Chapter 2 Attacked
1239 Words
Eric
CRACK
That’s the sound I heard when the rod hit the little girl on the side of her face.
She fell to side from the impact.
For a moment, I was too stunned to move or say anything. All I could do was to just stare at the body in front of me, which was I realised, a little girl, lifeless and not moving at all.
What the hell is wrong with you?
What the hell is wrong with you!
“What the hell is wrong with you?” I murmured.
I looked up to the attacker. She was staring at the body intently, rod clutches tightly in hand, poised to strike again. After a minute or two, she relaxed and looked at me, frowning.
“Now, who are you?” She asked with a certain calmness that stood out sharply contrasted with my current state.
“Leave me alone!” I shouted and started limping away from her as fast as I could but she grabbed my hand and yanked me back.
“Where the hell do you think you are going?
You need help.” She said.
“No no no, not from you” I turned back again.
“I’m sorry I hit you, it was an accident.
I thought you were a feral” she said, yanking me back.
“What the hell does that even mean?
What about her?” I replied, equal parts fury and fear.
“She was an infected, unfortunately.
I ran into her here before and observed her from afar. She is definitely a feral.
Also, the way she was about to attack you proves my point.”
She stopped down and warily turned the girls body. The supported her face and illuminated it with the lantern. I gazed in raw horror.
Her face was pale, untamed dark hair and overall pretty cute. If not for the right side of her face smashed a bit, blood dripping from the corners of her mouth and her nose, smearing the lower side of her face.
Over the clean side, dark veins were visible around her eye. Fine, dark and twisting veins, originating under the eyes, tapering on, twisting here and there until dissolving into the paleness of her cheek.
The attacker opened the child’s left eye.
They were dark, completely. The darkness of her eyes, coupled with the veins around it and contrasting with the general paleness of her skin, lent her quite the visage of horror.
Just like before…..
“The signs of being infected.”she said.
“Ye..yeah” I mumbled, unable to gaze any further.
She stood up.
“I’m Ruby” she said.
“Eric.”
“Okay Eric, you will have to come with me if you want to survive.”
“Okay”. Was all I could say. I didn’t know who she was, where did she come from and where was she taking me. I decided to comply simply because there was no other option. I could not survive on my own, there was no chance.
But with her, I may yet have a chance.
She then took out a short rope out of her pockets and bound my hands. At first, I tried to resist a bit but she would hear none of it, and so compiled. She took the lead and we started walking.
“Where are you taking me?”
“To the camp.”
It was clear she didn’t wanted to talk.
We kept walking silently for some hours, resting when we could.
Dawn came sometime after and in the little light, I noticed that she was walking a bit weird.
Was she injured?
But the infected girl didn’t even touch her.
Maybe she was injured before that.
“Hey? Are you hurt or something?” I asked non-chalantly.
“No”. She replied. But with an added ‘weight’ as if to convince me and herself.
It didn’t work on me though.
“Hey? Wait, I think you are wrong. Wait a bit, let me see” I asked her as politely and calmly as I could.
“It’s nothing.” She said, a bit sternly.
“Won’t hurt to look though would it?”
She sighed a little, turned and I could see something was up with her right arm. She had full sleeves clothing but it was apparent enough that it was swollen a bit.
My eyes moved over her, her lean built body, sharp petite features, green eyes and scarlet hair. How her body had curves where it should and lacked where it shouldn’t and she was well endowed with womanly parts that would make any woman burn in jealousy.
“Satisfied?” She asked, smiling sarcastically though her cold eyes betrayed her fury.
It was just a moment’s notice of a rod cracking open my skull.
“What’s wrong with your arm?” I asked, my voice a bit weaker than before.
Her smile faded and instantly she was a bit surprised. She looked here and there.
“I got a minor sprain earlier.”
“Here, let me make you a splint.” I offered.
She was a bit reluctant at first but ultimately let me help her. I fixed her a makeshift splint from a branch.
After that, we resumed the journey.
As we walked and walked, grass grew less and less, replaced over time by larger shrubs and ultimately a forest loomed before us.
“Are we going to go in there?”I asked.
“Yes.” She replied.
A little bit nicely wasn’t it?
The forest was beautiful.
Huge pine trees jutted out of the ground, touching the skies. Large, spread-out ferns adorned the ground and the sounds of birds and other animals like elk granted it a melody whose beauty only matched the way sunlight danced in the forest. We kept walking through and I kept gazing here and there.
This is beautiful.
“Stop!” Someone shouted and my heart raced suddenly, goosebumps flowing over my body.
The sound apparently came from up a tree. At least, that’s where Ruby was looking. She wasn’t the least bit surprised.
“Who is he?” They asked.
“Cut the theatrics, he’s a survivor.” Ruby replied, annoyed a bit.
“Really! Someone emerged from atop the tree and started descending down, letting go at a reasonable distance from the ground and landing on all fours. A freckled, curly brown-haired boy came up to me, smiling.
“What do we have here?
Who are you?” He asked, voice excited and welcoming.
“I’m Eric, nice to meet you.” I replied. Smiling back as best as I could.
“Ohhhhh! Manners?” He exclaimed.
“It’ll put a smile on the Old Lady’s face. Gods know she needs it.
Seems like you’ve got some competition eh Ruby?” He said, grinning at her.
“Shut up!” She replied, clearly annoyed.
It became clear to me that there was no competition.
“Hey Jimmy? Cover for me would ya? I’ve got a tour and introductions to handle.”
He shouted up a tree.
“Okay” replied a meek voice, who I guessed belonged to Jimmy.
“I’m Rory by the way” he said.
“Now, let me show you, the camp.”
His smile did not do justice to how happy he was.
Clearly.
- Writer
