WhiteScratch

Not Safe

Jake swung the flashlight around, gazing at every dark corner he could, looking for where the sound had come from. "Whose there?",  Jake said with such authority.  At first there was only silence as me and Jake held our breathes, trying to remain calm. Then, in a deep, scratchy voice we heard, "You shouldn't be here. Every outsider who has passed through here has never made it out." The man then preceded to laugh maniacally, giving me a twisted feeling in my stomach. 

"We need to leave. Right now." I whispered to Jake. "I agree, but we clearly can't just run out of here. We don't know where we are going or where the others are." he whispered back to me, in a calm but brave voice. The man somehow heard our whispers and said in a psychotic voice, "Who knows where the others are. They could be here, or there..." he paused before reveling himself to us. Jake planted the flashlight on him to reveal is horrific features. He was hunched over in a crawling position. His skin was a very pale color with scratches, cuts, and teeth marks all over. Dried blood covered his mouth as well as most of his whole body. He had no hair unless you count a few hair strands hanging from his head. He had dried, cracked lips and no teeth which, you could tell from his demonic smile as he looked at us. His eyes were a dark grey, almost black that had a lost look to them. A look that seemed completely insane like he had lost his head and had been living without one for years and years. He cocked his head to the side and said "...or everywhere." Just then we heard a scream that was so highly pitched we had to cover our ears. It was so terrifying that I almost started to cry but I had to keep my weakness a secret. The scream shattered what was left of the windows in this place and sent the shards in a hot line for the ground. Jake took my hand and dragged me under a car where we hid till all the glass had fallen. We then got up and started to run. We ran in a straight line, looking for the end of this dark place. People were falling from the buildings, trying to land on top of us but when they didn't, they splattered on the ground sending blood flying everywhere. We dogged everyone we could, never taking a break. My lungs felt like they were on fire but I kept running, keeping up with Jake.  We jumped over cars and debris, zig-zagged in and out in the street as the scream kept ringing through the place. Our ears started to bleed, which I could tell because I could feel the blood drip down my face but we kept running. 

" I CAN SEE THE BORDER RACHEL! JUST KEEP RUNNING, WE'RE ALMOST THERE!" Jake screamed at the top of his lungs to me. I nodded at him and looked ahead at the border. "We're almost there. Just keep on, Rachel" I told myself. My legs started to get weak. I tripped over multiple cracks in the concrete but Jake was there to pick me back up. 

Just as we were nearing the end, the unthinkable happened. Someone jumped at me from the side, coming out of nowhere. They tore me from Jake's grip and started pulling me into the darkness. They had their arms around me, biting into my neck. I screamed in pain, struggling to get back to Jake who was chasing after me. I held my hand out to him, reaching for him. He finally caught up to me and pulled with all his strength to break me free of the creature's hold. As he pulled, I could feel the creature sink his teeth deeper into my neck and as I was freed, a whole chunk of my flesh was tore off as the teeth were tore out of me.  I screamed in agony, tears flowing from my eyes, down my face. There was blood everywhere and I was sure I was going to die.  Jake tore is shirt off and made a make shift bandage out of it to stop the bleeding. 

"Stay with me Rachel. I got you, we are almost out of here." I couldn't move, I was terrified, crying buckets, and in retched agony. Jake picked me up with such gentleness and carried me out of that place. His arms felt so strong under me as he ran with me, his eyes on the border, looking down at me as often as he could. A creature tried to reach out and grab him just as we were a few feet away from the border but Jake dogged it and carried me out to safety,into the scorching hot sun. He put me down and crouched over me "We're out Rachel, we're out." He put his forehead on mine and I could feel a tear from him drop down onto my face. He whispered "You'll be ok. You will survive. You're safe now. I got you" He then picked me up and held me in his arms. I smile at him and say "Thank you" before I drift off into the deepest sleep of my life that is haunted with nightmares but even in my dreams, I know that I am safe with Jake and he will do anything it takes to keep me safe.