The Forest 2

The storm raged on through the night. The downpour made sleep come easy. That was until the door came crashing open. Two of the guards carried a third. His gut was lacerated and his intestines were trying to escape like convicts from an open portcullis. One dragged him into the room, while the other tried to bar up the door as best he could. Cristobal groggily awoke from his slumber to the seen unfolding before him. The marble floors quickly became a crimson pool. Maya jumped up and grabbed what blankets she could to aid the dying man. It was too late for him, he just didn’t know it yet. “We are under attack!”, yelled the guard. “Wake the others,” he exclaimed while looking at Cristobal. He stood there for moment and was about to wake the others. Maya grabs his wrist with blood dripping from her hands. “You are stronger, apply pressure and I will get them,” she said knowing that Cristobal would not like what he would find when he awoke Anjuli. He didn’t need the stress to cloud his judgment at a time like this. Maya quickly ran banging on the doors rapidly as she quickly made her way down the hall. The servants were at the end of the hallway. People emerged from their slumber in anger having being woken up. The hand maiden at the end of the hall started complaining at Maya as Maya continued to bang on doors. “We are under attack. You need to get up,” she yelled at the lady as she turned the face her. Then she saw it. A ghastly pale figure one the outside of the window the maiden was standing in front of. Crash! Glass shattered onto the floor as a pitchfork’s tines and the lady’s chest became one. Screams could be heard throughout the hallway as more of these pale drowned looking humans came running into the hallway. The one that scoured the handmaiden heaved her over its shoulders into a crowd that ripped her to pieces in a matter of seconds. One of the older servants with a long beard stood between the stampede and the others and yelled, “Run you fools!” The beastly men and women bet into his neck, arms and legs. Everyone made haste to the main room. The only exit became the one that was being barricaded. “Open the door! Their right behind us,” shouted Edgar. The guard was confused, but quickly did as he was told. The twins were sobbing and shaking with visible panic. Cristobal was still holding onto the man as Maya had held on to any hope of sparing Cristobal pain from before. As people continued pulling back the barricade, the others tried their best to create one for the hallway they had just left. “What were those things?” asked Anjuli demanding an answer. “We don’t know,” replied the guard aiding the dying man. He continued, “They came through the storm we did not see them until it was too late.” The door became free.

One of the servants pushed his way to be the first out. He was greeted with a dozen of gaping hands pulling him to his doom. They ripped him apart like a child rips the seeds from a dandelion. Now was their distraction. The nobles and the guards began running through the front door as the barricade by the hallway gave way. Those who were setting it in place were devoured like starving dogs set loose on war criminals. The remaining nobles and two guards ran through the front door as they were showered by rain and blood. The man’s head was batted around in the frenzy like a ball. Lightning lit up the courtyard and then they saw more of these creatures coming in from the forest parameter. The worst part was when they could no longer see them as the darkness and rain concealed their location once more. “Make haste to the barracks,” shouted one of the guards. The other took up the rear. The group ran as fast as they could. They were almost there. Lightning stuck. The mob of creatures was mere feet from us. It looks like one was about to leap at one of the twins and she saw it coming. She grabbed her sister’s arm and flung her with her momentum towards the diving creature. A scream could be heard as it tackled her to the ground. The crunching of flesh and bone being devoured could be heard just barely over the rain as the remainder of them made it to the doorway. It was unlocked. Edgar pushed his way to the front as did Anjuli and the rest followed. As the guard taking up the rear began entering the threshold, an arm pulled him back outside. He held onto the door keeping it open. The other guard cleaved the arm from its owner without hesitation and slammed the door shut. He placed his shield to wedge the door shut. It would hold for the moment. Everyone stood there for a moment catching their breath. This place wouldn’t be safe for long. “Head to the mess hall and find something to defend yourselves with. I will be there shortly,” stated the guard as he made sure the door held for the moment. The nobles headed off towards the mess hall. No one mentioned what the twin had done. It became obvious to her that she would now get Edgar all to herself. A devious smile crossed her face. The same one that crossed Anjuli’s. They grabbed meat tenderizing mallets and knives from the kitchen. A crash followed by a scream rang out from the entrance they came from. They were alone. “We need to make it to the road and leave this place,” said Cristobal. “But those things will tears us to pieces the second we get out in the open,” replied Edgar who was wielding two knives trying to be cool. “There are still the horses,” Maya said. The group looked at her as if they had forgotten she was even on this trip. They agreed. The barn may be their safest bet.

They made their way hastily towards the back of the barracks. Edgar put his ear to the door as if he would actually hear something other than rain. “You go first!”, Edgar said as he pointed to Maya. She stood there and looked at the others. The only one with any empathy on his face was Cristobal. Maya poked her head outside. The coast looked clear and she ran out. The others followed. Then the sounds of the creatures could be heard from behind they were not alone. The creatures sprinted in full fury. It did not sound good. Schink! Maya turned around and saw the glint of a blade sticking out of Cristobal’s chest. Anjuli’s hand was on the hilt and the other was holding on to Edgar’s. Cristobal slumped to his knees in the mud. Anjuli turned back towards her destination and continued running. The swarm gathered around Cristobal he disappeared from sight. The group rounded the corner. The barn was just in front of them. A single figure stood in a dark trench coat wearing a tricorn hat and wielding a large scythe. “This was it,” Maya thought to herself. They heard a loud thump behind them and saw a decaying wolfen larger than any creature they had ever seen before. It let out a gurgling howl into the rain filled night sky. “Get inside, I’ll handle this!” yelled the man. The nobles ran past him. The man lowered his scythe and smiled under his covering. He charged at the wolfen.

Tale of the The Forest from A Survivor.

Image from West Side Today.