Shudders: Retribution

Chapter 12 - The Map

"They won't." Yama cut in. "Focus on getting far from them first so they don't find us again."

     She didn't say any more. He was right but she can't help but be worried. This was her life and the lives of others being threatened.

"Stop here."

     Her eyes looked up to see Yama looking at a building tucked away in the trees. They were coming upon another small town after hours of traversing the forest roads and avoiding the freeway. (Y/N) followed his gaze and saw that he was checking out a two-story building with the sign 'Timbershade Public Library' on the road.

"We're stopping there?" She asked.

     Yama looked around first before sizing up the place. It could be worth the search. "If I can find a map there things will be a lot easier."

      It looked like a haunted building. Like the ones from the old horror books she used to read as a kid. Any second she suspected a ghost to peek through the broken windows and whisper at them to leave their dwelling. They entered through the front and the whole place was in disarray. Overgrowth, debris, old books, and ladders littered every surface of the interior.

      Yama got to work searching the front checkout desk for a map to help guide them. He didn't like this whole blindly walking to who knows where when there were enemies about.

     (Y/N) didn't stray too far but walked over to a pile of books on the floor and crouched down to them. No surprise that the elements got to them, just like the ones back at that apartment.

     She looked back over to Yama who had to force a jammed drawer open. "Any luck?"

"So far, no." He grumbled. This place had to have a map.

     The girl stood up to go look at other piles of books on the floor. It's a shame most of them were destroyed. Reading was something she did to relax after a long day of work.

     Moving over to the shelves where some books still sat, she stood on her tiptoes to reach a few on a shelf that was taller than her.

     As her fingers graced the hardcover of one, something further down the row scampered on by that made her body freeze up.

     She didn't move but her milky eyes glanced over to where it came from then slowly she lowered herself back down, book in hand, she whispered for her partner. "Yama."

      The male demon didn't hear her as he went to the other desks.

      In another aisle, a couple of books had fallen and made the girl jump. Her hand reached for the rifle that was loaded but then remembered that Yama only said it was for emergencies. The noise could draw others to them.

      She gulped back her fear and inched her way down the aisle to peek at where she heard the noise. On a shelf the aisle over was a newly formed cloud of dust where the books were disturbed.

      Maybe it's just an animal? A raccoon or an opossum?

      When she went to back away, she heard creaking coming from the shelf above her and soon hot breath breathing against her neck. The breath was rugged and deep, she could feel the vibrations of it around her.