What Walks Among Us: Chapter 1: 100

100

They appeared as flashes. Flash, flames lapped a deformed face screaming in agony. Flash, charred skin melted away revealing a skeletal mess. Flash, somewhere voices laughed with satisfaction. Ruby’s heart battered her chest, her hazel eyes flew open and her mind flooded with remorse. Sleep was always unwelcome. Shakily sitting up on the bed, Ruby ran a pale hand over her mouth and glanced at the figure watching her. “You ok, Ru?” a dishevelled young man asked. His green eyes scanned his friend. Ruby only nodded, no longer were either of them capable of sleeping for more than a few hours. The digital clock informed the pair it was early morning and Ruby marked this as the hundredth day.

Sunlight poured into the motel room. Carrying just a large duffel bag and a small rucksack, the hunters left their temporary base. The vehicle they had stolen the previous week offered little practicability, it was old, rusty and unreliable. The barren landscape turned a shade of orange as the duo entered Nevada, and the creaky car shuddered along a lonely highway. Most of their journeys were spent in silence. After several hours, a small and vacant petrol station could be seen ahead. Ruby stared at her shabby sneakers as she climbed out of the car. Unknowingly raising her eyebrows at her reflection, she ran her fingers through her hair, in an attempt to tame it. She suppressed a laugh as Jeremy wrestled with the filler cap, eventually cursing as it flew across the forecourt.

Ruby shuffled down the aisles of the onsite shop, picking the cheapest items she could find. Other than the humming freezers, the only other sound came from an old woman coughing behind the till. Ruby glanced at the elder’s toothless grin and returned a false smile. Satisfied she had collect the most inexpensive supplies, Ruby walked to the cashier and placed her items on the desk. “Just these, thanks,” she told the woman.
“Ooh,” the pensioner croaked, obviously excited, “you’re English!”
“Yes,” Ruby confirmed, not quite sure how to react.
“I haven’t had any of you lot in here for years!”
Ruby looked around the empty store, “guess you don’t get a lot of business?”
“Oh no, it’s a shame really. It’s a very lonely road you’re travelling on! Where y’all heading anyway?”
Usually, Ruby would lie but the sweet old woman seemed so engaged by their conversation, “north.”
“And is that handsome stranger your boyfriend?”
“God no,” Ruby said amused, “we’re just friends.” Ruby reluctantly handed over a handful of dollars, which were always in short supply.
“Well, good luck wherever you are heading!”
“Thanks,” Ruby smiled and accepted her items. She waved goodbye to the woman and felt the sun tickle her skin as she stepped outside, making her way back to the car.

Red dust swam in the air as the car pulled away along the desert road. Urging her frail legs to move faster, the elderly cashier scurried to the back of her store. She pushed open a red door and raced to an old fashioned telephone. Her bony fingers dialled numbers and she eagerly pressed the phone to her ear, “It’s them!” she cried down the line. Her excitement was met with silence. “Hello? It was them, I tell you!” Still awaiting a response, she proceeded to describe her most recent customers to the telephone, “The girl was short. Funny golden hair, very scruffy indeed, and she was English! Her friend certainly looked a mess too, I couldn’t really catch a glimpse but I know he had dark hair.” 

Silent minutes passed until the temperature within the room declined rapidly. The hairs on the elder’s skin stood tall. She nervously turned on the spot until an odd voice caused her to jump.
“It is them,” a peculiar accent stated, breathing down the pensioner’s neck.
“Jesus! You frightened me!” she wailed. The tall figure raised his head to reveal unnatural opal coloured eyes. There were no pupils, just swimming bright irises. Fear mixed with anticipation caused the elder to jump slightly; she had expected an abnormal appearance but the dark red veins decorating the creature’s face made her squirm. “They...they were heading North,” she stuttered. A thick black hood protected the form from the glistening sun yet his bizarre teeth still gleamed as a sinister smile spread onto the disfigured face. “So, what is my reward?” the elder questioned, suddenly feeling courageous. Without warning, icy fingers tightly grasped her neck as a cold blade touched her skin. “Wha...wha...” the woman choked, unable to form any coherent words. It was impossible to fight. The teasing knife slowly tore her flesh and ripped through her skin, creating a waterfall of crimson liquid.

Shadowed by an orange landscape baring nothing but scraggly trees and rocks, Ruby and Jeremy continued their journey sighting no other vehicles. Whilst Jeremy sat behind the wheel, Ruby was flicking through the pages of a thick blue book the pair had compiled. It consisted of scribbled notes, not-so-artistic diagrams and several maps. The clock within the car told the pair midday had just passed, yet neither had much of an appetite. Instead, Ruby reached for a bottle of water. “One hundred days,” she unexpectedly said.
Jeremy met her gaze with a sad smile, “we will find him.”
“I know,” Ruby reassured herself, the glimmer of hope was all she could saviour to stay reasonably sane.

