Ruby Red

6

COLD

Remi had looked out the front door after he had opened it, his breathing caught in his throat, "Okay, okay," He told himself, stepping out onto the porch, head moving rapidly as his eyes attempted to adjust to the darkness, "I," He stuttered, "I don't see it," He whispered over his shoulder as his foot stepped in something wet, slipping slightly catching himself on the railing, "Careful," He warned, his heart pounding in his chest. He thought he would throw up, or maybe even faint due to how much blood was being forced through his veins.

Riley silently had been two steps behind Remi, ready to follow him if he got spooked and ran off. She cringed as her sneakers made a small slap noise, hitting the liquid that Remi had slipped in, "What is that?" Her face scrunched up in disgust. Valerie stood in the doorframe looking back at Theo guilty.

Theo had laid Molly down, and had fixed her limbs so that she looked comfortable. A small pillow from the sectional laid under her head as he said a quiet goodbye. He had closed her lifeless, dull brown eyes, and ran his hand down her hair before placing a gentle kiss on her forehead. It was a gut wrenching scene but they had to go.

Theo stood, noticing his pants felt soaked against his thighs, no doubt with blood. He bit his lip as he stepped over his dead ex girlfriends body, trying to keep it together. He didn't look up at Valerie as he approached the steps where his friends were - if he could even call them that after what they did.

Valerie turned, following after Riley, having a firm grip on the pack of cigarettes that she had stolen. She had made sure that Theo was behind her, as the two stepped over the threshold. The two barley made a sound as the four crept down the few stairs.

Remi bent down, the dirt and rock crunching beneath his feet. Upon taking one step, Riley had silently landed on the rubble of the campgrounds floor. She didn't know how to drive, but she was not letting those keys out of her sight. Maybe it was distrustful for her to assume her cousin would leave her, but she wasn't taking any chances.

Remi and Riley walked further into the clearing, heartbeats racing so bad that they both had assumed that in the silence of night anyone could hear it. Valerie stepped down the stairs softly, before speed walking to catch up to her two friends. She was worried that they would leave her behind since they were already a distance away. Theo looked around outside, replaying the scene in his head of Molly being tossed through the living room. He stepped down, following after Valerie, not saying one word to the group. He wanted his keys back, and he wanted help carrying Molly to a hospital.

The group continued to creep towards the opening, to hopefully get back to the pathway. Remi roughly knew what direction they had came from earlier that day. Riley and Valerie looked around, seeing lots of lumps on the rubbled ground. The two girls glanced at each other as they grimly acknowledged that they were people. The two looked for anything that reminded them of Skylar or Milo, fearful that they could be dead.

A loud screech.

Valerie and Theo were shaken to the core, recalling the horrifying scream. It echoed in their ears. Theo had picked his head up, shaking, seeing a six armed creature bent over.

"Oh shit," Riley crouched down, pulling everyone behind a table turned on its side, causing the three others do follow suit, "There it is!" She exclaimed quietly, pointing off to the right of the cabin. Her eyes were bulging from her skull as she watched it silently.