TCM

Chapter 6

They walked alongside each other down another dully lit corridor. Rows of skulls glittered in the patchy light, ornaments strewn across the tables. Each seemed hand crafted, messily formed out of boredom perhaps. Whatever the reason, Connie could identify each skull. Mostly livestock, cows, pigs; additions of deer, cougar and other various native animals. Scuffed bullet holes rang through the larger skulls but most were missing, driving an idea they must prefer to hunt by traps and blades. A soft clucking sound echoed ahead and Connie approached quietly. She clutched the door frame as she swung her ahead around to look. It was a chicken. It's fluffy body crammed into a wire cage, feathers strewn across the floor from where it had struggled for freedom, trapped in a suffocating prison. Once it spotted Connie it began fluttering around manically, calling out. Virginia looked mournfully at the animal and reached out to try free it, to which Connie did not interfere. It was cruel, yet not expected. None of the bigger game's bullet shots were clean, too many for it to be poor skill. They must enjoy watching the life drip out of a being slowly, the fight fading from their eyes. Nothing Connie could support. Her family killed cleanly, for purpose all those they raised. In the end all animals die, no matter the length of struggle. Virginia ripped the wire cage, it was surprisingly flimsy, letting the chicken flutter down to the floor. Before she could speak soft words of reassurance to it, as one would do to a dog, it bolted away. Both Connie and Virginia stood watching it run before resuming their walk.

"Who would do that to a poor animal? Probably not seen sunlight in ages." Virginia muttered. Connie, too focused with navigating in the dark, simply replied with a shrug. The floor become wooden and she struggled to see, moving in front of Virginia. A sense of panic overcame her as it continued to get even harder to see. It felt like someone had thrown a blanket over her head, blinding her to the real world. A sudden loud brrr noise amplified this fear, and even though it did not sound close, she increased her pace. With that she caught the bottom of her sandals on a plank, launching herself forwards with a startled shriek. Connie landed in something sharp and as she scrambled to her feet, it scraped harshly across her upper arm. Blood trickled down her arm from under her short-sleeved cropped shirt and she stifled a reaction feeling Virginia's eyes boring into her back. She felt around the walls carelessly before gripping a door handle, pushing it open with a jolt of desperation. Light flooded her eyes and she sighed in relief, despite the dazzling effect on her vision. Preceding this relief, she had fell to her knees rubbing her arm. Virginia hurried in after her and closed the door behind her.

"Oh no!, are you okay???" She spoke with deep concern. With a clearer view than Connie, she crouched next to her to take a look. Connie although hot with embarrassment for her panicking let Virginia pull back her sleeve. A wound cut across her upper left arm, around 10cm long if Virginia had to guess. It didn't look much deep only wide; hot sticky blood dribbled down her arm rhythmically, staining her white shirt and hitting the concrete floor with a soft splattering sound. The wound looked gnarly either way. 

Connie sniffled and spoke, "It stings like hell, how bad is it?"

"It's wider than it is deep, which is good, you'll be okay. What do you think cut you?"

The stinging and shock of her panic had not left her and Connie stumbled over her words trying to form a sentence. Virginia looked at her with round understanding eyes as she waited. Truthfully Connie was more afraid of the loud noise she had heard than her wound despite the pulsating waves of pain, it sounded like something mechanical. 

"...uh, ah.. I think bones.. you heard that noise"

Virginia nodded at her, as she began wiping away the blood with her hand. She tore a chunk of her patterned shirt off to clean more efficiently. 

"What do you think.. it was?" Connie asked. Of course she knew first aid, her dad had driven the basics into her from a young age. Hanging around large machines and butcher blades was a health and safety nightmare, yet she was always trusted to handle herself around them correctly. Though in her state of mild woe she thought it easier for Virginia to handle it, she had a better view anyway. 

"Umm, I don't know. A generator?"

"It started... and ended too weirdly, generators are consistent..."

"Maybe some other farm equipment?" Virginia spoke as she attempted to stop the bleeding, applying pressure that made Connie bite her tongue, fresh blood slick across her arms mingling with the old. She tore more of her t-shirt to try tie around the wound.

"Ah.. let me think." As she did Virginia tied the fabric firmly around her arm, enough to prevent bleeding but not too tight. Connie thought hard. She tried thinking about her parents farm and all the various sounds, mowers, strimmers. Not those, they sounded different. Not any machine as it only lasted a split second. She narrowed her eyes and shuffled her legs underneath herself uncomfortably. Virginia heaved Connie upwards before lowering her again, moving her legs out from under herself. Connie was too deep in thought to move herself. Last summer the heat was so bad they had to install coolers for the animals, they were quieter. Not that... they had a issue with the power that meant the heating was out. They had to burn more fires. Connie sat staring blankly forwards to Virginia's worry. She was concerned especially as she had been so calm before, so collected.  

Connie spluttered out suddenly, making Virginia jump. 

"Ohhhh. It was a chainsaw rev!" She glanced at Virginia's frightened face and cringed, she did not mean to frighten her so.

"I'm sorry Virginia. Thank you." She rubbed her arm gently where her wound was patched up.

"Yeah, no worries. Jesse used to get into tumbles all the time..."

"I am grateful truly", she paused "that's a chainsaw. My dad used to have a similar one. They can take ages to start up you know?"

"Why would they be using a chainsaw down here?"

"I don't know, maybe we can go spy on whoever it is? They might lead us to a way out, the noise and darkness just spooked me in the moment."

Virginia looked unsure and Connie smiled.

"You doubt yourself too much... you just helped me and stayed calm. We don't need to get close..."

"Yeah... okay. You're right, for Jesse... and for your friends."

Virginia helped Connie up and supported her gently while she stretched her legs wearily. She was truly grateful for Virginia's help, and at the same time still ashamed of panicking. Guess the narrow darkness spooked her more than she thought. Once she felt more steady they headed towards where the sound came from, creeping past creaking pipes. The sound echoed once more and they approached the red tinted room it was coming from. The room smelled sickly, thick of a metallic scent. The floors stained with red and buckets of pooling blood littered around, feigning bravery Connie creeped forwards, peering out from behind some empty containers. Heavy breathing spluttered out someone's mouth, and as her eyes adjusted she made out the unmistakable shape of a human. Only they were hung up by a leg, a squeal escaping their lips as a larger shape moved in front of them. He must be human, Connie could see his large arms and blood soaked clothes clinging to his skin, but she had never seen someone built so primal. He was triple the size of the other person. She stared in a mix of disbelief and terror as the huge man once again attempted to start his chainsaw, and with a final yank of the cord, it began running with a loud revving sound. Connie covered her mouth as the chainsaw blade flung into the human, spraying blood across the floor. A loud scream of desperation erupted from the strung up person, a cry of defeat, and Virginia stifled a fearful wail in return. She stumbled backwards in shock and sent a scrap of bone skidding across the floor with her foot, Connie jerked her head around to look at Virginia then back at the large shape that had halted in his tracks, in front of his victim. His head turned sharply with a grunt. His shadowed eyes meeting Connie's.