Marsh

Part 1:

I opened my eyes in a daze.

My memory was fuzzy before waking.
There was nothing but black surrounding me. I could hear the faint droplets of water from a leaking pipe or faucet. There was a stale smell permeating the air around me.
I realized I wasn't home.
The puddle of liquid my face layed in was cold, and thick. I picked my head up, hoping some light would shed on what it was, but to no avail.
My arms were weak, as were my legs.
I slowly pushed myself up to sit on the ground.
There was a throbbing pain on the left side of my head.
I looked around the room, hoping to see some beam of light penetrate the darkness that surrounded me.
There was none.
I sat for a moment, recollecting my energy.
"Where am I?", I said quietly in the dark.
I slowly worked myself up to my feet, stumbling just to remain in the same place.
With my hands out in front of me feeling around, I slowly moved forward trying to find a wall, or something solid to make a mental picture of the room.
After about fifteen steps, my hands pressed up against something soft.
Almost like there was a person infront of me. I felt to the left, then to the right, but it just continued on as far as my arms could reach.
When I pulled one hand back I could feel it was now damp.
Leaving one hand on the wall, I slowly worked my way to my left as far as I could go, keeping my left hand on the wall as a guide.
After about four steps, the softness of the wall disappeared, and it became solid.
Twenty-six steps later I reached a corner.
I followed that wall to my right until I hit the next corner.
I repeated the process until I made a square around the room.
Surprisingly, there wasn't a single object in my way through out the entire walk.
Three steps on the starting wall, back towards my starting spot I found a switch.
I slowly flipped it.
The switch turned on a light that dimly lit the room.
My entire body froze into place.
I could feel my fingers tremble.
My stomach began to churn and form knots.
My breathing became quiet, as well as picking up speed.
The room was sealed all except a door that left a crack so small, I felt directly over it.
It had no handle.
There was a dark puddle on the floor where I awoke.
No furniture or any form of object layed anywhere in the room.
The spot where I began had a dark red spot covering the wall.
It had particles and chunks of something dotting it all the way to the floor.
In the center of the room there was a metal drain that was rusted from use.
I quickly made my way to the door and began hitting it.
"Hello?!", I shouted as I slammed on the door.
There was no response.
I could feel my fear build as I hit the door harder.
"Is anyone out there?!", I shouted.
My panic rose.
My heart began to race.
The only sounds back were my hand hitting the door.
I pulled myself away from the door and began to pace.
I was terrified.
I quickly raised my leg and slammed my foot against the door.
It didn't budge.
I repeated, kicking harder and harder.
The panic took over my body.
I began slamming my shoulder into it.
Rotating between all sorts of methods of using any kind of force I could, I attacked it.
"Get me out of here!", I screamed at the top of my lungs.
I continued to attack the door, my fear forcing me to scream.
My energy slowly began to fade.
The forceful hits lowered, and I was forced to sit with my back against the door.
I wipped my eyes with my hands, trying to calm myself.
My breathing began to slow.
I placed my hands on my head, and raised my knees so I could hide my face.
Where the hell am I, I thought.
How the hell did I get in here, and better yet, how the hell do I get out?
I could feel my blood rushing to my head.
The restless thrashing against the door exhausted me, and I blacked out.

Part 2:

I slowly came to several hours later.
My eyes closed I for some reason could hear this blood curdling cry echo throughout my mind.
The voice however, wasn't my own.
I opened my eyes to find myself facing the wall on the opposite end of the door.
I was lying on my side, with my back to the room.
However, I remember passing out leaned up against the door.
I slowly pushed myself up, my arms still struggling to keep their strength.
While sitting up, I could hear faint sobbing and groaning.
I turned my head towards the door.
My nerves started again.
A man sat, his back to me, his head bent down, his knee's drawn up.
He was balled up in the center of the room, sitting just over the drain.
"Hello?", I said quietly.
He didn't respond.
He continued sobbing.
I slowly worked my way to my feet.
"Can you hear me?", I said calmly.
His clothes were tattered and torn.
His shirt was a faded white, dirt as well as blood stains covering it.
His jeans were faded, and covered in dirt as well.
I slowly took small steps towards him.
I knelled down behind him.
"Hey..", I said quietly as I placed my hand to his shoulder.
"GET AWAY!", he screamed as he jolted away from me.
I jumped back and fell to the floor.
I felt a muscle begin to pulse with a sharp pain.
He scrambled to his hands and knees and crawled away from me in a panic.
"LEAVE ME ALONE!", he shouted in a panic.
He was crawling quickly towards the wall, using his hands to guide him as if he couldn't see anything.
He reached the wall and quickly forced his back to it, flailing his arms, as if he were warding someone off.
"WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME?!", he screamed.
I looked up at the light, it was on, but still dim.
Yet he acted as though he couldn't see anything.
"Hey! Calm down!", I called over to him.
"WHO ARE YOU?!", he shouted, his arms still flailing.
"My names Marcus. I woke up in this room sometime ago.", I said calmly.
He brought his arms to himself, and balled back up.
"Where am I?", he asked faintly.
"I don't know, I've been here for a while. I woke up here just like I'm guessing you did.", I replied clearly
He began looking back and forth.
I realized something was wrong. But the light being so dim, I couldn't clearly see him.
The knots in my stomach tightened.
"Why can't I see anything?!", he screamed.
I stood up slowly, my body shaking.
"Why am I here?!", he said panicking.
I walked slowly over to him.
He covered his face and began to weep.
I knelled down in front of him.
"Whats wrong?", I asked quietly.
"My eyes hurt so much...", he replied faintly.
He slowly moved his hands.
My body froze in place.
My eyes began to swell in fearful tears.
My body began to tremble.
His face was stained with streams of blood.
I could see straight into the sockets where his eye should be.
Small amounts still rolled down his face, refreshing the stream.
"Oh my God...", I whispered quietly.
I slowly began to back away from him.
"What?", he asked as he looked around for me.
I tried to tell him, but I couldn't come up with the words.
"What is it?!", he shouted in another panicked tone.
"Your...Your eyes.", I said quietly.
He lifted his hands to his eyes.
He began to shake.
His fingers felt around the hole where his eyes once were.
"What have you done...", he said quietly.
"I didn't do anything I swear.", I assured him.
"WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME?!", he screamed.
"Nothing! I swear! I haven't don't anything!", I shouted back!
He began screaming as he covered his eye sockets.
I could feel the hairs on the back of my neck stand.
"YOU BASTARD!", he shouted as he slowly stood to his feet.
"Hey, calm down!", I said as I raised my hand to him.
"I SWEAR TO GOD I'M GOING TO FUCKING KILL YOU!", he screamed as he charged at me.
I quickly sidestepped out of his way, forcing him to slam into the wall.
The force of the blow echoed through the room, he fell to his knees.
I could hear him breathing heavily.
"Just calm down! Maybe together we can figure this out!", I reasoned.
"NO! YOU DID THIS TO ME!", he screamed as he forced himself back to his feet.
I didn't have time to react to his charge this time.
His hands wrapped around my neck, slowly cutting the air out of me.
I gasped as I tried to loosen his grip.
He felt my hands trying to relieve his from my neck, and squeezed harder.
"I'M GUNNA KILL YOU.", he screamed.
I raised my arms and began pounding on his.
His hands lessened in grip with every blow.
"DIE!", he shouted.
I broke his grip, and threw him to the ground.
He stood back up and began flailing his fists towards me.
He rage took over, he began screaming.
I quietly worked around him to his back.
I knew I had no other alternative.
I couldn't stay here with him, he had lost his mind.
He'd kill me.
It didn't matter how, he would do it.
Knowing what I had to do, I began striking him in the back, hitting him in the center of the back.
He shouted in pain and turned his way back around to me.
I quickly raised my fist and slammed my knuckles into the right side of his face, throwing him to the floor.
As he started to get back up, I quickly stood over him, throwing another hook, this time to the side of his head.
His arms buckled and he dropped to the floor. His face slamming off the pavement.
I threw myself ontop of him and grabbed the back of his hair with both of my hands.
I slammed his head once on the ground.
The sound of the thrash reverberated in the ground.
His body grew weak.
His resistance lessened.
Realizing his weakness, I pulled his head back and thrashed it again.
Blood spouted from his head, covering the spot where it hit, as well as about 3 inches of the surrounding area.
I continued to slam his head.
Blood sprayed the areas around me.
It splashed onto my shirt.
Even as I felt his resisting stop, and his breathing cease, I continued to slam.
The fear of the thought overtook my mind.
I was stuck in a loop of slamming his head into the ground.
I began to scream in rage and terror.
By the time I let go of his hands, his brain was splattered on the pavement.
His face was gone.
The pool of blood circled the entire top half of his body, as well as three feet out.
My hands were stained.
Tears streamed from my face.
"What have I done...", I said as I began to sob.
I slowly worked my way from his cold body, pushing myself against the nearest wall.
I curled myself into a ball, and cried into the darkness of my knees.
His screams echoed throughout my mind.
Please...just let me out.

