Step, Step, Run

Chapter Three

All Rights Reserved.

I couldn't process the situation with my sisters screaming.

Mallory was screaming in utter fear, having collapsed backwards onto the door, and Maeve was screaming in pain, having been cut by a shard of glass. She was clutching her upper arm, blood oozing between her fingers. Many of the windows had shattered. All of the cabinets had opened up with everything flinging out at us. A book had hit me in the head, but other than that, I was fine.

The RV was on its side. I could see the sky and branches above through the shattered windows.

I staggered to my feet and stepped over the clutter, heading towards my younger sister. Her braids were missing her ribbons and her mascara was running from her tears. As I reached her, she stopped screaming and lunged at me in relief, remembering that she wasn't alone. Mallory squeezed me, alerting me of a bruise on my side.

"It's okay," I said, although I wasn't sure if that was a lie or not. "Let's get Maeve."

Together, we stumbled around furniture and made our way to Maeve who was near the refrigerator. Behind her, all of the contents from inside the fridge had spilled out. My frown deepened at the sight of my spilled apple cider. That wasn't important right now.

"I'm bleeding," Maeve breathed out, panicking. "Oh my God..."

Mallory dropped to her knees. "What happened?"

I spotted a kitchen rag near us and grabbed it, kneeling down next to my older sister. Maeve was in shock, so she didn't yell at me for coming near her. I was able to tie the kitchen rag around her injured upper arm, which was better than her hand. I heard Maeve sniffle and looked up, finally processing my order sister in tears. I couldn't remember the last time I had seen her cry.

"I don't know what happened," I answered, quietly. "I-I think we were attacked."

"Attacked?" Mallory repeated. "Was it a bear?"

"Enough with the bears," Maeve snapped, her bitchiness returning. She wiped underneath her eyes, now looking as if she had never cried at all. Her messy bun had fallen out, so she took the spare rubber band on her wrist and tied her hair back into a ponytail. "Whatever it is, it might still be here. We need to protect ourselves."

I nodded my head, then began to look around. I was able to find three steak knives that had flown from the drawers.

I handed Mallory a knife. "Use this."

Maeve took a knife from my hand and held it up, her fingers trembling. With hesitation, Mallory took the knife from me and looked at it with a weak expression. I gripped mine tightly, prepared to strike anything that came at us.

"Do you hear anything?" Mallory whispered, shakily.

"Shh," was Maeve's response. I watched as my older sister began to crawl towards the back of the bus. Her movements were slow and deliberate as to not make any sound. I opened my mouth to tell her to stay near us, but opted not to. She wouldn't listen to me. She never did. Mallory clung to me in fear when Maeve sprawled out onto her stomach and stuck her head out the shattered back window to take a look around.

A heavy silence hung in the air.

"Where's Dad?" Mallory asked me. That was the first question on my mind as well. "Dad would know what to do."

I wasn't so sure about that. "We're going to be --"

My words were interrupted by Maeve suddenly being snatched and dragged out of the RV. Mallory screamed, loud enough to pierce my left eardrum, and I was rushing forward with my knife ready.