Mated To An Enemy

The volunteer patrol units had agreed to go around the Safe Zone and help Peter and Myka clear out most of the homes furthest away from the hospital before they left to check the perimeter.

By the time they were left to finish up, there were only a few houses and buildings to check before they could return to the hospital. So, Myka and Peter decided it was best to split up to get the job done quickly.

They divided the list of remaining homes and buildings and agreed to meet back at the same spot.

Though they had split up, they were still searching in an area close to each other, which meant that they often caught sight of each other as they finished up.

As Peter was leaving one of the only two houses he had left on his list to check, he saw Myka running into another house across the way. Peter smiled as he watched Myka hop through the snow like a new pup.

He shook his head, turning to the last house. Myka’s gentle childishness was irritating and one of the things Peter loved most about him.

As Peter approached the last house, he saw that the door was open and wondered if this house had already been evacuated. They had found many of the homes empty, it seemed like the message had spread, and most of the refugees had made it to the hospital for sanctuary.

Still, he needed to be sure.

As he stepped inside, he was even more convinced that the residents had been evacuated as he could see signs of quick packing. He almost turned to leave the house when he heard a noise from further inside.

Perhaps they were in the bedroom gathering the last of their supplies.

He moved down the hall. He didn’t hear anything now.

There were two doors in the hallway. From the layout of the other houses, Peter knew that one was a bathroom while the other was a bedroom. So at the end of the hall would be another small hallway to the left that led to the larger bedroom.

He moved the bedroom door, it was cracked open, he lifted his hand to knock, but something told him to just open the door. He pushed the door open slowly and looked inside. There was no one there.

It was a small room. It was only lightly furnished with a twin-sized bed, a dresser, and a small desk. As he looked around, he noticed a few toys around the room. It was a child’s room. He was about to leave when he saw a small music box knocked over on the floor between the dresser and the bed.

Peter entered the room and bent down to pick up the music box. He hoped it wasn’t broken. He imagined the child that owned a room with so few things probably considered each item precious.

As he bent down, he noticed a blanket sticking out from under the bed. He stood up, set the music box on top of the dresser, and then moved to the side of the bed. Getting down on his hands and knees, he looked under the bed.

He was shocked when he saw a young girl wrapped in a blanket with her eyes closed and her hand over her mouth as tears fell to the floor in a small pool.

Then it struck him that he knew the girl. She was the one that had come to help Myka, the one that had been another victim of Holden. It was Sadie.

“Sadie…” he whispered to her.

Her eyes opened wide. She looked at him with panic and fear, shaking her head.

“Sadie, it’s all right,” he called to her, trying to reassure her. “I’m here to take you to the hospital where–”

Peter furrowed his brows, confused and concerned about why she was so scared. He was about to ask when he heard something in the hallway. Something heavy.

Sadie drew a sharp breath and tightly pulled her hands back over her mouth, squeezing her eyes closed.

Peter swallowed as he suddenly felt a sense of dread settling over him. He heard it again, and then there was a creak of the floorboards, and he knew now that someone was walking in the hallway.

He licked his lips nervously.

Slowly Peter moved his eyes down from Sadie’s face to the bottom of the bed. From where he was lying, he could see under the bed through to the hallway. Another heavy thud and he could hear his heartbeat pounding loudly in his ears.

He had to clench his jaw tightly and fight to keep his breathing steady as his eyes widened. His heart pounded wildly when another loud thump brought with it a long, clawed foot into the hall just outside the door.

Peter’s eyes moved back up to Sadie’s face. She was looking at him with the same fear as before. Peter licked his lips and swallowed, slowly bringing his finger to his lips in a sign for quiet.

Sadie chewed her lips, fresh tears falling from her eyes, she nodded, and once more, she closed her eyes tightly.

He heard another thump, his eyes moved down to look at the door again, and he watched as the foot moved away. Then, finally, Peter closed his eyes and slowly let out the breath that he was holding.

Peter waited silently to hear more of those heavy footfalls, to confirm that the creature was leaving the house. But there were no more thumps. Instead, he heard a low, rumbling growl.

His heart pounded in his ears and threatened to beat straight out of his chest as he lay there with his eyes closed and his entire body frozen in fear. Then, slowly he opened his eyes.

Under the bed and through the doorway, his eyes widened as he found the snarling beast with its overgrown teeth staring straight back at him.