The Art of Death: Love and War: Chapter 3

Chapters:

Chapter 1: https://steemit.com/fiction/@shadowmoses1/the-art-of-death-love-and-war-chapter-1

Chapter 2: https://steemit.com/fiction/@shadowmoses1/the-art-of-death-love-and-war-chapter-2

Chapter 3

I stood in the doorway of the building. There was some shuffling on the floorboards. Someone, hopefully not something, was making it. I got my handgun ready. I entered slowly and looked both ways. To the left was the end of the hallway. The right, the hallway entered into a living room type area where some of us slept. There wasn't a lot of us after all. I moved slowly down the hallway and into the living room. There was no one there. Just a couch, some sleeping bags, and a small television. I looked around and heard a cough from the next room over in the kitchen. I stepped through slowly and entered the doorway leading to the kitchen. I saw a man, looking through the fridge. He had brownish the shish hair and was a bit shorter than me. I slowly pointed my gun at him.

"Who the fuck are you? I have a gun!" I shouted. The guy got startled and hit his head on the fridge door. He put his hands up and slowly turned around. Judging by his face, he was older than me. At least in his forties. He had bags around his eyes and the blood vessels in them were very noticeable. He looked tired, and intimidated by my gun.

"I'm not looking for trouble," he started saying in a deep, raspy voice.

"Shut the fuck up, I oughta' shoot you now just for invading my cabin!" I hollered at him. He backed up as I edged closer to him.

"Get in the living room and sit down!" I ordered. He looked at me confused and in a daze. "Now!"

He did what I said, and walked past me as I pointed the gun at him from behind. I led him to the couch like a prisoner.

"Another fucking scavenger," I whispered under my breath. He sat down and looked at me as I sat down next to him and looked him up and down like a guard dog for a minute.

Why was he here? How did he get in? I was sure we locked both the fence and the building. The building had no back doors or any windows. It was part of a safety procedure so Beasts and Dusks just don't waltz in. It was the only thing the supposed leader did right. Well, at least I don't answer to him anymore. Funny enough, this building was built four years ago; when I was 17. Well, it still was being built, but it almost completed. It took us a year to get as close as we are now. Back then, we slept in a nearby building until it was finished; having one or two of us to keep watch while the others slept. We had limited number of people and supplies. Some of us worked on the building while others went out to look for supplies; wood, bandages and such. Both tasks were deemed important, making it take even longer. We went out to get food I always went out with them. Unless it was a special mission, then I made sure I was the first to sign up. At sixteen, holding a gun and killing made it more fun. Some of us came back, some of us didn't. I remember one time I was a survivor of a mission gone wrong. It was actually a day like today. It was beautiful out at first. We didn't even encounter a single Beast while looking for supplies. But, of course, clouds threatening rain formed overhead turning the bright sand dark. It turned from a good day to a bad one fast. The Dusks thrive in the dark. It was me and three others on that mission. We had limited ammo. One had a submachine gun, the other two had shotguns. I wasn't trusted enough, so they gave me a handgun. They probably regret it now though. I can't remember their names. I have just met them that day after all. I will call them Guy A, B, and C to make it easier.

"Shit!" Screamed Guy A. He was muscular, he had backbone, and rarely showed fear.

"What?" Guy B asked. Guy B was slim.

"Its raining..." Guy C finally said. Guy C was more of a brainiac, figuring out ways to get out of situations.

"Maybe we should-" I started to talk, then was cut off.

"Shut up Oliver! Let him figure it out!" Guy A screamed at me.

"Don't tell me what to do, I don't answer to you!" I snapped back at him.

"Says who?" Guy A questioned.

"I do. You're not our leader!" Words exploded out of my mouth.

"He has a point," Guy C said.

"May I remind you, that our leader made me in charge of this mission!" Guy A explained with hostility.

"Yeah, and the mission was great thanks to your leadership," I sarcastically joked.

"Not my fault!" Guy A yelled.

"Well I don't c-," I started talking, then was cut off by a loud, howling, evil sound.

"What was that?" Guy A asked.

"What do you think? Its the damn Dusks!" Guy C explained.

"Dusks?" Guy A yelled. As he started running, there was a whirring sound, then a high pitched stabbing sound. We looked at each other, and Guy A's head fell to the ground.

"Fuck this, I'm out!" I yelled in horror, and ran. The other two followed behind, having the same idea, until I heard a thump. Guy C fell to the ground as a small, thin, gray creature climbed onto him. The thing made a growling sound. Guy B and I watched in horror as the Dusk, or I think it was one, dug into his stomach with its claws. Guy C begged and pleaded, but the Dusk wouldn't stop. It tore out his insides and started eating his intestines. Guy B pulled out his submachine gun, and shot it several times in a rage of bullets. The Dusk fell to the gro d, and howled more. Then more Dusks came out in response. Guy B ran over to Guy C, but he was already dead. The Dusk tore out his stomach, lungs, heart, everything it could get with it's filthy claws. Guy B didn't sulk over him for long, as the Dusk attacked faster than I could warn him. It tore his head off and started eating into his eye sockets. As soon as that happened, I ran, just like I did today. When I got back, I explained what happened to the leader. He shook his head, and we rushed into the building for the night.

Nothing more happened, most of us stayed up including the leader. He kept guard at the door. Every so often we would hear howling, but nothing more.

Sorry, got a little sidetracked. I looked at the stranger again. He just looked at me.

"I have a couple of questions to ask, and I need them to be answered honestly, understood?" I told the guy. He shook his head agreeing. "For one, how did you get in here?" I demanded.

"Well, I climbed over the fence, and the door to this building was left wide open." He articulated, talking in a deep, rhaspy voice.

"Must've been Kenny..." I whispered under my breath. Damn it Kenny now you're dead and I can't smack you.

"Huh?" He asked, while weirded out.

"Nothing, nothing, but why did you come here?" I questioned him sternly.

"I was hungry, thought you noticed by me being at the fridge," he bluntly explained.

"So you're by yourself?"

"Have been for awhile."

"What's your name?"

"Uh..." He quietly whispered.

"Now!"

"Elias."

"Ok, Elias, where are you heading?"

"Canada, supposedly there's a refugee camp, survivor or whatever camp up there." I knew about it, but how did he know? That means either its fake or everyone else is heading there.

"Where'd you hear that?"

"Rumor, heard it months back."

"Figures, me and my group were headed there."

"Members? Where are they?" He asked looked around the room.

"Dead," I bluntly answered.

"Not good members, eh?"

"Yeah."

"You still going up there?"

"I don't know."

"Why wouldn't you?" He persisted.

"Don't know where to start... I'm by myself, that's mostly why."

"We can go together!" He excitedly told me. Poor guy. Must be lonely.

"I don't know you," I replied. "You could be a murderer."

"You have a gun, come on, staying here won't help because you don't have any essentials for surviving." He was right.

"Fuck it, why not, nothing here for me anyways."

"When do we leave?"

"Tomorrow."

"Hopefully it won't be raining. I'll sleep here." He laid down in the couch, making me move.

"Oh sure, make yourself at home, why not?" I uttered sarcastically. I laid down on my sleeping bag on the floor, and we both instantly fell asleep.