Birthmarks and Bruises

Reunion?

Felix stuffed his hands into his pockets, his breath creating clouds of steam in the crisp autumn air. In the evening of November, alongside three friends, with no other sounds except from the scattering of leaves being carried by brief gusts of wind- he should've been at peace, contented, calm. But the occasional shriek and Snatcher howl in the distance was enough to make his stomach churn.

The redhead had been the second to prepare himself, after Maxine, who had given him a generous handful of dirty looks and sneers- before handing him the largest and heaviest backpack. Andrea was practically clinging to her side, Maxine insisting she should wear a scarf completely covering her neck 'just in case'. Daniel was beside him, shuddering- not from the worryingly low temperature, but from nerves. Felix turned to him, giving his friend the best smile he could muster- of which Daniel could barely return. This wasn't a casual evening stroll, this could mean life or death.

Each teen had been equipped with some sort of knife, Felix handed a measly pocket knife because 'he wouldn't have been able to handle a proper one anyway'. He inhaled through his nose, feeling the cold air rush through his lungs.
"Are you sure you know the way from here..?" Came a meek voice from behind him. Andrea, pulling her jacket closer to her than ever before, was probably beside herself with nerves. Felix returned her question with a reassuring smile and brisk nod.
"Yeah. Promise."
The girl visibility relaxed, untensing her shoulders and loosening her grip slightly on the green fabric of her hoodie.
"Okay."

The silence which dawned upon them as they walked was a painful one. Each time Felix was merely a footstep ahead of Maxine, she pushed him backwards- Felix returning her scowl. Finally, Daniel cleared his throat. "Uh, we're nearly there. Obviously we'll camp out at mine I guess."
Andrea nodded. "And hopefully find your brothers"
"Yeah."
Trudging along the pavement, the teens tried to avoid looking at the occasional pale faces staring back at them. Felix didn't have to observe them closely to know that they were, well... corpses. He could feel Daniel shudder more violently next to him whenever they passed one.
There was blood everywhere.
Maxine was lucky enough to camp out at a house that hadn't been invested by Snatchers yet, but... a few nights later, and Daniel's house could be teeming with them.
Felix pushed the unpleasant thought to the back of his mind, turning onto the street his friend lived on.
"This way." He mumbled, his tone distant and distracted. Daniel laughed a little, noticeably still trying to ease the tense atmosphere. "Dude, I know the way to my own house."

Standing at the front door, something seemed a little... off. The air felt thicker, and the stench was stifling. Andrea pulled her scarf up to cover her nose, her face contorting in disgust.
"What is that?" She complained, stepping back from the doorway a little. Daniel shrugged, clearly attempting to brush off his concern.
The interior of the house looked pretty regular, various cushions and blankets strewn across the off-white carpet. It was how Daniel's house should've looked.
The wallpaper was peeling from the walls, the railing across the stairs splintered and worn away. Though, considering the fact that three teenage boys and their mother all spent their entire life here, it wasn't too bad. Comfortable, even.

Daniel was tense. The silence was disappointing- their dangerous trip was probably also a wasted one. Felix poked him in the square of his back, urging him to go on, up the stairs, and check the rooms.

The bathroom was locked- a good sign that someone was probably camping out in there, though it would be impossible to tell who without letting them know they were there.

Daniel took a deep breath, twisting the handle and opening the door just a crack.
Something on the other side rapidly slammed it shut with such force that the entire door frame shook, propelling Daniel backwards.
"Can a guy not take a damn piss without someone tryna perv on me? Damn..." hissed an aggravated voice from inside the bathroom. Daniel's eyes lit up and a relieved grin spread across his face.
"Ay, Marcus, my man."