The Rain (Book 1 - The Unprotected)

Chapter 28 - Chambre de sang et amère vérité

Horror swept over Jane's face at the sight. The once beautifully decorated living room was now painted with blood. It was sprayed up the walls and poured across the floors. The dead bodies of a mother, father and child lay lifeless in the centre of the room, bathing in red.

Their faces were pale and full of fear and pain. The husband's stomach was cut open, he lay on the floor with his intestines laying around him, everything that was meant to be inside was out of his body. The wife's throat was slit, her dress riding up her thighs. Her hand was grasping onto the little boy's one. He looked about 13 years old and his chest, his torso was covered in punctures, like he was a pin cushion.

Jane gasped and her shaky hand slapped over her mouth. Her eyes brimmed with tears. Her heart was beating so fast and with such strength, she feared that it would burst out her chest. She swallowed but it didn't work, she turned her head to the side and bent over, throwing up her breakfast. Not much came up but once she was done a hand gripped her forearm and pulled her back. The door slammed shut. She stayed in a hunched position gasping for air while Drew paced behind her. Nate heard the commotion and came to investigate.

"What? What happened? You okay?" He asked worriedly, looking to Jane who had tears rushing down her face. He stepped forward reaching for the door that had just been slammed shut, his hand wrapped around the handle and before he could push it down, Drew intervened.

"Don't. You don't want to see what's in there. Trust me." He said solemnly, his eyes fixed intensely on Nate. He shook his head when Nate looked between the door and Drew. Nate's curiosity got the best of him and with a quick breath, the door swung open. He gasped and as soon as it was open, it was shut again.

The smell of blood hit Jane like a wave and she was gasping for air again. A hand appeared in front of her face and the hairs that escaped her ponytail were being pulled back. Drew. It was Drew, she thought. She straightened herself and turned to see him, thank him but instead of being met with Drew, it was Nate. He had pulled back her strands of fiery, frizzy hair. She nodded at him slowly, surprised it was him. He swung his bag around and pulled out a half full bottle of orange juice and handed it to her.

"We should go." Drew said, he didn't wait for their reply as he turned and marched towards the door. He shoved it open and made his way down the stairs, slamming his feet off every step.

The apartment building they were in only had three floors. Nate had checked the one opposite them while Courtney was unconscious and Jeanette and Bethany offered to take the top two.

Jane followed after Drew once he reached the bottom of the apartment block and could no longer be heard. Her feet, on the other hand, were light against the floor, against the steps. She was like a butterfly landing on a leaf, quiet and graceful.

As Nate left, he tapped his pocket to make sure the car keys he took were still there. With a last glance at the dead house, he closed the door. He felt bad just leaving the family like that but there was nothing he could do. He wished he could bury them but he knew he didn't have the stomach for it. He wished more than ever that he did.

"So what now?" Nate asked as he walked through the door of the apartment they'd been staying in. He dumped his bag with the others that lined the hall. He made his way into the living room where everyone else was waiting, except Courtney. "What do we do?" He asked, eyes scanning over everyone.

"Did anyone else...in the...." Jeanette couldn't find her words, she stepped away from Bethany closer to everyone else. "People had been killed in both of the apartments we searched. I had to keep Bethany outside, it was...gruesome." She whispered, looking over her shoulder to see Bethany fiddling with a small toy she'd picked up. Drew nodded in reply.