Fragile Wings
Necessary
I rushed upstairs without looking back as I neared the top I could already hear shouts. I grabbed the top of the railing and pulled myself up and ran into a room where I saw Joseph strapped to a table, I ran into Leo's back and he put out an arm. There was a man next to Joseph, he was tall and very skinny and was wearing a large tan trench coat, with disgust I saw blood stains all over it. In my mind I thought about the journal downstairs and I gritted my teeth. This son of a bitch was not leaving this building alive, walking or otherwise. He had an alarmed look on his face and was holding a syringe full of brackish liquid, it was poised over Joseph's arm.
"Come any closer and I'll inject him, I wasn't planning on using a full dose, but I will."
"Go ahead."
I glared at him, in front me Leo turned his head back a little. The man looked startled.
"Do it and you'll be dead before you know it, and I promise I won't be gentle about it."
I meant every word and the man gulped. He looked me over and then looked at Leonus, as if weighing his odds against the two us, seeing if he could take us. He could try, but I was damn sure that if I went he was going with me.
"So?"
He asked and I replied.
"Back away from the kid, I'm going to untie him and then we're going to leave."
The man regarded me for a moment and then slowly inched away from Joseph, mentally I sighed in relief. I cautiously made my way forward and and undid the straps, mostly belts and some rope. Joseph was whimpering and I gave him a hug and helped him off the bed. I shooed him over to Leonus and then I faced the stranger.
"Jun, come on."
I kept my eyes on the thing that had no humanity left in it.
"Go, I need to take care of him."
"Hey Jun come on we've got everyone and we're all safe, please let's go."
"I can't Leonus, I can't let this guy be free to hurt other people, innocent people, children."
The stranger licked his lips and watched me, I could read his mind, he was figuring that I wouldn't be too much to deal with.
"Jun I understand that, but listen to me, let's just leave, don't make the group lose another person."
He didn't understand, I couldn't just walk away. This monster was right here and I could end his nightmare. I pulled out the serrated hunting knife we had and I watched as the little grin he had on his face was wiped away. It was my turn to smile.
"Jun.."
I could hear the plea in his voice, but it didn't matter.
"Take Joseph away, please. I'm sure Sarah is worried about him."
I could hear the sounds of little feet running away, then a second later the harder sounds of Leo's. We watched each other in silence and then he spoke.
"I'm doing research, I could find a cure-"
"Shut up! Just shut up!"
I screamed at him, brandishing the knife towards him. I was full of rage, how dare he say that, as if he were doing a humane thing, in my eyes he was no better than a sadistic freak who wanted to feel like he was important and who enjoyed doing sick things to others.
"I know I'm probably going to die here, but I'm okay with that, as long as you go with me."
I said serenely as I charged forward, he put his scrawny arms out as if to deflect me, dropping the needle. We tussled and it was apparent he wasn't use to this much exertion, he must lure people back with false hope and then drug them, perhaps put it in the food he gives them. We fell to the ground and his face was red with the effort.
"Please you don't understand! I just want to find a cure so that-"
"I don't care!"
I exclaimed, ramming the knife under his ribs, I heard bone break and his breathing came out wet and squishy.The knife was in at an odd angle and I adjusted it and drove it deeper as I heard his last breath come out. I sat back on my heels and started crying, I had never killed like that before. It was necessary, and yet it felt so tainted. I remember killing my Mom, but it wasn't really her, she was one of them, it was like a mercy so that she couldn't hurt others.
This seemed different. I brought a blood stained hand up to my face and then I felt a sharp pain in my neck. Quickly I tore at whatever was there and I stared in disbelief at the syringe, mostly empty with a now broken needle. I turned around and saw a little girl, maybe 8 standing there. She was watching me with red eyes, tears streaked down her face. Behind her Leo appeared in the doorway, his mouth open as he rushed in.
"Oh my god.. Jun are you okay?"
"No, she injected me.."
I said as Leo supported me, I was already feeling lightheaded.
"You killed my Daddy... Why? He was a doctor finding a cure so the world could be normal again!"
I cried and laughed at the same time. The little girl fell to the floor next to her father, her head on his chest.
"Get her away from there, he could come back any minute."
