Linkage

Chapter 1: Their Hell & My Haven

I stared at my reflection on the mirror and saw that I was covered with filth, sweat, and blood. I killed two more people today. I didn't know that a needle could do a lot of things. I also stole their motel room which was just a temporary shelter where I was gonna be spending the night. Actually, a lot of things happened today. I was really exhausted and tired.

I stripped my hospital gown and turned on the faucet. I slowly dipped my foot checking the temperature. It was warm, so I dipped my whole body in the tub. The warm water calmed my nerves and bones. I felt the stress and pain leave my body. I also thought about the two people that I killed today. "I am just gonna dispose the body tommorow." I reminded myelf. In fact, the bodies were just scattered on the floor. Blood seeped through the carpets which would be hard to clean later on. I watched the news and noticed that people are already looking for me. I planned on changing my hair color from brunette to a dirty blonde color. I am also planning on getting a tattoo.

I got out of the tub and took a towel from a towel rack. I wiped myself from head to toe until I was dry as a bone. I took a hoodie and a pair of sweatpants which was located at the luggage of the owner. I went to bed and tucked under the comforter. I started to doze off. Many seconds later, I saw nothing but black.

When I woke up, it was only 3:07 in the morning. I was still feeling a bit sleepy but I decided against it. I removed the comforter off of me and wore a pair of sneakers which was also left by the owner. I also found a crap-ton of money to which I wasn't planning to leave. I looked at the floor, and there were the two corpses I killed, laying on the floor lifeless and unmoving. As I mentioned, it was a real bloody mess. But, I didn't have time to clean all of this mess. I locked the room and immediately got out of this place as fast as I could. I snuck outside and flipped the hoodie onto my head.

I went to a nearby shop and bought all the stuff that I needed. Including, a pair of scissors, hair dye, pocket knife, and a small makeup kit. I also made my way to Walmart. I bought different pairs of clothes and shoes. I came out with lots of bags in my hands. The problem is... I don't have a shelter for tonight.

I've been walking around for minutes and finally I saw a car infront of a quiet house. I suspected that maybe no one's around. So, I snuck in and open the window. When I was finally inside, I searched the house for the keys and luckliy, it was laying on the kitchen counter. I heard noises coming from upstairs. I told myself that I needed to hurry. I quietly snuck out and got inside the car. I wished myself a good luck and wished that the car would work. I inserted the keys to the ignition and twisted it. It gave off a loud roaring sound and eventually it echoed throughout the peaceful abode. I stepped on the pedal, afraid of being caught. I hurriedly left the place and drove out the road.

It's been 2 hours since I stole this car. I was clearly surrounded by a bunch of forestries. It was also getting a tad bit colder. It was too quiet, with only a few cars passing by. After a long hour of driving, I saw an old, abandoned barn which looked incredibly sturdy. It also seemed familiar, like it was a part of my childhood. The barn's ambiance looked like it was abandoned for more than 5-7 years, with dead trees covering its exterior. I parked the car infront of the barn and luckily, the doors weren't locked. The doors creaked noisily with sand poofing out of the barn. The barn was mostly covered with sand, dust, and piles of unused hay. It made me sneeze and cough, but at least it didn't smell like animal farts. "Well, this would take a lot of time to clean up." I said while grabbing a broom at the side of the double-handled doors. I swept and swept and swept until the dust particles, stray hay, and other garbage were in a huge pile at the corner of the room. I didn't know what to do next, so I went to the back of the barn and saw a nearby river only a kilometer away. I slowly walked to the river, noticing a white car parked near by a dock. I approached the car slowly and saw a man sitting at the edge of the river with his feet dipped in it. I picked up a huge ass log which was heavy but was still manageable. I approached the man being cautious with my footsteps. As I was about 15 centimeters away from him, I stepped on a dry leaf. He looked back and I swung the log as hard as I can. He was out cold, with the side of his head bleeding. I sighed out a breath of relief as I knew that he was still breathing. I immediately ran back to the barn, and found a rope beside the broom. I ran back to the river and tied the man's legs and arms until I was sure he couldn't escape. I didn't make his mouth a problem, we were at a deserted barn anyway. I dragged him all the way back to the barn. I hid him in a storage area hidden behind stacks of hay. I settled him at the farthest corner of the area. As I examined the storage area, I saw a weird, peculiar, shelf at the opposite corner of the room. I pushed the shelf and was greeted with loose floorboards. I shooed away the stray strands of hay and dust and examined the floorboards. I lifted the floorboards, picking it off one by one. I was greeted with a huge, empty room. which was about the same size as the storage area itself. I smiled to myself and returned the floorboards and the shelf back to its place. I walked around the room even more, knowing that there were also supplies, water bottles, and biscuits that were probably stale by now. Well, at least it could provide me food enough for a week.

As I stood there, I examined the room and became curious to what supplies are being held here. There were shovels, rakes, saws, tool kits, a chainsaw, and a lawn mower. What kind of barn even is this? I suddenly realized that these things were actually the stuff I needed. Though, I still needed to go back to town. Buying a gun could actually do me good. It would be the perfect weapon for defense or for offense.

I decided to stand up and walk outside after thinking to what I should do. I took in the cool, gentle breeze and remembered the memories that caused this. I should be brave in order for my brother to surive. I need to help him like he helped me. He was my only hope when everybody left. I should--

Wait. Was that rustle? There it goes again! "Hello?" I said while curiously walking toward the back of the barn. I was approaching it with ease, to avoid noise. As I was about to turn left, I saw..

"Shit!"