Shambles

4// Kιll oғ тнe nιgнт

       I glanced around to see how my companions were holding up. Ethan had his back to a tree, slowly climbing onto the roots. He was shooting the Shambles in the head with rocks and kicking them when they got too close. The rocks didn't seem to be doing much damage, though, just barely slowing them down.

          Robin and Miles stood back-to-back, fighting the ring of Shamblers around them together. They hacked away, cutting off limbs and letting black sludge cover them completely. The horde didn't seem to let up, though; another one popped right up after an additional one had been cut down. The circle was closing in on them fast. Something had to happen soon or we would all be Flesh Flakes.

"Now you're mine, but what do I do with you, boy, I'll take your heart to kick around as a toy."

         While I was distracted, the Shamblers near me were close enough to scratch my arm, drawing blue blood. Shit, this can't be good. I quickly kicked his arm away and set him on fire, watching his decomposing flesh burn away into ash.

           What could have created these monsters? They weren't human anymore. That part of them died. Their bodies were hollow beings, their brains seemed single-minded. Unable to process a coherent thought, unless it was after chopping us up. That they did with pleasure.

         Sensing another one nearby, I swung my makeshift spear at it; his peeling pale pallor plummeted in pieces onto the plants adorning the ground. I jabbed his shoulder before kicking him away in the ribs. Black sludge sprayed at me, and I hastily wiped it off my face, making sure not to get any in my mouth. By now my muscles were aching and my hand was full of blisters. Thank god for quick healing.

           A decaying woman with stringy brown hair let out an unearthly growl, charging at me with her claws out. I ducked under her and hit her back with tremendous force. She collapsed forward, hissing.

"The danger is I'm dangerous, and I might just tear you apart, oh," Robin's singing got more desperate and out of tune as the Shambler's closed in on her and Miles.

        While Robin and Miles struggled keeping the creatures at bay, the other Shamblers had managed to grasp and pull on my jacket. Thankfully it was sturdy enough not to rip open. I thrust my elbow back, knocking one in the nose. I got free enough to swing my spear and push them away for a few seconds. They let out spine-tingling screeches, not letting up. A Shambler with his left arm dangling off his shoulder by a thread of skin came barreling at me, scratching my cheek.

        Miles, Robin, and Ethan were having the same amount of luck as me, barely holding them off; which was minimal to none. Blood was dried all over my face, dripping into my eyes and blocking my vision. A Shambler opened their horrendous, gaping mouth, headed towards my shoulder in an attempt to bite me with their decaying teeth. I rapidly plunged my spear into their mouths, kicking them away in the process.

"I'm gonna catch ya, I'm gonna get ya, get ya, oh, ah, oh, I wanna taste the way you ble-" Robin's voice was abruptly cut off with a scream coming from her.

        Looking over, I saw the pair of them completely overrun by Shamblers and heard a bloodcurdling cry coming from Ethan. Among the pandemonium, I could see him collapse against the tree trunk and grab his shoulder.

           Pushing the Creatures away with my spear in an attempt to help out Ethan, I inadvertently stabbed one in the back of the neck. To my surprise the beast combusted into itself, crumbling inwardly and spewing dark sludge everywhere. Leaving a nice rain of ash to fall over me. Slowly, the rest of them followed, imploding one by one and residue glittering in the air by the light of my fire.