Leo looked at me with concern in his eyes, and I nodded my head but then I heard new voices.
"Clear!"
A man stepped into the room, he was dirty with long wavy hair and a beard. He had a holster on his hip, he was surveying our scene with a gun in hand, behind him a man with a sleeveless vest and a bow came in.
"Take the girl."
Leonus said and the one with the gun did so, pulling a screaming, kicking child from her father. The man with the bow regarded me with sympathy for a second then knelt and removed the knife, driving it through the man's ear. He looked at Leonus who nodded at him, I could see that his eyes were wet and I put my hand up to his face.
"Why are you crying? Who are those people?"
I asked as the man left us alone. Leo sniffed and smiled.
"It's another group, they're good, I can feel it, and they're a lot of them and they're strong. Ben actually met them and he told them about us, said we were a good group too. God.. I was so happy, we were going to have a stronger chance, a brighter future. They have a baby too, a little girl who's a bit older than Alex."
I smiled, I felt very warm and tried to sit up, but fell back into Leo's arms who let out a sob.
"Come on then, I want to meet this new baby and thank Ben. Wow, how great for Alex."
"Jun..."
I regarded him and tried to shrug.
"Okay I know, I'm not gonna make it, but I thought it would be better to pretend."
He didn't say anything and I felt my heart straining. I licked my lips and tasted salt and copper. I studied Leo's face, his eyes were closed. He had a noble nose and a beautiful smile, he really didn't have any facial hair and I stroked his cheek.
"Leo I need to tell you something."
His eyes opened and he looked at me with such pain in them that it made me miss a breath.
"My name is actually Emily."
I could see confusion appear on his face and I laughed a little.
"What?"
"My name's not Jun, it's Emily. I lied because it felt like the smart thing at the time, and then I was too embarrassed afterwards to tell you that I had given you a false name. I just wanted to tell you."
"I don't care what your name is."
I just felt like I had to tell him my real name, there really wasn't a sound reason for it, I just felt like I needed to. He hugged me closer and I inhaled, he had a scent about him that was comforting. I opened my eyes but then quickly shut them, my vision was incredibly blurring and I felt a slight bit of panic as I realized my vision was darkening.
"Goodbye"
I whispered as he held me closer, I could hear his crying had become harder. Don't cry... I told my brain to raise my hand to soothe him but nothing happened. I felt my chest rise....
fall...
rise...
fall.
"Come any closer and I'll inject him, I wasn't planning on using a full dose, but I will."
"Go ahead."
I glared at him, in front me Leo turned his head back a little. The man looked startled.
"Do it and you'll be dead before you know it, and I promise I won't be gentle about it."
I meant every word and the man gulped. He looked me over and then looked at Leonus, as if weighing his odds against the two us, seeing if he could take us. He could try, but I was damn sure that if I went he was going with me.
"So?"
He asked and I replied.
"Back away from the kid, I'm going to untie him and then we're going to leave."
The man regarded me for a moment and then slowly inched away from Joseph, mentally I sighed in relief. I cautiously made my way forward and and undid the straps, mostly belts and some rope. Joseph was whimpering and I gave him a hug and helped him off the bed. I shooed him over to Leonus and then I faced the stranger.
"Jun, come on."
I kept my eyes on the thing that had no humanity left in it.
"Go, I need to take care of him."
"Hey Jun come on we've got everyone and we're all safe, please let's go."
"I can't Leonus, I can't let this guy be free to hurt other people, innocent people, children."
The stranger licked his lips and watched me, I could read his mind, he was figuring that I wouldn't be too much to deal with.
"Jun I understand that, but listen to me, let's just leave, don't make the group lose another person."
He didn't understand, I couldn't just walk away. This monster was right here and I could end his nightmare. I pulled out the serrated hunting knife we had and I watched as the little grin he had on his face was wiped away. It was my turn to smile.
"Jun.."
I could hear the plea in his voice, but it didn't matter.
"Take Joseph away, please. I'm sure Sarah is worried about him."
I could hear the sounds of little feet running away, then a second later the harder sounds of Leo's. We watched each other in silence and then he spoke.
"I'm doing research, I could find a cure-"
"Shut up! Just shut up!"
