Harm and Harmony

-Chapter 7-

Day: 1

Days Left: 5479

Lives Saved: 0

Corinna stirred awake to the sounds of the whistling wind and voices coming from outside. Tying the red blanket around her neck and clutching the makeshift spear in both hands, she peered through the ajar metal door and saw a group of creatures nearby- imps, seven of them. They were short and thin creatures, standing at the height of four feet, with pointed ears and small horns, armed with spears and donned in fur coats and cloaks. Imps were infamous for their mischief and mayhem, usually travelling in packs but were cowardly, only attacking lone prisoners.

Though they were small and weak, they had weapons. Alone they were no threat, but in numbers, they could overpower Corinna easily. She had seen footage of a pack of imps triumphant over humans thrice the size and strength of them. Any confrontation had to be avoided if possible as monsters could never be reasoned with.

Speaking in sharp shrieks and growls, the imps appeared to be arguing with each other, on what Corinna could not tell. The wind outside grew stronger and louder, she could no longer hear their voices. The imps held onto each other, using their spears to pierce the sand, acting as a weight to keep them ground to prevent any of them from toppling over or flying away in the wind due to their small size.

One of them pointed to the metal shelter.

They were coming.

Corinna stumbled back from the door and looked around the shelter, but there was no way out apart from the metal door. There was nowhere else to escape. If she left now they would see her, they would chase after her, but if she stayed, she would have to confront them and defend herself. It wasn't safe outside with the wind, she needed this shelter. She would have to fight for it.

"I have to," she repeated to herself as reassurance. "Everything will be okay. Everything is fine."

To catch them off guard and get a preemptive strike, she positioned herself to the side of the door. The voices grew louder and louder, closer and closer. She could hear a hand scratch against the metal door, then a thunderous crack.

The charred tree smashed down into the shelter, denting the ceiling inwards. Corinna held her hand over her mouth to stop herself from screaming. The wind tore the metal roof off, and it rocketed out, clanging onto the sand. The rest of the house rattled, the metal plates shook in the sand, losing their foundations, now even weaker, capable of collapsing at any moment.

After breaking through the metal door with their clawing hands, the imps pointed their spears at Corinna, growling, spitting, and hissing, jabbing their spears at her, forcing her into a corner.

Letting out a ferocious roar, Corinna lunged forwards with her spear and impaled the far left imp in the chest. The blade pierced straight through its small body. Its claws clung to the spear, attempting to free itself. Corinna swung the spear sideways, knocking the body into the rest of the imps and pushed them to the ground.   

The metal door rattled and shrieked in the wind, folding downwards, then flew directly at Corinna. Her body crashed into the metal wall opposite, causing it to collapse under the force. She flew back, far from the shelter, with the metal door slamming into her and trapping her underneath it.

The imps had recuperated from the last attack, working together to stay on the ground with their spears. They waited inside of what was left of the metal hut, keeping shelter from the wind. Corinna stayed still underneath the metal door, clinging to it to prevent the wind from pushing her body around further, using it as a weight.   

She didn't know what to do. Her shelter was gone, she was out in the open, and she couldn't escape or stand up; otherwise, the wind would send her flying. Warm blood oozed down her forehead. Those imps wanted revenge,  just like that other monster, and they would continue their pursuit.

Corinna and the pack of imps waited and waited for the wind to die down. As soon as it did, she knew that they would try to kill her. There was nothing else Corinna could do. She either had to escape as quickly as she could or defend herself and take their belongings, reclaiming the shelter.

The wind died down into stillness. The imps pointed their spears in her direction, spitting and hissing, yelling out a battle cry. They stepped towards her with their spears, chanting incomprehensible words and growls. Corinna stood up, gasping for breath from the pain in her chest. Prevailing through the pain, she heaved the metal door upwards, her knees almost caving from the weight, and held it up in front of her like a shield, cowering behind it.

Splitting into two groups, the imps flanked her from either side. One of them threw its spear which Corinna narrowly dodged and stole it for her own. With the imp now unarmed it was vulnerable. She had the chance to take one down. Instinctively, Corinna rushed at the weaponless creature with her two spears, first striking with one then the other, impaling it in the stomach. It retreated backwards, freeing itself, clutching at its bleeding wound. Two imps moved in front of her, protecting the disarmed one, the others surrounding her.

Their spears jabbed at her, the blades piercing her back and her legs. She screamed like a feral beast, swinging the two spears wildly in a circle close to the ground in an attempt to knock them all down as she had seen in action movies. However, only one failed to evade. The rest managed to step back just in time and watched as Corinna raised her spear and plunged the blade into the fallen imp. Even with her target close and pinned down, she still missed any vital organs, the imp alive but severely bleeding. Regardless, Corinna whipped around and grinned in triumph. 

Two down. Five to go.

She stepped forward as the creatures retreated back.

A blade pierced through her back. Corinna keeled over, screeching. It was lodged just underneath her shoulder blade, causing any movement to send a spike of agony up her spine. Looking back, she saw the imp that she had thought she had killed earlier holding the spear. Corinna kicked the imp away, the spear still lodged into her back.

How was it still alive? How was she still alive? How? How!

Corinna spat out the blood forming in her mouth, her heart beating against her rib-cage, her breath now sputters and coughs. 

Of course, it couldn't have been that easy. 

With the spear lodged into her back, it was impossible to run away now. She sniffed, unsure if she was laughing at herself or about to cry. Clutching at her own makeshift spear, Corinna raised her weapon and roared. The imps stepped back, retreating, clearly scared and frightened, lowering their spears in defeat.

Believing that it was her who they were afraid of, Corinna grinned and let out a triumphant victory call. Her smile faded when she realised. She turned around.

It was the monster.