A loud thump echoed through the car. Jeremy slammed on the brakes and a large dent in the roof almost scrapped his head while Ruby spilt her bottled water. Before either could contemplate what was happening, the windscreen shattered. Ruby felt the tiny shards cut her face as the car halted, and with no time to react, she found herself being dragged from her seat. The baked concrete shredded her already torn sweater and she fought with all her might, not able to see her attacker. Jeremy leapt from the car, crunching on the broken glass, and ran to Ruby’s aid. His adrenaline peaked when he noted the viscous creature tugging at Ruby, “Launum!” he yelled to her. Ruby panicked. Her kicks, punches and scratches were utterly useless. Slimy, pencil thin fingers tugged at her left arm and by now, she had been pulled effortlessly at least fifty yards. Without much thought, Jeremy tackled the child-sized creature, allowing Ruby to break free. Ruby scurried to her feet and raced back to the car where she flung open the large duffel bag, searching for the appropriate weapon. Blood soaked Jeremy’s face as he was thumped again and again. He glared at the tiny slits where red eyes beamed. His arms grew weak fighting the powerful creature in vain, and the hot saliva dripping onto his skin suggested the fiend was hungry. With an almighty bang, Ruby fired a large gun at the beast. She darted forwards and fired several more times causing the creature to howl at an unbearable volume. Covering her ears, Ruby watched the grotesque brute fall limply to the ground as it slowly began to disintegrate.

Jeremy’s ears rang uncomfortably. Ruby’s calls were barely audible, “Jeremy!”
“...M’ok,” Jeremy muttered. Ruby sighed, at least he was conscious. Before she could attend to her friend, she passed the gun she had dropped after firing at the creature, and knelt by the withering form. The Launum was certainly an ugly creature, the pair had only encountered a handful and they were notoriously feared. Only this Launum’s torso remained as its limbs and head had turned to ash. Ruby was used to some horrifying sights so it wasn’t the frightening exterior that caught her gaze; in fact it was something much worse. Where the miniscule heart of the creature had once been beating, a thick red scold sat in a circular pattern.
“Jeremy, get up,” Ruby ordered, her voice a little shaky, “now!”
“What?” Jeremy weakly asked as his head throbbed painful.
“It has a mark,” Jeremy didn’t respond, “Jeremy! It has a mark!”
Ruby scooped her arms under her companion and Jeremy suddenly registered what Ruby had said, “Shit.” The mark meant one thing. Launum’s with a red circular scold were pets.

Jeremy struggled along the road. His scruffy hair became sticky with blood and he constantly fought to keep his eyes open. Ruby grabbed his arm, but hurrying back to the car, she hesitated. Hundreds, possibly thousands, of sharp shards littered the seats and without another soul in sight, it was impossible to obtain another vehicle. Knowing what the marks on their attacker meant, the pair were doomed unless they could make a quick getaway. Ruby quickly shoved the gun back into the duffel bag and opened the boot. She grabbed the large blanket (with a distinctive logo sprawled in the corner, suggesting it had been stolen from a hotel) and set it down across the front seats. Glass swam around Ruby’s feet as she reached for the gear stick, finding it on a different side to what she was used too. Jeremy hadn’t said a word, his head rested against the window as the car jolted to a start. Without a windscreen, wind engulfed the vehicle and passing flies were dragged inside.

It was lonely and eerie. Jeremy was of no help or comfort and Ruby had given up trying to wake him. Every twenty seconds, she glanced in the interior mirror, praying no one was behind them. The sun was strong and bright yet the breeze that powered through the broken car caused Ruby to shiver. She had no clue as to their exact whereabouts. Her eyes turned glassy; she had not shed a single tear throughout their treacherous journey and she would certainly not start now. Ruby’s mind was in a challenging debate. She could veer off road and perhaps find shelter within the arid rocks, or she could continue along the highway and hope for the best. Clearly, the former was more dangerous, yet the latter seemed more ill fated. Ruby’s hair swamped her face as she forced the car to move faster, still struggling to make a decision. Her feet touched the brakes before her mind could catch up. Her shaky hands gripped the steering wheel as the car sat still, isolated on the road. Screeching, the car span around until it was facing the direction the pair had come from and Ruby could only think of one destination. Jeremy woke suddenly, alarmed by the sudden movement of the car. “What are you doing?” he asked.
Ruby simply looked at her friend, “I’m not really sure.”
“Well, don’t go back!” Jeremy exclaimed, his voice somewhat hoarse, as Ruby accelerated.
“They knew what direction we were heading in,” Ruby explained.

