"I had another nightmare last night.""......."
"No, it"s quite tame compared to the ones before."
"......."
"You"re curious about it? Okay I"ll tell you."
"......."
"I saw an altar made from wood, red and black water seeping through it"s boards. A familiar figure, one I can"t quite remember the features of...It"s been too long, though I know who it is...Jason, My husband. His face is blurry. I hear a scream, I turn my head and I see him. I remember his features clearly, John the old pastor."
"Every detail on his weathered face I remember with absolute clarity, from his long white beard to his crooked hawk like nose. His eyes gleam with madness has he jumped towards me with a blood soaked letter opener in hand and then I wake up."
"......"
"Isn"t it strange papa? That I can remember every detail about my husband"s murderer but I can"t seem to recall what my Jason looked like?"
"......"
"You say it"s because of trauma? That it"s easier to remember the bad things and not the good things? Hmm.. Maybe you"re right. Hehe, you should totally be a psychiatrist papa."
"......"
"You"re thinking about them again?"
"........"
"Me too.."
"......"
"Don"t be so pessimistic papa, I"m sure they"re still alive."
"......"
"Even if it"s been several months, they"re survivors just like us papa. I know they"re alive and kicking."
"......"
"Hehe, if I wasn"t around to scold you papa, you would be hopeless."
"........"
"You see someone!?"
...
It was midday, the skies blue and clear. Blistering waves of heat poured down from the sun making the air dry and hot.
Beside a dried up lake was a rather conspicuous observation tower, it was around 60"ft tall and made primarily of concrete and steel. It bordered a burned forest, the trees were withered and leafless. Their bark turned to charcoal.
Inside the tower was a woman, crouching behind the cover of the steel guardrails.
She was wearing denim jeans that were full of rips and holes, leather military boots; a worn cargo jacket and a brown trench coat. A red scarf hung around her thin neck and a medium sized backpack was strapped to her back.
She was as skinny as a stick. It looked as if she hadn"t eaten properly for months. She was balding, only a few locks of her brown hair remained which was styled into a rather pa.s.sable mohawk.
Her skin was tanned, and her face weatherbeaten. A large scar ran down from her eyebrow to her lip giving her an intimidating look.
Mary was currently looking through the scope of her hunting rifle, her expression excited.
She whispered. "I can see him papa, there"s a man about 400 hundred meters away. He"s walking past the dried up lake."
"......."
Mary snickered in a low voice. "You want to shoot him this time? Pfft, You couldn"t hit the side of a barn from the inside papa."
"........"
"Stop making up excuses papa, I may only have one eye now but that"s all I need. I"ll shoot him dead in one shot, you"ll see!" Mary focused intently as she held her breath. She slowly pulled the trigger.
*Bang!* The crack of a gunshot echoed throughout the area.
She jumped up excitedly, a big smile appearing her face. "See papa! Did you see that? Headshot!" She laughed.
"Wait here, I"ll be back in a jiffy." Mary opened the floor hatch and climbed down the stairs disappearing from sight. Minutes later Mary"s head popped up from the hatch, she was breathless and sweating heavily. On her shoulder was a man around 170cm"s tall.
Mary dropped the body to the side and wiped the sweat off her brow.
"Papa I brought back dinner." Mary ma.s.saged her neck, the exhaustion gradually leaving as she caught her breath.
"........"
"I know, I know.. I have to bleed the corpse dry first right?" Mary shook her head and set about the task. Tying a rope around the corpse"s legs, she connected the end of the rope to the guardrailing. Taking a machete from her waist, she slit the dead man"s throat causing a gush of blood to flood out.
"Heave ho!" Mary lifted the corpse over the railing, the rope tightening with a snap as the body stopped descending. It hung outside the tower eerily, blood dripping from the corpse, wetting the dry earth below.
Mary clapped her hands. "All done!"
"......"
Mary turned her head to the side and replied. "You"re right papa, I do feel a little tired. Maybe I will take a nap."
Mary stretched as she yawned. "Ahh.. that tired me out." She placed her gear and equipment to the side and took out a wool blanket from her backpack.
Laying her head on her soft pack, she draped the blanket over herself.
As her sleepy eye began to close, she directed a gentle smile to the side and mumbled. "Wake me up later okay papa, I"ll make us some dinner."
"......"
Beside Mary was a pale white, polished skull. A bullet hole showed itself prominently on the upper left forehead.
As Mary fell into a deep sleep, a new nightmare had begun to play in her subconscious.
There was a hurried running, in the background a huge ball of fire that blotted out the sky. Next, a flash of light.
Endless hordes of terrifying creatures following her and her father, they both fall into a dark whole.
She was now in a room, chained to a wall nude. She screamed as loud as she could but no words came, her body was mutilated and b.l.o.o.d.y. Human skins could been seen hanging on hooks. To her side was her father, Rick. His headless body lay lifeless on the concrete floor, his head on the nearby table staring at her with horror, blood dripping from the hole on his forehead.
From the hall to the side a whistling could be heard in the tune of a popular nursery rhyme about diamond rings, looking gla.s.s"s and a certain bird. In came a woman shrouded in black mist, the only thing distinguishing her was the gas mask that hid her face. Words leave the woman"s mouth, her voice croaky, harsh and m.u.f.fled.
"I have seen it.. a vision from the violet G.o.ddess. The truth my child. Your skin is the barrier that separates you from order, allow me to relieve it from you."
The scene changes, a loud explosion could be heard. Roars of monsterous creatures could be heard growling.
Next, Mary is running with her fathers head in hand into a burned forest, the dead trees have warm smiles on their faces. Their withered branches reach out towards her.
"Ahh!" Mary shouted loudly as she sprung awake, her hands shivering as if it were winter. Mary"s breathing was heavy and her body was drenched in sweat.
It took a minute to calm herself, looking around she noticed it was now night time.
Looking down at the skull beside her, she let out a disappointed sigh.
"Geeze papa, why didn"t you wake me up?" She said in a scolding tone.
"......"
"What? You fell asleep again?," Mary crossed her arms. "You always fall asleep papa.. Humph."
"......"
*Grumble* Mary"s stomach let out an audible growl.
"......."
"Later papa, I"m hungry." Mary waved her hand.