As if on cue, repeating over and over- the sickening sound emitted from somewhere between the aisles.
Andrea became paralysed with her nerves when the scraping which had been ringing so predominantly in her ears appeared to be coming from elsesomewhere.
Once again, the scene with the little girl flashed before her watery, vivid blue eyes. Trembling, her breath catching with each inhale, she silently screamed for help at Felix, who was appeared puzzled- not understanding the fear in this new girl's expression. Looking into Andrea's wide eyes, he tried to understand her warning.
And then there was another scream.
A scream of someone with a deeper voice, the terrified shriek of someone who had been taken by an unpleasant surprise.
"Danny." Felix breathed, scrambling to his feet to try and locate the sound. And there Daniel stood. Feet affixed to the ground, eyes unblinking, dark curls of his hair a sweaty mess. In front of him, a creature.
Four, meaty, bloody limbs. A stump of a tail. Large, black, curved claws like Death's scythe itching to take another life. A face of a human girl atop the body. No neck. Surface as though it had been skinned.
The deformed 'animal', Felix dared to label it, grinned at him with the pink, plump looking lips of a small child- its voice a sweet whisper.
"I recognise you from somewhere."
Felix screamed, then. He was sure he was going to die. He was sure the last image he would see before death was this monstrosity ripping his limbs apart.
So, naturally- not knowing what else to do, he ran.
The creatures bloody body threw himself at the place Felix once stood, crashing into a shelf and spilling cans of whatever across the tiled floor. Andrea scrambled to her feet, still attempting to see clearly through bleary vision. Daniel, still screeching for his life, ran after his best friend.
Where do I go?
He couldn't escape the shop, simply because he couldn't outrun it even if he left. He'd have to either trap it, outsmart it, or kill it.
Felix could hear a faint gurgling from behind the shelf he was hiding behind. Daniel was clutching his arm tightly. He turned to his best friend.
"Have to kill it" he mouthed.
Daniel's eyebrows raised.
"Dude are you fucking crazy?? Have you seen that thing??"
Felix bit his lip, swinging the rucksack from his shoulders. He already knew what was in there. Water, snacks, and a toy gun. All useless against the thing stalking them behind the shelves. Soon enough, Andrea was scurrying towards them as well, scared to be alone, hand over her mouth in an attempt to muffle her sobs.
Felix lowered his voice down to a barely audible whisper.
"Right. Listen to me. I'm gonna have to distract it. You two, run behind that shelf-" he pointed to the part of the store containing alcoholic beverages. "-And the rest is up to me. Whatever fucking happens, look after each other and please, please do what I say. And trust me." Felix' eyes darted from Daniel to Andrea, who were both silent. The seriousness in his eyes was almost uncanny for a boy like him. Andrea gave a stiff nod, wasting no time and practically dragging Daniel along with her.This is stupid. This is ridiculous. One toy gun will not help. This only works in games. Movies. Not here.
Closing one eye, and drawing a deep breath, Felix peered around the corner. Sure enough, there it was. The lovely peachy cheeks and soft brown eyes of the little girl contrasting against the messy lump of meat it was sat on. Waiting for him.
Aiming at the cans of tinned tomatoes lined across the shelf in front, Felix took his shot.The beast turned at the sharp sound of metal clanking against the stone tiles. The face smiled.
"What the fuck is that idiot doing?" Daniel mouthed, clasping his hand around his companions mouth as she started to scream in terror. "Keep still. We're gonna have to trust him."
Daniel felt warm tears hit his hand.Felix stepped lightly, hastily making his way towards his friend while trying to tread as softly as possible. The scraping of hooked claws slowly made their way across the aisles.
"Andrea..?" Whispered the voice of the small girl. "Why did you let my head turn to mush? To bloody pieces?"
Andrea almost screamed against the hard grasp of Daniel's hand.
Felix scrambled behind the shelf stocked full of whiskey, wine, and all sorts of drinks the teen was always lectures on the awful effects of drinking them. Staring meaningfully at the others, he mimed a pushing motion, then held his hand up.
Wait a minute.
"It really hurt... it really really really hurt..." the girl's sing-song voice echoed around the store.
"Do you know what it felt like?"Andrea's legs wobbled, her forehead glistening with cold sweat. Felix looked at her with intense olive eyes, once again miming the pushing motion. She shook her head furiously, letting out a small whimper.
"You have to." Felix mouthed, his expression pleading. Andrea swallowed, screwing her eyes shut-
And all together, they pushed the shelf of glass bottles onto the beast.The screams of the little girl echoed around the walls, piercing into their eardrums. Shelves and shelves full of splintered glass came crashing down, puncturing the fleshy body of the beast and ripping into it. For what seemed like forever, Felix, Daniel and Andrea stood- panting, listening to the agonised howls which were slowly sounding more and more demonic.
And then- silence.Daniel was the first to huff- in a sort of disbelieving and thankful laughter. Wrapping his arms around the other two, he heaved a sigh of relief.
"We're still alive. We ain't dying any time soon."
Felix smiled, mopping his forehead, and Andrea followed with a breathy laugh. Taking a glance at the still beast in front of her, she doubted her reaction, peering at the face of the young girl.
"I'm sorry I couldn't save you." She whispered, gently closing her shining doe eyes.
"But you're at peace now, right?"
Andrea swept the fair hair from the girl's forehead, revealing a dark birthmark.
"Hey, Felicia." Daniel nudged his friend. "The girl has a birthmark thingy like yours."
Felix touched his own tear shaped mark with his fingertips, smiling a little.
"Yeah, she does."That was a human with little marks, little imperfections. Like me.
Andrea gathered her hair up and lifted it, revealing one on the back of her neck.
"I have one here."
"Id show you mine, but I'd have to go shirtless." Daniel joked.
"Aren't you the one always criticising me for saying stuff like that?"
"Yeah, that's kinda gross."
"Don't worry about it, ladies. I was kidding."
"What a shame."
YOU ARE READING
Birthmarks and Bruises
Mystery / Thriller"X marks the spot." The town has suddenly become barren, infected with either demonic monsters who take the faces of people they've killed, or innocent citizens pushed to the brink of insanity. Felix, an optimistic redhead with good intentions and...