I climb out the window and onto the roof with three cans of soda tucked under my arm. One by one, I pass them to Val and Leigh, then crack mine open as I sit beside them. "Alright, guys. Enjoy. These might be the last Mnt. Dews that we ever have." I warn as we all tap our cans together. Solemnly, we each take a long sip, savoring the overly sweet, syrupy pop.
"It's probably for the best," Leigh laughs. "This stuff is awful for you."
It's an accurate memory tonight. Not entirely uncommon, but still rarer than the average mismatched collages I usually dream of. We all would sit on the roof at the beginning like we often did before the Vanishing. We'd stare at the bright lights of the Portland metro and just talk, admiring the sparkling flecks on the horizon as if it were a night sky. Now there was nothing but a sea of black with a single island of light amidst the darkness. The city. In a way, it was almost more beautiful. This beacon that was once only a twenty-minute drive away seemed so far out of reach, yet always visible beyond the miles of unknown beasts. Our compound was simply one of the few sparks produced from that flame on the horizon.
"What do you think it's like over there?" Val asks.
"A lot bigger...." Leigh says wistfully. She had always loved the big city.
"I wonder how normal life is for them now. How much has changed? They're probably less lonely...."
"Is... it lonely here?" I ask her.
"Well, no, of course not." Val quickly corrects. "I've got you guys. But just... we're kinda stuck out here, you know? I miss the atmosphere of having crowds of people around and being able to go out and do something other than just be trapped in houses all day."
"I'm not sure it's as glamourous there as you're imagining, Val," I say with an amused smile.
She sighs, "Maybe not. But there has to be so much more...."
"I wonder how hard it would be to get there." Leigh jumps in. Val and I both look at her. "It wasn't too far of a drive before things fell apart. Walking would only be a few hours at most. Maybe a full day?"
"Leigh, what are you talking about?" I ask her.
"I don't know. Maybe we could go someday, I guess. Just sneak out and head over there. Say that we're survivors needing refuge."
"That would be so dangerous. Plus, they'd already know who we are. The guards made records of us when they came, remember?"
"Then we make fake identities," Leigh smirks deviously.
Val giggles, "Yeah, we can cut our hair, and you can grow a beard and a mustache."
"Don't encourage her, Val."
"What! It might work! Not the beard and hair thing; I was kidding about that. But just going over there and trying to get in."
"Are you two actually considering this?" I say, my amusement slowly turning to concern.
Val chuckles into a sigh, "Nah, not really. We've got family and friends here that need us. But it's nice to daydream about things. Seems that's all we really can do anymore."
Leigh smiles but never answers my question. I turn my head back out toward the horizon.
If I had known then what would happen in the future, with Val leaving... with Leigh... Maybe I would have been less hesitant to shoot them down. Maybe I even would've encouraged the idea. Planned it out over time and slowly convinced them we actually could make it. Got us all out of there and into the city. I suppose it was too late now. It was like Val said, though, sometimes it's nice to daydream.
"Actually, maybe we should go," I say out loud.
Leigh perks up, surprised, and Val turns to me, "Wow, that didn't take you long to change your mind."
I sit up, startled by the sentence myself. That's not how the memory went. That's not how it happened at all. After that moment, we sat in silence for a while before talking about something else. Regardless, I continue, fully of my own volition.
"Y-Yeah, let's go. I mean, how long do we really know we'll be safe here? The city would probably be much better."
"Huh... Yeah, okay." Val hastily agrees in stark contrast to what she just said a few minutes ago. It's a sloppy recovery that my brain tries to use to bounce back, but I'm so excited that I don't even care. I just changed my dream. However, the moment of control is short-lived, as the jarring excitement causes my eyes to open.
I take a moment to lay there and let a small smile grow on my lips. In the dark, I sit up and grab the journal from my nightstand, then press it to my lips.
"Thank you," I tell it before unfolding its pages and writing down the dream. It'll most likely be more time before it fully works and I can get a handle on the feeling of it all, but for now, just the tiny moment was enough to keep me going.
~
Val and I enter the military trailers as Dr. Kaphila shuts the door behind us. "Go easy on her. People have already been in and out all morning, giving her a hard time. She even told me to stop letting people in."
"Don't worry, doc." Val reassures her, "We're not here to talk to her about that. We just had some questions for her about something else."
Kaphila nods and then gestures toward the Barrack hall. At a nearby table, Lyle sits with pastor Tom playing with legos, but he doesn't turn to face us. Val crosses over and sits next to him.
"Hey, Tom." Val waves to the pastor, "And hey to you too, punk." She says sweetly to the boy.
"Hey, Val." He plainly returns.
"How you hanging in there?"
"Good."
"Yeah?"
"Mhmm."
"Whatcha building?"
"A castle."
"Wow, it's really good so far!"
"Thank you." He says without looking at her. Val frowns and taps her fingers on the table, trying to find an angle to cheer the kid up. It's pretty clear that the impending move is hitting him hard.
Not many kids his age remained after the Vanishing, and to make matters worse, both of his parents had also been taken in the event. Lyle was orphaned with no friends or family left, leaving him alone at the start of things. Before the creatures started coming on mass, Tom was going around and checking in with people on the block, and that's when he found Lyle, alone and lying in his mother and stepfather's bed. Had Tom not found him, the boy might not have made it through that first month on his own. When the military rolled in and got the walls up, they tried to find out if his real father had survived in any of the other communities. When the search came back dry, it was clear that Lyle was on his own now.
After that, Tom agreed to take him in, looking over him as a guardian. He made a big effort to keep the neighborhood close in those early days, continuing to host church services and social gatherings, which meant the whole community often came to see Lyle and visit him. The pastor may have been the primary guardian, but we all were his family now. Even after what happened at the school when he was transferred to Dr. Kaphila's care, people still came to see him all the time. Now that he was just told he would lose more of his family again, including Tom...
"I don't want to move, Val." He mumbles, fidgeting with a little lego figure.
"I know, hun." Val tells him, placing her arm sympathetically on his shoulder, "But guess what? I get to come with you still. And Dr. Kaphila and Myra. You'll have lots of people there with you that you know. And I'm sure the doctor would be happy to let you use her phone so you can call everyone else."
"Yeah, see, Lyle?" Tom smiles, "That's what I was telling you."
"Okay..." He sadly agrees, not fully convinced. Val tries something else.
"Well, hey, Wes and I are busy today, but what say you if we come by tomorrow and do that reading you were asking about, huh? Or play games or watch movies. Whatever you want. How does that sound?"
At that, he looks up, "O-Okay." He says with eyes slightly wide.
"Yeah? That sound good to you, Wes?"
