TORN FLESH

CHAPTER FOUR: LIGHTS

THEY didn't talk much on the way down, besides Violet asking Margo how she was holding up with her leg every now and again. As they neared the bottom of the staircase, Violet turned and stopped the girl holding her hand out in front of her, gesturing to her leg she pulled her bag from her backside setting it down on the floor.

"We haven't got all day, sit down, and make the tourniquet." Margo did as suggested- despite the fact she didn't want to be bossed around by a ten-year-old- digging through her bag, Violet found the shirt they'd picked up earlier handing it off to her, she turned around to give her some privacy while she changed it- and for the sake of not having to see blood- gently prodding the girl with her foot a few minutes later she used the railing to help her to her feet.

"Come on, once it's dark out we'll have the cover of night." she weighed out the gun in her hand fully aware that the next eight to nine bullets couldn't be wasted, "you know, some people would call you insane for leaving this place to go out there, but then again, the worlds gone to hell so I don't think anyone really has room to talk."

Unsure of how to reply, Margo followed Violet out of the stairwell and out into the ground level of the hospital. There seemed to be blood covering every inch of white the floor had to offer. There was blood spatter along the walls, the floors, even the chairs, and equipment.

Violet stared down at her shoes wishing they were outside, wishing she'd never even broken into the damned building, to begin with, but, fate didn't seem to be working well with her lately, so she was taking the punches as they came. Margo, on the other hand, was studying the blood, trying to figure out from which angles the guns would've had to fire to cause it to spatter like that, it was like a game.

Trying to picture it and imagine it happen, and then having to restart again when it didn't work out.

"Is this where they stormed in?" Violet softly nodded her head moving her gaze to Margo's boots to try and distract herself, "it was after the first wave, people were bringing in their wounded, mostly bites and all that, they came in and wiped out the entire lobby..." she paused daring to look up from the girl's boots, "even the doctors and nurses."

She tried to picture it, tried to imagine what it would feel like, to be bringing in a wounded friend and suddenly be shot in the head for just being there. Wrong place at the wrong time.

Small slivers of light cascaded in through the broken windows- some of which had been boarded up in an attempt to keep whatever was inside, inside- the sun was slowly getting closer to the horizon the two of them stopping in the middle of the lobby to admire the golden light for a few silent moments.

"Is it safe here, until dark?" Violet nodded her head leaning it against Margo's leg, despite what she knew she didn't want to do, she reached her hand up to the girls head to softly run her fingers through her hair, she didn't flinch at the contact instead leaning into it with a small smile on her face.

Eventually, they found themselves leaning against a wall, seated on the floor with Violet's head in the older girls lap, she had her gun in one hand while she stroked the girls head with her other, so far, they'd seen no Lurkers, hoping it would stay that way, the two of them made sure to remain quiet trying their best to refrain from talking unless it was necessary.

As soon as the veil of darkness that came with the night fell over them they'd be able to make it back to wherever it was Violet lived, then they would be able to freely talk and wouldn't have to worry about the Lurkers that seemed to quite literally lurked everywhere.

It was just a small bit past dusk when Margo shook the girl's shoulder pointing out the window, "Violet, come on, it's time to get ready." Violet sat up rubbing her eyes before she followed her finger to see where she was looking, outside, she watched as the golden light of the sun dipped below the horizon, the sky had faded to a light purple, blue bleeding into the sky above it to create an ombre.

"Where are we planning to go from here?" rubbing her eyes once again Violet treaded past Margo to the frame of a shattered window that had once been boarded up, she pointed out towards the street, it was but a hundred feet away at most, "the house on the corner." Margo followed her finger her eyes landing on the house she'd been shown earlier. "Alright, so once it's dark out we can make a run for the house, you're gonna have to lead the way." raising her machete she gave a slight nod before adjusting the strap of her bag.

For the next half hour, they waited near the exit- just inside so no one would be able to spot them from outside- watching the sky and their surroundings as the sun slowly disappeared and the sky shifted to the dark blues and blacks of the night. When a few stars became visible to them they knew it was time to go, Margo gently patted the girl's shoulder hoping to gain her attention, "you ready?"

"Yeah... yeah, I'm ready." she sighed sliding her machete into her other hand, she could tell the girl was tired, just from the way she was acting, she was on edge, continuously rubbing her eyes, anxious, and overall she was just extremely antsy in general. But maybe that was because she was scared to be caught out after lights out.

They waited a few more minutes before Violet urged her forward the girl keeping her eyes peeled as they crept past the entrance of the old building, outside, everything seemed larger and isolated then they had in the daytime, she could only wonder how the people who lived in the homes around them felt about their situation.