Part 3:

I sat in the room silently.
My eyes fixed on the corpse lying in its pool of blood.
The stench of it filled my nostrils.
Even as I lifted my shirt to my nose to mask the smell, it still penetrated through the cloth.
A cold chill ran up my spine.
I could feel my hair slightly move.
There was a draft.
A breeze.
I turned my head to the door.
It was cracked open.
I quickly scrambled to my feet and ran to it, carefully placing my hands on it.
I peeked around the corner, looking around the surrounding area.
There was nothing in my range of sight.
I slowly opened the door more, still examining the area.
Still nothing.
I slowly worked my way out of the room.
The door led to the end of a narrow hallway.
There were no other doors, nor windows.
I looked up and saw the ceiling was flat, but moved to an incline.
There was a stairway that led up to a gray light.
Fog rolled in and down the steps.
I looked to my feet to see the shroud cover up to my ankles.
I carefully made my way to the stairs, glancing back at the room every now and again.
As if to make sure I'm not followed.
I could still see his body lying there.
An image I could never shake.
As I made my way up the steps, the fog grew thick.
By the time I reached the top, I could hardly see through it.
I could only make out shapes.
I tried to take a deep breath of some air, but it felt as if my lungs were filled with smoke.
I instantly began coughing and weezing.
My lungs were readjusting to being out of that room.
Being away from the smell.
I slowly walked out of the corridor and looked as well as I could through the fog.
I realized the buildings were in the distance.
I looked back at where the room lay.
It was gone.
The entrance to the narrow corridor that led to my cell had vanished.
"What the hell...", I said quietly.
Shaking off the confusion I looked back towards the town.
A sign slowly became visible through the fog.
Welcome to the town of Marsh, it read.
Marsh.
I ran the name of the town through my head over and over.
I knew I had never been there.
Yet it felt familiar.
And it felt horrifying.
I began to walk towards the town.
Hoping to see some form of life.
Any form of possible human beings inhabiting the area around me.
After maybe five minutes, my foot kicked a metal object.
I could hear it clank a few times as it was tossed infront of me.
I walked to where the sound stopped and slowly bent over to pick it up.
It was a locket.
Inside was a picture of myself with a woman.
I carefully examined it from front to back, hoping some recollection of it would bring back a memory.
Or even a clue as to what happened.
With no results from it, I slid it into my pocket and continued my way into the town.
Once I reached it, the fog lessened more.
I could easily see the buildings.
This town was old.
As if it were back before the modern shops had started.
Every store around was family owned, or a home.
The buildings look run down, closed up and forgotten.
I made my way to the sidewalk on my left and entered the nearby dress boutique.
The sign on it read, Mary's Dress Boutique. May all your memories be marry.
The sign it self was run down. Dirt had tarnished the once vibrant colors that dotted it.
I slowly entered the door.
A bell chimed as it opened.
Yet there was no response.
Just an eerie silence.
The dresses were covered with dust, or deteriorating.
The manequins were dark, most of them missing limbs.
"Hello?", I shouted into the store.
No response.
I made my way to the counter, passing the manequins slowly.
They looked as though they were watching my every move.
I could feel my level of alert rise.
"Is anyone here?", I shouted again.
Still no response.
I thouroughly made my way throughout the store.
There wasn't even a clue as to if anyone had been there in years.
I exited the boutique, and continued my way down the street.
After passing several other stores I could make out a silhouette of a person off in the distance of the fog.
A faint weezing made its way through the silence.
"Hello?", I said quietly.
They didn't respond.
Aware of what had happened in my cell, I cautiously made my way towards the silhouette.
"Can you tell me where I am?", I asked calmly.
There was still no response.
As I took in a breath to shout, I could hear footsteps quickly run up behind me.
A hand shot over my shoulder and covered my mouth.
I froze in place.
"Quiet!", the man whispered forcefully.
I could smell the dirt on his hands.
My breathing heightened.
I watched as the silhouette slowly turned towards us.
It became disfigured.
Still hiuman, but shaped in a peculiar way.
Like its shoulder were raised, and its head tilted to attach them together.
I could feel my eyes widen as is limped towards us slowly.
The weezing slowly turned into a faint snarl.
Like a predator hunting its prey.
The man behind me raised his arm and rested it on my shoulder.
In his hand was a pistol.
"Don't make a sound.", he whispered as he slowly removed his hand.
As the silhouette grew close, I could see that this was no human, although it resembled one in shape.
The head was attached to the shoulder by a thin layer of skin.
But there were no eyes.
No nose.
There was no hair on its head.
Where the ears should be were just slight protrusions of skin.
And the mouth was of average size, only slightly opened.
Drool drained from its sharp fangs that littered its gums.
The arms stretched down to large hands that reached the bottom of its knees.
The hands had claws at the ends of each finger.
Almost like blades had grown where the nails belonged.
Its steps were heavy, and carefully placed.
It turned its torso every now and then, as if listening to the sounds around it.
"What is that?!", I whispered in a panic.
"A demon.", he replied.
As it reached about a ten foot distance it froze in place.
Its body aiming directly at us.
The snarl turned to a growl.
Its teeth were now clenched together.
The man's hand jumped back to my mouth, covering it tightly.
His breathing was calm and controlled, yet silent.
The creature howled as it dashed towards us.
I felt the mans arm on my shoulder tense as he pulled the trigger of the gun, firing a bullet straight into the creatures torso.
The creature slammed to the ground with a blaring whine.
"Let's go!", he shouted as he took off.
I was stunned for a moment, but followed him.
We ran our way through alleyways until we reached a culdisack.
He rushed his way towards the house that layed at the very center of it.
I followed close behind him.
He vaulted up the steps and threw the door open.
As I reached the porch I could hear multiple cries echo through the air.
The pitch was high, and strong. I covered my ears as it penetrated my ear drums.
A sharp pain from the cries erupted throughout my entire body.
I dropped to one knee, trying to fight off the pain.
The man stepped down and grabbed my shoulder, throwing my up the steps, and shoving me through the door.
I knelled on the ground with my ears covered.
He calmly walked in, closing the door behind him.
As the door shut, the whining stopped.
I gasped trying to fend off the pain.
"You trying to get yourself killed, boy?", the man asked.
His voice was raspy and aged.
Taking deep breaths I slowly regained my composure.
"I'm starting to think its not such a terrible idea.", I responded quietly.
The man chuckled as he removed his layers of gear.
