The Aftermath: MPHFPC (editing)

T W E N T Y - N I N E

A N N I E

Devil's Acre was a hell of its own.

I didn't know what I disliked more: the unbearable dust storms, the morbid stores, the unsettling residents, or the way it all settled in my stomach.

Emma was leading at the very front about ten feet from me, a steely look on her face that said she didn't want to talk to anyone. Luna and Millard were a couple feet behind her, talking about something in hushed tones.

Enoch and I lagged behind, walking in silence. Devil's Acre was such a vile place, that neither of us really felt like conversating.

I glanced over at him. His dark eyes had a strange glint in them like he was forming a plan.

"What is it?" I asked him, breaking the silence and nudging him gently in the side.

He gave me a sidelong glance, "Nothing."

"No, it's something. You have that look on your face." I said.

He smirked at me. "Really? How observant."

I felt my cheeks heat and I quickly looked at the ground, "I-"

"Hey, you two!" Called Millard from up ahead. He pointed to a shabby looking excuse for a building. It was constructed in such a way that it seemed to just barely keep from collapsing on itself.  "We're here."

When I saw it my immediate instinct was to turn and bolt. I shuttered involuntarily. The place was the exact definition of dangerous.  Screams of terror and cheering erupted from the place like a neverending track of complete horror. 

When we caught up with them, Emma pointed to a sawed-off lamppost. "When Jacob and I came here with Sharron, there were two baby grims tied to that post."

"Why?" I asked.

"Peculiars fight them. They feed the cubs and raise them until they are big enough to go to the cage." From the way she said it, I felt like we were on some sort of sick guided tour. "Then they murder the peculiars that are stupid enough to waste themselves away on ambro." 

Even Enoch looked a bit unsettled at that. "That's rather... gruesome." He said distastefully.

I looked away. I knew dwelling on the thought would just make me feel even worse about it.

My eyes slid over to the doors of the den. Two men were guarding it. Surprisingly, they didn't look to be wights. I didn't know what make of that, though, because they looked equally as capable and willing to kill us.

"Last time we got in pretending to be Sharron's slaves. There was also an admission fee. So..." Emma started and as if right on cue, one of the men marched up to us, his face almost entirely covered in bandages.

"What d'ya want?" He demanded, scowling at us all, his hand resting dangerously close to his gun holster.

Emma was about to say something, but Enoch beat her to it. The smile he gave the man seemed so genuine and innocent, he almost seemed like an entirely different person. 

"Hello, sir," He said smoothly,  "We're just passing through. We were just observing this post and admiring how you chain up  the young animals and fight them with such bravery." Enoch put his hand over his heart dramatically and shook his head. "Heroes."