I look at the two of them and fight back the selfish feeling in my gut. The one telling me that I don't want to waste one of the limited days I have left with Val playing kid games. But looking at Lyle, I can't help but feel sorry for him. He needs something. Anything.
"Yeah, sure. We can do that."
"Sweet. So we'll see you tomorrow, okay, punk?"
"Yeah, alright." Lyle nods with contentment.
"Thank you, Valentine," Tom tells her with a smile.
She winks at him with a smirk as she stands back up, then gestures with her head for us to go talk to six. I follow, and we make our way down to the door. With a gentle knock, Val calls out.
"Six? You in there? It's Val and Wes." There's a long beat with no sound heard behind the door. Val tries again, "We just need to ask you something. We're not here to berate you."
At that, we hear footsteps cross over to the door and open it. Six stares at us through her visor and speaks, "Look, kids, I'm sorry. I know you're upset, but there's no transferring one of you to the other's community. You're the seventh people to ask."
"We aren't here about that, Six. We just need some info."
The Captain looks at us, clearly trying to gauge our intentions. Finally, she caves, stepping away from the door and letting us inside. "Make it quick. I have to go cover the East wall in ten minutes." As we enter, we see Eight over by the lockers, strapping her gear on and preparing for the rotation.
"We came to ask about the attack. The one you said happened last week."
"Oh." Six says, sitting at the table and beginning to load a mag. "There's not much to say. Central command got a call for backup to Fairway, but by the time they got men together and sent out, the gate was wide open, and everyone inside was dead."
"Where was this at?" Val asked.
"Up in Gresham. The northern part of the metro."
"All the people who were killed, were they... I mean, how did they... Do we know what did this?"
Six shakes her head, "It had to be something new. Whatever it was, its kill pattern doesn't match anything we have on record."
"What do you mean?"
"Why do you kids need to know this?"
"Because if there's a new threat out there that can wipe out that many people in under an hour, we'd like to know what we're up against."
"What are you- You kids aren't honestly going to keep going over the wall, are you? You only have two months left; whatever info you get now isn't worth the effort. You might as well just spend that time together before... you know..."
"That's still two months of rent to pay for." Val shrugs, "Plus, we wanted some security for the new place. In case we have to 'pay' for anything."
"Valentine, we're sending you to these new places so you don't have to pay for anything anymore."
"That's how things were here too, before we got too small. We want to be certain, Six."
"Look, Sunset is a good compound. You're going to be well taken care of there, I promise."
"How long did you know?" I suddenly blurt out, my bad mood getting the better of me. The captain glances at me, "How long did you know about the transfer, Six. Why didn't you tell us sooner?"
She sighs, "I thought you weren't here to talk about that."
"We aren't. We're here to talk about the attack. So we can either go back to that, or we can keep talking about the transfer."
Six stares at me, taken back by the sudden outburst before snapping the mag she's finished loading back into her gun, "You kids have gotten really bold, you know that?" I suddenly feel a tinge of guilt, but when we don't respond, she carries on, "The people at that compound, they weren't just killed. They were murdered."
"Isn't that the same thing?" Val asks.
Six shakes her head, "Nah, killed is killed. A lion kills because it needs to eat. So do most of those creatures out there. But murder? That's malicious. Done purely out of spite or pleasure. Whatever killed those people murdered them. None of their bodies were eaten, from what we could tell. No part of them taken or anything like that. They were just sliced to ribbons and gouged to death."
"Oh my gosh...."
"It was like whatever did it just did it for fun. You two ever see anything like that?"
Val and I look at one another and try to run through our mental list. There were a few creatures with claws that could slice and gouge, but all of them took whatever they dissected. There was nothing that we had ever seen in our time going out that matched that description. Let alone that could wipe out so many people so quickly.
Six sees us staring at one another and must sense our fear, "So, you kids still want to be going out there while whatever that thing is is on the loose?"
Val shakes her nerves, then pulls up a teasing smile, "Thank you, Six. That's all we needed."
Six just looks back down at her equipment then shakes her head and dismisses us with a hand.
"C'mon, Wes. Let's get moving."
Val turns and steps through the door, and I move to follow. As I do, I glance back at the Captain one last time, then exit.
~
Given recent events, I'd be lying if I didn't say that travelling outside the wall was a little more stressful. With the new info Six had given us, my mind could only run wild with ideas of what the mysterious creature might be. On top of that, I knew that the mocker was back. Only waiting a day before going back out didn't feel like nearly enough time, and while I knew Val would have been more than happy to wait had I told her that, I didn't want to waste time. Not when we now had a limit.
We step slowly down the streets of our old city, taking routes of back alleys and blocks with lots of cover. The downtown road of our hometown is pretty sprawling in size, but the safehouse we have out this way is just right on the city line, only about a twenty-minute walk on a good day. I couldn't figure out how to fix the boards in our helmets before coming out, so Val and I still rely only on the low light the visors provide to get around. Surprisingly, walking through an abandoned town always feels more intense than a forest of field. With those, it's almost expected to be ominous, so your guard is always up. In town, its something familiar turned sinister. A place once bustling with life that's been reduced to hollow, whispering ruins.
A few more dark corridors and alleys lead us to our destination at last; the town library. It's a large structure, stretching an entire block on its own, and a very nice one at that. They had just finished a massive renovation on the building just before the world fell dark. We cross the street and reach the library wall, where we follow it until we come to a set of stairs leading down to a subfloor. I reach into the side pouch on my bag before pulling out a key ring. Sorting through the set, I find the one I'm looking for, then insert it into the lock and turn.
The dark musky halls of the basement greet us as we step inside and close the door. With our helmets still on, we begin our sweep of the building, heading from the maintenance halls and archives all the way upstairs to the children's section. It's a lot bigger than the average safe house, so it takes a lot more time, but eventually, we finish, and Val speaks through her helmet.
"Looks like we're all good."
I nod. Generally, we would switch to our flashlights at this point, but the library has so many large glass windows that doing so would be risky. Instead, we just leave on our helmets. We take a few minutes to peruse the aisles of the building, looking for any books that might be useful or entertaining, then slip them into our bags before continuing with work.
The two of us make our way back down to the basement where we enter a boiler room. Inside is an old generator that runs on the natural gas line, so it's still functioning. One of the reasons for remodeling the library was to be an emergency shelter in case of disaster. Obviously, the crisis the makers had in mind wasn't close to our current reality. Val and I figured out how to get the old thing running after a few visits out here, and once we got all the lights shut down upstairs, we could safely turn it on and off without drawing attention. We check on all of its gauges and indicators to ensure it's still running strong, then hop to the next room over.