"If it's by those things, then I guess you'd have it easy here.", he chuckled.
"What the hell are they?"
He sat at the stairway that sat just to my right.
He carefully unbuckled his boots, silent for a moment.
"We call them The Cursed. They're what happened to most of the town.", he replied.
I calmed my breathing.
"So I guess you just saved my life then?", I asked in a tone of disbelief.
He chuckled again as he removed his jacket and hung it on the coat rack that was hung at the bottom of the steps.
"No, I just postponed your death.", he chuckled again.
He slowly made his way down the hallway into the kitchen.
I looked around where I was kneeling.
To my left was an archway that led into a torn living room.
A couch was flipped, the coushins strewn about the room.
The screen of the television was busted.
It still had an antique antennae on top of it.
The rods were bend and twisted.
A coffee table sat in the center, smashed at the very center.
The stripped red and white wallpaper was torn and hanging from its proper place. revealing the gray natural wall behind it.
A ceiling fan creeked and spun at a very slow pace.
Empty picture frames layed strewn about the floor.
The hardwood flooring was scuffed and scratched.
However, there was a chair.
It was sat in the back left hand corner of the room.
It was strewn about.
It sat upright.
It was dusty and slightly torn, but not destroyed.
Creases were in the back and bottom from recent use.
Infront of me there was another archway leading to a kitchen.
A hardwood table sat at the very center.
The cubboards were somewhat torn and handing by a hinge.
There was a pale yellow fridge at the right side.
The stove at the back center between counters.
Cans of food were resting atop the table.
"So whats your name, boy? You ain't been here long, I can tell by how shaken you are." he asked from the kitchen.
"Marcus.", I replied.
"Well Marcus, where did you come from?"
I stared blankly at the floor infront of me.
"I...I don't know.", I said quietly.
"Well don't fret son, that happens to everyone new here.", he assured me.
"You've met others besides me?"
"Oh yeah, whole mess of them lately. Didn't remember a thing, 'cept waking up in some room."
"Where are they now?!"
"Dead probably. They didn't encounter The Cursed like you just did. They followed me here, told me I was crazy and stormed off. They're dead...either that or changed. Which if they are, they're better off dead."
"What the hells going on in this town?", I asked as I made my way to the kitchen.
He was sitting at the table when I walked in.
His stare was directed to the center of the table.
Grief painted his face.
"We never figured that out...", he said quietly. "Sit down, I'll tell you all I know. And all that you need to know."
I slid a chair out and sat calmly.
He took a deep breath.
"You see, twenty years ago this town was a peaceful place. Everyone knew everyone, and we all got along. For the most part. Those that didn't like other still kept a level of civility. We never got many outsiders. Everything around here was pretty much unaffected from the world around us. All the towns were family owned. Passed down from generation to generation. Then one day...this..family moved in. Our hospitality was something we took pride in. That, and our respect for privacy and what not. For a while things were calm. They seemed like a normal family. A father, mother, and three kids. Although they weren't really kids, they were more grown. At least seventeen each. Triplets, they told us. Yet none of them looked alike. For a month, they went on with their lives, like we did ours. Then...they disappeared. I was the cheif of police at the time. We followed their daily routine, searched their home top to bottom, looking for some trace of them. There was no sign of a struggle, no sign of conflict. Their car was parked in a perfectly controlled fashion. Yet they were gone. They were just the start. Before we knew it, people all throughout the town began vanishing. Rumors of what we call now, The Cursed, were circulatng. The alert level of everyone kept raising and raising until we all started pointing fingers. The town went to hell. Looting and revolts started. Violence spread. Then before we knew it, The Cursed had become a reality. At first The numbers were controlled. We could contain them. Then it grew, at the same rate our numbers dropped. Children and adults alike all fell victim. This was about the same time the fog came. Ever since then, those of us that are still alive are fighting to stay that way. The fog never left. And the threat never stopped."
"So why didn't you leave?"
"'Cause you can't leave. You can get to the outskirts of the town, and pass the sign, but if you keep goin', you end up at the other end of the town. Like the roads go in a loop."
"Well then how has food lasted so long? How are you still eating and surviving?"
"The stores restock every day. At first we searched for a way the food was getting in to the town, but after a while we stopped searching. We started accepting our reality. This town isn't where its suppose to be. We're not where we're suppose to be."
"So what about The Cursed? Where did they come from?"
"Truthfully we don't know. This town use to have a mine under it. Ran deep into the earth. The rumors that started about them started there. I figure we dug to deep. And this family that moved in, they found the mine, and unleashed the evil we had uncovered."
"If this isn't Hell, then I think I'd rather be there.", I said quietly.
The man threw his chair out from under him, and grabbed me by the collar, slamming me into the counter behind me.
"Hell? This place is Hell's summer home. And we're just toys for the demons to play with.", he grunted.
He slowly released me and went back to his chair, setting it up and sitting down slowly.
His eyes were fixed out of the window.
I looked out and watched as the lights outside slowly began to fade.
"One word of advice, boy.", he said quietly. "When you leave, you never stay out at night. I don't care if you hold up in a dumpster. You hide. Because night time, is when the real monsters lurk."
I slowly made my way back to my chair and sat quietly.
He stood up and got the last two cans of food out from his cupboards and set one infront of me.
"Eat, then go to sleep. Tomorrow we'll go get some food.", he said calmly.
I grabbed the tab ontop of the can and opened it.
I ate the food slowly, trying to work my mind on this place.
He finished before I did and stood up.
"Your room is up the stairs on the left. We got no working water, so you gotta use the bucket in the bathroom if you need it. The smell'll go away after a while. Get some sleep soon. Theres no daylight to waste here.", he told me as he made his way to the steps.
I sat motionless as he worked up the steps.
The light outside vanished.
I slowly worked my way up to my room.
I could hardly make out what was in it.
There was a cot in the back left corner of the room.
The rest were completely barren.
The window the sat on the right wall was boarded up.
I could hear strange sounds of movement outside.
I slowly made my way to the window and glanced out into the darkness but couldn't see anything.
I went back to the cot and layed down.
The sounds of growling and snarling kept me up in the bed for at least an hour.
Then my body lost all energy, and I fell asleep.

