Bite Me

No Silver

It was all burned down.

Melody came to a stop at the edge of the village. Now that she was here, she could see the village for what it truly was.

It was all burned down. Recently too, guessing by the embers that remain and the steam still slightly coming off the butchered animals she passed. Melody looked around as she walked, making her breathing even quieter. Where was everyone?

What had happened?

The snow on the street under her feet had been kicked up, more slush than actual snow at this point. Soot and blood alike stained it. Melody kept her hand next to her handgun, which at this point felt ridiculously small, and the dinky pocketknife in her Swiss Army knife. She turned the corner.

Oh. Hello, shotgun.

Blood stained the snow under it and away, looking like whoever had been holding it had been dragged away. Melody scooped up the shotgun, looking it over. The safety was off and three bullets were missing. At least one person had fought back- Alexi, guessing on the name etched into the handle. It felt wrong to use a dead person's gun, but whoever had caused this could still be around and she didn't trust the small handgun she had.

"Sorry," she called before beginning to walk again.

"Why did you say sorry?" One moment to the next, a little girl appeared at her side. She looked sickly, with long dark hair hanging lank and dark bags under her eyes. Despite this, she skipped in grey rainboots, looking unbothered by the snow. "They aren't gonna hear you, Mommy."

"It's just polite, Ivy," Melody said. Her hackles were raised as she looked around. The tracks had led her here, but why would Cecily be here? "Does something feel off to you?" Ivy paused, staring at her with wide eyes. "Right, stupid question, but...something else."

What looked like a ten-year-old cocked her head, considering the village. The mocking faded from her expression, replaced by stiffened shoulders and a tight frown. Melody pushed down another memory to focus on the fact that Ivy felt something. "There is something. Everywhere."

Oh. Great. Everywhere was fun-

Crash.

Melody's thoughts were broken by a crash, coming from the house she was walking next to. She immediately flattened herself against the wall. Ivy's form disappeared. More crashes followed the first.

Then, it went silent. She found herself relaxing. Whatever it was, it was gone.

She pushed away from the wall.

The next moment, something slammed into her.

Big. Grey. Teeth. Lots of teeth. Melody let out a screech, shoving the shotgun forward and bringing a booted foot up, kicking her attacker way. She scrambled to her feet, managing to get some room to bring the shotgun up.

It was...nope, it wasn't human. It looked like it had been once. Torn clothing hung on a body that seemed stretched out and bone thin. Grey fur, the same color as what she had glimpsed out in the woods, poofed out of this creature. It snapped sharp teeth at her, drool dripping in between.

She couldn't help the "Ugh," before she took aim with Alexi's shotgun and fired.

Once.

The werewolf yelped but quickly scrambled to it's feet, ignoring the bullet hole in it's shoulder. Again she took aim and fired, this one entering the cheek.

It took a third bullet in the forehead for the werewolf to finally go down.

Okay. So werewolves didn't require silver bullets to die. Good to know.

That still didn't explain why there was fucking werewolves-

Piercing pain hit the meat of her leg.

Melody screeched, whirling around even as her leg screamed in protest. More werewolves had approached, a few hopping into the surrounding rooftops. The roof ones had bows and arrows- and who knew werewolves used weapons?- with the arrows flaming.

Guess that explained what happened to the village.

She hefted up Alexi, swallowing back the bile that wanted to come up at the pain. At least it looked like the arrow hadn't broken off.

The first werewolf approached weaponless. So did the next. And the next.

It was just her luck that when she pulled the trigger, receiving just a click, that the werewolf came with a buddy. And an axe.

Melody dodged the axe with a yelp, managing to hook the strap over her shoulder with only a face full of claws for her trouble. The axe swung again, barely missing the large scar that rested in her half shave. Nope! Nope, she was not willing to have something buried in her head again.

She yanked out the handgun and fired.

It seemed her original issue had been distance. One good shot through the eyes and one was down. She avoided another swing of the axe and fired again.

She turned to the rest of the crowd and oh fuck there was some on horses.

Melody gripped her handgun and took aim. The largest horserider chuffed, sounding very amused at her guts. She glared back. There was silence-

Bells.

The pack, as one, all turned their heads. Melody did too. The sound of bells ringing was coming from the cathedral- what kind of village out in the boonies had a cathedral? Not the time- Someone had to be ringing those bells. Survivors? Maybe someone there knew where Cecily was.

Before Melody could move, the riders were riding away. The rest of the pack rushed after them. "Shit!" she yelped. She wanted to run after them, see what she could stop before the survivors of whatever massacre had happened here could die. A sharp pain through her leg stopped before she could.

The arrow was still buried in her leg.

Ignoring everything she had learned in that one ancient warfare class in college and military training, Melody wrapped a hand around the shaft and yanked the arrow out, the head thankfully still attached. Trickles of blood ran down her leg. She threw it aside and started walking.

She ignored the wound in her leg and scratches across her face stopped bleeding, scabbing over, and the skin regrow. One moment to the next, not even a scar left. She ignored Ivy's giggle in the back of her head.

She didn't notice the crow watching her with too-clever eyes or the small camera perched on the corner.

A few people noticed her.