Inside is surveillance equipment to a few cameras hung on the outer walls of the building, as well as the controls to most of the power. Val sits in the rolling chair at the desk, and I lean against the back as she powers the computer on. As the screen boots up, she slowly pivots to look at me, quickly noticing my vacant stare.
"Y'okay?"
I nod. She sees right through.
"Is it about the move?"
I shake my head, "Sort of. I just feel bad about snapping at Six like that. I know she's just doing her best." I hadn't gotten that way with anyone, let alone Six, in a very long time. The emotion of impending loss had just built so much that I felt the need to take it out on whoever I could manifest the blame onto.
"Why don't you just apologize then when we get back?"
"I don't know... I wanted to before we left, but I just- I guess felt dumb? Like she was already upset about it all, and it would have made it worse. And now that I've waited, it'll be even more awkward if I do it later."
"I think you're overthinking it, Wes. I'm sure she didn't even care; she's got worse things going on. If you really feel that bad, just say sorry." Val smiles.
"I'll think about it."
Her smirk turns into pursed lips and narrowed eyes.
"Oh, look, the computers on," I say, grabbing her chair and spinning it back around. She sighs and pulls up the surveillance software. After a few moments, the cameras appear one by one on each monitor, showing a different view of the dark outside in full night vision.
"Looks like everything is still up and running."
"Good," I say, staring at the monitor showing the park in front of the building. In a pile strewn about are several pieces of old smashed-up mannequins. Remnants from our surveillance last time we were here. The limbs pop off easily, allowing them to be reassembled, and most creatures don't bang them up too bad after realizing it's not actually food.
Val pulls a coin from her pocket, "Alright, you ready to do this?"
"Yeah. Heads."
She nods, then flips it without another word. My breath holds in my throat as he catches it and then lifts her hand to reveal the results. Tails. I release the air in relief, and Val looks up at me with a frown.
"You're not supposed to like losing the toss." She grumbles.
"Don't worry." I tell her, "It was quiet out there today. I'll be fine."
"It's always quiet."
"Shh. I'll be fine."
She rolls her eyes and grabs my wrist, "Be careful, Wes. Keep an eye out for signals."
I nod, then turn for the door.
I love you. I signal before going.
She signals the same back.
I step into the hall and slip my helmet back on before exiting through the door we entered from. Heading up the steps, I look up at the camera mounted on the corner of the building, where a small red dot blinks on the bottom. Knowing that Val is watching me, I head toward the front lawn. Still, I take my own quick scan of what I can see from the town around me. The dark voids from alleys watch with hidden eyes, some in my head, some most likely real. I try my best not to think about them. Nerves help very little.
'She's right, you know. You should just apologize to Six when we get back. It probably wasn't as big as you thought it was.'
I reach the courtyard where the mannequin pieces lay and pick up an arm, a leg, and the stand, then turn and head back for the door.
'Okay, but what do I even say to her? Hey, sorry about earlier for calling you out after we said we hadn't come to do that.'
'I mean, yeah, that sounds like a good place to start.'
'Would you shut up? Why are you thinking about this right now? Pay attention.'
'We're fine. Val will signal if she sees anything.'
'Oh yeah? And how will we notice the signal if we aren't paying attention.'
Heading back down the stairs, I open the door to the basement and set the mannequin pieces inside before gently shutting it and heading back up for the rest.
'Listen, I just don't think we want to leave Six on a bad note, is all.'
'We aren't leaving her. Thirteen said at the meeting that she was getting reassigned to River Run with us, remember?'
'Yeah, well, we aren't going to River Run, remember?'
'Yes, we are. We are not going to go running off on our own, and I can't believe you even suggested that idea, let alone to Val. What would you have done if she had said yes?'
'We would have done it. We're still going to. There's still time to convince her.'
'Are you insane? You're being a selfish little prick. She could get hurt. We could get hurt. It's not what she wants.'
'She did at one point.'
'Yeah, well, not anymore.'
At the pile of pieces, I bend back over and grab the other arm and leg, then with my free arm, grab the torso and head pieces that are still locked together.
'I can't be stuck out there alone with him. We'll go insane... or worse.'
'And how do you think he'll fare without us? We're literally all he has left now.'
'We can't help that; it's not our fault.'
'Is it not?'
'We didn't make mom disappear.'
'No, but we could have saved Leigh from-'
'That's enough.' I demand. My thoughts go as still as the world around me as I tightly grip the basement door handle. After a pause and a sigh, I pull it open and dump the pieces on the floor.
Once the door is shut and locked behind me, I pull off my helmet, reach into my bag, and pull out some spare clothes we've scavenged on our trips out. While the mannequin usually survives assaults, unfortunately, the rags we fit it with do not. It isn't long before Val comes around the corner of the hall to help me dress it. Wordlessly, we fumble with the figure as I begin sliding a hoodie and jeans onto the limbs while also trying to lock them back into place. It's going rather smoothly until we click the legs back in and go to set it on its stand.
'Damn it. I told you we needed to pay attention.'
"Damn it." I echo my thoughts, "Part of the stand fell off." The rod that locks into the legs of the figure to keep it upright is nowhere to be found.
Val brushes a strand of hair out of her face and takes notice as well, "It's okay, I'll go look for them."
"No, that's okay. You won the toss."
"Wes."
"It'll just take a second. Just hop back on cams, and I'll go and take a look around. It couldn't have scattered far."
"Alright, fine. But hurry back, okay?"
I nod, then pull my helmet back on as she once again rounds the corner to the cams room.
"All clear." She calls to me.
I slip back outside and start up the steps, then once I reach the yard again, I squat low and scan around, checking under benches and near corners of the planter boxes. I'm not finding anything, so I begin to push out further, heading closer to the road. It's possible in the open area where we set the mannequin for the pieces to travel far, depending on how violently it's ripped apart.
I reach the curb of the road and start to scan it with my eyes. Bingo. The small metal bar lays cast aside against the concrete in the street gutter, being relentlessly washed over by rainwater. I bend over and pick it up, then face back to the library just in time for a jolt in my stomach. The floodlights hanging from the library roof quickly flicker on and off twice.
Without hesitation, I take off back for the basement stairs, my boots pounding against the hard concrete and splashing through puddles along the way. Mine aren't the only ones, however. Behind me, maybe a block away, I hear another set of them, as frantic and fast as my own. Even muffled through my helmet, the sound sends shivers through my body which serves as fuel to pump my legs onward. I reach the top of the steps and leap to the bottom without touching anything in between, but my pursuer is close behind. As I grab the door handle and throw it open, I hear it cresting the steps. Val is already in the doorway, coming to meet me, and as I plow inside and grab her arm to drag her away, she surprises me by resisting and slamming a hand against the door, stopping it from closing.
