The Hidden Ones

It is time. The area is clear for now. My group, in which there are seven of us, set out on another outing to gain supplies and see if we can find any humans that want to be saved. We are the Hidden Ones. Our purpose is not easy, yet we try to stay strong. Demons scour the earth, but one of the biggest threats still out there are humans. Humans have turned on each other. It is hard to know who to trust, so we must be vigilant and be able to tell the difference between truth and trickery or folly will fall upon us. While the Gods may be with us, they will still allow us to learn as this is our job, our purpose. We must prove ourselves worthy. We cannot afford to be weak. We need one another to stay strong as there is still much left to be done before the final end.

This was a supply run like many others, we had gone several miles away from our bunker. We were hot and tired. Hiding from demons that can fly and run faster than a normal human is not an easy task. As we ran through the woods about 8 miles from our bunker, we noticed a group of about 10 demons. It was a thickly wooded area, and demons have a keen sense of smell and an even more heightened sense of hearing. A group of ten demons as strong as we are with our powers is still not an easy task. One of us could get hurt and they could easily call to others that are in the area to them within seconds. We would be overwhelmed. We quickly and quietly tried to find a way around them. Lucky for us we had each learned how to mentally speak to one another so as to make little to no sound in these situations. One of my team members Sarah, sent me a mental saying she saw a barn not too far back. We all decided we thought it would be a good idea to double back and rest while the demons left the area. On back tracking we did find an old barn, fairly run down but still standing. We decided it was a better place than being out in the open to rest and wait them out.

Quietly moving up to the barn we checked it out. The barn had a dirt floor, a few fairly empty stalls, and a loft but was mostly open and empty looking. It did not look like anyone had been in there for a long time. There was dust and cobwebs everywhere. One back corner had a pile of burlap sacks. There was still hay in the loft, but it looked like mice and other animals used it more than anything else. The reins and odd and end gardening and farming tools in the stalls looked like they had not been touched in many years. Seeing that it was safe, we settled in and got what little food we brought with us out to eat. As we all gathered in the center of the barn and sat down to eat, we decided our watch rotation. Then went on to discuss which direction would be the best way to find some supplies. We had not been in this area long as we try to keep moving but we are gathering quite a group of survivors back at the bunker. We are discussing our situation and how best to approach the coming days when we heard a noise off in the corner of the barn. We jump up and are all on alert with weapons at the ready. Demons, humans each were equally dangerous so we cannot be too careful. I walked over there first with the others behind me, it looked like a pile of burlap sacks piled up. As we stood and listened for the sound to come again, some of us sensed out to check for demons. No one sensed any demons, but then suddenly, a faint crying sound started coming from under the sacks in the back corner of the barn. Of course, this was the darkest part of the barn, go figure. Although we did not sense any demons, care was still needed as this could be a trick. Demons are great at trickery; they have spent eons perfecting it. They could have come up with something to trick our senses that we had not come across as of yet as well. We slowly walk over to where the sound is coming from. I carefully start removing the layers of sacks as the others stand at ready to kill someone. I am pulling the sacks away one by one, it feels like there are so many, I am sweating and nervous, but there are probably only 10 sacks actually there. As I am about to pull away the last few sacks, a cry comes from the loft above. It is a child; he tries distracting us and succeeds as another child jumps from under the sacks and tries to run away. Austin catches the one hiding under the sacks and Erik leaps up into the loft and catches the other one before he can get away. Two boys that are about 10 years old. I have no idea how long they have been hiding like this alone. They seem almost feral due to fear, they are bruised and skinny. We offered them some food and they greedily devoured it. We decided we need to move on quickly. Their cries could have been heard. We need to take them with us and get them to safety, but we cannot afford to send anyone back with them to our bunker we are too far away. We cannot afford to lose the manpower, and we need supplies. So, we decide to continue the supply run with the kids. They seem a little better if you dangle food in front of them. Also, they know how to stay quiet.

About ten miles out from our bunker we came across a home in the woods. It is a well-built wood home. We stood back and assessed the home and situation before we got any closer. It did not appear to be occupied, no movement, no sounds. When we got close and looked inside, we found out why. The occupants of the home were dead and had been for quite a while. We quietly went up to the door which was unlocked and went inside. We spread out and searched for any one alive still in there or even demons hiding. It was quiet, deathly quiet. No survivors. The mother lay on the kitchen floor with a knife stuck in her eye. She looked as if she was doing dishes before she died. There were two children in an upstairs bedroom that seemed to have died from a blunt object to the head as their heads were bashed in. The adult male, father I assume, was in the bedroom with a knife to the back of his neck. He looked as if he was getting dressed right before he died. In the bathroom was a teenage male. He looked as if he had clawed himself to death. His face, head, arms, and torso showed ragged tears in his skin as if he were trying to get something out of him. I assume from the state of the bathroom and himself that the boy went crazy. He possibly had a demon inside of him before he died. That is not uncommon before the veil tore wide open for demons to host inside of humans. Children, teenagers, and females are more susceptible to this. I also assume, he killed his family before he went crazy. From experience it looked as if the demon may have led him to kill his family, then wanted the boy to feel himself inside which drove the boy to try to claw what was in him, out. He obviously succeeded to a point, there was not a demon in that home or in the boy. And it would be less likely for the demon to come back as its deeds were complete. However, this family must have been aware something was coming because they seemed to be prepared and stocked for an end of the world situation. There was an underground cellar fully stocked with goods and weapons. There was a greenhouse with food growing in it. The well was still running producing water. The home is completely surrounded by trees. The Gods were shining down upon us today. We were excited. This would solve many of our issues, especially with so many survivors we were trying to care for. We decided to eat and rest while we made plans. The two young boys were still very skittish. We got them fed and settled into the next room to rest. We had to figure out what to do with them and if everyone was going to go back to get the others. We were going to move our headquarters here. It was not going to be easy, in fact it would be very difficult. We had elderly, small children, and even babies. Only half of the group of survivors had learned fighting skills or how to use abilities and this place is ten miles away. To keep all of them as silent as possible on the trip for any demons or even humans close by will be extremely hard. However, we know that we can do it. Making it in one trip so we do not leave several trails and scents coming here is the most feasible and safest way to do it. We have approximately 50 people we care for that we have saved. However, we still also have the Gods with us as well as our own powers. We will make it so. This is going to be a blessing in the end times.

My last entry in this diary described how this time came to be. I called it The Hidden Ones. It tells of how this is the end of humanity; it is the last cycle. It speaks of how my group among other groups around the world are working with the Gods to save as many as we can. I write these so hopefully, some of you will be saved before it is too late. This entry, however, tells of how we are at the beginning of establishing and growing into a small community that will bring in more survivors that will fight against this until the end is here. Do not give up hope, do not give in to the evils, there is still time join us in this fight. Bring your skills and abilities to the table, we are all connected and should be working as one, not against one another.