The Pestilention

Chapter 27

"How are we going to get past them?" Tilly asked. Being back at square one was tough, especially when we knew that left was the only way to go. It didn't help that the left way was guarded by a bunch of boneheaded screechers, either.

I had no idea how we were going to get past them. The question had pondered in my mind ever since we had turned back. There had to be a way to kill them without doing it one at a time. But because we lacked any plans, it seemed impossible.

Unless...

I sighed. "All right Tilly, you're going to have to trust me on this one."

She blinked slowly before giving me a reluctant nod. Then we were running. I crossed my fingers and prayed that this plan would work.

The trees were silent, but I knew that it was only a matter of time until the birds came diving at our heads. It didn't take long for them to notice us last time.

Then why was it taking so long?

I sucked in a breath. I was just being impatient. Tilly, on the other hand, would have been more than happy to let us continue on unnoticed. As much as I wished that that could happen, I had to make sure they didn't bother us again.

I cupped my hands over my mouth. I tilted my head back and let a shriek rumble out of my throat and through the sky. It felt like knives were slicing my throat, but I continued to scream until they were answered back at me.

The blood from Tilly's face drained. I snatched her wrist. We ran back towards the fork. I turned my head to see if the birds were following us. Sure enough, they were staring hungrily at us with beady eyes, their jaws open so wide that they could have eaten my entire hand off.

Pain shot through my upper arm, so I released Tilly to smack it. A bird shrieked as I pushed it away. Tilly stumbled in shock. I had to grab her so she didn't fall.

I knelt down to grab my knife, my heart pounding. I didn't have much time to do it, but I knew that it would help.

In the seconds it took for me to take out the blade, three birds were already trying to attack me. I swung my knife in the air. The birds shot backward in shock. The little space wasn't that comforting, but at least I knew that it could be used to my advantage.

The knife was like an umbrella. No matter how close the birds got, they weren't able to reach our skin. I grinned. My plan didn't seem to have had any hope until then. We only had a few more cuts on our skin, but even Tilly seemed to be calmer as we ran.

Everything had been going smoothly until something screamed. I turned, holding the blade threateningly in front of me. Tilly was on her knees with her hands covering her head. I groaned, running back towards the birds' smallest—and easiest—meal.

One bird was so close to me that I could have grabbed it and squeezed its brains out. I swung the knife at it. The creature shrieked in acknowledgment and tried to fly away. The tip of the blade caught its wing before it could go far. The bird swung its other wing as an effort to stay balanced but soon fell to the floor in defeat.

With my eyes closed, I sunk the weapon into its small chest, sinking my teeth into my tongue as its final shriek turned into a soft whimper. My eyes fluttered open, locking with the lifeless ones on the ground.

Its family stared at their dead friend and then at me. Tilly's eyes widened. I ran before I could see what happened next. The screech rang in my ears. It was all the motivation I needed to run faster. I didn't bother to look and see if Tilly was running after me. I hoped that she wasn't. She wouldn't have been able to catch up with me.

One of the little monsters grabbed the back of my collar and tugged, trying to pull me back. I grinned as I swatted it away. Annoying, freaky, or just loud, they're still just small birds.

The fork came, so I dropped to my knees and covered my neck with my hands. I placed my chin on my chest. The squawking turned into horrific shrieks. Chills ran up my spine as a figure fell on my back, rolling limply to the floor. The others fell with the first, each one wailing until their final breath approached them.

Once the noise was cut off, I stood up. A crimson liquid pooled around my feet. For once, it wasn't mine. I tore my eyes away from the scene. No matter how irritating those little beasts were, it was hard to take in the fact that I had killed every one of them.

With trembling hands, I sucked in a deep breath and continued walking.

Happy Martin Luther King Jr. Day! Before I even start talking about this chapter, I'd like to give a moment to thank this man for what he has done for our world. He made a peaceful protest to racism, which I feel is a serious problem in human society. Girl, boy, colored, white, we're all still people, and it makes me sad to see some people treat others otherwise. It's gotten better, but it's still here, and I hope that we can all acknowledge it today.

I hope you like this chapter. Kat survived those darn birds, finally, too! Do you think they could face anything worse? Find out next week!

Also, don't forget to comment, read, tell your friends, and vote! Make sure to vote with the most annoying thing you have (a brother, a Furbee, you name it). Stay cool. :)

This is a mix of the two songs Gasoline by Halsey and Believer by Imagine Dragons, which was made by GINGERGREEN. I found this to be a dramatic song, which fits perfectly for what Kat had to do in this chapter. I hope you all like it.