Chaos Lives in Everything - 50. Chapter 50

Rebecca dug through the boxes slowly, silently, trying to focus on the task at hand-anything to distract her from the sounds of battle carrying on outside of the house. There were several gun shots that were fearfully close to the house. Vlad was watching her silently. She had been successful in finding a battery operated keroscene lamp. He sat at a low rickety wooden table with a coloring book and a box of crayons. He seemed unbothered by the noise that rang through the night. He’s holding up a lot better than I am, Rebecca thought.

Wahlah! She had found two boxes. One was full of jackets and the other were full of blankets. They both smelled of mothballs, of years spent boxed up in an old attic, but that was okay. It was better than freezing your ass off. She tossed a jacket and several blanket at Vlad. “Pune-o pe asta. Vă va ajuta să rămâneți calzi.” (Translation: Put that on. It will help you stay warm.) The boy did not argue. He nodded and slid into the jacket. It was far too big on him but he didn’t seem to mind. He wrapped the blankets around himself, creating a sort of nest, and went back to his coloring.

She selected a pink jacket with yellow tulips embroidered into the front. She wrinkled her nose at it. The jacket was hideous. This is definitely Grandma’s jacket. But now is not the time to be picky. She had to take off the parka, put on the jacket she selected, and put on the parka over that. She grabbed two blankets and joined Vlad over at the table.

Rebecca watched the boy, wondering what he had seen, what he’d heard, what he knew. Did he know that his Grandma was going to turn into one of those things? That she would no longer be the sweet, loving old lady that he’d always known her to be? She would do her best to spare him from that; she would do everything in her power to protect him, even if she had to die in order to do it.

He looked up at her. His eyes were steady. There was a maturity in them that shouldn’t have been there. It was as if he had aged several years just in a single night. “Sunt infometat.” (Translation: I’m hungry.)

She smiled. “Trebuie să fii, un băiat tot mai mare ca tine Mă duc să-ți dau ceva de mâncare.” (Translation: You must be, a growing boy like you. I’ll go down and get you something to eat.)

Vlad shook his head solemnly. “Nu. E prea periculos.” (Translation: No. It’s too dangerous.)

She stood up. “Imi pot purta singur de grija. Trebuie să mănânci și să rămâi cald. Mă voi întoarce imediat, îți promit. Doar nu plecați nicăieri, bine? (Translation: I can take care of myself. You have to eat and stay warm. I will be back real quick, I promise. Just don't go anywhere, okay?)

Again the boy nodded. “Doar nu lăsați monștrii să vă aducă.” Translation: Just don't let the monsters get you.

“ Nu voi.” (Translation: I won’t.) She ruffled his hair and let the ladder down as slowly and quietly as she could. Rebecca pulled out her gun and climbed down slowly.

She stood in the hallway and checked all of her corners as Skold had taught her to do. Always check your corners to make sure there’s nothing lurking around that can catch you by surprise. When the coast was clear Rebecca crept down the stairs. At the foot of the stairs she stopped. Rebecca could no longer hear the sounds of gun fire, of battle. There was no sound but for the howl of the wind. The absence of sound made her blood run cold.

Hurry up. Grab what you need to grab and get your ass back to the attic.

She walked into the kitchen and started rummaging through the cabinets. She grabbed a package of chocolate chip cookies that had not been opened yet, a big bag of pretzels. In the fridge she found a large hunk of cheese, bread, lunch meat, and what looked like mayonnaise. She made a plate full of sandwiches and carried everything up the stairs. She was about to climb up the ladder again when something tugged at the back of her mind. She climbed up the ladder and set all of the food on the table. She told the boy that she’d be back and to close the ladder behind her. He nodded and said he understood.

Once Rebecca made sure that the boy had closed the attic door behind her, she turned in the direction of Grandma’s room. The air was frigid, cold. A feeling that cut her right down to the bone told her that something wasn’t right. Something was wrong. Danger was lurking somewhere in the house. She pulled out her Glock again and made sure that the safety was off. After what seemed an eternity of tip toeing, Rebecca entered the room and felt her heart stop.

Something from within the cocoon had broken out.

“Fuck!” she hissed under her breath.

She sensed something moving behind her. Just as she turned around the abomination that had once been Vlad’s grandmother attacked, knocking the weapon from her hand before she could fire.

Rebecca stepped back and grabbed the first thing that was in her reach-a dry erase board. She used it to shield herself just in time as Grandma Abomination lashed out with one of her disgusting tendrils. The tendril punched a hole in the board, stopping just inches away from Rebecca’s face. Rebecca shrieked, part in anger, part in fear. She brought the board back and struck the creature with it as hard as she could. She was relying soley on instinct, her body defending itself of its own accord.

She’d struck the creature hard enough to knock its head back buying her the precious second she needed to pick up her gun. She aimed it at its head.

“I’m sorry,” Rebecca said.

Her Glock roared three times. The creature dropped to the ground with a wet thud.

Now you can rest in peace, she thought. I promise to protect your grandson with my life. He’s going to be okay.

Suddenly one of the creatures exploded through the window in a shower of glass. She gritted her teeth and fired several bullets into the creature. It staggered back drunkenly but did not fire. Rebecca dove bravely forward and shoved it with all of her strength. The creature fell through the window and hit the snow below. To her horror several of the monstrosities were running towards the house.

“Shit,” Rebecca said.

She ran out of the room and slammed the door shut behind her. She grabbed the pole with the hook at the end and pulled down the ladder. She waved at the little boy. “Trebuie să plecăm!” (Translation: We have to go!)

The boy dropped half of the sandwich that he was eating and ran into her arms. She lifted him up and hurried down the stairs just as the front door crashed open and several creatures streamed in. Rebecca grabbed a grenade, unpinned it, and threw at them. She told Vlad to cover his ears and ducked into the hallway as the grenade went off hard enough to shake the entire house. Mutated limbs and black gore flew in several directions. When Rebecca was sure that the coast was clear, cradling the boys head with one hand, she ran through the smoke and into the night.

Across the street she spotted an old church with stained glass windows and an old bell tower. Praying for sanctuary, she ran for it.