"Val, what are you-" I barely have time to say before a figure starts to rush inside. Val changes gears and sticks her arm out, throwing herself back into the hall and taking me with her. She holds her machete, and I draw my knife, but she quickly holds up a hand.
"Wait." She tells me.
I look back toward the figure that followed me, standing before the slowly closing door. It takes a second for me to realize why Val stopped me. The thing standing before us isn't a thing. It's a man, disheveled and doubled over, panting hard. Between gasps, he flicks his eyes up to us, fearfully trying to gauge if we're threats. Meanwhile, we do the same. His irises glow orange with sundance, and while he looks weak himself, there's no chance I'm going to let my guard down just due to that.
After a few seconds that feel like an eternity, he finally stands, still gasping, and pulls the door shut the rest of the way. Val raises her Machette at him.
"Lock it too."
He puts his hands up and turns, obeying her command, before looking back to us. Cautiously, he smiles.
"I-I promise I'm not going to hurt you. T-Thank you s-so much for saving me."
"Were you being followed?" I snap.
His smile fades, but the sundance still keeps a trace of it on his lips, "Um, I-I'm not sure. I was just walking alone and heard something behind me. I've been running for a long time; I don't know if it was still there." He sees our skeptical looks and continues, "I-I saw your lights and thought there might be help here."
I glance at Val, who quickly looks at me, "I thought he was a monster at first." She mutters.
"Do you have any weapons on you?"
"Y-Yeah, I do." He says, lifting his jacket and showing us a knife tucked in his belt. I raise my own and step closer.
"Don't move," I say, reaching out and grabbing its hilt. My heart pounds as I stand close to the man and feel his glowing orange eyes watching my every move. I pull the blade free, then jump back to Val, tucking his knife in my own belt.
The man's face turns slightly distraught, "P-Please, I need that for out there."
Valentine shuffles nervously, as I can see her empathy loosen her stance."We'll give it back once we know we can trust you. What's your name?"
"Um, Dillon."
"Nice to meet you, Dillon. I'm Valentine. This is Wes."
His overly happy smile returns to him again, "Valentine... what a lovely name. Wes too. It's very nice to meet you both." Things go silent for a moment before he looks around the dark hallway. "Do you two live out here?"
Val looks at me, then back to Dillon, "No. We live somewhere else. What about you? What are you doing alone all the way out here."
"O-Oh, I-I'm from a community nearby," Dillon says, fidgeting with the edge of his coat.
"If that were true, we would recognize you," I tell him, adjusting my weapon in a way he can see. He quickly corrects himself.
"W-W-Well, I was. I was from a neighborhood at one point, b-but then it got destroyed. Some monsters broke in and... and killed everyone. I barely escaped, and I've been r-running ever since."
Val doesn't even have to look at me for us to both make the connection, and I ease up on my aggression a bit. If he was from Fairway, then the poor guy would have been out in the dark, alone for weeks, running from who knows what. Partner that with him being on sundance, and his odd and suspicious demeanor suddenly makes more sense. Still, I keep my guard up.
"Here, follow us. We need to check something," Val tells Dillon, gesturing with her machete, "But keep a good distance. It's not that we don't trust you; we just... We have to be safe."
He nods, "N-No, I completely understand. Lead the way."
The three of us head back down the hall and to the security room to check the monitors, and while Val does that, I watch Dillon, who stands at the door. He fidgets with the edge of his sleeves as he stands there, and under my watch, he tries to not make eye contact. My heartbeat is steady, but my body shakes with nerves. This is a first for Val and I.
In all our time going out, we've never encountered another survivor. Not since the walls went up, at least. Knowing what kind of things are out here, the odds of any group holding their own without military aid are slim to none. And while we have run hypothetical scenarios of what to do if we ever did run into someone outside, you can't plan for every aspect. We had to be careful. The first thing we needed to do was take time to make sure he was trustworthy. If he passed that, we could take him back to the compound and let Six take it from there. We couldn't risk going right away, though.
There was always the other option, however. That the man before us wasn't even human. He was acting human and looked human, but there's never a guarantee. Val and I had never seen a creature that could perfectly replicate a person; even the mocker could only use voices. Still, we hadn't seen everything. If things like the mocker exist, who's to say something couldn't fully hijack a body?
"Doesn't look like anything followed you," Val says after a while, still staring at the screens. "We should still stay inside for a bit, just in case."
"Oh, okay." Dillon agrees. "Is there somewhere we can go when it's safe? If you two don't live here, then where do you live?"
"Show us we can trust you, and maybe we can take you there. But for now, don't worry about it. Let's just take it easy."
"Oh, r-right."
There's a long palpable pause of tension before she speaks again, "We don't have to sit in here, though. There are more comfortable places."
The three of us head upstairs, Val leading the way and me watching Dillon from behind. On the top floor is an old study room with a table and chairs that we enter before closing the doors on either side of the room. It's built in the middle of the floor with windows only looking into the library itself, so it's the best room for waiting in comfort without being spotted. We each take a chair on a different side of the table, then sit in the dark drenched silence. We can see the dim glow of Dillon's eyes darting between us before he speaks.
"You two don't mind if I smoke, do you?"
Val shifts in her seat, "Um, no, I'm okay with it. Wes?"
"Sure."
The man unzips a pocket on his coat, and within the glow of sundance shines out. He fishes out a few of the petals, then pulls a crumpled receipt from his other pocket. Gently, he squeezes the petals between his fingers and gently rubs them together, wadding and tearing the flora into a fine glowing pulp. He sets it onto the paper before rolling it sloppily and igniting it with a worn lighter. He takes a long drag before releasing the luminescent smoke into the air. The sweet smell of soap and clean laundry fills the space, and his irises regain their full shine. He closes his eyelids in bliss and grins.
Val clears her throat, "So Dillon, you've been out there alone for a while. You aren't hurt, are you?"
He takes another hit before responding, "No, I'm fine; thank you very much for asking. It's been scary out there, but I've managed to stay safe for the most part. Had more than enough sundance to get me through too." He giggles before stuffing the cigarette back to his lips. He turns to the study room window and looks out at the library, a big smile still on his face.
I've never taken sundance, but I've talked to enough people who have to know its effects. The flower never existed till before the sun went down. A few days after everyone disappeared, people began noticing it sprouting. It wasn't long before the orange glow was everywhere, growing in any patch of dirt big enough, lighting up the dark with its mysterious light. In all of the terror outside, it brought some reassurance to look out and see something beautiful and bright still able to thrive. That lasted only until the government released an emergency broadcast a few days later.
