Silent Horizons

Chapter 1

"They're coming back." He said firmly. Whether he was trying to convince her or himself, he didn't know.

"They're dead. I don't want to keep having this conversation, it does you no good to imagine help when none will come." She said angrily, looking at him with eyes that had seen too much.

Although he didn't know her before, he imagined she was once beautiful. She looked like someone who used to laugh. Now, her face was stone cold and weary, exhausted from the constant threat they lived under. Dirt streaks on her face and muddy brown hair matted back into a grimy braid.

At least he thought her hair was brown, it could just be stained from the dirt. There was no way to know.

It was in times of silence like these that he wondered if she had a family before. She probably did, she was young. Just like me,he thought. Everyone had a family once. Now, it was not something to be spoken of. There was only survival and the following day, never the last. It didn't do anyone any good to ponder on the past. The atrocities he alone had seen were enough to make anyone lose their mind.

With a sigh, he got up and came closer to the fire, sitting down with his knees pulled up to his chest.

They sat in silence, drinking their water, hunched over as they tried to warm up by the small flickering glow. Fingers poking through worn mittens, they both enjoyed the small bit of warmth their drinks gave them.

The sheet blew around, hitting him in the back as he sat beside it. The rain pattered behind them as the gusts blew on. They sat like this in companiable silence for a couple minutes, the steam rising in swirls from their tin mugs.

Suddenly, the atmosphere picked up the familiar ominous feeling they'd experienced too many times. They both looked up at each other, hands still clasping their cups. They jumped up lightning fast, eyes wide with panic. With practiced efficiency they silently snuffed out the fire and put their cups down. Hurriedly they laid down in front of the window. The rapid movements performed as silently as possible. As they lay in front of the opening, she put her hands in front of her mouth, in a way that seemed like she was trying to stop herself from screaming. An odd habit he had noticed her doing but that he did not judge her for. If putting her hand over her mouth helped her then she must do it.

They all had their habits to survive.

Their hearts were racing. The constant badum, badum, badum beating in their ears like drumbeat. Cold sweat ran down their backs, beading on their faces. Their fear was palpable, yet they made no discernable noise as they lay against the windowsill.

From the shadowy corner of the block, it emerged, a grotesque nightmare in motion. Its deliberate, eerie advance was accompanied by a chilling symphony of sound: step, step, cliicck... step, step, cliicck... Each of its eight legs lifting with effort, as it travelled behind the stalled cards. It's slimy off-grey body heaving unnaturally as it moved. In its loathsome wake, it left wet footprints composed of its viscous slime. A sickening testament to its vile presence. Its feet made of cruel, serrated claws, thirsting to inflict savagery. It didn't seem to notice the wind gusting and the rain pattering upon it. It pressed on with an unyielding purpose, seemingly impervious to the elements. Its nightmarish mouth hung agape full of razor-sharp teeth, saliva dripping down and hitting the ground. Eerily, the Roamer's spider-like head swung around to scan its surroundings. Its dead arachnid eyes focusing intermittently on its surroundings. It was searching for something. It's head slowly tilting from side to side as it scanned the street.

This was a smaller one , only about six feet tall from the ground to its back. Regardless, its diminutive size did nothing to reduce its malevolent nature. A small Roamer was just as deadly; capable of running down its victims and spearing them with its front legs in a matter of seconds. They were swift, merciless executors.