The Alpha

Twelve

Waking up to a gust of frosty wind blowing on my exposed skin. Fluttering my eyes open I look around the living room. The room is lit up by the street light shining through the open blinds and curtains.

Casting shadows and a cold white light. But there was just the empty other sofa, the TV just a black box.

Another cold intrusive blast of air hits and travels up and around my body. Creating goose bumps speeding on my skin. Frowning and creasing my brow.

Why is it so cold?

Standing up letting out a shaky breath making a white cloud come out my mouth. Walking through the open door to the kitchen from the living room. I try my best to look around.

But it was too dark, no help from street lights in here. Flicking the light switch the kitchen gets illuminated by bright light. The bright light reflects on pieces that lay on the ground.

“What?” I say through a breath.

Crouching down I see bits of broken glass. Another gust of icy wind whipped around me. Looking up I see the thin muslim fabric blind that covers the window above the sink. Is blowing aggressively. Standing back up I get closer. The broken glass crunching beneath my feet.

More bits of glass or window are scattered in the sink and on the kitchen worktop.

Proving my suspicions correct I grab the blind midair and pull it to the left side. Revealing a smashed window looking out into the dead of a dark night. The whole window was gone, all in shards around the kitchen.

“What the hell?” I say as my frown deepens and rest my right hand on my forehead. “When did this happen? If it happened when I was here asleep, how didn’t I hear it?”

Fear creeped up my spin like a snake. What if someone is in the house with me? My heart started beating fast and violently.

Creeping back out the kitchen, through the leaving room. I am now standing in the passageway of the front door and the towering stairs leading up to inky blackness.

Trying my best not to make a sound I slowly start to ascend the stairs.

Getting to the third step, it grows loudly. Making me lift my foot instantly and bite my lip. Holding in a breath. Peering up into the inky darkness I don’t see anything or hear anything as a result of the creek floorboards.

CRASH!

Came from the top of the stairs. Gasping I clamp my mouth shut freezing with one leg hovered in the air. Another gust of icy cold wind bit at my exposed flesh. Turning my head back around to look down the stairs which I am half way up. My mind split on what and where to go. Up or down?

Before I would make a sedition. Pain so violent and piercing stung at the back right of my neck. Touching it my hand came away b****y. Red warm liquid running and dripping from my fingertips over my hand down my arm staining my sleeve of my top.

It came from upstairs, it came from the inky darkness.

“What?” It took awhile for my brain to compute what's going on and that the bright red, looking like fake blood, was my blood.

Pain hammered down my spine and my skull. Whaling out in pain my knees give way.

The hammering pain was constant and after a couple of seconds which left like hours a new wave of encrusting pain engulfed my body. My eyes are watering and my ears ringing.

Feeling my neck warm and the back collar of my top wet. Sat limp in the middle of the stairs I bit my lip as I reached my right arm up to touch the spot on my neck where all the pain is coming from. After my wet clumsy fingers get there they come in contact with something hard, maybe plastic? No, it's cold. Metal?

Gathering up all my strength and courage.

Counting in my head, one …. Two … three-

“AAAhhhhh!” Ripped through my throat and out my dry cracked lips. Making my left panting.

My blood oozing out of my neck making my head go dizzy and my vision to warp. My thoughts are getting muddled and hazy.

Looking down in my hands lay what I can only describe as a needle but not one you see the doctors and nurses using. There’s something different about this one.

Eyes rolling to the back of my head, I feel my heart beat slowly matching the world around me as I tumble down the stairs. Laying at the bottom unable to move. The once cream carpet now dyed a scarlet red. My blood.

Eyelids are getting heavier and heavier. I manage to see the lights come on.

“Help … someone help me … please … I am right here…” my raspy voice barely whispers. My right arm which my head is resting on, I muster up some more strength to try and move, crawl or more like pulling myself across the floor.

No one answered but even if they did I am not sure that I would have been able to hear them.

Moving from the bottom of the stairs to the open door of the living room, there is a red carpet runway behind me. Too much blood.

My movements got slower and weaker as I got closer to the living room.

Before I could pass the threshold to the living room my body collapsed.

Hearing shuffling of noise soon a pair of shoes comes into view.

Shoes that I would recognise anywhere. As I bought them.

Shoes that my brother wouldn’t stop going on about so I saved and got him some.

The shoes that on the first day that he wore them he managed to get some green paint on them, right on the bridge of the little toe.

Those shoes now sat right infant of my face, a splash of green paint and all.

Through the pain I turned my head as best I could to see, to see if it was actually him.

While Turning my head I held my eyes tightly closed. I guess my bodies way of it not wanting to see.

Maybe it was better that I didn’t know? No! It would drive me crazy not knowing well if I survive. Oh god…

Opening my eyes I also let out a deep breath, leaving my mouth blubbering like a fish.

Our eyes met the same shade of grey. A hard bitter lump took home in my throat as tears stung my eyes. No …

“Edric?” I croaked out.

At the same time his hands came closer to my face, but his hands weren’t empty. How didn’t I notice the hammer that sat so heavy in his hands?

My eyes grew wide as the flat side of a hammer head came closer and closer.

My arms are too heavy for me to be able to shield myself from the inevitable blow.

“No! Please. Edric! Don’t kill me! I don’t want to die! Why … ?” I begged, tears streaming down my face as blood streamed from my neck, as by each word the hammer grew.

I closed my eyes and tried to calm myself and be at peace. Also whispering to him and a bit myself “It’s okay. It’s okay. It's okay.” Over and over again.

Until it hit.

My body erupted in pain and anguish. Pain so unbearable I stayed in darkness not sure if I closed my eyes or if …

No scream escaped me, no noise, no sound, no movement. I was still, silent and hurt.