"...By now, you have most likely taken notice of the orange rose-like flowers that have begun to grow outside. We urge you to not make contact with this plant." They told us. "We have yet to discover its origin but have already discovered a few of its effects on the human body. Consumption induces what seems to be an irreversible mania, as well as inhibiting one's judgment and perception of reality. Inhaling the substance in a gaseous form causes the same effects to a seemingly lesser degree, with symptoms lasting only a couple of hours. However, this, too, may lead to irreversible mania in time. With the combined symptoms of the orange rose, this may lead to someone lashing out at a loved one or compromising their own safety."
Six later told me the story of why the debrief was sent out. A few days in, a curious man decided he had nothing to lose. He ingested a few petals of the flower, and according to his neighbors, a couple minutes later, he stepped outside, laughing and cheering that the sun was back. Someone next door, not wanting him to get hurt or draw attention to their area, ran out to stop him. He fought back violently when they tried to restrain him, screaming that they were evil and trying to keep everyone in the dark. It ended with a beast outside hearing the scuffle and taking both of their lives. It was then apparent that the flower-turned-drug was a detriment to safety.
However, the government made a mistake in the last part of their explanation. Drawing attention to the fact that smoking sundance had less of an effect on the mind was not the best idea when most of the remaining population was trapped inside and depressed. A hallucinogenic that caused euphoria for hours at a time was something that appealed to a lot of people. And when it was growing right outside their doorstep, how could they resist?
After some time, people realized that smoking sundance didn't seem to have any real, lasting effects other than the crippling addiction that came alongside it. As a matter of fact, it seemed to yield mostly positives. I once ran into Claireese at the park while she was in the midst of a high. When I asked her what it was like, she told me it makes everything better. The sky is no longer dark, and the sun is back in the sky. The dreary cracked roads and dilapidated houses turn into beautiful suburbs. The patchy grass yards turn into flower-dusted meadows. She said it was unlike any hallucinogenic she had ever had.
Myra had taken it a couple of times too. She told me that it also affects the processes of your brain.
"Everything felt so slow around me." She said, staring out the window, trying to remember. "It was fascinating, though; I felt fast still. All of my senses were in overdrive. I sat down with one of my books, and next thing I knew, I had read through three of them."
Perhaps the most interesting was what Paul told me, however. He told me that he often had hallucinations of Craig while high. And he wasn't the only one, either. Apparently, Claireese told him she was seeing people too. So were others in the neighborhood. Anyone who had lost someone, either to the beasts or to the vanishing, most of them could take the flower to get a few hour's glimpse of their loved one. Perhaps that's why so many people desired the flower. Or maybe it was the reason Val gave me when I found her smoking it.
Even the sundance's sway couldn't hide the shame I saw on her face as I sat next to her. Her eyes glowed softly as she stared at the ground, slowly coming down, "It's... blissful, Wes. I've never felt so happy. So free."
I stare at her across the long table as Dillon takes drag after drag of his sundance. When he can't manage another millimeter out of the thing, he drops it to the table, where the cold surface snuffs it out. Val clears her throat and speaks.
"Um, Dillon, would it be alright if we asked you a few questions?"
"No, not at all, Valentine. That's such a pretty name. A pretty name for such a pretty person. Has anyone ever told you that?"
Val nervously shifts in her chair and smiles but glosses over the comment, "We actually heard about the attack on your neighborhood. I'm very sorry about that by the way..."
Dillon chuckles for a bit before darting his eyes to the table with unease and shrugging, "I really am lucky to be alive. I just am so sorry for all of the people who didn't make it out."
"Where there any others?" I ask.
He bites the inside of his lip, thinking for a moment, then shakes his head, "I'm really not sure. Everything happened so fast, and so much was happening; I just... I ran and didn't look back. But if I made it out, there had to be others, right?" He glances at me with a hopeful smile.
I nod, "There could be."
"Dillon," Val starts again, "I'm sorry to make you relive the moment, but... We've been curious about what it was that hit Fairway. We have people who might be able to help if we know what it was that attacked. Did you see happen to see anything? You said it was multiple creatures?"
Dillon darkly chuckles, the drugs in his system trying to fight off the discomfort of the topic, "Boy, I might need another cig if we're going to be talking about this." When he sees neither of us laughing with him, he rubs at the back of his head and begins rapidly tapping at the table, "Um, well, first, the power went out and, at the time, I wasn't... you know..." He says, gesturing to his eyes, "So I couldn't see in the dark... but I heard it. We um... they climbed over the gates and started tearing their way into the houses. They had killed the guards so fast that they didn't have time to send a signal, and even if they had, it would have been too late. I just took off out my back door and ran. I didn't see what they were, and whatever they were, they weren't making any sounds. I just heard a lot of screaming from my neighbors. A lot of flesh tearing and ripping...." Dillon's smile is completely gone by this point, and he stares emotionless at the middle of the table, his tapping hand now gripped into a tight, shaking fist. He slowly turns and looks at me.
"You don't have to keep going if it's too hard," I reassure him.
"Of course not," Val adds. "Thank you for sharing at all."
His eyes linger on me for an uncomfortable moment longer before he blinks and smiles once again. With a laugh, he scratches at his neck. "Yeah, of course. Anything at all that I can do to help. I really want to help. I want you to know you can trust me." There's silence for a moment before he talks again, "I don't suppose that's enough for that quite yet, huh?"
Val chuckles, "We believe you, Dillon. We just have people back at our home who may be a little cautious, is all."
"It's alright; I completely understand." He tells her with a smile, "So what about you two? It's amazing that you come out here all by yourselves. You're so brave." He says whimsically, his gaze drifting between us. "Such brave little souls."
"Oh, well..." Val taps her fingers, knowing our reasoning sounds crazy. "We come out to gather information."
"Information?"
"Yeah."
"Like what kind of information?"
"Like, on the creatures out here."
Dillon's eyes go wide, and he beams with an impressed smile, "What?! Like the scary ones?"
"Yeah, those are them." Val chuckles. She's gotten used to talking to people on sundance... "We come out here and lure monsters in to observe them and get information."
"So, what, are you two government spies or agents or something?"
"No, we're just civilians."
"Wait-wait-wait, so you two kids just come out here, by yourself, to let those demons out there get close to you? Just for information?"
"That is correct, yes."
"Well, now you have to tell me more, Valentine!" Dillon laughs, "What do you do with the information? How is that worth it?"
"Well, it wasn't necessarily our idea. Um, Wes had a sister who really wanted to help people when things started. She thought that by gathering information, she could give it to the authorities, and they could use it to fight back."
"And did it work?"
"Well, when our captain at the time found out, he was pretty impressed. He sent the data to the officials in Portland, and in return, they started sending them more supplies. He was pretty happy with that. Pretty happy with how impressive it made him and his team look too, so he allowed it to keep happening. He kept getting information and didn't have to risk any of his men for it."
