It was 1 A.M. on Christmas morning and the images branded into my mind of the grotesque scene I left at Lost Creek Church were haunting my every blink. I was 5 miles outside of New Haven and my stomach was roaring with hunger. I periodically looked up with the hopes that someone would drive up and give me a ride, but nobody showed. It came to 8 A.M. and I began to approach the worn old sign "New Haven City Limits". I walked into the town, and like the roads that lead up to it, it's desolate.
The first thing I came across was a tree and hanging from one of the branches there was a young woman. She had a sign around her neck that read "Phantom". I shuddered and continued to walk. Along every street mutilated corpses were strewn about and where there was absence of a corpse, there was a crimson stain. I began to lose faith, but directly across the street from the tree was an ammo shop. I walked up to the glass window and stared into it. The shelves were still fully stocked. I picked up a rock and smashed the window. There were so many weapons it was amazing.
I grabbed a large duffle bag off a rack near the entrance and began to stock up.
I filled up the dufflebag and crawled out dragging my bag behind me.
I stood to my feet and and looked around. There wasn't any life aside from the copious amounts of crows feeding off the corpses. Before I began to step forward a black sillouette bolted past me. I ran after it only to find myself in an alley dead ended with no sight of the sillouette. It vanished. I saw an Albertsons and decided that I should to eat..something. I walked in and for some reason a foul smell empowered my senses and I staggered back. I wanted to find what it was so I began to walk around. While I walked towards the deli, the closer I got the more I began to notice that it wasn't just a foul scent. There was a potent and distinguishable scent of iron. I peeked behind the deli counter and saw there was a little girl lying against the wall. Her throat was slit and blood covered her short electric blue dress. I stepped back bumping into the table of pastries and vomited.
After gaining my bearing I walked to a fruit stand, sifted through the miscellaneous fruits and grabbed an apple. The apples didn't taste too appetizing, but I needed something to hold me for now. I continued to fill myself on slowly decaying apples and oranges. I unzipped a pocket on the side of my duffle bag and filled it with canned fruits.
I walked out the door of Albertsons and the sun was dead in the center of the sky, blinding at certain angles. The light glared off all the shop windows making it hard to see. I looked up and saw a few clouds, but not enough to my liking. I looked at my watch and it said it was 2:15 P.M. I was running on fumes and I needed a place to crash. Around 2:30 I came across a black chrome 1970 Mustang. I tried to open the door, sadly, it didn't budge. I was about to walk away, instead I came up with the smart idea of breaking the glass. I drew my fist back and as I was about to drive my fist throughthe scratched glass a scream pierced through the town.
I stopped and listened closely and another scream rang through the town. I grabbed my revolver and shotgun and ran to the scream. The scream was resonating from a 76 Gas station, a young woman was being cornered by a man. I yelled,
"Hey, you! Get away from her!"
The man turned his head in my direction. He began to run at me, then I noticed something peculiar. He had blood dripping from his mouth. I stood my ground and aimed my shotgun at his head. Once he was within arms distance I pulled the trigger, his head splattered across the pavement behind him, and his lifeless body skidded to my feet.
I stood there and tried to catch my breath. I looked down at the body and noticed something unsettling. His heart was missing, it's as if it was torn out of his chest. I walked up to the woman,
"Hello?.."
In a trembling voice she spoke,
"He-Hello.."
I looked at her, she was shaking and her make up was run down her pale skin. I reached my hand out, and she grabbed hold. I helped her up,
"My name's Patrick.."
She looked at me and looked behind me towards the body,
"My..N-Names DeAndra"
I smiled and looked at her,
"Its a pleasure to meet you, where are you from?"
She began to calm down,
"Blood Spring Nevada"
I looked up and looked back at her,
"Hey if you want to, y'know, tag along I have weapons and food"
She dusted off her pants and spoke once more,
"Thank you"
I started to walk away and I realized that the body was gone. I heard the engine of a trucks engine. I followed the sound,
"C'mon DeAndra"
The sound came from a Lime green Ford Raptor. I ran up to the truck and opened the back door.
I tossed my duffle bag in the backseat and hopped into the drivers seat. DeAndra got into the passenger side and we were off.
DeAndra was white with moderate length brown hair and blue eyes. She was thin and had a small scar on her throat that was shaped like the threads on a rope. She appeared to be in her late twenties.
"Do you know where we can crash I'm exausted.."
I decided I didn't know much so I asked. It couldn't do much harm anyways.
She looked up the road and around us,
"Up the road a ways there's an inn"
I pressed down the road.
It was about 9 P.M. when we arrived at Half Light Inn. I pulled up to the curb and parked. I grabbed my duffle bag and walked up to the inn.
It was dark so I decided to pick the closest room. I opened the door to room number 4. I slid my hands along the wall and found a light switch. I flipped it and as I did DeAndra came and ran past me jumping onto the twin size bed. She let out a sigh of contentment.
The rooms walls were painted black and the carpets were shag and spectral white. The lamps were shaped like souvenir cars and appeared to be chiseled porcelain. The clock on the wall appeared rusty and gave an out of place rustic industrial look. The lights were a distinct yet faded pink. The pink lights were perfectly placed above the oak wood night stands. I sat on the foot of the other bed and looked out the window. Through the silence you heard the Douglas Fir branches strike and scratch the glass. Through the dirty windows I watched the darkness of New Haven become covered by a pure and icy coat of snow. I dropped my duffle bag on the Navy Blue bedding and laid down. About 20 minutes later I got up and went to take a shower. DeAndra was asleep and not waking up any time soon. I walked into the bathroom and flipped on the light. I pulled off my shirt and stared into the mirror as I set my shirt on the granite counter. I looked at myself intensely.
My dark brown hair was a good length, atleast for a guy. I looked closer and saw my green eyes were illuminated by the dim glow of a fluorescent bulb. I was 5'9" and thin, but cut. I had a tattoo over my heart that read "Angelica Marie". The scars on my body created a rugged labyrinth. I had a few scars on my ribcage that I could remember so vividly on how I got them.
I opened the drawers under the sink and saw the last occupants left pain killers. I read the label and muttered,
"Damn Generics"
I took two and hopped in the shower. The icy water chilled every nerve in my body. I stood straight and felt the icy sensation trickle through my scar labyrinth. 30 minutes later I got out and dried off. I walked towards the door and the room began to spin. I reached for the doorway, and missed. I fell to the floor and passed out.
