Blight of the Rose

Chapter One

The cool air pierced my skin as I woke up in a gasp, I looked over to the side, seeing Elijah sitting there still sleeping in the passenger seat. I sighed and slowly opened the door, making sure not to wake him. Once I was clear from the car, I clutched my bow and ventured into the woods hoping to find some food for Elijah and I to eat tonight. I quickly scanned the surrounding area to spot a small grey rabbit.  Narrowing in on my target, I instantly placed crosshairs within my mind as I grasped my bow and notched an arrow, taking careful aim at the small creature. I took a deep breath and let the arrow fly.

I hit the rabbit dead on as it made a small squealing sound. I rushed over to my prey, examining it carefully. Elijah always teased me for being too careful, but I would rather make sure it wasn’t infected with anything. Seeing nothing distorted or twisted on the body I wrapped my fingers around the arrow and slowly pulled it from the animal’s flesh. I felt my hand slick over the blood as I wiped my arrow, slipping the rabbit into my leather pouch. Elijah had thought of almost everything to bring.

The air was very chilly, the hairs upon my arm sticking straight up. We were  lucky to have gotten that deer a month back and with my survival skills and Elijah’s knowledge we made a  flimsy coat and a pair of gloves.The coat wasn’t at all nice looking, but it did keep me warm on this blood chilling morning. I wasn’t sure if I should keep going, Elijah didn’t like it when I left him by himself. He said it was because I could be attacked and not return, but I know it was because he was afraid to be left alone.

“Maybe just a little farther…” I thought with my conscious demanding I return, but like the rebel I had always been I moved on. the pines towered over me like giants in the fantasy books that my father always used to tell me about. I didn’t care for reading, it was too boring. I liked to be out and about, in the woods with the animals. The only thing that scared me about these, besides the fact they were probably infested with zombies, was that no birds were singing. When the birds didn’t sing, that was something to be worried about.

Shivers crept down my spine as my feet crunched under the fallen, golden leaves. I looked around carefully, examining every little detail. I thought my mind brought me out to hunt more, but to speak the truth, I was looking for them. I didn’t like that, neither Elijah nor I had found any signs. It should be a good sign that there wasn’t any, but in my mind that just meant they were closer than we thought. And that we hadn’t been looking closely enough. The silence was extremely eerie, making me regret my decision of moving on. “Stupid rebellious mind.” I thought cursing under my breath. Suddenly I jumped into the air, crows flying over head. Cackling and cawing madly.

The first noises I had heard since I murdered the rabbit, and this was certainly not a good sign. As non-superstitious as I was, I was becoming a little bit terrified. I gulped, clenching and unclenching my fists. The bow was strapped over my shoulder, the handmade quiver bouncing slightly against my back with my slow, creeping steps. My every nerve screamed for me to head back, but my curiosity and the need to prove that they were here shoved me forth as I followed the crows earlier path. As if it couldn’t get anymore cliche a chilling breeze cut through the forest. The crows cackles and cawing had faded away and everything fell silent. Taking another step a growl ruptured the air and I jumped out of my skin, my hands snatching the bow as I flipped it out in front me, arrow. I had practiced alone in the forests for my defense, I had gotten pretty quick with arming myself.

At first nothing appeared, then it appeared. Ragged clothes hung on it’s eaten away flesh. Scarlet painting it’s putrid body, leaving red snow behind it. I hadn’t seen one so up close before...it was at least twelve feet from, growling and snarling as it shuffled towards me. It’s jaw looked shot off, the rotting teeth dripping with a substance that looked like acid. My finger itched at the trigger but I seemed frozen to the spot. It shuffled closer, its mangled hands clawing at the air, still snarling. It sounded like it was drowning in it’s own blood.