Beyond the Walls

Chapter 21

Ruben flinches beneath me, sitting bolt upright. Aston curses loudly. I strain my eyes in the dark, trying to pick up the owner of the voice.

"I am hungry," the voice says.

"Who are you?" I ask, scrambling to my feet.

"Do you have food?" the voice says.

"I asked, who are you?" I press, digging into my rucksack for my matches. I grab the small box and strike a match against the side. In the dim, jumping light of the match, I see a figure standing before us. He is short, with gangly, bony limbs that are covered in scabs and cuts. His face is thin, his skin a sickly yellowish colour and his eyes are sunken into his face.

He doesn't respond to my question, only glancing between the three of us. His tongue runs along his bottom lip just as the inferno on the match licks the tips of my fingers and I wince, blowing out the flame. There is shuffling and when I light the next match, the man's face is right up in front of mine. His breath is hot and foul.

"I am hungry, Red Leaf," the man says, saliva flicking into my face.

Repulsed, my hand reaches for the handle of my dagger in my belt. "Look, we don't have food," I say, staring at the man. "So, I suggest you leave us alone."

"Liar," the man spits, his eyes are bloodshot and manic. "Liar, liar, pants on fire."

"Alright, that's enough," Ruben cuts in, grabbing the man's wrists and jerking him away from me. The man yelps, trying to wrestle himself free but Ruben holds firm.

By now, Aston has put together a torch, the flame casting light around the clearing. He strides up to the man, one hand holding the torch, the other at the handle of his sword, too. "So, are you going to tell us who you are? And where you come from?"

The man chuckles cynically. "I told you," he grins, showing off his yellow and black stained teeth. When he grins, his tongue sticks through a gap where a tooth should be. "I am hungry. The rest doesn't matter."

"And I told you, we don't have any food," I tell him.

"Come on, mate," Ruben sighs. "We don't want to hurt you."

Instead, the man lets out a terrifying animalistic hiss as he wrenches himself free of Ruben's grip, knocking me to the ground. He pins me down and locks his hands around my throat. His red eyes bore into my own. Ruben and Aston yell out, trying to pull him off. But his grip is solid.

"Blood!" he shrieks. "I want your blood!"

I desperately try to rip his fingers away but he only squeezes my throat harder. My vision goes white. I wonder if this is what it is like to drown. That's when the pressure around my neck releases. The man's eyes widen and he chokes, grabbing the blade sticking out from his ribs. Behind him, Aston grunts as he yanks his sword back out and the diseased man collapses on top of me. Deep coughs rack my entire body as Ruben pulls the dead man off me. I lay on the ground, gasping for air. Ruben and Aston kneel beside me, their images swimming as I fight to regain my sense of self.

"I'm okay," I rasp, spitting a wad of saliva onto the ground.

Ruben hands me a water bottle and I gulp it down even though the swallowing hurts. "Jesus, Elle. I'm so sorry."

"It...wasn't...your fault," I say, at last sitting up. I wince as I brush my fingers over my neck.

"Elle, lay down." Aston holds his torch to his side, casting shadows over his brows as he furrows them together.

"No, I don't want to sleep with his body right there," I croak, pushing myself to my feet, still wheezing.

Ruben gently holds my arms, keeping me steady. I finally reclaim my balance and, together, the three of us trudge through the forest. I stow my dagger away but remain alert and ready to pull out my sword if necessary.