Burgles

Chapter 6

          The world around us grew denser with each step. Trees blocked out most of the light. Thank goodness the moon was full, otherwise it might have been near pitch black, which normally would have been manageable with my goggles, but in my haste to get to Raine, after I saw her murder an innocent guard, I left my satchel, and the plans, back in the car. In hindsight, Raine's actions may have been the only way to get us out of there, but I still wasn't okay with it. Little sisters aren't supposed to kill people. I looked over at her. She did not look comfortable at all. She kept darting her head this way and that and was holding tightly onto something. I squinted my eyes but couldn't see what it was. "What you got in your hand?" I asked.

          She stayed on high alert, only looking at me for a second before returning her attention to the forest around her. "A knife. I wish it was a gun."

          "What for?"

          "Ya don't knaw what's out here, Burgles."

          "And you do?"

          "Uh...na, but neither do ya."

          "Exactly. Can't we be optimistic about this? Maybe nothing's out here."

          "Is that a joke?"

          Something crunched leaves off in the distance. "I guess it is." Whatever it was, it moved again. "If you didn't go and distract me with all your killing, I'd have my satchel. But no, you made—"

          The thing was getting closer. "Shhh, would ya shut it?" Raine said.

          I made my way to her, hoping she would protect me. I had a feeling anything out here could rip out my jugular before I had a chance to take it down with my bare hands. Raine probably wasn't at any bigger advantage with only a knife, but I guess with a little luck you could take anything down with the right placement. "Do you have a flashlight?" I asked.

          "Na. Do ya?"

          "In my satchel."

          I heard the thing's pace quicken. I put Raine in between me and the creature as it came straight at us. With little light, hardly anything could be seen, but soon a large, dog-sized, black blob approached us at alarming speed. It lunged into the air and let out a grotesque sound— somewhere betweena hiss and a squeak. Raine raised the knife high above her and somehow, even with the low light, brought the weapon straight down into the creature's head. The gurgling sound it made as it died, disgusted me. The sound of Raine removing the knife turned out to be worse. We both bent down and attempted to get a good look at it. It looked hideous in the dark, and it reeked. I couldn't imagine what it would have looked like in the light. Not sure if I wanted to know.

          "What da ya think it is?" Raine asked.

          "I think it's an animated teddy bear," I prodded it with a stick. "Who cares what it is. It's dead."

          Raine stood up. "Well, hopefully it stays that way. Can we get going? I don't want ta have ta face another of these things, or anything else."

          "Agreed." I got up, looking at my watch in the process. "Looks like JJ is holed up about a mile and a half from here."

          "Okay. Sure ya want ta do this? We could turn back naw if ya want."

          I shook my head, though I doubt she could see me. I grabbed her arm, leading her in JJ's direction.

          The sun began to rise as we closed in on JJ. We waited atop a hill and overlooked a clearing. At night, I could tell there were a lot of trees, but their true magnitude and magnificence could only be revealed by the sun. They were everywhere. So many trees in one area seemed strange to me. Then again, so did the sounds of insects and birds echoing through the sky above, and the smell of fresh air percolating in my nose, and the colors bursting out of every orifice the earth, and the many things of the earth, possessed. This place was alien, a whole new world. I looked at Raine, who appeared uninterested. "Light does look good on this place, doesn't it?" I asked.