In This World

°Don't stay long°

My house is another five or six minutes away. Monroe stays silent as he turns into the paved driveway. "I'll grab whatever I can find." I say, opening the truck door, only to be greeted by my dog. "Sasha!" A hopeful smile spreads across my face as I pet her behind the ear. I look at Monroe. "This could mean-" "We don't need to stay long...." He cuts me off. I glance up at him and sigh, knowing that what will be in that house will not be what I'm hoping for. "O-okay..."

Monroe hops out of the truck with a red gas can in each hand. He carries a hose on his shoulder. "We'll need more gas soon. I have another two cans in the back from my house." He explains. I nod as he rounds my house to look for vehicles.

I walk slowly up the steps, wielding a knife from the weapons He gathered. My dog stays behind me, her tail between her legs. I look down at her, then back up to the house with a newfound fear. "Breathe, Katherine. Breathe." I open the door and walk inside. An Erie silence ecoes throughout the house, a silence so thick you could cut it with a butter knife. I take another step further. "Hello?" I greet timidly.

Growling sounds say hello back. Gurgling and snarling accompanies the noise. They seem to come from upstairs. "Get what we need and leave." I remind myself, stroking Sasha's head for comfort. I quietly creep through the house, looking around each corner before entering a room. "Blankets. Pillows. More medical supplies." I check off in my head, gathering up things that I know we'll have a use for. I grab the keys to my dad's old shed and return to the truck, tossing what I've found into the back.

I run around to the back of the house with the keys, closely followed by Sasha. "Can you bring the truck around? I know my dad has some things in this old shed worth using." I ask, taking the now full gas cans from Monroe. He walks back to the truck as I wait patiently beside the metal building.

"Okay, I'll need your help. My dad bought this solar powered generator for when we go camping. It's really fucking heavy." I grunt, trying to pull it closer to the entrance. Monroe nudges my shoulder, signaling for me to move out of the way. He picks it up by himself and puts it in the truck. 'Damn.' I mentally squeal.

"Uh... Right, thanks. Now, we have extension cords, a tent, and my dad had an R.V." I nod, gesturing across the yard to the camper. Sasha jumps into the cab of the truck, panting slightly. Looking at the RV, I smile. I've had many memories in that thing. Weekends at the lake, road trips, but now.... 'Don't think about it.' I sigh, a tear threatening to stain my cheek. "Katherine? Are you good?" Monroe asks, pulling me out of my thoughts. "Huh? Uh yeah." I nod, wiping my eyes. "Let's just hurry up and go." I walk to the R.V and get ready to hook it to the truck.

Something smacks against the glass of an upstairs window. It causes me to startle and look for the source of the noise. I notice a bloody handprint spattered across the glass of my sister's bedroom window. My eyes widen slightly and I stare up at it. "Katherine?" Monroe questions, gaining my attention. I hadn't noticed that he had already hooked the RV up to the truck. "Yeah?" I answer as if what I saw was nothing.

"Are you ready to go?" He responds, tossing a few more things in the back to make room for Sasha. "Uh..." I look down at my once clean dress. "Will you give me a minute? I wanna change out of this." I shrug, messing with the hem of the outfit. Monroe nods, walking to the driver's side door to wait.

I slowly make my way upstairs, already preparing myself for what I may have to face. The hardwood floor beneath my feet creeks more and more with every step I take. Shakilly holding my knife, I creep past what used to be my sister's bedroom. I pause in front of the door, catching a glimpse of her pale hands clawing at the window. She gurgles loudly and presses her body against the wall, trying her hardest to get to Monroe outside.

Letting out an uneven breath, I continue down the corridor to my room. Looking back, I frown. I don't want see my sister like this. She was so young. I squint my eyes shut, trying not to let the tears fall. Closing the door quickly behind me, I exhale in relief and try to clear my mind.

Opening my closet door, I look through the clothes. "We're going for comfortable not cute." I grumble, tossing a shirt out of the way. I pull out a flannel and high waisted jeans. "Practical. Comfortable." I nod, changing quickly into the clean clothes. I slip on my black converse and pull my hair up in a bun.

"Now... I just have to get out of the house." I whisper to myself. I open the bedroom door, only to be greeted by the snarling, bloodstained mouth of my younger sister. "Oh my god!" I gasp, falling back. I pull out my knife quickly and rush to my feet. "Emma..." I shake my head, refusing to believe that this is actually happening. She stumbles toward me slowly, twitching and jerking her head sideways.

I continue to back away from her. I can't work up the courage to do anything else. "Emm-" She interrupts me with a screech, clawing at the air. My breathing quickens as I feel my back press against the wall. "Emma don't!" I shout, holding the knife in front of my trembling body. She still grows nearer, and her aroma grows stronger. "Please!" I slide down the wall helplessly.

'This is it. I haven't even been in this world for a day and I'm going to die. This is-' my negative thoughts are cut off as my sister's blood spatters across the wall above me. I gasp as she falls to the side, hitting the floor with a loud thud. Monroe holds his hand out to help me up, breathing heavily. "I heard you yelling, so I came as fast as I could." He informs me. I take his hand, standing up. "Th-thanks." I respond quietly, looking at the floor where my sister lays. A pool of crimson puddles around the gap in her head. My legs shake uncontrollably as I grip Monroe's arm to stay balanced.

"Let's get out of here." He says, and I feel Monroe's hand push against my waist gently, leading me out of the room. We walk down the stairs and outside before I speak again. "I don't know what came over me.... I thought I-" Monroe shushes me. "I know. It's okay now." He says, walking to the driver side door of the truck. Sasha sits patiently between the passenger and driver seats, wagging her tail happily.

"Hey girl." I smile, petting behind her ears. I buckle up and she rests her head I my lap, expecting more attention. Monroe pats her side, pulling out of the driveway. I let out a shaky breath, taking one more look at the house and the memories that I will be leaving behind.