Part 4:

I slowly opened my eyes to the sun shining in through the window.
I sat up on the edge of the bed with my elbows rested on my knees.
My hands holding my head up.
I dropped one hand to my pocket and took out the locket I had found.
I examined the picture inside.
The girl in the picture had long blonde hair.
Blue eyes.
A beautiful smile.
She had a slender body.
Only came up to my shoulder.
We were holding each other in a wooded area.
We looked happy.
With the locket in the palm of my hand I placed it against my forehead.
My eyes closed.
Who are you?
Where are you?
I just want to remember.
The silence of the moment overwhelmed me.
I could feel a tear slowly roll down my cheek.
The longing to remember who I was or where I came from was eating me away slowly on the inside.
The footsteps of the man that saved my life brought me back to my reality.
Back to the hell.
I stood up and walked out of the room, down the narrow hallway to the steps.
It sounded as though he were moving at a fast pace.
Like he was in a panic.
I quickly worked down the steps.
He had his gear on.
Cursing under his breath he scrounged around the house.
"Everything alright?", I asked calmly.
"We're late. It's the afternoon now. The Cursed will be all around the town. Getting the food we need to last us the next few days will be harder'n hell to get to.", he replied as he moved to the door.
"Keep your wits about you. Keep your guard up. And above all, keep quiet.", he ordered.
I reached to the coat rack and grabbed the extra jacket he had resting on it.
The trek back into town was carefully placed.
We moved from one alleyway to another, ducking and dodging behind every thing we possibly could.
We reached the outside of the building and pressed up against the back wall.
He looked around the corner by his side and pulled his head back.
"It looks clear for now. We'd better do this quick.", he whispered.
We worked our way around the corner, keeping our bodies pressed up against the wall.
Within a few steps he threw his hand to my chest and stopped me from moving.
I listened as I heard snarling and heavy footsteps.
I slowed my breath to almost a stop.
A Cursed walked directly past the alleyway we were stopped in.
He motioned for me to stay put as he slowly made his way to the end of the alley.
I watched as he looked every which way, checking to make sure we could make it in.
He waved his hand to me, signaling me to catch up to him.
I quickly worked my way across the wall to his side.
"I want you to go in first. They don't go into the store. I'll follow close behind. Stay quiet.", he whispered.
I could feel my heart race as he worked me to the edge of the wall.
"Go. Now.", he ordered.
I stepped out around the corner and crept my way into the store.
I quickly ran to the nearest shelf and watched as he worked his way in as well.
His stepping was precise.
It was like he flowed with the area around him.
Once he was through the door, and the door shut he stood up as if it were nothing.
"Grab what you need. And only enough to last the next few days. There are others in this town. And theres not enough food here for us to be stingy.", he informed me.
I nodded my head in agreement and slowly worked my way around the store.
"You never did tell me your name.", I said as I checked the cans near me.
He was silent as he rummaged through the left side of the store.
"My name? Ain't no one asked me that in a long time.", he said tossing empty cans left and right.
"Well are you gunna tell me?", I asked patiently.
"James. James Wilson."
"Well...Thank you for saving my life James.", I said quietly.
He chuckled as he grabbed a few cans from the shelf.
"I told you son, I didn't save your life. I just postponed your death.", he said between laughs.
I shook my head in disbelief.
This man was either modest, or a realist.
As I set down a can, I looked out the window and saw a man staring in at us.
He was well dressed in a suit.
His black thin framed glasses stood out in the light.
He had a smirk on his face, as well as one hand in his pocket.
His other hand was holding a pocket watch that was linked to his belt loop.
The suit was a black and white pinstrip with a white hankercheif in the pocket.
I turned my body towards him, dropping a can I was holding to the floor.
"James...", I said as I stared at him.
James looked up to me, then out to the man.
"Oh no..", he said below his breath.
I heard him drop all the cans he had in his arms.
I turned to look at James, but when I turned back, the man was gone.
James was frozen in place.
"We have to leave. Now!", James shouted as he ran to the back of the store.
"What why?! Who was he?", I asked.
His hands shook as he tried to turn the knob to the back door.
"Wait...why didn't we take this way in?", I asked in a quiet tone.
He stopped shaking the door.
His eyes fixed on the center of it.
"Because there is no back door...", he replied faintly.
His hands slowly dropped from the door.
He placed on hand on my chest and pushed me back as he stepped back.
"It's the doorway...", he whispered.
He slowly unholstered his pistol.
His hands shook.
The knob began to rattle.
I could hear heavy breathing beyond us.
I turned my head back to the front of the store.
"James lets go. We gotta get out of here.", I said as I saw figures begin to appear in the distance of the fog.
He pushed me.
"Go.", he ordered quietly.
"What?!", I asked shocked.
He shoved me again.
"Go. Now. We both can't make it. If they follow us back to the house, we'll have no safe place.", he whispered.
The door creeked as it cracked open.
"GO!", he shouted.
I quickly grabbed a few cans and ran out of the front door.
I could hear roars echo through the fog.
I looked back in to James.
The door was open.
His pistol was raised and firing wildly into it.
My legs locked, not wanting to leave him.
Then my eyes widened.
A creature sprung from the darkness of the doorway.
It was on all fours, but its legs weren't just normal legs.
They were long blades that extended into the skin.
Its head was no where to be found.
I could see a layer of skin attached to its under belly.
It slowly shook and shivered.
Then a head crept its way from the under belly.
As it reached a veritcal angle, it slowly cracked and twisted.
The face of the creature looked like a mournful face of a person.
James slowly lowered his gun and dropped to his knees.
Its mouth opened.
The jaw looked as though it had detached itself so it could open at least three times the normal width.
It threw its head over James, and in an instant, half of his head was gone.
I watched as the blood poured down from his head.
His body fell to the floor.
I felt my fist tighten.
My anger built up inside of me.
The shriek of a Cursed shook me from my state, I checked around me.
They were getting closer with every second.
I quietly moved back behind the shop.
Then used every ounce of energy I had to work my way back through the alley's.
The image was burned in my head.
Stuck on a replay.
I couldn't shake it.
I ran faster and faster.
Trying to escape the horror of it.
Trying to release my anger from it.
By the time I reached the porch steps, my body ached.
My legs shook.
My eyes welled.
I dropped to the ground.
The cans I had carried all this way slammed and rolled off.
To be alone in this place.
To hear this silence.
I cannot bare this silence, it'll be the death of me.
My sanity slipped just a bit more.
What do I do now?
How can I make it on my own?
Without his guidance, or tips.
I have no weapons.
I have nothing.
I diverted my glance from the pavement up to the porch.
There layed a rifle, with a box of ammunition.
I slowly stood up, moved up to the steps.
There was a note ontop of them.
It read,
Marcus, I know you've been wanting to go hunting. To see what it was like. You've always had that adventurous will. So I bought you this rifle. The man at the store told me it'd be perfect for a first time shot. I believe you should try it. I don't see the thrill of it, but maybe, just maybe it'll help put you at ease. I love you..

The signature at the bottom was smudged.
I could only make out the first letter.
T..
It was her. The woman in my locket.
She wrote this letter.
What was her name...
My head began to throb as I forced myself to think of her name.
I shook my head and grabbed the rifle along with the ammunition.
I turned and saw the sun began to set.
Darkness was coming.
I quickly gathered up the four cans of food I grabbed, then went back into the safety of the house.
I sat at the table and ate my meal.
It was quiet.
On my way to the steps, I saw the chair that was still set up.
It was now deteriorated.
Holes had penetrated through the fabric of the couch.
Mold had grown on it.
It were as if the chair itself had died.
I moved my sight back to the floor.
I could feel my hands shake.
I gripped the rifle tightly, throwing off the sensation.
I moved up the stairs, into my room.
I layed on my cot, and tightly clung the rifle to myself.
I shut my eyes.
And fell asleep.

Part 5:

