Shrieks in the Darkness

Part 3

The sun blinded Gavin as he stepped outside. He opened his eyes and looked around the garage. Gavin could see the city afar and wondered how long it would take the thousands of Lingers there to reach him. He looked down the empty road....besides the city, it seemed that they wouldn't see anything for miles.

"Get in dumbass", Jayce said from the armored car. As Gavin shut the car door, a thought occurred to him.

"Hey...Jayce? Where exactly are we going?"

"You'll know when we get there", Jayce said plainly.

Gavin faced the front and off he was in the opposite direction of the city, hoping he wouldn't have to be there anymore.
The two drove in silence for a long while until Jayce spoke.

"So Gavin, where exactly do you come from? What's your story?"

"Oh..well, I was a college drop out living in an apartment the size of a closet."

"Got family? Friends? Ya know, before all this happened." Gavin felt a little nervous giving his personal information to a total stranger, but at this point....what did he really have to lose?

"I haven't spoken with my parents since I dropped out...I have a sister but she moved to Africa to study the wildlife. I had friends...well at least I thought I did.....", Gavin went quiet out of pure embarrassment. He didn't even do anything with his life....and now? Now there were monsters all over just ready to kill him with a single stare. After a few moments, Gavin spoke again.

"W-what about you? What were you before all this?"

Jayce thought for a moment....then took a deep breath....

"Just a loner....never really had anyone. A drifter you might call it. But I don't really have much to say about myself"

"Come on, you have had to been someth-"

"I said 'I don't have much to say", Jayce spoke sternly, causing Gavin to shut his mouth.

They had been driving for almost an hour when the two reached a town, labeled "John Good Villiage". Jayce stopped the car in front of the sign......he drove in slowly trying his best not to make any noise.  The town seemed abandoned by the looks of the moss covered buildings and fallen debris. Jayce pulled the car in front of a Inn named "Susie's Bread and Breakfast", before getting out and walking to the trunk of the car. Gavin followed his lead and was a little nervous at what he saw in the trunk; an axe, pink baseball bat, and a rusty machete, along with some extra food and water .  Jayce shoved the pink bat at Gavin and grabbed the axe for himself. Gavin was frozen. He had never had to use a bat in this way before, sure he was on Little League when he was 9, but by the looks of it he would have to use the bat to defend himself. Gavin's thoughts were broken as Jayce swung the axe by his face. Gavin jumped back and held up the pink bat.

"What the hell man?!", Gavin asked in fear.

"Practice swing. What? You never seen a axe before?", Jayce asked with a chuckle.

"I have, but usually it's lumber jacks hitting trees with them"

Jayce laughed, "You've got a lot to learn kid"

"Kid?! You are the same age as me!"

"I never told you my age, dumbass"

"Oh", was all Gavin said as he stared at the pink bat. He took a deep breath and swung. Gavin and Jayce had a few more practice swings before Jayce tapped on the glass in front of the Inn. When they heard nothing, Jayce slowly opened the door and both walked in with weapons in hand. As they looked around, they noticed a front desk and a door leading to a diner. You could barely breath considering the dust that had built up and the the food that was continuously rotting in the back. Both the boys walked in further.

"Okay, stay here and be quiet. I'm gonna check up stairs", and with that Jayce walked upstairs leaving Gavin all alone.

Gavin held his bat close and ignored Jayce's rule by making his way to the diner. The smell was stronger in here. The set up was pretty standard, with tables, a bar, and back kitchen. As Gavin looked around, he noticed people's belongings in the booths and scattered along the floor.
'People must have been in a rush to get out of here. Were they attacked.....by those monsters?', Gavin thought as he walked around.

*BANG*

Gavin jumped and held his bat up high.something from the behind the bar had fell to the floor. Gavin slowly stalked to the bar ready to hit anything that moved. He was at the edge of the bar now.......he placed his hand on the counter.....Gavin slowly raised his head to look over the counter......

....

....

And......Gavin swiftly jumped back as a rotting hand made its way onto the counter, dragging its nails along making a screeching noise. It raised itself up above the counter. What was seen then would give Gavin nightmares for the rest of his life; a person wearing a torn up and bloody uniform....but it didn't seem to be a person anymore. The figure was thin and grey with its insides pouring out of its stomach. The figure slowly raised its head and everything went cold and dark. No pupils could be seen in its eyes as its stared at Gavin.....and then it made a horrible, icy, blood curdling screech. Gavin couldn't move even if he wanted too, he was frozen with fear. The horrible creature started to climb over the counter, bending its legs and body in an inhuman way towards Gavin. Reality hit Gavin in the face as he heard someone yell.

"HEY YOU!!"

Gavin looked over to see Jayce standing in the doorway with his axe in hand. Gavin quickly swung his bat while the monster was distracted, trying in someway to help and not die. He heard another horrible cry as the creature fell off the counter to the floor. Gavin's hit didn't do much, because within a matter of seconds the creature was back up towering over Gavin ready to rip the life force right out of him. As the creature reached to grab Gavin, he was quickly pushed out of the way as a hand swung at him. Gavin looked up to see Jayce barely holding the monster back with his axe. With pure luck, Jayce shoved the creature back and before Gavin could even process what was happening, an axe had split the monsters head in two.

Jayce ripped the axe out and the monster fell, dripping blood as it hit the floor. Gavin was breathing heavily as he looked between the creature and Jayce. Jayce looked over at the mess of a person laying on the floor (he wasn't talking about the monster).

"If this is how you react to just one of these things, then you'll be dead by tomorrow", Jayce spoke as he walked to the doorway, "Now get your ass up and help me check for more of these shits". And with that, Jayce walked out of the room, leaving Gavin to rethink his life decisions. He slowly got up and stared at the thing on the floor. What could have happened that lead to a creature like this? Gavin felt as if he was going to puke, so he swiftly grabbed his bat and bolted out the diner, meeting Jayce at the edge of the stairs. Both looked at each other, before Jayce turned to go up the stairs.

"25"

Gavin looked up.

"What?"

"My age. It's 25", Jacye said without looking at Gavin, then walked upstairs.

Gavin stared with no true expression, but his thoughts were broken as he thought he heard the creature move and ran upstairs without another thought on the matter.