Alone

Chapter 3

Luke was the first one to take a step. The stair groaned and complained under his weight. He stopped in his tracks and we listened for another sound from upstairs. There was nothing. He slowly took another step and Jack followed. With each step they took, a little wisp of dust kicked up and settled back down quickly. It was as if the heavy atmosphere of this house pushed down on everything. I fell in behind the others and we crept up the stairs. I wondered if anyone else could hear my heart pounding away in my chest, I heard it in my ears and felt it in my fingertips as we neared the top.

By the time we reached the last step, darkness had settled. I took a quick glance back to make sure the door was shut and barricaded. It was darker up here, much darker. I had this strange feeling that there was a hostile being up here with us. My eyes had a hard time adjusting to this light. I started having second thoughts about going with these people. I felt like I was back in that box I was trapped in earlier that day, the oxygen started thinning, my breath came in short bursts...then it hit me, a horrible, stifling stench, a smell that only belonged to the sick.

I slowly reached for my sword and I saw the silhouettes of the others in the dark doing the same. So I wasn't the only one who had smelled it. I heard Jack and Stacy whisper to each other, and then Stacy turned around to inform me of their plan.

"Let's regroup downstairs, then we can make a proper plan of attack."

I nodded my head as if she could see me and led the line back down the stairs. It was dramatically cooler downstairs. The sweat that layered my body chilled and sent a shiver throughout my body. I wanted to be alone again. I liked being alone, you didn't become attached to people, you didn't lose anyone or anything. You were responsible for yourself and no one else, you didn't have to look after anyone else, and that was what I called bliss in these new times.

"I say we go up now and take care of whatever it is," Jack interrupted my thoughts.

"I don't think that's such a good idea, smart one," Stacy jabbed at him, "in case you haven't noticed, it's dark, they have the advantage. I don't know about you, but I'd rather not be attacked in pitch darkness because of a dumb decision."

They continued to argue and I just drowned them both out. Luke was pacing around at the bottom of the stairs contemplating his own plan no doubt. There was something terribly wrong with this entire scene. My brain was spinning around in circles. Stacy and Jack's voices began to rise.

"Stop," Luke tried calming them down, "guys stop," he was whispering, and their voices merely drown him out, "hey!" He nearly shouted this time.

The conflict ended and we all shifted our eyes to the top of the stairs to see if anything had been disturbed by the argument. Nothing. A tension died down as we relaxed a little. Another noise from above us. It sounded like scraping on the floorboards, very faint and very short lived. Then all was silent again. My nerves were tense, my eyes darted madly around the house, every open door was an entry point for something to jump out and attack. The room seemed to heat up again and I felt sweat forming and gathering at my hairline and then slowly rolling down the side of my face.

The silence in the house was over-powering. It bore into me and took over my whole body. It was pressing in on us, squeezing the very air from my lungs. We had to leave, but we couldn't, it was too dangerous outside, although I had a feeling we were in even more danger in this house than we would be on the streets. My heart stopped in my chest as another noise came from above our heads. It was the same noise but much more distinct and lasted longer this time. We grouped closer together in a formation with our backs all together watching from every angle. I didn't want to be in here any longer. My legs screamed for me to run, but I used my brain to will them to stay put. Everything in my being told me to get out of there. I did not care what was up there.

"Wha..." Stacy started saying something.

"Don't...say...a word," Jack said each word inbetween breaths.

My legs ached to run, but I had to continue to will myself not to move a muscle. The scraping stopped, and we stood there together in continued silence for what seemed hours. Finally Luke spoke up. His voice seemed to echo throughout the entire house, into every room and corner.

"Angie, did you get that?" Jack's voice brought me out of my thoughts.

"Huh? Get what?" My voice sounded distant and dazed.

"The plan. This place is obviously not safe, especially when whatever is in here has the advantage over us and knows that we're here."

"So what's the plan?"

"We have to wait until morning-"

"Well yeah-" I tried cutting in.

"Let me finish, will ya?" He sounded irritated. "We have to wait until morning to make a move or even leave this place, so we're gonna have to take shifts sleeping and being a lookout."

Typical. I thought to myself.

"Well, I ain't sleepin' for sure!" Stacy exclaimed, "Ain't no way I'm gonna be sleeping in this place!"

"Very well then. But the rest of us are still gonna take shifts to be safe. Sound good?"

I nodded my head, "yeah, sounds fine."

The noise from upstairs had ceased since the last time we heard it. Luke had the first watch. I don't remember, but during his watch, my body went into a deep, dreamless sleep.