It was a nicer day than most. The sun broke the cloud cover completely, appearing as a full flaming circle in the sky for the first time in over a month. It's golden rays poured in through the broken windows of the meager one bedroom farm house. The light caught on the cloud of Ian's breath in the winter's brisk morning air, and then cascaded down, casting a soft halo at the head of the bed in the middle of the room. The yellow tint made it almost impossible to make out the blood stains on the pillows.
The couple looked to have been in their late 60's, the man must have shot his wife in her sleep, her position resting on her side looked almost peaceful, save the disfigured mess above the shoulders. The man was sprawled out next to her, one hand grasping his love's, the other still holding a silver revolver.
Ian slipped the weapon from his grasp, cringing at the cracking sound the fingers made as he forced them open. Checking the safety, he slid it into his belt, and turned from the bedroom, shutting the door behind him. They had earned their rest.
Everything in the remainder of the house was immaculate, untouched by looters... till today. The only clutter was a pair of twin coffee mugs sitting on the kitchen table, each with their own dark ring stained into the old cedar from sitting for so long. The brownish dust that remained in them told a story of a one final use, with no bother to clean up afterwards.
Ian cracked open the cabinets methodically, thoroughly checking every nook and cranny. He pushed past a molded loaf of bread and collected a few stray boxes, some crackers, noodles, instant potatoes, things that had stayed preserved. Reaching the final cabinet a smile broke on his face. "It looks like Granny was into canning." He gingerly placed the glass containers into his duffle bag, padding them with some old shirts.
Exiting the home with his haul, he headed out to a barn in the back. The old building had two shades of red on it, one bright the other faded and peeling. They had been fixing up the place before everything went wrong, it seemed. Ian's eyes caught on a patch of freshly packed dirt under an old oak tree next to the structure, a simple wooden plank hammered into the ground read, Hayden. The grave was small. "Must have been for a grandchild ... Explains a lot." Ian muttered to himself.
"What was that?" Rayne's sudden voice made Ian jump, his discomfort generated from the grisly scenes was not something he wanted to share.
Turning around he shook his head attempting to brush it off, "It's nothing." Lifting his stuffed bag up he smiled. "We made out pretty well on this run."
Rayne's eyes probed him for a moment before giving way to a genuine grin, a small flash of her still so white teeth. She had sure cleaned up well. Ian noticed, not for the first time in the past several weeks. Her cherry red hair had grown out a bit showing the natural auburn of her roots. She never tied it back instead letting it spill around her shoulders wildly. They had managed to find a stream to finally wash the mud out and seeing the soft pale skin she actually had under all that dirt had taken Ian off guard. The young man chided himself internally as he caught himself eyeing her. That is the last thing I have time to think about right now.
Looking through the bag Ian had filled, Rayne nodded happily. "About time, I can't wait to have a full stomach for once." Turning she swatted in disgust towards the barn. "There was nothing useful in there. They must have cleared it out back when they started fixing it up."
Ian shrugged, swinging the bag back onto his shoulder. "It's better if one of us has free hands anyways. You can stay out front, and let me know if anything is up ahead."
Rayne shielded her eyes and looked up at the sky, which was so much brighter than she was used to. "Should we hang out here for a while? It'll be noon in about an hour and I don't really want to cross the neighborhoods when its this bright outside... Is there anywhere in there we could rest?" Rayne gestured back towards the house, with a suggestive smile.
The image of that blood soaked bed washed over Ian's mind. He suppressed a grimace instead simply shaking his head. "I don't like leaving Liv alone down there, and as bad as it is in daylight the demons certainly see better than I do in the dark. I would rather risk them seeing us then us not seeing them."
Rayne nodded casting a disappointed glance towards the house. "Yea, would have been nice to catch a nap in a nicer bed though."
"Not that one it wouldn't" Ian murmured, earning a raised eyebrow from Rayne. He opted not to elaborate and Rayne knew enough at this point not to ask.
They walked quietly the soft clanking of the glass jars marking the rhythm of their return trip. It was not an awkward silence, the two of them had made these trips now many times together, and they were both familiar enough to not need constant words. They also both knew that conversation was a distraction, and they needed to keep vigilant. There would be plenty of time to talk when they got back. When they were in their little hideaway, there really was little to do but talk.
The two crossed out of the fields spilling directly into a small suburban community. Unlike the area they had met Sophia, this neighborhood was filled with opulent homes, two story buildings with complex architectural styles. The people who had lived here had been quite wealthy. Not that their money meant anything now. As they came around the first house, without warning, Rayne made a quick motion, throwing up her hand for Ian to stop. He froze instantly, the look on Rayne's face meant only one thing, a demon.
