Broken Arrow

Chapter Three: Night Terrors

Fire illuminates Rosewater in shades of red and orange. It burns the trees of The Forest and many of the houses in The Town, the smoke thick making the inhaler suffocate – but that's the least of your worries. The gravel street is blanketed in soot and blood from the bodies that lay strewn across the pavements. Distant screams of agony and pleas of mercy fill her ears, they call her name over and over, begging her to save them.

Charlie pushes herself up from where she is laying and takes in the apocalyptic scene that is unfolding around her. She notices a woman being chased by three hooded figures, paralysed from shock she watches the figures rip into the defenceless innocent and begin to feast on her. Charlie lets out a blood curdling scream that brings the attention to her, they drop their meal onto the floor with a sickening crack and charge towards Charlie.

She turns on her heel and runs towards The Hill. The hooded figures catching up with her. She reaches the Church when her body succumbs to a burning pain that is erupting in her chest and she tumbles to her knees. The velvet necklace's vice grip crushes her windpipe; she splutters as the air is restricted. Her fingers search frantically for the clasp to unhook the necklace but with no luck she starts to panic, she tries to get her fingers underneath to pry it away from her.

Loose stones from the road pierced into her palms and blood trickles from the cuts, she focuses her eyes on the crimson liquid as her vision starts to blur, she knows she is in grave danger. She can hear the hooded figures laugh greedily as they approach her, she has to act quick. She starts to take slow and shallow breaths to gain some strength to run again, but it only makes her lightheaded. They are closing in on her.

"She is mine." A voice comes from behind her. Charlie turns around to see the hooded figures stop in front of another. "I know you're hungry. But you will wait." The voice is menacing.

The unknown person gathers Charlie's hair and pulls her up roughly. Charlie gasps in pain but is too weak to fight back.

"Oh sweet Charlie." A woman's voice comes from the figure, a gloved hand gently caresses Charlie's cheek, the revolting smell of burning flesh comes from it. The figure bends down and places a long steel blade at the base of her throat, the coldness causing her to shiver. "Don't be scared Charlie, it will be all over soon. I promise."

She hears the slicing of velvet and her windpipe opens, air rushing into her shrunken lungs. She launches forward gasping. The figure watches Charlie in awe, the necklace tight in her clutches.

"Thank you for returning what is mine Charlie."

Charlie gets up slowly. "Who are you?" Her voice hoarse.

The figure lifts the hood and Charlie gasps. The face that appears is a beautiful blonde with ice blue eyes. An imposter of Charlie herself. "Thought you would have known my dear." The girl chuckles.

Charlie starts to back away, but a hooded figure emerges behind her and pushes Charlie to the ground. The imposter is not happy with this and launches the knife into its neck. "I told you, she is MINE!" The girl plucks the knife from his neck and struts towards Charlie who is attempting to crawl away. The girl lifts her foot and places it on Charlie's back and pushes her down.

"Please stop." She begs. The girl laughs before lifting the knife and plunging it into her back. Charlie's screams echo through the apocalyptic streets as she pulls the knife out from between her back, she exhales in relief but the knife penetrates again this time deep between her shoulder blades but this time she cannot feel the blade. No noise comes from her mouth, she lays motionless.