The Prey

Night falls upon a ruined city, decimated and forgotten. The once proud standing skyscrapers that filled the concrete jungle are unrecognizable from the rubble they now are. The sounds of honking horns and people going about their day have been replaced by deathly screams of unholy creatures and the silence of an empty city. Many survivors who made it out know that the dangers lurk in the shadows of the night, and that daybreak is your only safe haven. So, if you are ever caught in the dark without a light, hide and hope that they do not find you.

“Is that really what you’re going to write?” Michael asks peering over Damian’s shoulder.

Damian places his hand on his forehead and gives a long-drawn-out sigh. Looking up from his journal he says, “You know I don’t like to be disturbed when I’m writing.”

“I know, but I was bored and clearly you need my insight on how to properly write this horrible excuse for a story.”

Damian raises an eyebrow. “Oh really?”

“Yes,” Michael replies with a cocky smile. He leans over the counter of the convenience store they are in and begins looking over the journal. “You know what this really needs? More action and violence, or some delicious humans waiting on platters, because, you know…your only readers are probably going to be the creatures that are lurking outside.”

Damian rolls his eyes but quickly glances out the broken store window as if Michael were warning him of a creature approaching. Seeing that there was nothing he stares for a moment at the empty streets riddled with rubble and the echo of a once prosperous civilization. After a moment he feels Michael nudge him.

“What are you thinking about?” Michael asks.

Damian turns to his friend, illuminated by the light of the candle sitting on the counter. “I’m just wondering if we made the right choice.”

“What do you mean?” Michael asks as he pulls over another stool to sit on.

“Everyone in the Safe Zone thought we were crazy for coming out here. They said that we would not find anything in the city because there is nothing to find, and after months of searching I am starting to believe them,” Damian says as he runs his fingers through his hair. “We have learned nothing and, honestly, we probably never will. Anything we had hoped to discover is more than likely buried beneath the rubble we walk on every day. All that I have learned from our little excursion is that I am tired of being disappointed and hoping that tomorrow will be the day that we find something new.”

Silence fills the room of the abandoned convenience store as neither of the two friends know exactly what to say next. Damian looks around at the shelves, each either empty or housing expired goods. “Kind of like this adventure,” Damian thought. He thinks back to when they first started, naïve about the journey that they were taking. While most who dared enter the city again only ventured in for the day, Damian wanted to stay and search for clues that might lead him to discovering the truth about what happened to their city. Michael, his only friend, had been the only one who volunteered to go with him while the other survivors only mocked him for even considering it. He had once used their ridicule to silence any doubts about the decision he had made, but now he is only plagued by them, constantly reminded of the disaster this journey has been.

Damian removes his glasses to rub his eyes trying to break away from the thoughts that were about to consume him. Placing them back on his face he notices that the candle was no longer lit. He turns his head towards Michael who was staring out the window of the store. As Damian tries to say something Michael turns and quickly places a hand over Damian’s mouth. He looks Damian in the eyes, placing a finger over his lips then slowly turns his head to look outside the store. Damian follows Michael’s gaze curious and scared of what he was going to see. As he looks out the window Damian’s eyes widen realizing what was there. Just outside the convenience store, a creature that at one time might have been a dog or a wolf was standing atop a rusted Volkswagen car. Lacking any fur, it instead had bleached white skin with black tendril spikes protruding out of its back. The creature sniffed the air and turned its head towards the store revealing its five eyes that varied in size. Damian and Michael quickly ducked behind the counter hoping that the mutant creature did not see them. As they press themselves against the wall Michael reaches for his wooden bat that is sitting on his bag and hands Damian a long buck knife. Grabbing the blade Damian franticly tries to remember everything Michael taught him about how to use it to protect himself. He grips the handle tightly as he peers through a hole in one of the wooden boards that make up the front face of the counter. The creature leaps down off the vehicle and begins sniffing the ground while walking towards the store. Damian watches as it gets closer and closer to the entrance, stopping short of the open doorway. It raises its head sniffing the air as if it were searching for something. “Hopefully not us,” Damian thought.