Setting his bag down gingerly, Ian crept to the corner of the house to join Rayne. The abomination sat on a car, cow like eyes stared vacantly at nothing as it's massive jaws chewed on something, thankfully hidden inside its mouth. Though humanoid in appearance, nothing was proportioned right on the hulking beast, its right arm was thick and muscular probably 4 times the size of its left arm, which looked to be similar to a normal man's appendage. The head was enormous setting atop the broad shoulders of its large frame in a way that still made it look to big for the body.
"What do you think?" Rayne whispered. "It looks pretty stupid. Think we can sneak past?"
Ian shook his head. "Not with all these noisy glass jars. Even an oaf like that would have to notice the clanking." He turned from the scene with a scowl, looking for a new route. A loud creak stopped him in his tracks.
Rayne flattened herself against the wall of the house her eyes wide. "It's coming this way!" she hissed. Ian dropped to the ground trying to hide in the shadow of the house, sliding his sword out from the strap he had made to hold it on his back.
The over-sized silhouette emerged around the corner moments later tripping along, the creature moved with all the grace of a drunk on pay day. It passed by the trembling forms of Ian and Rayne with out so much as a second glance sending a massive fist through the door of the next house it squeezed its girth in through the hole it made, in a clumsy attempt to search for something new to chew on.
"Now!" Rayne jumped to her feet dashing across the street while the sounds of crashing resonated out of the now ruined abode. Ian snatched up his bag and sprinted after her, clutching it with both arms attempting to silence the cacophonous jars.
Rayne disappeared behind the cover of the first house across the street, safely away from the potential sight of the ogre still rummaging through the house. A moment later she poked out her head waving for Ian to hurry up.
Suddenly the noise coming from the house stopped. It took four steps for Ian to realize that his jars were the only sound left echoing down that empty street. He froze in the middle of the road, holding his breath. Turning his head slowly he looked back to the house only 20 yards away. Those vacant cow eyes were now sharp, focused on him through broken windows, a sickly grin slathered on the grotesque face.
Shattering glass of a dozen jars of deliciously preserved fruits and vegetables, served as the starting bell for the race, as Ian dropped his bag and ran for his life.
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Rayne's heart dropped into her stomach as she watched the monster tear out of the building. The two story home screeched loudly as the remaining support beams failed to maintain the weight of the upper floor. A shutter ran out from the building as it collapsed shaking the ground even where Rayne hid across the street.
Ian of course had sprinted away from where Rayne was hiding, already rounding the street corner before the creature was able to start after him, but his pursuers long strides were already starting to close the gap. There was no way Ian was going to get away on his own.
The young red head swung her eyes around wildly searching for some way to save him. Turning, she cut through the back yards emerging on the next street just in time to see Ian and the demon coming around the corner. Her desperate eyes finally fell on an old Chevy pickup truck, that was sitting on the lawn, its driver side door hanging wide open.
In seconds she was inside the abandoned vehicle. "Please, have keys." she begged, her hands frantically probing the ignition. Nothing. She scrambled around the cab searching every compartment. Her eyes torn upwards as a blur of movement crossed the street in front of her. Ian was only a few steps ahead of the creature now. Screaming in frustration she finally flipped the sun visor down and a soft jingle made her heart skip a beat, as the keys fell into her lap. "YESS!"
Fumbling she tried each key, adrenaline forcing a tremble into her hands that made the simple task even harder. Finally, a key slide into the slot, turning the key the engine sputtered, a loud squeal her only reward. "No, no, no, no." she whimpered cranking the key again in vain. "Come on!" she yelled hitting the dashboard, she cranked it again this time pumping the gas pedal. The defiant engine resisted a moment more before finally roaring to life.
She didn't have time to celebrate throwing the truck into drive she floored it. The tires spun in the wet ground tearing a trench into the lawn, before catching traction and jolting the clunker forward.
She spun the wheel, careening back onto the street her eyes searched for Ian. He had already turned the corner running down the next street. Picking up speed she veered through the next back yard once again taking a short cut onto the adjacent street. Catching sight of the pursuit she aimed for the demon, its eyes didn't look up from its prey until a moment too late. Holding her breath she crashed head first into the monster, holding her foot to the floor she carried it into the closest house.
The brick wall crumbled around them both. A white spider web of cracks covered the whole windshield. Her head swam as she rested it on the air bag. Gasping for breath, she barely noticed as the driver side door was wrenched open.
Light streamed in from behind the silhouette, casting an angelic aura around Ian's head as he reached over her to unbuckle her seat belt. Scooping her into his arms he carried her away from the wreck. Setting her down next to a waist high white picket fence. He peered into her eyes. "Rayne?" worry painted all over his face. "Are you alright?"
