The Snipers of the Apocalypse

Flashback Part 2

Throwing my rifle onto my back and taking off, I was standing in front of their slouched forms in seconds.

"What took you guys so long?" I interrogated, before the tension in the air spiked as both of them looked at me, not saying a word.

Sorrow was the best word I could find to describe the look in their eyes.

"Sweetheart, we have to talk." My mother's words burned into my soul. Her tone alone said everything that I needed to know. With sore muscles and robotic movements, I led them back to the deck.

"Alrrami, go get your sister." My parents sat against the side of the house, holding each other close. With a stiff nod, I turned my back to them and entered that small house once again, walking straight over to the living room couch where my little sister was still fast asleep.

"Korra, wake up." I spoke as I shook her shoulder gently, dodging a swing of her arm when she woke up with a start.

"What? What's going on? Are they back yet?" Her questions were rapid fire as her eyes darted quickly across the room.

"They're back. Come on." I knew that she could tell by the sound of my voice that something was wrong, as she grabbed her gun and followed me back out to the deck.

Mom and dad were sitting in the same position, watching as the sky faded from a blueish-pink into the dark blue-black of the night. The first stars were already making their grand appearance.

"What's going on?" Korra questioned, rubbing the last remnants of sleep from her eyes before kneeling down to give them hugs. Instead of accepting the offer with open arms like they normally would, they both held a hand up to stop her.

Confused, Kor slowly moved back, shaking her head.

This was the moment we both knew what had happened.

They'd been bit.

After a long moment of silence, I was the first to speak.

"Where." I choked out, refusing to cry.

Instead of saying anything, my mom moved the collar of her shirt to the side, revealing a bite on her shoulder. Dad then rolled his right sleeve, revealing the same wound.

"No." Kor whimpered, both of us staring at the worst possible outcome.

"It snuck up behind us and got your mother first, it got me when I pulled it off of her." I shook my head in disbelief as my father, sounding more weak than I'd ever heard him in my years of life, explained the nightmarish events that had taken place on that trail.

"This cannot be happening." I spoke just above a whisper, hands moving to the back of my neck as I started pacing back and forth on the deck. Korra stayed right where she was, frozen.

"(Y/N), please calm down. We knew this would happen eventually. We've planned for it." My mother's voice was calm as ever, but the obvious sadness and fear at the back of her throat was too obvious to miss.

"How the hell am I supposed to stay calm!?" I raised my voice, panic and despair hitting me in waves.

"Alrrami." My father shouted just enough to break through the panic I was facing as I turned back to face him, now standing in the middle of the deck. "You know what you have to do. Tie us up, the rope is in the dining room on the table."

I couldn't fight him. I knew what had to be done; like mom said, we'd planned for this moment. Hesitantly, I stiffly walked to the dining room, freezing in the presence of the rope.

It lie there, coiled up. It was as thick as two of my fingers put together, long enough to wrap around four average-sized people at least three times.