"Wow, kind of sounds like a douche. No offense."
"I mean, he had good moments, but for the most part, he wasn't exactly the best. He kept us safe at the beginning, though, so I suppose we oughta' be grateful for that."
"He's not around anymore, then?"
"No, he died to an attack from some basilisks a while back."
"Oh my God, You name the creatures too?"
"Well, I mean, we have nicknames. Leigh started it. That was Wes's sister."
Dillon's drug-induced bliss grinds to an immediate halt, "Oh, was...?" Val tenses at her slip-up and looks at me apologetically. Dillon turns to me, "I am so sorry to hear that, Wes. I truly am."
I swallow the lump in my throat and force myself to respond, "Um, thanks. It's all good. She's one of the big reasons we still come out here. Carry on what she started, you know?"
"That's really cool of you to do. I'm sure she'd be happy with that. Very happy."
"Oh, uh, thanks."
"I think right now, with how bad things are, happiness is one of the most important things we can have, you know?"
Val jumps back in, taking the attention off of me, "Uh, yeah, for sure, Dillon. Given what you've gone through, I'm impressed at how happy you seem."
"Oh, stop that." He chuckles, "You're gonna make me blush." He picks up some of the ash from his cigarette debris and holds it between his fingers. Tiny flecks of the bright flower still dance within. "I really owe it all to this beautiful thing. Sundance.... If only we had had it before the vanishing, right? Think of how happy the world would have been."
'He hasn't stopped tapping his foot since we sat down. Did you notice that?'
'And that matters why?'
'Somethings off about him.'
"Yeah, it would have been different, that's for sure." Val halfheartedly agrees. "But I still think that even with how bad things are now, we can still find things that make us happy.
Dillon perks up, "That's so very true, Valentine. You're just as smart as you are beautiful."
'I don't like the way he talks to Val either.'
'Yeah, he's high. That's how people on sundance are; they're weird. Plus, did you hear the guy's story a minute ago? He's obviously scared and-'
'No, it's not that. It's not the sundance, either. It's the subtleties. Like, why does he keep checking the window?'
'He thought he was being chased, remember?'
'Maybe. Or maybe he didn't come alone.'
The thought sends a sharp chill through my spine that ricochets into every nerve. I look past the darkness of the library into the further blackness outside. Gresham was far, far away. What were the odds that a survivor made it this far and happened to stumble into us with such perfect timing?
"I think that now, more than ever, joy is really at its strongest when we experience those small moments-"
"Hey, Dillon, do you mind helping us with something else?" I speak, interrupting him mid-sentence. His dazed mind doesn't seem to pick up on the curtness of my question, but Val certainly does.
"Of course, Wes.", he says. Making piercing orange eye contact with me.
"Could you just tell us a bit more about your community before the attack? You were from River Run, weren't you?"
Dillon's eyes flicker momentarily before answering, "Yeah, River Run. It was such a great community. I'll really miss it...." Val immediately adjusts in her chair, and I put my hand on my knife. "It's just... a little hard for me to think about, though... All those memories I had there."
Watching him talk now makes my stomach twist. He lies so effortlessly. How could we have been so naïve?
"That's alright." Val jumps in. "We don't really need to know about that right now. Let's give the guy a break, huh, Wes?"
"Oh, um, sure, I'm sorry."
"Hey, that's okay, Wes." He smiles. When he doesn't break eye contact and simply continues to stare, Val speaks again.
"Well, we should probably wrap up a few more things here, then we can head back closer to the grid." She says to me before turning to Dillon. "We still can't take you back to our compound, but we can at least get back to the lights. It'll be a safer hold out there. Wes and I have to go check one more thing if you'd like to wait here. It's just a breaker box down the hall; it'll only be a second."
"You don't want me to follow?"
"That's alright, as long as you promise to not leave the room. You've been nothing but kind and helpful so far. I'm starting to think we don't need to be so cautious." She smiles.
Dillon smiles back with a genuinely happy grin before speaking, "O-Oh, well, that's great to hear! Yeah, I can wait."
"Great. We'll be back in a flash." Val tells him before nodding to me, "Wes?"
I stand and begin crossing to the door with her. As I pass behind Dillon, my heart beats fast, and I eye him the whole time, waiting to see if he knows we've caught on to his lies. Part of me expects him to whip around in an attempt to attack me, but when he doesn't, we open the door and slip into the hall, shutting it behind us. Val takes a few steps to the side so that we're out of view from the window but so that we can still see if the man tries anything. When the coast is clear, she whispers to me with anxious eyes.
"What are we going to do?"
"I'm not sure, but he's definitely lying. We can't trust him." I tell her.
"Do you think he made all of that up about the attack at the compound?"
I think for a moment. So far, there have been a few odd moments where his speech seemed off, but his reactions and expressions seemed oddly real and visceral when he told that story. "I'm not sure; there's gotta be more going on than what he let on, but there's no way he didn't know the real name of Fairway if he had been living there. He may not even be from a community."
"He doesn't seem like a creature either. Not unless he's very convincing."
"He might not be alone."
Val starts to chew on a nail as she runs through our options, "We should just bail out now while we have the chance."
"And give up the safe house?"
"We can always find another one. Our safety is more important. Besides, we're gone in a few weeks anyways."
"Fair enough. Yeah, let's-"
THUD!
The sound of something hard banging against the downstairs window makes us jump. Both of us stare at one another before instinctively drawing our weapons.
THUD THUD! It echoes out again a few seconds later. I step down the hall a few feet and peer around the corner of the downstairs balcony. It's too dark, and I can barely see anything. With haste, I unzip my bag and tear out my helmet as Val crosses behind me. I slip into the shell, and with the new view from the visor, I see the source of the thumping. Luckily, it doesn't see me. Not yet.
It's choked, purple skin is bloated and swollen as its limbs writhe and slip across the concrete it lays on outside. A twisted and bent arm slams its hand against the window, where thick, slate-black nails begin to crack at the glass. Even from so far, I can sense its bulging, bloodshot eyes scanning the interior each time it manages to crane its neck off the ground. Only a few tufts of greasy black hair sprout from its head, and its mouth hangs open in a permanent scream, letting only small chokes and grunts out. It's a garrote.
My brain takes a moment to try and process why it wants in so badly, but it doesn't take long to connect the dots. Dillon said something was chasing him.
Val suddenly lets out a surprised grunt behind me, and before I can turn to see why, I feel Dillon's knife slip from my belt. I whip around just in time to see the man standing there, yanking Val into his arms and pressing the knife to her throat. Instinctively, I ready my own, but quickly lower it again when he presses the tip hard to my friends' neck.
