Status: Redo of my old story

Silence Falls

Chapter 59: Due To Sins

“He is seen, only when he wants to be.” The lieutenant confided to his men an old mantra he’d heard many times in the past relating to the specimen they were hunting these swamps for. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t take the jitters from his voice, and he was a man that didn’t startle easily especially with over ten years in the military under his belt.

Befuddled, Barry gaped at him in response, already feeling the familiar small tremors palpitate throughout his body from unease. His breathing was heavy as he hissed out. “Forgive me sir, but what the fuck does that even mean?”

Behind him, and all his fellow men squatted Hermanni who hadn’t been there before. He reviewed them sharply, tasting in the air the terror zipping through their veins. Questioningly, he dipped his head at the oblivious squad. “Fear?”

The three soldiers bolted to their feet from where they all were crouched in the tall grasses and twirled around, directing their guns at the person with the deep foreign accent that just spoke behind them. Their eyes momentarily multiplied in shock at the unforeseen arrival of this patient adorned in white until they took one glimpse at his luminous eyes, instantaneously they all recognized at once that they were in the company of the devil himself. Hermanni snooped into each set of eyes and witnessed their respective lives from birth to right up to this moment. Blue Green eyes stared at the lieutenant in command. “Fear? Why?”

The two smaller ranked soldiers looked to their leader for guidance. Cyril aired so much fear he looked more likely to pee himself if he hadn't already. Cyril had always been the loser until he entered high school and asked out the hottest girl in school. Surprisingly, Cheryl said yes, and they subsequently got engaged two months ago and were expecting their first baby together. All that was going through his mind right now akin to every mission he was on was whether or not he’d get the opportunity to see her again.

Barry was finding it extremely hard to keep it together on the outside, but on the inside he was a cowering fool. Back in the day, he was the most popular guy in school and, out of sympathy, asked the ugly duckling to prom after her little brother perished from an ailment from birth. He shockingly fell in love with Apryl that night. Later, they married after five years together and were finally having their first child together. Twin girls, Barry commemorated by heart from the ultrasound. He had always wanted little princesses to cherish and protect.

Lieutenant Krieger was about to be a grandfather and was anticipating getting home in time to see his wife, Claudette, of twenty years triumph her final battle with cancer.

Was Cyril ever going to see his beloved again? Was Barry gonna see his little girl’s face for the first time? Was Krieger gonna be there to hold his wife’s hand through her last treatment of cancer?

“Fear? All fears?” Hermanni stated, his eyebrows furrowed in perplexity. He did not understand these single-minded humans. They had attacked with more fear than malice in the past two days.

“Subject V.” Krieger dubbed him, gallantly stepping forward. “My name is Lieutenant Krieger, of the United States Military. I am putting you under quarantine incarceration by orders of the President of the United States of America. You are to yield, and come with me.”

Hermanni continued to stare in curiosity. This human’s language was something he really needed to master if he was to endure in their world and blend in with them. Unfortunately, he wasn’t quite clear when he’d get that chance. These men are now after his family, and he must defend them no matter what happens. “Go. Leave. Now.” Hermanni warned deliberately, hoping they understood what he thought he expounded accurately. Rising to his feet, he began to step back, but froze when the soldiers heaved their weapons and targeted them precisely at his chest, intending to pause him from evading their clutches.

“Don’t move, Subject V! You are under arrest, turn around and put your hands behind your back!” Krieger declared openly and coolly. Hermanni inspected the wide weapons they grasped in their hands. He recalled those were one of the items the humans loved using on him, popping little puny metal fragments into his body when they thought they had him snared. He was mindful of what they do, and had observed what havoc they could do to humans as well. Those soldiers weren’t going to safely let him go, or his friends, despite the alluring lives they left behind to hunt him down. It was either going to come down to them, or his new family.

With a sigh, Hermanni took his time to consider each soldier more closely. Cheryl should move on after Cyril’s death, it’ll be too tough for her, and yet she’ll convert to drugs to neglect the pain only to die from it. Barry’s twin princesses will never see the light of day when their due date reaches. Apryl will undergo a miscarriage after hearing the word of her husband’s death and commit suicide. Krieger’s wife, Claudette, will quit fighting and buckle to the disease voluntarily. Hardly any prosperity will come of their deaths, save that Krieger’s grandson will carry his name in honor of his grandfather. Hermanni could foresee these developments in the future as clear as he could see these three men now.

“Ok.” Hermanni solemnly wrapped up. Holding out his palms towards the weapons, the metal of the guns began to heat up at an dangerous rate. The soldier’s simultaneously cried out and dumped their guns, now having nothing to defend themselves against the demon. Hermanni’s eyes blazed as he dived his hands forward, the force yanking the soldier’s by their feet into the colossal expanse of long grass to be maimed, their screams ringing throughout the swamps. When everything lowered back into silence, Hermanni turned his head and peeped out from above top grass as far as he could. He pinpointed Cris and Connor already on the other side of the clear pasture of long grasses reuniting with Bert, Otep and Bam. Hermanni smiled and heartily sagged back down into the grass to greet them.
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“See here, we discovered this mysterious long span of wall in the swamp.” Bert swept his arm back to display to the other seven members the odd ancient wall in the middle of nowhere. Everyone was a bit questionable as to what the wall could have been for, or why it was out there, but no one felt like it was trivial at the moment. They were all getting sleepy, and were convinced they’d be only a hair length away from a massive heart attack if they came across one more deadly band of patients, or soldiers. Rubbing his chin in speculation, Bert murmured. “Hold on, I think I know what this wall was for. It didn’t quite click earlier when we came around the first time, but now it’s coming back to me.”

“Well! Go on, don’t keep us all in suspense, man!” Otep impatiently forced him on. “What was it for?”

“This wall is what divided the town from the swamps.” Bert answered with a Cheshire smile on his face then a laugh of reprieve bubbled up his throat. Everyone else was silent at first, wondering why in the world he was so cheerful about it, but then it also came to them that beyond the wall was the town and beyond the town was freedom! They were so close, after being in several life and death situations they had made it! They were halfway there! The girls were so overcome with emotion they almost began to weep with joy. The males had almost dared to hug each other. They couldn’t believe it, they just couldn’t believe it!

“This wall had been raised detached from the whole town but encompassing it, which if I’m right could consist of some hideouts sites for us.” Bert went on merrily. “If we’re on the appropriate side of this wall, just past this sector is the suburban homes where the townsfolk reside. But we’re gonna have to bypass that area in order to continue unknown, so we need to follow the wall to the left past the town square and towards the abandoned area that was blocked off due to sins.”

Everyone stopped smiling and were unsettled all over again. Closed off due to sins? What could that be about?