Butterfly on Dead Leaves

3. Remains of the Day

~(Y/N) POV~

The air in my lungs was quickly ripped out as something pulled me to the ground, the crows flying and scrambling above me. The sound of cawing was deafening. I wanted to shriek for help but could only gasp in panic.

I struggled to pull my arm out, straining at the rough grip and whimpering in pain at the creature's strength. A few crows peck at my head and my back, but I managed to yank hard enough for the thing to let me go.

I let out a grunt as I hit the ground, not noticing the skeletal hand still holding on tightly. I gasp in fright as I shake the hand away. As I watched the hand crawl to me, I could hear something breaking from behind me. I quickly turn to look and watch in pure terror as something crawls out of the ground.

Multiple bony hands shoot out from the hole, digging into the earth to escape. The hole opens wider, letting out more creatures. I froze in horror as I gazed upon seven masculine figures rising from the cold earth, all wearing dirty and torn tuxedos.

All of them share blue-tinted skin but bore unique wounds.

One is wearing a soft blue suit with smeared wet dirt, and the flesh on his cheek was missing, allowing me to see his teeth.

Another man was wearing a gray suit with dead weeds wrapped around his arm, and his ribs are showing.

The man on his left is wearing an indigo suit covered in bugs, and his left arm was missing.

One of the other men was wearing a dark green suit with a bony left leg showing.

The man on his right was wearing a black and white suit and was missing his nose as well as a right eye.

On his right, a man was wearing a dark red suit and had wrapped his arm around his exposed spine and ribs.

The man in front of me was wearing an all black suit while having the left half of his face missing and a broken right leg.

I try to crawl backward and away from the undead men but freeze as they all look at me and say in unison.

"We do."

I could only gasp in fear as they reached out for me, causing me to scramble to my feet and take off running. I push through the low-hanging branches as my skirt gets caught on a small bushel of thorns. A dense, white fog rises in the dark forest as I hear the undead men coming closer, making me panic and tear my dress.

I pick up the ends of my dress and run faster while looking over my shoulder, causing me to fall down the dirt mound and hit a cold gravestone with my head. I let out a cry of pain and get up to keep running, too frightened to look for the men.

After a few seconds of running, I take one small look behind me and run full sprint into a tree. My head was spinning with pain, causing my vision to blur but undeniably viewed the seven men chasing after me.

I push myself away from the tree and continue running, the cold air of winter burning my lungs and cheeks.

Not realizing the frozen stream up ahead, I slip and land on my right shoulder. I shout at the pain but scramble to the grass. As I got up from the ground, I could see the fog slowly catching up to me. I look back and see the seven men gliding toward me like ghosts, making my heart race quicker.