Violet led her around the edges of houses- using them as cover along the way- making sure to glance around each corner for soldiers before they proceeded, while Violet and Margo hardly knew each other, they already felt a sense of belonging in the presence of the other.

The smaller of the two held out her hand stopping Margo in her tracks, "did you hear that?" holding her breath, Margo listened as hard as she could her ears picking up on the soft sound of shoes walking through dead grass, it was a quiet sound, a sound that seemed to belong but the two of them knew it didn't.

Holding her hand out for the machete, Violet silently handed it to her watching as she raised it overhead, a man came from around the corner in an attempt to peek and locate where they were. Instead of getting a location, he got a blade to the head.

Margo pressed her foot against the side of his head as she yanked the blade free of his thick-headed skull glancing over the bloodied blade, she handed the weapon off to Violet quickly crouching down to rid the man of his rifle and binoculars. Glancing in either direction she let out a sigh of relief when she realized he was the only one; for now.

Slinging the rifle over her shoulder- along with the binoculars- she turned to face Violet, the girl was holding the machete so it was pointed at the ground the blood evidently dripping down onto the cold grass, without either of them exchanging a single word, they continued to walk along the edges of the houses the small blonde leading them forward for a few more minutes before she pointed ahead of them, "that's it, as long as we're quick about it we should make it without being spotted."

Behind them, they could hear the sounds of frantic conversation, and then it turned into panicked yelling, "HELP! SOMEBODY HELP!"

The two of them stopped dead in their tracks turning around to try and hear what was going on, "JOSEPHS DEAD!" Margo's eyes widened, they had found the body.

It wasn't as if they'd tried to hide it or anything- because they hadn't- but, she hadn't expected anyone to find him till morning when the lights out was no longer in action and they were allowed to freely roam the city, Violet tugged on the older girls pant leg, "we've gotta go now, the soldiers will find us if we don't."

Gently pushing her forward, Margo chased after the small girl following her through the dark in hopes of reaching the house, she could hear an engine somewhere behind them, no doubt a vehicle within the military's possession. "Violet, we've gotta speed this up." she glanced over her shoulder as the headlights of the vehicle neared where the yelling had begun.

"I'm trying." she panted her bag being one of the many things to slow her down, she could see flashlights now, people were looking for something, they were looking for the killer.

Margo reached forward pulling on the back of the girl's shirt as she stopped, "we don't have time for this." she crouched down sliding the rifle and the binoculars out of the way for her, "what the hell are you doing?" she questioned pointing in the direction of the lights, "we're not gonna make it at this pace, now hop on before you get us both killed."

Violet glanced between Margo and the lights trying to make a decision that wasn't necessary, with a small huff she rushed behind the girl quickly wrapping her arms around her neck. They took off within seconds, Violet having slid her machete into the sheath she'd tied to her small belt, they were running now, their movements awkward and inconsistent as they approached Violet's small house.

The girl gently kicked her in the side to prevent her from stopping as she neared the front door, "around the back, you have to go around back." they bounced along the uneven ground a few holes almost sending them into the dirt before they reached the fence.

Without asking her to crouch down, Violet released her arms from Margo's neck dropping down into the dirt without so much as a whine, reaching into her pocket she pulled out a small slender key that had undoubtedly seen better days in previous years. The vehicle was nearing now, shining its bright watch light into every yard to check for people out and about, "Violet, whatever you're doing, you need to hurry up."

"I'm tryin-" she began quickly shutting her mouth for a split second when she heard the metallic click she'd been waiting for, "I got it, I got it! Come on!" the two barrelled through the fence shutting it behind them as quickly as possible, they both crouched in the dirt once Violet had locked the fence up trying their best to catch their breath.

Overhead, the small pitter-patter of rain could be heard as it made contact with the roof and the concrete roads that began a few feet away, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear, Violet stood walking past Margo to the door on the back porch. Flicking through the set of keys she'd been carrying with her, she pulled out a bronze one, it had the outline of a bird engraved on one side of it with small specks of white paint.

She inserted the bird key into the lock turning it until she heard another satisfying click. Margo stood quietly making her way onto the porch to follow after Violet inside.

She waited till Margo was past the threshold to turn around and lock the door, after that, they wandered on in the dark- at least Margo did- until Violet struck a match and lit a candle, making sure to keep it away from the windows, she led the older girl in the dining room that bordered with the kitchen.

"Welcome to the horror city."

TORN FLESH

CHAPTER FOUR: LIGHTS