I opened my eyes slowly.
My body was paralyzed in place.
It was still dark.
I couldn't see anything.
Yet I could feel a cold chill crawl up my spine.
As my eyes slowly adjusted, my body began to tremble.
On the ceiling above my bed, through the darkness I could see one thing.
A blank face, staring directly back at me.
I gasped trying to make a sound.
But nothing came out.
I scrambled my arms, trying to find my rifle, but it was gone.
The eyes glared at me.
Piercing into my very soul.
It didn't move.
As I finally felt my body awaken, its eyes looked to my right, toward the wall farthest from me.
I instantly turned my head.
I was frozen with fear.
There was the door.
Standing at the wall.
I watched the doorknob.
Listened to it start to jiggle and shake.
I quickly threw myself to the wall, still throwing my hands around trying to find my rifle.
I looked back to the ceiling, but the face was gone.
I then looked all around the room.
The windows had vanished, as did the door that led to the hallway.
My heart began to race.
The door creeked as it cracked open.
As my feet hit the floor, it blew open, slamming against the wall.
I raced to the corner farthest from it.
Then a piercing pain started at the center of my calf muscle, and reverberated throughout my body.
I screamed in agony as I dropped to one knee.
I looked back at my left leg.
The creature that had once came out and killed James, had its left front blade, impaled into my skin.
I watched in horror as it slowly raised its right leg, and forced it through the flesh, muscle, and bone of my right leg.
I hollared again as I dropped to the floor.
I clenched my fists and groaned at the pain.
I could feel the blood trickle from my open wounds down my legs and onto the floor.
The creature shrieked.
I covered my ears at the high pitched sound.
Then I heard its back legs peg against the floor.
I felt my skin tear even more as it began to drag me towards the door.
I screamed at the intense pain as I felt my bones crack to the pressure.
I flailed my arms, trying to find something to grab hold of.
Hoping I could stop it from dragging me into the door.
But to no avail.
"NO-!", I shouted as I continued to search for something to hold onto.
I looked back and watched as the creature disappeared into the dark shroud of the door.
My feet slowly slid in, and they instantly were cold.
As my body slowly dragged in, the cold continued its way up.
I threw my hands back as it reached my waist.
Using every ounce of strength I could to hold myself out of the door.
My body began to shiver from the freezing temperature.
I felt the creature remove the blades from my calves and impale them into my thighs.
I began to cry out in pain.
Tears streaming down my face.
My teeth were clenched.
It tugged, and my arms buckled to the pressure.
I was pulled into the darkness of the door as it slammed shut.
The moment the door shut, I was jerked myself awake, sitting upright in the bed.
My rifle fell with a thud to the floor.
My breathing was heavy.
I could still feel the pain resonate throughout my body.
A thick sweat was broken out on my entire body.
I sat completely still for a moment, trying to shake what had just happened.
As I regained some composure, I quickly looked throughout the room.
There was nothing.
Moonlight passed through the boarded up window, letting in some light for my eyes to absorb.
I dangled my legs over the bed and slid them to the floor.
My arms rested on my knee's, I placed my forehead to my palms and stared at the wood.
My heavy breathing had left me light headed.
I picked my head up, and dropped my arms, still unable to control my breathing.
As I took a second look around the room, I finally regained composure.
I slowly stood up and walked to the door.
With it slightly cracked, I checked down the hall both ways.
Since it was clear, I slowly opened the door and walked to the center of the hallway.
My body was still shaken.
I looked to my left down to James' room at the end of the hall.
My eyes twitched as I heard a slight rattling coming from behind his door.
I quickly ran back to my room, scooped up my rifle and bolted back to the center of the hallway.
I carefully shouldered my rifle as I slowly inched my way to his door.
The rattling grew more and more intense the closer I got.
My heart beat picked up again.
The chill came back.
I placed my hand on the doorknob, and ear to the door.
A loud thud echoed through his room, and vibrated the floor.
I jumped back and reshouldered my weapon.
With my hands shaking, I slowly turned the knob.
As I cracked the door, I took a deep breath.
In an instant, I threw myself into the room, quickly scanning every inch of it.
I lowered my rifle slowly, as I realized the source of the ruccuss.
A loose board that dangled from his window was being shaken by the heavy winds outside.
The loud thud came from a candle that was set on the windowsill.
I walked my way to his bed and set my rifle on it.
I then moved my way to the candle and set it back to its original place.
I looked around the room slowly.
His room looked as though it were untouched by the hell outside.
His dresser was organized and neat, complete with a jewelry box set atop it.
It sat in the center of the far right wall.
His bed was laid on the left wall, directly in the corner.
It too had one boarded up window.
A small table sat in the center.
Above the head of the bed was a shelf nailed to the wall.
Ontop of it I found a picture in a gold frame.
The glass was covered with dust.
I slowly walked to it and used the bottom of my shirt as a cloth to wipe the dust away.
I stared blankly at the picture.
James was standing there, his left arm around a woman.
I quick;y pulled the locket from my pocket and opened it, comparing the two.
They were the same person.
Could it be?
Was James her father?
Or even a brother?
I quickly closed the locket and returned it.
I flipped the frame around and removed the picture from the back.
I examined it closely, checking for a message or a note.
As I got the picture out, a piece of paper fell to the floor.
I carefully placed the frame on the bed and bent over to pick it up.
It was a note addressed to this girl.
To my baby girl,
I guess if you're reading this note it means you found our house. However, that also means you're back home. Something I had hoped would never happen. I've tried mailing letters to your new home with your fiance, but I suppose the letters never got sent. That doesn't surprise me though, since I can't even leave this town. Just know I never gave up hope, though. I held on to the thought of being able to hold my little girl one last time before I went. I pray to God every night, asking him to bring me to you. Asking to get me out of here. But he never answered. I'm slowly finding myself lose faith in him. In all religion. Even in myself. You're the one thing thats keepin' me going sweetheart. If you found this, I must not be home. Wait for me. Don't leave the house, it's not safe. If I'm not back in a day, find the others. I think Mary and John, the owners of the dress shop are still alive. If not, Betty and Tom that own the gun store have that place sealed up tight. Just becareful. Make sure you avoid everything else. I have some weapons stored up in the basement. Be safe darlin'. I love you.

Daddy.

