Never As We Imagined
Chapter FOUR - Nightfall
“Memories… god damnit” I muttered quietly looking over a weather worn 2011 edition black diary, the edges of each page were creased and the binding was bent and mangled.
“um… guys…”
Everyone’s eyes crept over to my direction… mine found their way to the grassy ground.
“Thanks for sticking by me…” I said in a coarse weak voice, my eyes became teary but they didn’t shed... not anymore.
Everyone just nodded without a word knowing exactly what I was feeling, how we all felt.
We had all come a long way since E-day, no longer were the days where we would spend lying in the sun making shapes with the clouds, no longer could we sit and watch our favorite anime or argue with siblings.
The colorful days of the past were gone leaving us only with the scarlet stained sunset that sat before us on the horizon, reminding us of our constant solitude… Just us, no one left.
“It’s time to go Bro” Whetu said in his usual fun tone “We have 45 mins before sundown”
“Alright, I’m hungry anyway hehe” Leah said with an upbeat squeak, looking to us all “Yeah I said picking myself up of the ground and stretching. I took the diary and put it into a little black case that hooked onto my belt. “Well, another entry done” I said extending a hand to the two girls “Here, lets get inside”
“Hai”
“Ok all the doors and windows are boarded up!” Tequila yelled down the short hallway “Yep and the beds are nearly done too!” Whetu said coming out of the far bedroom propping himself up against the door frame “Hows dinner coming?” He asked the door across from him, “Nearly done guys, just gotta serve it” I replied “Leah all done?” “Yep, were good” She said placing a candle up onto the shelf.
“Dinners a bit late but here you go” Whetu looked over his shoulder at me “Yeah bro serve up the girls first, I’m just going toilet” I turned to face the table and placed the plates of baked beans down on the table “Sweet” I whispered as I checked my watch, “18:57... Here they come” sitting down to my seat on the table.
*beep* my watch notified me of the turning of the hour.
All eating ceased… more appropriately we couldn‘t eat.. The noise was unnerving to say the least, Every night at about this time the shredders came out to hunt, the sound of a thousand wings flooded the now dark sky drowning out all noise within a kilometer of the black cloud that flocked above all the once heavily populated areas.
I knew Whetu didn't need to go toilet, at this time he would always find an excuse to leave the room. Once the sound of Shredwings were gone he would return. I never once questioned it but tonight I got I weird feeling that he was holding something heavy on his shoulders… "Maybe I shouldn't have read that diary out loud" I thought. “Hey” I said over the noise “I’m going to look for Whetu, be back in 5, k?"
The girls nodded.
I walked out into the hallway to find him standing at the far door, looking down at the ground with his arm encasing his face. He didn't notice me yet so I just stood in the shadows. He looked distressed and he kept rocking so that his head would hit the wall.
His fist was bleeding.
"Bro… what’s up?”
I walked towards him as the noise of the shredwings died down
“I’m sorry my sister…I…I…”
The glimmer of a single tear made itself visible as it fell to the ground.
I stopped dead in my tracks… He was crying.
“My bro..” I whispered walking up to him and placing my hand on his shoulder pulling him into an embrace “Whatever you may think about that, it was not your fault… you loved her… and you did what you had to” I said calmly but firm, my voice not wavering so to try and reassure that i was speaking the truth.
“I…I…I’m…so sorry!” He said pulling in closer and letting his tears flow from his heart, burying his head into my shoulder he screamed long and loud into my shirt dropping us both to our knees.
All I could think was how could I not have seen this sooner.
...
“How is he?” Tequila asked watching me walk in, concern riddled her face “Leah’s got him, he’ll be good.” I replied with a deep sigh, “How did I not click… Damnit, you idiot!”. I stared down at my plate, the food was cold and stale.
*knock…. crrrreeeaaaak*
“Hey do you hear that?” Tequila asked alarmed “Oh no…”
I gasped and stood to my feet “It can't be…” Whetu and Leah ran into the kitchen “They're trying to come through the front!” Whetu yelled in a serious manner “Get the torches in the bedrooms!”
*bang…. crack*
“They've broken through!”
The front door splintered and a single hand reached through; grazed, torn and rotting.
“Tequila! Aaron! Get in here with those torches!” Whetu yelled “They're coming through!”
I searched around the bedroom and grabbed our weapons and two torches “I got them!” I practically screamed back racing down the hallway down to the front room where everyone was stationed.
“Here” I said passing over my rebar and a torch to Leah then turning to tequila passing her makeshift lance over “Thanks” she said moving towards the door jabbing the sharpened iron point through to the incoming horde “fuck you!” she yelled at her victims, still trying to move through the small gap broken in the front door. “Hhhrrrrrrrrrrnnnnnggggggg” the Zees all harmoniously chanted whilst pushing and beating at the barrier separating us from them.
“My turn!” Leah said unsheathing her rebar and slashing at the grey limbs desperately clawing at the door, now creaking under the weight of the bodies piling up on the other side. Blood splashed across the debris with every slash and stab of the iron blade.
Suddenly the zees cries stopped and they backed away from the front door “What the…?” Leah said with a confused look, we all copied her facial expression and wondered “what just happened here…they don't just give up…” I looked at the hole with wonder in the door “Cover me” I said passing my Longsword over to Whetu, he nodded and walked forwards beside me…
“Slowly” I said walking towards the small gap in the door, the stench of the dead becoming stronger and stronger… I looked around… “Do you hear that?” I said as my eyes grew wider.
The sound of beating wings.
“get the UV torches on..." I yelled
"NOW!"
Too Late.
END chapter FOUR
