The Broken Age

Night monster

We had a plan now. Or i guess a priority. Find clothes and get something for Sam's sister to eat. I was the only one left awake, except for the snake lady. Just the two of us staring at each other. I wanted to ask so much, 'Then ask' I wanted to know why she keeps hiding. 'Then ask' Why she keeps staring at me. 'Maybe it's because you're not listening' My eyes were so heavy, it was getting harder to focus. She smirks at me. I couldn't stand it anymore, i had to ask 'don't ask. you'll embarrass yourself' "Wh-" Silah's head shoots up, startling me. He gives an annoyed grunt and puts his head back down. "Why do you keep staring at me?" I whisper, my eye twitches as i speak, her smirk widens but she doesn't answer " Why won't you tell me anything" I force out "you need rest" She says, "I need answers" i reply. I force myself to keep awake, staring back at her, as her stare becomes more curious by the minute. My head starts tilting to the side, as i realize I'm falling asleep, but i was too tired to stop myself, "We will speak in the morning." She whispers.

"Why are you so stubborn, runt? Your just like dad."

There was a nudge, and my eyes snap open. I turn to face what it was. Silah was kneed down nudging me. Everyone else was ready, looking at me. "What?" I ask, "We have to get Maggie stuff." Sam says. I force myself up as my head starts aching, and we start moving again.

Why does my head have such a hard time focusing? 'Because you don't care' i feel like I'm slipping away. just constantly hazily watching what's happening in front of me. Nothing gets through. Why? I want to listen 'No you don't' why can't i listen? Why can't i talk? Why do i feel like I'm trapped in myself just watching a movie. 'Because you are' I'm not paying attention now either, am i. 'nope'

There were a few buildings nearby, along the road we were following. Sam rushed to find food in them, but i stayed back to watch the others. I felt so out of it. We will speak in the morning. The words started to echo in my head. Is she still watching us? 'yeah' "Are you still watching us?" I whisper. There was no answer, but Sam exits the building with my bag, and we head to the next one. "Can I at least get a sign, that you are?" I whisper again. Cactus throws a fit, on top of my head, pricking it with his quills, i jump at the response and grab him as he throws another fit, from me moving him. "Why do you hide in the day?" I whisper putting the hissing hedgehog in my pocket. "The experiment cannot be compromised further." A whisper returns. It was right next to my ear. Giving me chills as i felt the cold breath of every word hit my ear. I try to think on what i should ask next. What's important to ask? "Why?" 'that's your question!' We stop at the next building, and Sam runs inside. There was no answer to the question. Did she stop? 'No, she died' "Why do you keep staring at me?" I ask. Still no answer. Maybe this is too personal. What's something important, maybe something not personal. "Why did the snake people invade our world?" I ask, hoping for an answer. "This was never your world."

Why wasn't this our world. I wanted to ask but the others kept looking at me, maybe they think I'm talking to myself 'you always do' But i don't want them to know that! I can't ask anything else. Hopefully I can tonight though.

There was a small town ahead, And on the way a few travelers. A man, woman, and a small boy. They looked scratched up but didn't say anything, they just stared as they walked in the opposite direction from us, until we stared back, then they kept their heads down and started walking faster. In the town we start walking much slower. Maggie had started limping so, Alice and I had to help her move along, she felt so cold. Colder than how everything else felt. At a corner of a crossroad, we bump into someone else. A boy putting on a fuzzy hat. He jumps and gives a yelp at the five of us making us do the same. He takes a step back as his shoes give a grinding sound on the ground. He didn't look as old as the two we saw earlier, but he definitely wasn't a kid, he looked just as banged up as them though. Sam notices his hat "Where did you find that?" She yells pointing at his hat, making everyone else jump again. The boy shakingly points to a store behind him, Sam runs to the building and the boy cautiously starts moving around us, keeping eye contact as he went. We start walking to the inside of the building.

The building was filled with clothes, we rush over and start looking at the options as Silah and Maggie just watch. A lot of the clothes were too big or too small for us. Sam finds a single shoe that fit herself and puts it on her one bare foot. Alice finds a fuzzy yellow hat, a weird yellow and black sort of jacket and pajama pants with stars on one side. In one of the rows i find a blue hoodie, some grey sweatpants and size eleven boots. So, i give them to Silah who immediately drops them to the ground. "You need something for winter." I say picking up the clothes. He just stands there, unresponsive. So, i ask for help, as we hold him down, forcing the clothes on him as he whines, but when they go on him, he doesn't bother taking them off, he just stands like nothing happened. I put his hoodie up, but he immediately drops it again as his ears flap around. There wasn't anything That actually fit Maggie though, and none that she would willingly wear, so we gave her a pink towel that was dwarfed compared to her size, and a few more wrapped and tied around her.

I already had my jacket and didn't really like any of the clothes here, everyone else had something new to wear, so we exit the store, to find more people now running by "Where are they all going?" Alice asks, "Where are we going?" she adds "Were going south." I say. The buildings here were mostly filled with things, we didn't know how to use, not much food, just weird pieces of decoration, and furniture. We settle in another building, someone's camped, in it before. There's left over firewood here. They must have ran off too. Why else would they leave firewood when it's so cold? Alice arranges the wood and Silah starts lighting it. Sam opens my bag, pulling out a can of soup, and piece of sealed meat. "Eat your soup, Maggie." She says opening her can. Maggie takes the opened can, and flicks her long snake tongue out, at the can. Then gives it back to Sam. "What do snakes eat?" i ask. She doesn't answer. Alice opens the sealed meat and puts it next to the fire. "Maybe we should catch mice!" I ask. "She's scared of mice." Sam answers

We sit by the fire. Silah and Alice eat the meat and Sam takes small sips of the soup, desperately trying to give it her sister after, who wouldn't drink it. I think for a moment, then finally speak "What's the last thing she ate?" Sam stares at her soup, sad, and afraid "The food they gave us." She mumbles. And then i remember about the snakes again. Why not ask them! "Hey, um can you tell us what Sam's sister eats?" i yell. There was no response. She's gone again! 'No, she died' "Thanks for trying, guys." Sam says. I think for a moment again "Can you tell us what happened to you two?" I ask. Everyone else looks at me. Sam opens her mouth to speak "We-" There was a sound that catches all our attention. We all turn our heads. Something ran by. Then another sound, again this time closer and in the opposite direction. Then the sound of footsteps running past, there was a small giggle that echoes around us. And a figure jumps out, with a gust of wind dimming our fire. Everyone screams by reflex, facing the creature, and Silah covers his ears. This figure, something humanoid, with horns. A giant bat? with wings spread out wide, you could see the moonlight slightly shining through the outside of them. All you could make out from the dark figure was its large fangs. Smiling. I thought Alice was a vampire, her teeth were short and dull compared to these! This, was a vampire. We all scream louder as the figure, gets more joy out of our screams, its smile grows larger. Sam starts crying causing Maggie to start whining. Then Silah gives a scream making the rest of us stop. But it wasn't a scream of fear it was an angry, violent, scream. Like a wild animal roaring. He was clenching his ears tight from all the sound we had made. The vampires smile was gone, it quickly turns and runs out the hole in the wall ahead of us. There was a laugh in the distance. We were all shaking, from this. Silah was still growling as he kept rubbing his ears. And Maggie had her arms coiled around Sam, hugging her as Sam sobbed. Alice and i were the only ones least affected. I was more afraid of Silah from this. That scream scared off a vampire. Who knows what he would have done if we screamed even louder. He looks ready to tear something apart. None of us wanted to sleep that night.