"Please let go of your weapon, Valentine." He tells her. I see her struggle for a moment, but when she knows she can't get an angle on him from how he has her, she drops her machete. Dillon then turns and grins at me, "Now I know you're going to be upset, and if I'm being honest, I really didn't want to have to do this. You two seem like very nice kids. But sadly, I don't have a lot of time. Drop the knife."
Val stares at me, telling me with her eyes not to listen. I do it anyways and kick it in his direction.
"You said you gather info, so you must know what that thing is down there, right?"
THUD THUD THUD!
I nod with gritted teeth.
"How do I get it to stop following me?"
"You can't." I tell him, "It won't stop till it kills you or starves."
"How long does that take?"
"A long time."
Downstairs, I hear the window begin to crack more between scratches and thuds. Since the library was meant to be a shelter, the glass is specially tempered, which I'm thankful for. It still doesn't give us more than a minute, however. A garrote can tear through almost anything given enough time.
"I think you're lying." Dillon smirks, "Even I know another way." He can't see my eyes through the helmet, but I know he senses my panic. "So, here's what's going to happen. You're going to go down there and show yourself to that thing, so it starts following you, then you're going to leave. Once you're gone, I'll let Valentine go, and I'll go my own way. Then they'll finally take me back in."
I straighten up, "They? Are there more of you out there? Dillon, we can get you help; let's just think-"
"We don't need your help." He snaps. "Everything was great before that thing saw me. Then I couldn't stay. But now I have a way out." I have no clue what he's talking about, but I don't get time to ponder it. He digs the blade into Val's neck, and she gasps slightly, "Now, I'm not repeating it. Get down there, Wes."
"Wes, don't." Valentine gasps.
"Sorry, Val," I mutter to her before backing up toward the balcony. Once he sees me heading down the stairs, Dillon yanks her back into the study room and shuts the door.
As I reach the first landing, I look down to see that the garrote has its head to the ground, rapidly and frantically pounding its hands to a spot on the window that's almost broken. The waxy cracked glass bows inward, and while I still have time, I dash further down the steps and head downstairs. Adrenaline begins its steady pump through my body as my limbs start to tremble.
'What do we do!?'
'We need to get back to Val, now. We can't leave her alone with that guy.'
'Shut up, I'm working on it!'
When I'm at the bottom, I duck back and step around a shelf, crouching below it. I peek around the corner to see a small hole finally form in the glass, which the creature slides its hand into and begins peeling as if it were harmless as peeling an orange. Frantically, I turn around and look past the rows of shelves behind me. I know Dillon will be watching the main stairs to make sure I don't come back up, but on the library's far wall, another set of stairs leads back up and into the hall behind the study room.
'Over there. We can flank back up through the second door of the study.'
'What if he hears us coming?'
'Wait till the garrote breaks in and starts up the steps. It'll be making enough noise to mask us.'
'Just let it see us! If he hears it still coming, he's going to kill her.'
'If we do that, then Val will be alone. We just need to be fast. If he was able to sneak up on us a second ago, we can sneak up on him.'
Gags and choked wretches fill the cavernous building as the garrote slips through the sharp hole it's made, and ungracefully flops onto the floor. Like a demented inchworm, it writhes and pulls with its arms and legs, slipping its way across the floor and to the stairs. While I know it hasn't seen me, my heart still races in my chest. My body tells me to hold still, but my mind forces my limbs to the ready. I won't have much time to move.
THUD skrrriiitttt... THUD skrrrriiittt...
The creature unceremoniously drags itself across the room. When it reaches the bottom of the steps, it raises an arm, then begins to pull itself up. That's my cue. Standing into a low crouch, I take off down the aisle, stepping heel to toe almost inaudibly. By the time I reach the door to the back staircase, I can hear that the garrote isn't even halfway to the landing. When the door shuts behind me, I launch up the steps, landing toe first and silent the whole way up. Silently I slip into the back hall once at the top, where I can hear the garrote getting more excited with its gasps. It knows it's close to its prey.
Despite their frail appearance, garrotes are one of the more horrific creatures that we know of. If it sees you, you're practically already dead. The creature always knows where you are from then on, and it'll hunt you down relentlessly, tearing through anything and everything in its way with its sharp black claws. It doesn't matter the material; it'll get through eventually. They can't be killed either, as far as we know. Val and I have seen two separate instances of them getting attacked by another creature, and they never leave with a scratch on them. Instead, it's usually the attacker that pays the price. The price being what the garrote wants from all of its prey.
Their lungs.
How it works, nobody knows, but the garrote can only survive if it periodically breathes air through another creature's lungs. The process is quite gruesome... Somehow by clawing its way to the organ of the victim, it clamps down on the lung and begins leeching the air that the host is breathing. All this is done while the victim is still alive and lasts until they bleed out. That short amount is enough to feed the garrote for weeks though, giving it enough time to find its next victim. The only way that we know of to kill one is for it to run out of air, and the only way to get one to stop following you is for it to find a new target.
This is why Dillon is desperate for it to see me. I reach the back door of the study room and listen hard through my helmet, trying to gauge where Dillon is standing. Down the corridor to my far right, I can hear the garrote getting closer and closer to the top of the steps. I place my hand on the door handle and pull down slowly, unlatching the door. I freeze, however, as I hear Dillon suddenly call out.
"Wes!" He screams. I can hear fear quivering in his voice as he knows there's no chance of hiding from the creature. It always knows where he is. "I'm not playing around! I'll throw Valentine to the thing if it comes down to it! You'd better show yourself!"
I hear the door on the other side of the room open and take that as my cue to gently push mine. To my relief, he stands across the study in the opposite doorway, his back to me, still holding Val with a knife to her throat. The garrote's chokes are gurgling louder down the hall now as it gets closer and closer. Even if it wasn't enough cover, I know that Dillon's pounding heart and scared breathing are more than enough. I gently step in rhythm to the monsters thudding limbs, and when I'm behind the man, I stand up.
Val struggles in his arm that's wrapped tight around her throat, knowing that just down the hall, the creature has reached the top of the stairs.
"Sorry, Valentine. I was hoping that I would get to keep you..." Dillon whispers to her before removing the knife and adjusting his stance to shove her out. Before he can follow through, I grab his armed hand and pin it back as I bring the brunt of my helmet hard against the back of his head. His body buckles from the blow but doesn't put him down. Val takes the moment to slip out of his grasp and tumble to the floor, gasping and coughing from how tight he had been holding her neck. While Dillon's doubled over, I give him one last shove, causing him to drop his knife and send him into the hall instead. I'm over to Val in a flash, bending down to help her up.