A tear rolled down my cheek and onto the paper.
My hands shook as I clenched the paper.
I sat on the bed, and let the sorrow pent up inside me out.
I held the note to my face.
I wanted to remember.
I needed to remember.
What is her name?
I felt so ashamed.
I had forgotten my own fiance's name.
I had forgotten I was engaged.
I had forgotten he was her father.
I had even forgotten this was her hometown.
I slammed my empty palm to my head, hoping it would job my memory.
I gripped my hair and pulled my head down.
"James...I'm so sorry...", I whispered between sobs.
The sorrow passed.
I slowly regained myself after a few minutes.
I wiped away the last tears on my face, stood from the bed, folded the note and put it in my back pocket.
I carefully put the picture back in its frame and placed it back in its resting place.
I grabbed my rifle, and quietly walked out the door way.
Looking back once more, I slowly closed the door.
I paused as I heard the front door to the house open, then close.
I quickly ran to the wall behind my door and remained still.
Footsteps slowly creeked up the stairway.
I gripped my rifle tightly.
I calmed my breathing.
As the footsteps reached my door, I slammed it shut and roared as I threw the butt of the rifle into whatever was there.
"Ja-", the man was cut off as the butt of my rifle smashed into his stomach.
As the man dropped to the ground, I quickly shouldered my rifle and aim the barrel directly at him.
He groaned as he gripped his stomach.
"Who are you?!", I shouted.
"Don't shoot! Please!", he screamed as he raised his hand.
I kept my rifle steady.
"Tell me who you are. Now!", I ordered.
"M-My name's Thomas O'Riley. I own the gun store here. Please, my wife Betty, she's been taken. Where's James?!", he answered quickly.
I slowly lowered my rifle.
"He's dead.", I informed him.
"Dead?! How?!", he asked.
I helped him to his feet.
"We were at the food market, when a door appeared in the back of the store. He saved my life, by giving what ever laid behind the door his.", I replied.
His face was stunned and mournful.
He stared off into the distance.
"My name's Marcus.", I said as I raised my hand to him.
He shook my hand, then his arm went limp.
"With James dead, we have no more hope..", he said quietly.
"What do you mean?"
"Besides Betty and myself, James was the only one still alive. That door you're talking about appeared in our gun store as well. A Cursed dragged my wife into the abyss of the doorway. I came to James because he was the only one to go in the door way, and come back alive."
"What's beyond the door?"
"I...I don't know. No one does now. The only person that did was James. Now that he's gone... my Betty..."
He began to sob as he swayed towards the stairway.
"Lets go together.", I offered.
He stopped at the top of the stairs.
"If what ever is behind this door is so dangerous, then neither of us can make it alone. But perhaps together," I continued.
"Perhaps we can save my wife..", he interjected.
I nodded my head.
He turned to me, determination was written on his face.
"I have to try, for Betty.", he said as he wiped the tears from his face.
I walked back to my room and grabbed the box of ammunition for my rifle.
I carefully dumped each bullet into the pocket of the jacket I had taken from the coat hanger.
With Tom close, I walked to the basement door beneath the stairway.
I slowly cracked the door open.
The moonlight showed only the very top of the basement steps.
"Do you have a light?", I asked as I turned my head to Tom.
He nodded as he pulled a flashlight from his waistline.
I took it and clicked it on, lighting my way down the steps.
"What ever weapon you have, get it ready. I don't know whats down here.", I informed him.
He removed a magnum he had holstered to his hip.
I proceeded down the steps with caution, carefully placing one foot on the step lightly, before putting all my weight on it.
Where ever I aimed my flashlight, the barrel of my rifle followed.
As we reached the bottom of the steps, I quickly scanned the room.
A generator layed in the back left hand corner.
A wire from it trailed to a lightbulb at the center of the room.
The wire from the light led me to a switch to my right.
I reached over and slowly flicked it on.
The bulb flickered as it lit the room.
I carefully clicked off Tom's flashlight and handed it back to him.
He holstered his magnum and placed it back in his waistline.
I lowered my rifle, and lessened my grip.
The wall to my right had a rack of assorted melee weapons on it, ranging from a machette to an iron pipe.
In front of me there was a table with clips of ammunition sitting on it.
To my left, there were four pistols, along with a shotgun laying on a shelf.
"You better grab what you can.", Tom assured me.
"I thought you owned a gun shop?", I questioned.
"I do, but save for this magnum here, I'm completely out of ammunition.", he replied instantly.
I made my way to the center of the room.
In the back right corner, I saw a travelers pack laying in the corner.
It had loops and pockets added on for carrying extra equipment.
On the table next to the ammunition, there was a utility belt, designed specifically to hold clips for any type of gun, as well as containers for shotgun slugs.
I grabbed the belt and began filling it with every ounce of ammunition as I could.
I holstered two pistols in it.
I grabbed the travelers pack and realized there was a hole cut in the bottom of it.
I carefully placed my rifle in the pack, with the barrel of it sticking out of the hole in the bottom.
I placed one extra pistol in the pack, and gave the other along with two clips to Tom.
"Do you know anywhere we can find anymore ammunition or weapons?", I asked cautiously.
"I think the police station should be untouched. However, the last time I went there, the building was sealed up tight.", he replied.
I carefully put the pack on, then strapped on the belt.
In the back of the pack I found two custom slots paralell to each other.
I slowly slid the shotgun in them, and strapped it to me.
I walked to the wall of melee weapons and quickly glanced at them.
I grabbed two machette's, tossing one to Tom and keeping the other with myself.
I also grabbed a large metal pipe and placed it in my pack.
I swung the machette a few times to become adjusted to the weight it.
I carefully slid it into an empty slot on the belt.
I grabbed a crowbar from the wall and turned to Tom, slightly patting my hand with it.
"Well we're going to find out.", I informed him.
"You want to break in at night?! That's suicide! We have to wait till morning. Those creatures swarm every building at night.", he said in a shocked tone.
"The longer we wait, the shorter Betty has.", I reminded him.
He was quiet for a moment.
"I know...but if we die tonight, there's no way she'll be saved. Those things...they capture the women. They don't just kill them outright. They need them.", he replied quietly.
"For what?"
"To give birth to The Cursed."
I winced at his reply.
"If theres any chance at all, we must wait till morning.", he repeated.
"Well then let's get some rest...", I offered as I walked to the stairs.
"No!", he shouted as he stopped me, "We must leave when the sun rises, or we'll have no time."
I exhaled slowly.
"Alright.", I agreed.
We worked our way to the kitchen and waited for the sunrise.

Part 6:

