𝔯𝔢𝔡𝔢𝔪𝔭𝔱𝔦𝔬𝔫 ↠ 𝔯.𝔤𝔯𝔦𝔪𝔢𝔰

01

REDEMPTION

sunlight brought by early dawn swept through the sheer curtains, casting a beam of light over her face. she stared at the chipping, off-white ceiling as a slight breeze drifted from a broken window, the curtains moved hesitantly.

she tapped her fingers rhythmically on the bared, wooden floor, teeth grinding against one another. the sun rose quietly and slowly.

shadows danced on the ceiling as the sky lightened, the breeze from the outside of the walls had withered into nothing and allowed the southern heat to take its place, full force.

a sharp blast of something knocking against the walls outside of the house forced her into sitting position, hands quickly finding the handles of her matching blades.

anya stood and spun the handle of one sword in her hand, strolling carelessly towards the sound with her mouth pursed. the one bedroom house was hollowed from years of mistreatment, and it was easy to track throughout the room.

the sound of knocking around was now accompanied by snarls of their own. now in front of the only door in the house, anya peeked out of the sheered curtain to see three mindless cranks clawing at the cracking glass.

gripping her blades tighter, she unlocked the door with haste and stepped back to allow the cranks to enter.

"c'mon, shitheads!" anya clanked her swords together, face blank as the undead stumbled in from the outside. with one clean, practiced swipe, the head of the first crank rolled carelessly on the floor. the two others shuffled forward with teeth gnashing, and with both blades, anya took them out, the bodies falling on the ground in sync.

anya glanced down at her weapons, to find they were slathered in darkened blood. she sighed and wiped them off on the dirted shirt on one of the undead.

backtracking into the room she was previously resting in, anya slung the double sheath on her back, and dropped her blades into them, securing them for travel. her backpack was light and easy to sling over her shoulder as well. with one final glance around the room, anya left the house, leaving the front door wide open as she bounded down the porch steps.

as she walked with zero destination in mind, anya fought to ignore the gnawing hunger in her stomach and the dryness of her throat. reaching into the side pocket of her backpack, she pulled out a water bottle and peered into it. the little remains of water sloshed pitifully as she shook the bottle. deciding she should keep it until the dryness grew unbearable, she slid the plastic back into the pocket.

it could have been an hour or less when anya finally came upon another house. unsheathing her swords, she quickly scanned the perimeter around the building. a rusting truck sat in the driveway, and the sound of a horse whining wasn't too far away from the house. anya glanced back to see a small stable further from the driveway.

readying her blades, anya moved towards the back of the house, expecting the front door to be locked as most untouched houses were. sweat gathered on her hairline at the relentless sun. she sheathed one of the swords into the scabbard to free a hand.

the back of the house revealed a back door, and with a quick shake of the doorknob, it was thankfully unlocked. anya crept in slowly, eyes taking in every detail of the house. it was only mere seconds before she was hit with the stench.

fighting off the urge to gag, anya raised her hand to cover her mouth. as she continued walking, she caught sight of the sources of the smell. bloodied words were slathered onto the checkered pattern of the wallpaper and her jaw tightened. she stepped over the body on the floor.

GOD FORGIVE US

"for fuck's sake," anya muttered, heading into the kitchen to scavenge, the emptiness in her stomach getting too much to bear. laying her sword on the countertop, she quickly pulled open the cabinets and shuffled through them.