"C'mon, we have to-"
I don't get to finish the sentence before I feel an arm tightly grab my leg. Dillon's adrenaline must be through the roof as he yanks me off my feet in one pull, and I tumble to the ground. I scratch desperately at the carpet, trying to anchor myself as he yanks me hard again, pulling me out into the hall with him. I try to prop myself up and spin around to face him, but his whole weight comes crashing down on my back, and I find myself facing the floor instead. His arms wrap around me in a bear hug, and the sundance in his system urges his muscles on as he fully yanks me from the ground and pulls me back on top of himself.
I come face to face with the hallway, and my heart leaps into my throat as I see the garrote writhing toward me. It was much closer than I had thought. It heaves its head from the floor to check how close it's gotten, and at that moment, its veiny, bloodshot eyes meet my own.
I feel a sudden wash of dread come over me that instant, and all the breath in my lungs leaves my body. It takes a second to pull air back in, but it still doesn't feel right after that. There's a pressure now plaguing my airway, as if something is trying to intrude on it. The garrote has me.
The vile thing finally lets out an audible squeal of pleasure as it continues thudding toward me.
THUD skrrrriiittt...
Frantically, I begin thrashing, trying to get Dillon to let me go. From the angle he has me, I'm the closer prey, and therefore, the more viable target. It doesn't care about him in the slightest. Dillon holds on tight, his arms wrapped just underneath my armpits preventing me from swinging back at him. I try to thrash my head around and hit him, but he clearly learned that attack from a few moments ago. I'm helpless.
THUD skrrrriiittt...
'The knife, the knife!'
Near my foot, I see Dillon's knife lying in the study room doorway. I violently begin kicking for it until the heel of my boot finally catches the hilt. The garrote is only twenty feet away now and closing fast.
THUD skrrrriiittt...
I fold my leg inward, skidding the knife closer to my hand with all I have. I reach out for it, using every muscle to pull myself and Dillion closer. My fingertips dance across the blade's tip, then slowly crawl further up until I have enough to grab. I pull it closer, readjust to the handle, then lift the thing up into the air.
THUD skrrrriiittt...
I get ready to defend against the oncoming creature that's just reached my feet now, when my thoughts scream loud above the noise.
'WHAT ARE YOU DOING!? STAB HIM! STAB DILLON!'
'But we've never hurt someone befo-'
Before I can let my empathy get the better of me, I stab the blade down into Dillon's leg. It sinks in with a feeling that I never expected, but have no time to dwell on. I hear a scream behind me from Dillon, but it barely registers as I yank the blade from his leg and bring it down again. At that, he releases his grip to push away from me.
For a moment, I feel a sense of hope blossom in my chest as I pull the knife free again and sit up.
THUD thud!
The garrote's hand clasps around my leg and yanks me forward underneath its body. Horror snuffs out all hope as I come face to face with the ice-cold breath of the rotting creature on top of me. I'm too late. I try to bring the blade up into its skin, but its unbreachable, rubbery cold flesh simply bounces the edge off. I let out a cry as it grabs my arm and forcefully spins me over onto my stomach. One of its purple hands presses my head into the floor, where I see Dillon crawling away in front of me, trying hard to stop the overwhelming bleeding in his leg. He still made it out okay. Much better than I would be.
A sharp pain shoots through my body as the garrote stabs its claws through my coat and shirt, then rakes them across my back, tearing deep cuts into the flesh. I scream as my nerves light up with agony, yelling signals at my body that something is wrong. It hasn't even broken deep into my flesh, though, from what I can feel. Things are going to get much worse.
I close my eyes and brace for what's to come. I just hope Val makes it out okay. Against my own desires, I can't help but think of Leigh. I wonder if she felt something like this in her final moments. The feeling of totality. Knowing that you won't make it out, and just hoping that this fate reaches nobody else. The thought of her having gone through this is enough to make me tear up. I don't cry, though. Even in death, I still can't cry.
That's when the garrote suddenly becomes heavier on my back. Twice as heavy. I cry out as its body presses up against mine, its boney ribs digging into the fresh wound it just gave me. It isn't until its horrid face is shoved down into the floor next to mine that I realize it is not the one doing this. Before I can think any further, the garrote is ripped off of me and I hear it thudding around on the ground.
Without missing a beat, I spin around to see that Val has the creature locked in the same hold Dillon just had me. The garrote swings its arms wildly around, trying to catch her, but the way she has it locked, it can't find the angle. Better yet, it can't see her either. I sit there stunned in awe at the gull of the girl before realizing that I need to do something. I jump up with a slight stumble before starting forward and leaping over the garrote's thrashing arms. I land behind Val before sliding my hands between her chest and the creature.
"Push it now!" I yell above the chaos as together we heave the thing forward. With our combined adrenaline, it soars like a ragdoll down the corridor, landing just between Dillon and us. Everything is still for a moment as we wait to see what it does next.
It's body lays motionless for a moment before its head slips to face forward. A deep gasp forces from my lips as I feel the pressure in my lungs ease up and see the gaze of the garrote fall on Dillon. I don't need to wait to see what happens after that.
Val and I support each other as we stand and start down the hall. I try not to think about what will happen to the man behind me as I urge myself forward. He's not completely out. He's bleeding, but so am I, and I got away. Maybe he's getting up and running right now. I don't turn back to check. I can't bring myself to turn back and check.
We pass where we first dropped our weapons on the floor and scoop them up as we run by. We stumble down the stairs and reach the landing just as a scream rings out upstairs.
"N-no... No!"
I falter for a moment, but Val pulls me on. "Are you going to be okay?" She asks.
I nod as we hit the bottom of the steps.
A bone-chilling shriek echoes through the entire building, accompanied by the sickening squelch of flesh tearing. I feel Val's arm tense tighter around mine. Dillon keeps screaming as we head for the basement door, but it cuts short as the garrote reaches its prize. After that, we hear a strange sucking noise, followed by labored gasps from above. As quickly as possible, we swing open the door and shut it behind us, not wanting to listen any longer.
From there, we nearly trip down the stairs to make our escape. The screaming means the place will be swarming in minutes. Val scrambles to put her helmet on as we burst through the side door of the basement and into the black, eternal night. Another close call outside the wall. Another long run back to safety. All we came out for was maintenance, but we ended up with recon instead. There were other people still out in the darkness. How long had they been out there? Why did Dillon lie about where he had come from? Or, was he lying at all? Something bigger is going on, but my brain can't seem to process it.
'Stop thinking about it. Just keep running.'
I listen to my rationale, and together, Val and I sweep back down alleys and roads toward the safe glow of the grid on the horizon.