Rot || ONC2024

──●One●──

    Call me a sadist, but I loved the sound of their screams. It may be the product of chasing the never ending, never ceasing excitement and adrenaline that I craved, or the fact that in just mere minutes, the screams would cease.

    "Please! I'll do anything, anything! My family will worry!"

    My claws gleamed in the moonlight as I traced along the girl's chin. She appeared to be in her early 20's, no older than me. Still, if she thought our age similarities would evoke compassion and sorrow, she was wrong. Dead wrong.

    "Didn't your parents teach you not to go out after dark," I taunted, digging my claws into the tender flesh of her neck.

    She winced. "I promise I'll listen to them next time! I promise you won't see me again! Just let me g-"

    Without further delay or toying, I sliced my claws straight through. She screamed as crimson rain scattered the earth below.

    I firmly grasped her head and, with all my strength, forced it towards her chest. A loud crack echoed through the night, and the screams ended as sudden as they had begun.

    "Maybe in your next life you'll have better listening skills," I chuckled. As I hoisted our next meal onto my shoulder, I hollered out. "Yo, Yarrow, fresh meat!"

    "Sick!" The bushes rustled, and a few hundred yards away a blond haired boy stuck his head out.

    I chuckled. "Come, we can snack on the way back."

    Yarrow jumped out of the bushes. Brushing the dried, crumpled leaves off his trousers, he raced towards me to join my side.

    "I want the heart, flip her over."

    "Promise to share?"

    Yarrow rolled his eyes. "You know I always do, now lay her down puh-lease. I'm starving."

    Firmly grasping the corpse's ankles, I flipped her off my shoulder and onto the soil.

    "Thank you." Without hesitation, he sliced the girl's clothes and started gouging into her flesh. He sliced through layers of muscles and veins with ease and precision. As he ripped out the heart, his eyes gleamed with triumph.

    "It's still warm," he commented, ripping the heart into two, "oh boy this is going to be tasty."

    As I bit into it, I couldn't help the groan that escaped. My stomach begun to growl as I shoveled bite after bite into my mouth.

   "This beats those weeks old bodies that they've been feeding us."

   "Holy fuck does it ever." Yarrow began to slice the thigh of the girl into fillets. "I'm bringing this shit back to my room, any break from that rancid old stuff is much appreciated."

  "Try not to make it too obvious," I muttered, "we don't need the Council on our asses for not turning over our kill." 

   Yarrow sighed and shoved the few pieces he had into his pocket. "S'pose you're right."

   "I know I am." Hoisting the girl yet again on my shoulder, we begun the walk back.

    "Did you see any other fellas out there," Yarrow questioned.

    I shook my head. "I saw some of the other Walkers head over yonder," I jerked my head towards the tiny settlement that sat just past the treeline. "I imagine that's where this gal is from. Should teach her lil clan not to venture into these parts at night."

    "There'll still be some rebellious teenagers, I bet. Hopefully some abandoned children or babies. I could really use a nice, light snack about now."

   "Did you even eat today?" I giggled, "All you've been talking about is food."

   "I'll admit, I was saving my appetite for the hunt tonight. Was more or less hoping to find a quick snack, but that heart worked good too, honestly!"

   As I brushed a branch out of my face, I looked to Yarrow. 

   "We can start heading out at dusk tomorrow, that way there should still be some stranglers out and about."

   Yarrow pumped his fist. "Fresh meat, here I come!"