Time slowly passed.
I watched Tom carefully.
"How long have you known James?", I asked cautiously.
He stared blankly at the can in his hand.
He was silent.
His eyes distant.
"Tom?", I said nudging him.
He jumped and looked at me.
"What?", he asked.
"I said, how long have you known James?"
"Darn near our whole lives I suppose. We grew up in this town, and in a town like ours, you knew everyone."
"Who was his daughter?"
"Daughter? Oh, you mean Tiffany. She wasn't his actual daughter, you know. Pretty little thing though. Very kind hearted."
"What do you mean?"
"Well one day, James was touring the town, you see he was an officer back when people started disappearing. Head of the police force. He found her on one of his nightly patrols. She must've been...about ten then. No one knew who she was, least no one wanted to fess up to her being their own. Which was hard to believe, what with her nature and all."
"Her nature?"
"She was unnaturally kind. Caring. Very mature for her age even. Very intelligent. James raised her himself, since no one would take her in. Treated her like she were his actual daughter. Then when she turned about sixteen, she vanished. Not long after that, the town fell into this hellish nightmare. A lot of the towns folk blammed her, but James defended her. Said she was too innocent to do such a thing. Then no one spoke of it anymore. The town became what it is now. For about two years, she would write him a letter. We weren't sure how they got in, but he got them. The last letter he got, she told him she had gotten engaged. Said she found a nice guy in some big city. Then, her letters stopped coming. He tried writing back, but they just sat in the mailbox."
I took the locket out of my pocket and looked at the picture in it.
"Tiffany...", I whispered quietly.
"What's that?", Tom asked, leaning towards me.
I quickly shut the locket and placed it back into my pocket.
"N-Nothing.", I responded.
He took a breath to say a word, but before he could say anything I stood up and quickly walked to the window.
"The sun's coming out. We'd better move if we're going to get your wife.", I told him.
His facial expression solidified.
He slowly stood from the table and walked to the front door.
He opened it and stepped onto the porch.
I slowly followed him.
I looked into the living room.
The chair that were deteriorating had completely disintegrated.
I clenched my fist tightly.
I shook off the missing object and walked out of the house, closing the door behind.
"I'll lead you to the police station.", Tom said as he stared off into the distance,"But then its up to you. Theres no way I'm going in there. It's a very large building. Theres no telling what's in there."
"Let's move then.", I said as I stood beside him.
He nodded his head and proceeded down the steps.
I followed him down the steps.
We slowly moved through the streets.
They were unusually clear.
No figures.
No sounds.
"A purge...", Tom whispered.
"A purge?", I asked curiously.
"Once every so often, the demon's of this down enter any building's they can. They search for anyone and everyone. Killing or capturing them, which ever suits them. We assumed they were trying to kill us all, purge the town of us."
"So...the police station?", I hesistated.
"I don't know..that building has been sealed and boarded. Theres things in there...", he fell silent.
"What things?", I said as we moved behind an old building.
He didn't respond.
As we rounded the corner of the building, I could see the police station.
A very deep roar echoed from the building.
I grabbed his arm.
"What the samhell is in the station?!", I asked violently.
He stared at the ground.
"We call them...abominations..", he whispered.
"What exactly are they? If I'm going in there, I need to know.", I persisted.
He took a deep breath.
"They're like us...intelligent. Yet at the same time, they're like The Cursed. Vicious. They look like us, only their eyes are black. They have fangs like The Cursed. They're hard as hell to kill. They can make themselves turn to smoke.", he explained.
"Like a ghost?", I interupted.
"They can't pass through walls. They can only remain in the same room. But they can move anywhere as long as it's open. So if they're in one room, and the door to another is open. They can go there."
"So why don't they stay that way?"
"As far as we could tell, they can't attack while they're like that. They have to reappear. So you better be quick. Or you'll be dead before you know."
I stood silently, staring at the station.
He continued walked to it.
"Come on, we have no time to waste.", he ordered.
My courage faded.
I slowly followed him.
"One last thing.", he said as we reached a window I could climb into.
"Their nails are razor sharp. They're not very long, maybe two inches. But they'll easily cut deep into you. They'll even shove their hand straight through your body. So you better hope your reactions are fast. Guns won't be your first choice of weapon here. I hope you're good with hand to hand combat.", he informed me.
I slowly took in the information.
I took out the crowbar and pried two boards from the window, making it easy for me to crawl into.
He linked his fingers together and boosted me into the hole.
I slowly crawled my way in.
As soon as I was clear of the window, I turned back to him.
"I have to board these windows back up. I can't risk them getting out here.", he said quietly,"When you've got all you could, come back to this window. I'll be waiting here."
I nodded my head.
I watched as he slowly boarded the window back up.
I stood up slowly and looked around the room I was in.
It was a lounge.
Everything seemed untouched.
The sofa was perfectly in tact.
A television sat on an entertainment stand.
A table sat in the center of the room.
On the left wall, cabinets along with shelves and drawers.
Dust floated around the room.
I stared at the door that led out of the room.
I set the crowbar on the table as I slowly passed it.
With my back against the wall, I slowly slid the machette from its resting place on my belt.
I listened carefully for any movement outside.
I could feel my heartbeat start to increase.
I slowly placed my hand on the door and swung it open.
I slowly glanced out.
The door led to a long hallway.
The lounge was at the bottom.
There were four doors on the right side.
At the center of the hall was a large archway.
I pulled my head back into the lounge.
I gathered myself and slowly worked my way into the hall.
I walked slowly, carefully placing one foot infront of the other.
My eyes darted left and right, checking every inch of area infront of me.
I reached the start of the archway and pressed up against the wall beside it.
I leaned my head out and looked around.
Outside the archway was the main floor.
Everything was thrown around.
Desks were flipped and broken.
Chairs littered the floor, along with glass and shards of wood.
Monitors were every where.
Dark stains were all over the floor.
The main counter had scratch marks all through out it, as well as bulletholes.
I checked the room carefully, multiple times to make sure nothing seemed suspicious.
"I need to find a map.", I whispered to myself.
I spotted a fire escape route of the entire building in the main desk.
I crouched down and slowly worked my way to the desk.
I pulled the map out and examined it carefully.
The armory sat in the west wing of the building on the second floor.
It was the seventh room.
The stairway to the wing was through a door directly to my left.
I folded the map and placed it into my pocket.
I slowly turned and snuck my way to the doorway.
I looked in and around the hallway.
It was clear.
I slowly walked to the door that led to the stairway.
I looked left, then right down the hall.
I placed my hand on the doorknob and paused.
I could feel a slight burst of wind against the back of my neck.
My heart began to race.
A heavy breathing started.
I tightly gripped the machette.
My breathing sped up.
I quickly spun around, slashing at anything behind me.
The blade slashed against the wall behind me.
I looked around instantly.
My panic rose.
I looked down the hallway.
At the end A person stood.
They were completely still.
Facing towards me.
Their clothes were tattered and torn.
I turned to them.
"I know what you are. You aren't going to trick me.", I barked.
Its hands twitched.
It took a step and vanished into smoke.
I quickly turned and kicked the door to the stairway open.
Before I could take a step in it, the abomination appeared and threw me back into the main floor.
I dropped the machette to the floor.
My backpack fell off and slid out of reach.
I groaned as I skid to a stop.
I could feel the brush burns on my body from the floor.
I opened my eyes ignoring the pain.
Seeing it walk towards me, I quickly worked back to my feet.
It vanished once it walked through the door.
I quickly turned in every direction looking for it.
As I made another turn, it appeared infront of me.
I quickly jumped back, dodging its swipe it took towards me.
I threw my leg out at it, kicking it directly in the chest.
I followed through the motion with a balled fist.
Before it could hit the creature, it vanished again.
My body continued forward.
I hit into a desk and quickly spun around.
I planted my feet solidly on the ground.
It appeared infront of me and swiped again.
I pushed myself to my right, catching the very edge of its claw.
I felt the blade cut my side.
I continued to step back as it swung again.
I ducked underneath a swipe and quickly threw a punch into its stomach.
It stepped back and vanished again.
I turned and sprinted to my machette.
I tucked and rolled, attempting to grab it.
I felt a foot slam against me, pushing me out of its reach.
I rolled to my feet and spun around.
It grabbed me and slammed me into the wall.
Once my feet touched the ground, it threw me into another.
My body ached.
I growled in pain.
I gripped my side where the cut was.
I felt my skin tear as I was being tossed around.
I side stepped to the center of the hall.
As I glanced back to the machette it appeared infront of me, running full force at me.
It leaped in the air, with its feet infront of it.
I had no time to respond.
They slammed into my chest, throwing me down the hall.
My body hit the ground and flipped back.
I coughed as I tried to catch my breath.
As I looked up I saw a clear shot to my machette.
I started to pick myself up, then felt a tug on my leg.
My body slid across the floor.
It was dragging me away.
I forced myself around.
Threw one leg over the other and slammed the side of my foot against its head.
The force of the clash sent it into the wall.
I quickly got to my feet and rushed to the machette.
I grabbed it and turned back to the hall.
It was empty.
I gasped trying to calm my breathing.
The wind behind me moved against me.
I turned around to it lunging at me.
I instantly stepped to the side.
With a tight grip, I slammed the blade on its arm, severing it.
The cut was clean enough to not top the velocity of its lunge.
It slid down the floor, creating a blood trail.
The creature stared at its arm.
Then fell to its knee's.
I walked to where it's arm layed and picked it up.
I slowly limped my way back to it.
It tilted its head up at me.
I gripped the arm tightly and plunged it into the top of its head.
It's fingers pierced its skull.
I held it steady for a moment, then threw it to the floor.
I swallowed air, calming my breathing.
I leaned against the wall and looked at the hand that covered my cut.
I could feel the blood trickle down my side.
I looked at the abomination.
It slowly twitched as it slowly disintegrated into the floor.
Its blood bubbled where its body layed, then calmed.
I looked at the floor infront of me, then up to the ceiling.
I pushed myself off the wall, went to the stairway and continued my way to the second floor.

Part 7:

