Hunted by demons

Roses

The small blue beetle roars down the highway, taking turns wildly when they come. Duncan drives with his fists clutching the wheel in an iron vice, giving the road ahead a hard stare as he pushes the car to its limits. Kim sits next to him, talking frantically into her mobile phone with tears of both happiness and fear brimming in her eyes.

"Mum, please you have to trust me. You're in danger. I'm sorry. You know where the safe house is, yes? Good, there should be enough food there to last a few weeks. Load up the family and get there as fast as you can. Please keep your head down and stay safe. Please, mum. Thank you, thank god! I love you. Goodbye." She hangs up the phone and rubs her face, burying her emotions the best she can. She looks over to her seething partner with concern plain in her eyes.

"Duncan?" She starts.

"I'm fine." He interrupts.

"Of course you're not."

"I will be when Rosie is safe." Kim looks to the dashboard to observe the speedometer with the needle fluttering at its far end. Next to it she catches a glance at the fuel gauge.

"We might need to stop for gas." She voices.

"There's no time."

"What if we break down?"

"We won't, we'll make it." He insists.

"But what if we need to get out quickly and we don't have any fuel?"

"We'll figure it out when we get there!" He shouts, silencing her. He struggles to slow his breathing but makes no effort to stifle the fire burning in his eyes. Kim continues staring at him with no intention to push him further. She is far from scared of him, but she is terrified for him.

"Those demonic bastards are trying to draw us out. They're attacking our family to split us apart, to make us afraid. We're driving into a trap." She thinks aloud.

"I don't care." Duncan growls. Kim nods and puts her hand gently on his shoulder.

"Nor do I." Duncan looks over to her for the first time during the drive. He nods and smiles determinedly. He turns his eyes back to the road and sniffs away unseen tears. Within the hour they drive into Seattle, the urban metropolis turned to ruin with the only signs of occupancy from the warnings over the radio.

"Government officials would again like to instruct all Seattle residents to stay indoors and be as safe as possible. Murders are still taking place throughout the city so please lock all entrances into your homes and arm yourselves if at all possible. Police are unsure whether this is an act of gang violence or terrorism but it will end soon. Have hope and stay safe." The announcer pleads. The streets are abandoned aside from the occasional car or corpse left on the curb. They skid to a stop by the side of a small white house. Duncan throws himself out of the car without bothering to turn it off, let alone take the keys. Kim jumps out as well and tosses a shotgun loaded with rock salt to him, keeping one for herself. Without skipping a beat Duncan catches the gun with one hand, charges his way up to the front door, and kicks it down with one blow.

"Rosie!" He shouts into the dark and lifeless home.

"Rosie, it's Duncan. We have to leave now!" He searches through the first few rooms with his gun at the ready, but more concerned with his sister than he his with aiming.

"Rosie? Where are you?" Kim shouts. She stalks into the living room, shotgun held stiff against her shoulder, and stops dead at the sight of an orange haired woman lying on her side on the floor.

"Duncan! Duncan, in here!" She shouts, diving towards Rosie. She grabs her arm to turn her to her back, flinching at the cool temperature of her skin. Too cold. Her lips are blue and parted while her eyes are open wide, glassy and blank, staring at nothing. Kim tears her eyes away from Rosie's face and checks her neck for a pulse. The skin on her throat is blotted purple and green, the only color left on her skin. Kim's hand falls loosely from Rosie's neck and she sits back, tears already flowing down her face. Duncan sprints into the room and drops to his knees by his sister.

"Rosie! Hey, wake up. Rosie, it's me. You're safe but you have to get up now!" He pleads, shaking her shoulders. Kim pushes herself away from her partner, giving him the space he needs. He places his fingers on the side of her neck.

"No. No, Rosie," He mutters, leaning down to listen for breathing.
"No, no, no, no, No, NO, NO!" He repeats to himself as tears start pouring down his cheeks. He takes one of his hands in the other and begins rhythmically pushing down on her still heart. He continues chanting 'no' as if it was a spell of denial that would bring her back. The body jolts with every effort to restart her heart, with no reaction or movement otherwise. Duncan pinches her nose and leans down to breathe life into her lungs, leaving his tears on her pale face, then he returns to pushing his weight from his arms into her chest. Kim gently reaches out her hand to touch his shoulder and he immediately swats her away.

"NO! I can save her! She can't die, I won't let her! She wasn't a part of this! She can't, I can't, I won't," He stutters, turning back to press down on her heart again. He heaves once, twice more and he goes slack, dissolving into tears. He slowly lifts her torso and clutches her body to his chest, weeping into her shoulder. A few seconds filled only by the sounds of loss, until Duncan lets out a feral scream of aggression and helplessness, leaving an empty hole in his being.