Anticipating an attack every second, Ruby nervously, and awkwardly, continued speeding along the highway. It wasn’t long before the worn car caught sight of its destination. The petrol station, that it had visited less than an hour ago, stood out like a sore thumb against the dry backdrop. Ruby manoeuvred the car under the very few trees towards the rear of the building, hoping that would act as a slight camouflage. Wincing as a piece of glass slashed her palm, Ruby opened her door and hurried to help Jeremy but was met with sighs and moans, “I don’t need any help.”
“We don’t have time to argue,” Ruby snapped, her English accent clashing with Jeremy’s American one. Knowing the poor old woman would be greatly concerned by their state, Ruby was reluctant to enter the shop yet she burst through the metal door, covered in scratches and with Jeremy dangling from her grasp. “Hello,” Ruby called, scanning the empty store as Jeremy slid down one the stacked shelves, trying to disguise his nausea, “hello!”

Ruby could only assume the woman was behind the red door that stood on the far wall. Something seemed odd to Ruby, the woman had been eagerly waiting on their first visit. Knocking on the door and gaining no reply, Ruby pushed it open a little and again called out expecting a response. Her bloodied hand swung the door open wide. It was quite alarming that seeing a mutilated corpse didn’t provoke much of a reaction from Ruby. She stared at the grotesque sight before her; it seemed the entire contents of the old woman’s blood had poured from a gash to her throat. “She’s dead,” Ruby yelled to Jeremy in a very matter-of-fact fashion. As if a switch had suddenly flicked on, Ruby realised that whatever was hunting the duo, had obviously reached the old woman first.

With a bottle of beer each, Jeremy and Ruby rested against the buzzing fridges. In all honesty, there was little they could do. An opened first aid kit sat by Ruby’s side as she had attempted to fix Jeremy’s wounds, only resulting in several plasters and make shift stitches littering his bloody face. Since discovering the truth about what lurks in the shadows, the pair had heard nothing but ear piercing screams and pain filled yells, and that is why they happily welcomed the silence. After a brief few minutes of peace, Jeremy couldn’t help but let out an amusing laugh. Ruby glared at him, utterly perplexed, “what is so funny?”
“We are,” he said, continuing to chuckle.
“You’re crazy,” Ruby replied but she was soon enticed by the laughter, and they both sat consumed by an odd moment of madness.
“We look crazy,” Jeremy stated. Other than the tattered clothes, cut faces and dishevelled hair, Ruby realised the extravagant pattern she had arranged on Jeremy’s face and laughed even louder than before. Her bandaged hand reached for another two beer bottles, which the pair were happily taking from one of the commercial fridges.

Curiosity soon got the better of Jeremy and Ruby. Behind the red door, they examined the corpse and searched the small room. The alcohol had not helped Jeremy’s light-headedness and he slumped into the cushioned chair behind a crooked desk. A television in the corner caught Ruby’s eye. Ruby shook the accompanying remote until the buttons worked and the monitor came to life. As expected, the reception was appalling and only three channels were received upon the fuzzy screen. The first channel displayed a foreign soap opera, complete with cheesy music, the second wasn’t even comprehendible but the third displayed the ANN (American News Network). Ruby raised her eyebrows at the heavily make up clad newsreader. Recently, the media had been alight with strange discoveries, dramatic encounters and claims that aliens from Mars had arrived. Ruby knew the latter certainly wasn’t true, but it was simply a matter of time before the world learnt of the increasing numbers of unknown species that lived among them. A feature about a giant toad in India blared from the screen. It was followed by the discovery of sixteen bodies buried in a Russian well and a mysterious disappearance of a sailing boat near Hawaii. “Stupid,” Ruby muttered under her breath.
“Maybe people will start listening,” Jeremy said, opening his eyes to look at the television.
“I doubt it,” Ruby sighed, “mind you, there have been more attacks lately than ever before.”
“Poor old lady,” Jeremy said, staring at the lifeless body. Ruby’s eyes moved slightly as thoughts whirred in her mind.
“Fucking bitch!” she exclaimed, “It was her!”
“What are you on about?”
“Shit, I’m an idiot. We have been travelling for little over two months without a single attack and today we were found.”
“And?”
“Today, I told that bloody woman that we were heading north of here and clearly she has been killed by some sort of creature hasn’t she?” Jeremy only nodded. They had no clue as to their next move and they were very surprised they hadn’t been discovered hiding in the petrol station.

Every minute that ticked by added a little hope. Assuming there was no imminent threat, Ruby rummaged through the backroom, searching for the keys to a red SUV that sat under a small shelter adjacent to the petrol station. Jeremy had gathered the few possessions from their battered vehicle and now proceeded to create piles of what items from the store would prove useful. “Found them,” Ruby called, hurrying back into the store and showing Jeremy the keys dangling from her fingers.

“Found you.”