Moments feel like years as they wait in the haunting silence of the room for time to pass by. Damian continues to watch the creature as its hot breath mixes with the cool night air around it. Its head suddenly turns toward the counter as if it knew Damian was watching. Damian holds his breath fearing that even the smallest noise would alert the beast. It continues to stare directly at him with its five bloodshot eyes. As Damian begins to wonder if maybe the creature does see him, it turns its head away from the store and begins to walk through the street once more. He gives a sigh of relief and relaxes his tense shoulders as he turns to Michael whispering, “It’s leaving.” Michael looks up at the counter once more then back at Damian smiling.

Suddenly, the countertop above them bursts open as two massive paws are forced through the wooden boards. Both Damian and Michael quickly move out of the way as the creature shoves its large white snout through the hole it just made. Its lower and upper jaw split in half as it gives out a loud bestial scream and attempts to bite at them. Damian crawls out from behind the counter and looks back at his friend who is trapped on the other side. “Just go!” Michael yells as he swings wildly at the creature with his bat. For a moment Damian considers it, but instead grabs a can of beans and chucks it straight at the creature’s head. Upon impact the beast quickly turns in his direction and begins to growl at him. It pushes itself off the countertop and slowly stalks towards its new prey. Damian matches its pace moving himself towards the back wall of the store. He points the buck knife at the creature and stops as it gets far enough away from Michael. He looks at his friend one last time then closes his eyes preparing for what comes next, but nothing comes. He opens an eye and sees the creature laying before him. He quickly jumps back pointing the knife at it expecting it to pounce at any moment.

“Are you okay?” He hears. Damian looks up to see Michael moving towards him cautiously, making sure to not step on the creature.

“I am thanks to you,” Damian says with a smile.

Michael looks down at the creature. “As much as I would like to claim responsibility for this, I had nothing to do with saving you. That person did,” he says pointing just outside of the store at a figure slightly illuminated by the moon light. Damian watches with a curious gaze as the figure walks towards them throwing the bow they were holding into the quiver on his back. The figure then pulls out something from the thick jacket he is wearing and lights it. Damian and Michael shield their eyes as the entire store is bathed in red light. As they look back, they can clearly see that the figure is a large man with a thick gray beard. He wears a fur cap as well as a matching attire of hunter type clothing. He looks them from head to toe, and then at the store around them.

Damian and Michael look at each other for a moment before Damian clears his throat and turns to the man saying, “Excuse me sir, I just wanted to say thank you. You saved my life, and I am eternally grateful.”

The man turns back to them. “Save you?” He says with a curious tone and cocking his head to one side. “That’s a word for it.” Having no time to react, Damian watches as the man quickly points a small tub at them and begins to spray some sort of gas. Damian and Michael begin to cough and wave their hands in front of their faces trying to disperse the smoke, but it was too late. Within seconds Damian’s vision blurs and he feels himself falling. With a massive thud he hits the floor coming face to face with the creature that was just about to eat him moments ago. The last thing he sees before plunging into darkness is a hand reaching for him with a heart shaped locket hanging from the wrist.

The sun begins to rise over the crumbled city as a truck pulls up in front of the convenience store. The mysterious man from before gets out and begins loading Damian, Michael and the creature into separate cages that are strapped to the back of the truck. Once he finishes locking them up, he climbs into the driver’s seat and turns the key in the ignition. He sits there for a moment listening to the rumbling of the engine. He leans back in his seat and pulls the heart shaped locket off his wrist. He stares at it for a moment before opening it, revealing a picture of Damian and Michael standing together in front of sign that reads “The Safe Zone”. Breaking himself away from his thoughts, the man closes the locket and reattaches it to his wrist. He pulls the gear shifter down and begins to drive further into the city of ruin.