The Silence [Unfinished]

Friends Lost and Gained

February would gladly admit that Zular is a huge threat. But she is not willing to tell him that he his. February thinks he's already figured that out given that he can communicate with her easily.

She doesn't get the Monsters of Silence like Zach did. She does not know the aspect of survival.

But how did she survive this long like this? The question invades Zular's mind as Zach's mind was invaded on that stone road. There was just too much on Zular's mind.

But for February, things were more ominous. She's leading Zular back to her base camp. Knowing she's safe there, even with him.

Even a mile away, Zular heard the noise. The high pitched, banshee scream. But he encouraged himself to keep going, following February.

Eventually it was just too much and Zular roared in pain. February looked at Zular, wondering why he was like that. Then she remembered the noise and laughed.

"Sorry, Zular. It's a frequency that humans can't hear." February apologized. Zular nodded and took some steps away from it.

"By any chance is there an...alternative entrance?" Zular asked. February was confused by the word "alternative" but it is not entirely her fault. She barely gets time to read.

"Another entrance?" She asks. Zular nods, paws on his ears, whimpering, the sound was too loud and highly pitched for him to handle. Even a child's scream to him wasn't loud enough to hear from at least a kilometre away. He was vulnerable though, February could just leave him there and never come back, she could lead monsters of silence here somehow.

But no, February brings Zular to a hidden entrance in a tree, under a rock. In surprise, she has no trouble moving it aside after practically dragging a full grown shadow tiger. Even if Zular's shadow corrupted body doesn't take on the full weight of the chosen animal he is, he will still be a lot heavier than a cat or a large dog.

February brings Zular to the stairs leading into the deep and dark hole. The first thing Zular notices, is the putrid smell. One smell so familiar, his mind and heart sinks into the bottomless abyss of demise and heartbreak. The smell reminds him too much of the journey he has faced to get here. All the memories come back to him in a flash of lightning. It hits him harder than a Monster of Silence hungry for the taste of human blood.

His paws shake with every step he takes deeper into the hole, and not just from the pain of his ringing ears. But from the suffering of his memories that he wants so badly to forget.

February, on the other hand, is nose blind to the cause. She has no problem with the smell as she has gone down here before. Used to the squishing below her sneakers, the water dripping onto her skin from above, and the putrid smell.

Without skipping a beat when his front paw hits the bottom and lands on cold, wet, metal, he whimpers and his eyes glow dull and his shadow fur starts breaking off going down instead of up and behind him. His shadow-ridden ears fall low, and he lowers his head and tenses. He lets out a slow and sad growl of pain and torment.

"I...I'm sorry."

February frowns and looks at Zular, feeling his pain like Zach could feel his anger. She didn't know why he was in so much pain, all she knew is that she couldn't say she has been there before, and she's too afraid to touch him. She couldn't comfort him because she hasn't been with any humans since she was a kid. Even then they barely spoke to her, unknowing that she could understand.

"Zular, why are you sorry?" February asks with concern, urging him to follow her deeper into the sewer. He follows slowly, and she struggles to match the pace.

Zular growls and looks at the ground and more to the side, using his advance senses to know where February is. "You should really be asking 'What am I sorry for', February." Zular tells her. She nods and looks behind her at him. "What are you sorry for, Zular?" She asks him, still in deep concern for him.

"Dear February, even a child must know the horrors the world has to offer. You should know too," February nods and listens to Zular, "but even in this apocalyptic world, there's things that even a monster, like me, can be haunted by." He explains, his deep voice shaky and noticeable that he is trying to avoid stuttering. February is curious about his experiences.

What a weird Monster of Silence, February thinks. Zular nods and continues on, taking her silence as questioning.

"I was a feared Monster of Silence, I even scared them. But I was out in the open, observing for the Elders of how many people the others can kill in groups or individually. One in particular escaped them swiftly. He knew what he was doing on an enormous level and he succeeded just the same. Only he ran into me on the way. I scared him out of the dark, I...I couldn't help but spare him. At the time I had thought I was being a dumb little pup. That night I had followed his scent, he smelled of death, almost as strongly as down here," he almost trips over a body that he doesn't sense, "but in all odds, he ends up at a bank not far from there. He was asleep, he told me it was the first time in weeks. While he was asleep, I sat and watched him. I...protected him." He tells her, at the end she takes a left into more sewers.

"Then after maybe a year, we weren't keeping track, we had to part due to a massive group of the monsters. I guess they evolved into something smarter somehow. I had tracked him down in the end, and I...I found him near death," he whimpers as he remembers, pain striking through him quickly and hard, "I shouldn't have left him alone. I...I blame myself for breaking a promise that I could have kept. He would still be alive if it weren't for me, February. He had saved a little girl's life, and I should have saved his. He was a good person. He was my only friend, even if he never spoke. We traveled far together, we had so much memories. But I feel like it had ended too soon. It wasn't enough time." Zular admits to February. She glances at Zular, frowning from the story. At the same time she had to wonder something; Could that man be the one who saved me all those years ago?

"I'm sorry to hear that Zular, I've lost people too. I'm sure everything will be fine." February tells him, unsure of what she said was even true or if it is coming from the soul of her human nature. "February, he died by me. I ended his torture the others have put him in. I had to kill my friend. I had to kill what I was guarding." He tells her on the verge of shadow tears. February stops and hugs him, her arms going deep into his shadow fur before setting on what he wants to be solid. "I feel so bad for you, Zular. I do not know what that is like, but I hope one day you will see him again." She tells him, still unsure if it's the truth or not.

Zular puts a shadowy arm around her torso and lightly squeezes her.

"I hope so too..."