I screamed at him, brandishing the knife towards him. I was full of rage, how dare he say that, as if he were doing a humane thing, in my eyes he was no better than a sadistic freak who wanted to feel like he was important and who enjoyed doing sick things to others.
"I know I'm probably going to die here, but I'm okay with that, as long as you go with me."
I said serenely as I charged forward, he put his scrawny arms out as if to deflect me, dropping the needle. We tussled and it was apparent he wasn't use to this much exertion, he must lure people back with false hope and then drug them, perhaps put it in the food he gives them. We fell to the ground and his face was red with the effort.
"Please you don't understand! I just want to find a cure so that-"
"I don't care!"
I exclaimed, ramming the knife under his ribs, I heard bone break and his breathing came out wet and squishy.The knife was in at an odd angle and I adjusted it and drove it deeper as I heard his last breath come out. I sat back on my heels and started crying, I had never killed like that before. It was necessary, and yet it felt so tainted. I remember killing my Mom, but it wasn't really her, she was one of them, it was like a mercy so that she couldn't hurt others.
This seemed different. I brought a blood stained hand up to my face and then I felt a sharp pain in my neck. Quickly I tore at whatever was there and I stared in disbelief at the syringe, mostly empty with a now broken needle. I turned around and saw a little girl, maybe 8 standing there. She was watching me with red eyes, tears streaked down her face. Behind her Leo appeared in the doorway, his mouth open as he rushed in.
"Oh my god.. Jun are you okay?"
"No, she injected me.."
I said as Leo supported me, I was already feeling lightheaded.
"You killed my Daddy... Why? He was a doctor finding a cure so the world could be normal again!"
I cried and laughed at the same time. The little girl fell to the floor next to her father, her head on his chest.
"Get her away from there, he could come back any minute."
Leo looked at me with concern in his eyes, and I nodded my head but then I heard new voices.
"Clear!"
A man stepped into the room, he was dirty with long wavy hair and a beard. He had a holster on his hip, he was surveying our scene with a gun in hand, behind him a man with a sleeveless vest and a bow came in.
"Take the girl."
Leonus said and the one with the gun did so, pulling a screaming, kicking child from her father. The man with the bow regarded me with sympathy for a second then knelt and removed the knife, driving it through the man's ear. He looked at Leonus who nodded at him, I could see that his eyes were wet and I put my hand up to his face.
"Why are you crying? Who are those people?"
I asked as the man left us alone. Leo sniffed and smiled.
"It's another group, they're good, I can feel it, and they're a lot of them and they're strong. Ben actually met them and he told them about us, said we were a good group too. God.. I was so happy, we were going to have a stronger chance, a brighter future. They have a baby too, a little girl who's a bit older than Alex."
I smiled, I felt very warm and tried to sit up, but fell back into Leo's arms who let out a sob.
"Come on then, I want to meet this new baby and thank Ben. Wow, how great for Alex."
"Jun..."
I regarded him and tried to shrug.
"Okay I know, I'm not gonna make it, but I thought it would be better to pretend."
He didn't say anything and I felt my heart straining. I licked my lips and tasted salt and copper. I studied Leo's face, his eyes were closed. He had a noble nose and a beautiful smile, he really didn't have any facial hair and I stroked his cheek.
"Leo I need to tell you something."
His eyes opened and he looked at me with such pain in them that it made me miss a breath.
"My name is actually Emily."
I could see confusion appear on his face and I laughed a little.
"What?"
"My name's not Jun, it's Emily. I lied because it felt like the smart thing at the time, and then I was too embarrassed afterwards to tell you that I had given you a false name. I just wanted to tell you."
"I don't care what your name is."
I just felt like I had to tell him my real name, there really wasn't a sound reason for it, I just felt like I needed to. He hugged me closer and I inhaled, he had a scent about him that was comforting. I opened my eyes but then quickly shut them, my vision was incredibly blurring and I felt a slight bit of panic as I realized my vision was darkening.
"Goodbye"
I whispered as he held me closer, I could hear his crying had become harder. Don't cry... I told my brain to raise my hand to soothe him but nothing happened. I felt my chest rise....
fall...
rise...
fall.