My eyes were fixed on the landing before the second floor.
I slowly moved my way up the stairway.
My footing was slow and precise.
My body shook, still exhausted from the last encounter.
A strong pain pulsed from my side.
I reached the landing and paused, still trying to regain my composure.
I leaned up against the wall, gripping the gash tightly.
I stared at the door leading to the west wing.
The glass was rippled, blurring anything near it.
I gathered myself and slowly continued up the steps.
As I reached the center step, a cloud began to form on the other side of the door.
I quickly fell to the stairs.
My muscles ached as I held myself from sliding down.
I glanced back up to the door.
A cold sweat broke out.
It took form at the door.
I looked back through the railing at the far wall.
Frozen in place, hoping it won't see me.
After a few moments I turned my head back up to the window.
It was gone.
I gripped the stairs tightly and slowly moved myself back to my feet.
I continued up the steps to the door.
My hand shook as I reached for the doorknob.
I cracked it open slowly and looked down the hall.
A faint smell of decay was coming from the wing.
I slid out from the crack of the doorway and pressed up against the wall.
I sidestepped my way down the hall.
I looked into the first doorway I passed carefully.
An empty office.
As I reached the door on my wall, I quickly slunk to the opposite wall, passing the door.
Another empty office.
I continued down the hall.
Sliding from wall to wall.
I approached the last door to pass before the large circular intersection.
I froze as I stared into the room.
Rusted metal chains dangled from the ceiling.
Hooks were at the end of some, the others were coiled.
Bodies hung on them.
Their clothes were stripped and scattered on the floor.
The chains that didn't have hooks were coiled around their ankles.
The one's that did were pierced into their backs.
The faces were frozen in a terrified way.
Gashes revealed intenstines as well as muscles.
Flies and maggots filled the deteriorating wounds.
The smell drifted from the room.
I threw my arm over my face.
There were bodies of both men and women.
I thought they didn't kill women?
I diverted my eyes to the floor.
Trying to shake the sight.
Nail marks led from every direction into the room.
Broken and bloody nails littered the floor.
I looked to my right.
The armory door sat at the end of the hall past the intersection.
I squinted my eyes, focusing on the door.
A bright red ligh caught my attention to the side.
It was a number pad that locked the door.
I looked back into the room.
The clothes were all police officer uniforms.
I pulled my shirt up, covering my mouth and nose.
I took a calm breath and walked into the room.
I moved around the bodies and began rummaging through the clothes.
As I got to the last one, I found a wallet in the back pocket of the pants.
I opened it and searched through it.
Behind the man's family picture was a small piece of paper.
The word "Armory" was written on it along with a short list of numbers.
I folded the paper and stuffed it in my pocket.
I ran from the room and placed my head against the wall.
I clenched my fist.
My anger building, I punched the wall.
I heard a quiet growl come from behind me.
I tightened my grip on the machette.
I turned my head slightly and looked at it.
I quickly grabbed my pistol and fired three shots.
Two hit its shoulder and the other hit the center of its chest.
It whined as it fell to the floor.
I regripped the pistol and walked over to it.
As I reached its side it disappeared.
I looked around myself searching for it.
A slight burst of wind came from my left.
I aimed my pistol quickly.
The moment it appeared I pulled the trigger, emptying the clip.
The force of all the bullets pushed it back, slamming it against the wall.
It fell to the floor.
It bled out a moment, then slowly disintegrated into the floor, like the first.
"Guns don't work my ass.", I said quietly.
I dropped the empty clip from my gun.
I grabbed a fresh clip.
As I began to slide it into the gun, a loud growl echoed from my left.
I slowly turned my head.
Two abominations stood at the end of the hall.
They took two steps, then vanished.
I dropped the pistol as well as the clip.
The muscles on my legs tensed.
I started running down the hall toward the armory.
As I saw mist start to form at the armory door, I slowly skid to a stop.
I turned my head and looked back at the other end.
The other sat at the end of the hall.
I slowly putmy back to the wall.
I unholstered the second pistol in my right hand.
Slowly took the machette out with the left.
I aimed the pistol at the one at the end opposite to the armory.
My hands shook.
Then I heard a faint snarl infront of me.
I slowly turned my head to the room directly infront of me.
A third sat in the center of the room.
Before I could move, it slammed me against the wall.
It's claws dug into my shoulders.
The force of the clash with the wall forced me to drop my weapons.
It grabbed my ankles and pulled me to the floor.
I struggled to resist as it began to drag me.
I looked around closely, noticing I was moving with the nail marks on the tile.
I began to scream as the other two appeared above my head.
They were following us, growling and snarling in a frenzy.
The center intersection was close.
I spotted the first pistol as well as fresh clip.
They were both almost in reach.
As I slid past them, I grabbed them.
I forced the clip into the gun and loaded the chamber.
I fired four shots into the abomination dragging me.
The bullets pierced its chest, throwing it to the ground.
As my feet slammed on the floor, I threw the gun above my head.
I fired four more shots rapidly above me.
One abomination was hit in the shoulder.
The other vanished before it could be hit.
I quickly threw myself to my feet and ran back towards the armory.
The injured abomination started forming.
It threw its injured arm out at me.
I dropped down and slid past.
The blades just barely passed the top of my head.
I felt my hair move and some be cut.
I quickly aimed the pistol.
I fired the last few shots of the clip, throwing it to the floor.
I jumped back up to my feet and reloaded my gun.
As I loaded the chamber, the other appeared.
It swiped at me.
I threw myself against the wall.
Its claws still caught my right arm.
I screamed in pain and dropped the pistol.
It turned itself to me and sunk its teeth into the top of my shoulder near my neck.
I continued to scream and threw my left elbow into its stomach.
It stumbled back, then regained itself.
I ran farther down, making the machette and pistol in reach.
I hunched down and forced myself to grab both.
As I straightened myself back up, my legs buckled.
They were exhausted.
I gasped for air.
My eyes locked on the armory.
I swallowed hard and crawled to the door.
As I reached it I slammed my back against it.
I looked at the pistol.
Then the machette.
It had the advantage.
Any attack I make, it'll know.
It'll vanish.
I can't hit it.
Its steps were heavy.
Slow.
My heart raced.
My body shook.
I tried to move.
But my body didn't respond.
I was helpless.
As it reached infront of me a loud crack echoed down the hall.
A hole burst from it's forehead.
Its body was flung on to me.
Blood and brain matter covered the door.
I looked down the end of hall.
Tom stood at the end, smoke spouted from the barrel of his magnum.
He had my backpack with him.
"You alright?", he shouted down at me.
I forced the body off of me.
"Oh yeah, never better.", I gasped as I held my limp arm in the air.
He picked up the pistol I had dropped and walked to me.
"You dropped this.", he said as he tossed me the pistol.
I holstered both as well as the machette.
He held his hand out.
I grabbed it and worked my way to my feet.
I took the paper with the numbers on it out.
I punched in the numbers on the pad.
The light turned green.
I heard the locks release.
My hands shook as I slowly opened the door.
As I looked inside, I slammed the door open.
Empty.
My anger built up.
I punched the doorway.
Tom rested his hand on my shoulder.
"Come on, we tried.", he comforted me.
I nodded in agreement.
We worked our way down the hall.
As we past the room with the corpses, Tom paused.
He stared in.
His eyes welled.
"Even the women...", he whispered.
I looked in as well.
"We'll save her.", I responded.
He regained himself.
We worked our way down the steps.
Through the main room.
Back into the lounge.
He carefully let me go, then worked his way out the window.
I bent down.
Then heard a scream.
My head spun behind myself.
Another abomination stood at the doorway.
We forgot to close the door.
It charged in and grabbed onto my legs.
I scrambled my arms, trying to grab something.
"TOM!", I shouted.
Tom threw his arm into the window with his magnum in hand.
He fired two shots.
It vanished before they hit it.
"CRAWL!", he shouted back at me.
My feet skid as I ran and dived through the window.
Once through, Tom grabbed the two boards as well as a hammer and nails from the brush.
He nailed the first board on quickly.
He picked up the second board, then dropped it.
He stepped back slowly and fell to the ground.
I saw a claw protruding from the hole.
I grabbed my pistol and fired at it.
Three bullets hit its arm.
It screamed as it pulled its arm back in.
I threw myself to me feet.
I grabbed the board, as well as hammer and nails.
I nailed the board on, then turned to Tom.
He had three holes in his chest.
"I'm...alright.", he gasped.
I slowly helped him to his feet.
He groaned quietly.
"We can't go into the door like this.", I told him.
"We have to, we can't wait any longer.", he assured me.
I sighed slowly.
He guided me to his store.
We worked our way to the back.
He dropped to the ground and started throwing dirt leaves and branches out from infront of him.
I looked above him and saw a plank hanging above him.
A fresh pile of dirt as well as more leaves and branches filled it.
A string led from it down into the ground he was scrambling at.
I saw a small trap door start to appear.
I slowly bent over and helped him remove the dirt.
He threw the door open.
I helped him in carefully, then followed it.
It led to a small cellarway.
I closed the door quietly behind me.
Tom set himself on the floor.
"Pull that string.", he ordered, pointing next to me.
I pulled the string hard.
I listened as I head the plank drop the dirt onto the door.
I sat myself at the opposite end of the cellarway of Tom.
He groaned as he gripped his chest.
"You gunna be alright?", I asked quietly
"Yeah...", he replied,"...luckily it didn't get me deep. Just threw me back."
I placed my head against the wall and stared at the stairway up into his store.
My body pulsed and ached.
I felt blood still slowly trickle from my wounds.
The nightmare had only just begun.