His voice was distant, competing with a painful ringing in her skull, but she managed to nod in response. "We have to go. That won't stop it for long." Ian continued, crouching down he turned putting his back towards her. "Put your arms around my neck"
Weakly she wrapped her arms around him. Lifting up into the air she felt his arms grasping strongly around her legs as he carried her piggy back at a trot. She rested her head on his shoulder closing her eyes. His voice drifted up to her, in between labored breaths. "You really are amazing Rayne. You saved my life back there. I was done for."
She smiled her eyes still closed "I guess we are even now."
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A soft wind whistled through the trees, the gentle sound was answered by a dozen song birds hidden among the branches too high up to look for. Liv laid on her back staring up into those branches just the same, searching for pixies dancing to the music on the few remaining leaves. If monsters are real, then everything else must be too. The small girl reasoned.
The soft crunch of leaves, got her sitting up. Ian and Rayne emerged through the bushes a moment later, hands woefully empty. Liv rushed up none-the-less wrapping her arms around her travel wearied older brother. "No luck today?" she asked.
Ian coughed up a rough laugh. "Luck? No I am afraid the worlds pretty short on that lately." He exchanged a glance with Rayne who simply frowned, clearly less able to shed humor on their situation.
It had been over a month since they had fled the old Hispanic woman's home in the middle of the night, almost a week after that before they had stumbled onto this secluded cabin deep in the woods which served as their haven, a soft stream flowed nearby that they had eagerly used to finally clean themselves up, and provide themselves with a relatively safe source of fresh water.
The food Rayne had stolen lasted a few days, but it hadn't been long before they needed to seek out other sources. That is what had led to the trips out. At first they had been able to return with several loaded bags finding supplies in nearby neighborhoods, but as the weeks had passed it was getting harder and harder to find safe places to loot. The demons seemed to be guarding what was left of the old civilization, and barring the unusually good weather they had that day, it was almost always dangerous just stepping outside.
Over the past three days they had failed to bring back anything and their remaining food wouldn't last another week even by their sparse meal schedule. Rayne was getting anxious.
"How much longer can we hide here?" She started again.
"Where exactly do you want us to go?" Ian countered.
"Anywhere. there is nothing left here. We can't afford to venture any further out to find supplies we couldn't even get the stuff back safely this time."
Ian's head rolled back hands folded on his forehead as he tried to think. "There has got to be more stuff in that rich neighborhood. If we bide some time maybe the demons will clear out from there and we can go back and scour it."
"Fat chance. those bastards never leave anywhere. And after the commotion we made this morning its bound to be swarming for the next month." Frustrated tension manifested a headache that forced the girl hard onto the lone cot she shared with Liv. Massaging her temples with eyes squeezed shut she sighed, "I don't want to leave this place either, but what choice do we have?"
Ian unrolled a map onto an unsteady foldout table, tracing the street closest to their little cabin till he found another town. "There." he said stabbing his index finger into the wrinkled paper. "That is Shiveley. There was an old Wal-Mart distribution center based out of there. Its only a 3 hour hike if we cut through the woods, and the warehouse is just on the outskirts so we won't have to go too deep into the town to get at it." He nodded in satisfaction. "I bet there is enough there to stock us for years. If its safe we could even find a car to bring it back with us."
"If its safe..." Rayne returned, with a frown. "That's a huge if."
Ian shrugged. "No less safe than any other option we have."
Propping up on her elbows, Rayne nodded begrudgingly.
Ian smirked, "Its settled then, first light tomorrow we head out, but for now I say we break out that jerky. I have been craving meat for the past week and I don't see any reason to save it any longer." Liv cheered and even Rayne gave a tentative smile.
The three grinned and laughed as they told stories of the world before, ripping off mouthfuls of the tough beef licking their lips like it was filet mignon.
"...and then he turned around and there was a HUGE rip in his swim trunks!" Liv nearly shouted squealing with laughter. " His face was so red I thought it was going to pop!"
Ian rolled his eyes snatching the little girl up from her spot on floor and holding her upside down. "She doesn't need to hear all our stories you little munchkin!" dropping her onto a pile of old cloths he held onto her left foot tickling it while the little girl yelped in protest.
Rayne watched the scene unfold with a smile on her face. A true genuine smile that bubbled up from deep inside. She was actually happy. Happier than she had been most days before the end of the world. The irony wasn't lost on her. How could things be this good... and simultaneously be this bad. It wasn't like her to let her guards down, to be optimistic about how things would turn out, but Ian and the cute little girl he now held prisoner in his arms had this enchanting honesty about them. It was like nothing she had ever felt. It scared her.
If there was one truth she had learned in her life it was that when you open up to care for someone you wind up hurt. Her ex-best friend, her numerous ex-boyfriends, and most of all her Dad, had made sure she learned that lesson well. It had to be even more true in this god forsaken hell.... but it was hard not to care for these two.
"RAYNE!" Liv panted in between the involuntary giggles. "Help!"
With a laugh she dove into the fray. It was too hard not to care.
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