down low, making sickening hungry sounds as it feeds on freshly shed blood.

I can see Vena's limp hand, as white as snow, resting against the floor, moving only when the howler dives its head back into her shoulder. Her pale blonde hair is stained with the blood that is forming a pool around her body. Her clothes are drenched wet in a mess of blood, shredded skin, and what is starting to look like raw organs.

I can't see her face. Not from behind the howler. But I can see her shoes still twitching slightly.

Veronica let's out a whimper, and I turn to look in her direction. If I ignore the other bodies lying on the floor, I can see that she's cowering in a corner. Nolan is right beside her, and they hold onto each other out of downright terror.