Like the Darkness, but not the Darkness (A Gone series fan fiction)

Escape (Chapter Two)

The last door closed with a soft click, and finally Ivy was able to flop on the living room couch, content that all four of her younger sibling were in bed.

All of them were worried, though none of them knew that the phones weren't working. Ivy had told them that grandma had been busy, and wouldn't be coming for a while- that until then she'd be taking care of them just as well as mum or dad would.

Of course Hunter knew it was bullshit. Kim probably also had her doubts, but Alice was happy to just believe anything her eldest sister told her.

And Deon was happy as long as his diaper wasn't full and his belly was.

"Ivy, you didn't call grandma."

Sighing, Ivy didn't bother to as much as open her eyes as her brother spoke sternly from the doorway.

"Hunter, go back to bed, we can talk about this later-"

"Would you please cut the crap Ivy? You're not even a year older than me, you don't have the right to try and make everything seem perfect to me as if I'm Kim or Alice."

Opening her eyes but just staring at the ceiling, Ivy could admit she was shocked at his harsh tone.

"Hunter, the phones didn't work. We can't have the younger ones panicked at something that means absolutely nothing. We'll relax tonight, and tomorrow I'm going to go into town and find out what I can-"

"You? You mean we right?"

Ivy sat up, now annoyed at Hunter's tone. He wasn't helping the situation at all- but he was being average Hunter.

"Who's going to watch the kids?" Ivy asked, Hunter rolling his eyes at the answer he expected. Answering questions with questions was just something Ivy did.

It was so annoying.

But she was right.

Hunter sighed, knowing he could never win an argument with his older sister. "Kim could watch Alice and Deon.." He started weakly, knowing how quickly Ivy would shoot it down.

"She's only eleven, Hunter. You saw how panicked she was today, she's not someone that can handle responsibility well."

"Fine. Fine. You go into town. But what if you need backup? At least take one of dad's walkie talkies, and while we're at it- a can of pepper spray. I also need my turn to go into town, you know-"

"Hold up. There's a reason I'm going and not you, little brother. It could be dangerous, or deadly. It would be a total war zone in town for all we know. But if I detect any danger I'll be back home before it ever spots me. Besides, we could survive weeks without stepping outside this house thanks to our crazy father."

Hunter sighed, knowing what she was saying was true. But he still had a bad feeling over this.

"Go back to bed Hunter." Ivy mumbled softly, watching wordlessly as her brother stumbled back down the hall to his bedroom.

The second she heard his door click shut, she was on her feet.

Quickly going around the house, she made sure all doors were locked and windows were shut. Staring out the window and into the forest, Ivy tapped her fingers against her thigh, debating whether or not to go out in the dark to get one of her father's guns from his shed.

It wasn't very far away, but Ivy had a bad feeling about going outside.

It's probably nothing. She dismissed, opening the door and quickly sliding out.

Tugging her jacket closer to her body, soon enough she was jogging through the woods- a creeping suspicion that someone was watching her weaseling into her mind as she went.

Finally she reached the shed, holding the lock in her hands- she froze for a moment.

Why do I want a gun? What am I freaking out over? She thought, chuckling at her own extreme superstition.

"But, still better safe than sorry." She mumbled as she quickly jammed the key into the lock, grabbing a rifle and a shotgun before she went back outside, holding the shotgun under her arm as she clicked the lock back in place.

The safety's were on, so she didn't have to worry about shooting herself with the shotgun in her armpit, the rifle in both of her hands as she carefully inspected it.

Her dad had taught her how to use it, and she wasn't half bad. As was Hunter with the shotgun.

Ivy doubted they would have to use them though- scratch that. She hoped they wouldn't have to use them.

Just then Ivy froze.

Cocking her head to the sight, she strained to listen for the sounds of paws scrabbling on rock that she was sure she'd heard two seconds earlier.

Crack.

She was sure something was out there now. There was definitely something out there, tripping over and snapping twigs.

Without thinking, Ivy shoved the shotgun into the back of her pants- her hands automatically loading the rifle as her pace picked up.

Maybe she could outrun it.

If anything, she could shoot at it.

It, she assumed it was an animal.

Looking down at rifle, she quickly took stock. It was an AR-15 Semiautomatic Rifle.

Not 'assult rifle' AR. 'ArmaLite rifle' AR. Lighter weight and less kick, firing one round per each pull of the trigger. Automatic reloading.

Fully loaded, murdering machine.

Clicking the safety off, Ivy tested the gun by aiming for a far off branch. She made her target more specific, peering at a specific leaf.

She pressed the trigger.

And she swore the second she pressed the trigger she heard someone start to speak- a low growl that was cut off by the loud bang.

The sound seemed as loud as a nuclear explosion, bursting against her eardrums as the sound interrupting the dead silent night.

Ivy heard the scrambling sound of paws.

Scrambling away.

Stupid coyotes. She thought, smirking as she clicked the safety back on finishing her trip back to her house.

As she passed the branch she shot at it, she couldn't help but smiling- picking off the half destroyed leaf.

It hadn't been the one she was aiming for, but it was close enough. Less than ten centimetres to the right.

Ivy liked feeling deadly, like she couldn't be killed in a dog eat dog world.

Like she could protect and defeat anyone she chose.

Finally jumping up onto the porch and slipping back inside the house, Ivy locked the house back up- setting the two guns up high enough that Alice couldn't get to them- but low enough that she could easily grab it quickly if she needed too.

"I won't need to." She told herself softly, starting to go up to her room- but then deciding against it and lying down on the couch, closest to the front door.

If anyone came, they'd have to go through her before they even realized there were other people in the house.

"No one will come." She whispered, almost sadly- as she slowly started to fall asleep.

Her dreams were filled with darkness, like being in a room that was dancing with shadows and nonexistent windows and door from which black smoke and dust poured in, wind also rushing through the nonexistent exits- which caused her hair to flicker around her face.

The one thing she remembered most when she woke up was the creeping feeling- like something was slowly getting closer, until it was inside her.

The monster was trapped inside her like she was trapped inside her room- and they were both fighting to escape.