Red Winter - /Haikyuu/

4. Heart so Heavy

"What... What the hell was that?" Hinata yelled as him and Kageyama ran away at top speed.

"I- I don't know, okay?!" Kageyama yelled back, the panic in his tone doing nothing to ease Hinata's twisting stomach. The sounds of the creature chasing them caused a sickening bile to rise up his throat.

His stomach clenched as he squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, unable to get the image of the now dead boy's intestines being eaten ruthlessly. Kageyama's grip on his arm was so tight it felt like he was cutting off his circulation, and Hinata knew he would have a bruise forming soon. But, he didn't complain because it felt like Kageyama was the only thing keeping him upright and running.

The creature wouldn't give up, and no matter how unstable it was, it was still really fast. Hinata remembered that the creature, when it was still human, used to be a track runner. Was that why it was still so fast?

With a sudden surprise, he felt something breathing down his neck with hot, pungent breath. It was gaining on him. "No!" Hinata screamed, his eyes wild as his heart began to pump faster than he thought possible. Kageyama tugged him forward more, before letting go of his arm.

"There! Over there!" Kageyama shrieked, pointing to a convenience store that appeared to be open. Hinata made a sharp turn, Kageyama hot on his tail. Kageyama slammed the glass door behind them.

"Everyone! Hide!" Hinata shouted at all the people in the store, and as the creature reached the door it started banging on it, trying to open the door knob. Hinata whimpered, watching as it turned slowly. Out of nowhere, Kageyama lunged towards the door, holding it shut with pure desperation. The frightened people in the store started cowering behind shelves, a mom holding her toddler son close.

Hinata tried blocking the door with shelves that had been knocked over in people's panic, listening to the glass of the door crack as the creature banged with all of it's might on the fragile material. Once he had succeeded in creating a hasty barricade, Kageyama let out a deep breath, dropping his hand from the knob.

Looking out the window, his eyes focused on a small girl coming towards the store. Upon looking closer, he noticed her movements were completely erratic, spontaneous, as she approached the creature. Her hands were drenched in blood, her mouth dribbling with it. The creature suddenly stopped his banging, turning around to face the girl. It lunged towards her, ripping the flesh right off her cheek.

Expecting to hear her screams of pain, Hinata clamped his hands over his ears, only to hear nothing but the sounds of the creature's teeth gnashing on the girl's chewy skin. The girl didn't react for a few seconds, before she cried out with a battlecry, driving her hand through it's stomach. The creature doubled over, stopping mid chew as it fell to the floor. The girl pulled her hand out and began to lick it clean of all blood.

Hinata wanted to look away, so badly, but morbid curiosity kept his gaze locked right on the monster of a girl. A split second later, amidst all of the panicked, heavy breathing, came a scream.

The young man that had been working the register was backed up against the wall, staring at a man who was leering over him. The man's eyes had a familiarity about their dullness, like the deceased creature outside. Hinata pushed the barricade over, opening the door that was barely being held together, shards falling to the floor.

"Run! Run away!" Hinata yowled, holding the door open as the mass of people ran out screaming from the man who had turned into one of the creatures. Kageyama helped the woman Hinata had seen earlier with her child, and Hinata quickly grabbed the cashier by the collar to drag him away from the man, until the man grabbed onto the cashier's arm, ripping it off. The screams were full of pain, but Hinata let go of his collar, nodding to Kageyama, who helped him out of the store.

Hinata watched as the man started to devour the arm, leaving nothing but the bone. Chucking it to the side, the man's empty gaze fell upon Hinata, an inexplicably insatiable hunger clouding over his eyes. His steps stuttering, Hinata backed away. One more step back and he felt his foot give in on one of the shards of glass. His palms slapped onto the floor, and a sharp pain shot up his arm as he felt his hands get cut and scraped on the remnants of the door.

The man slowly approached him, eyes full of longing and yearning to feast upon human flesh. His flesh. The man stopped in front of Hinata, and he closed his eyes, bracing himself for the terrible pain of being ripped apart.

But it never came.

Hinata gingerly opened his eyes, only to watch as the man dropped to the floor, blood leaking from a massive open wound on his head. Hinata glanced up, and his eyes widened.

"Sugawara?!"