章 30: Cannibal

Lucas stared into his reflection. It wasn't long before that in that reflection, he saw a human. A man with life, emotions, and ambitions, but now? Now he saw nothing. He didn't see himself reflected. It was as if he was a vampire.

Lucas Isaiah Miller was gone. Not a single trace of him remained. Lucas was null of all that made him human. He wasn't human.

Lucas had no reflection because he wasn't real. Lucas Isaiah Miller was gone, dead, deceased. It didn't matter which way you put it. The person Lucas saw in that reflection was not a person, but a monster in human skin.

Stella, a pretty young woman with long, straight black hair and eyes dark as the night, walked into the bathroom. She walked in on him staring at himself.

(Stella: "Is this occupied?")

(Lucas: "No, I was on my way out.")

Lucas went to his room and packed whatever he needed before they left. He put on his layers of jackets, put his equipment in their rightful pockets. His two knives, his watch, and his matches. He even tied the gallon of water to his back.

Jonas was in the living room crawling around and exploring.

Stella brushed her hair. Lucas didn't understand the point to it. Were beauty standards still a thing?

Stella saw Lucas walk by the bathroom from the mirror, and she called him back.

(Stella: "Lucas!")

(Lucas: "Huh?")

(Stella: "Let me comb your hair!")

(Lucas: "Yeah, no.")

(Stella: "You promised that I could!")

(Lucas: "I never promised. I said you could teach me to use the crossbow.")

(Stella: "I don't remember that.")

(Lucas: "That ain't my problem.")

Lucas went back to his room. He sat down on his bed and reached into his pocket. He pulled out a black pistol. It was heavy, made of metal and polymer. He inspected it, looking it up and down. He hadn't touched a gun in so long. He forgot how heavy they were.

Stella knocked on his door. Lucas shoved the pistol back into his pocket.

(Stella: "I'm ready. Let's get out of here.")

They left the room, not even bothering to close the door behind them. Stella carried Jonas and the crossbow. Lucas had the pistol.

They explored the Unit, looking for an exit. They eventually came across the elevator they went down, and they took it back up.

They were back in the railroad. They looked up and down the railroad from the station and they eventually jumped down. Lucas went down first, Stella handed him Jonas, then she jumped down.

Lucas immediately gave Jonas back to her. They walked down the railroad for a while. It was really dark, but luckily, Lucas had his matches. It hardly emitted any light, but it was enough to not run into any poles.

The railroad itself seemed like it was thrown together very quickly, and without much care or thought. Lucas was sure there was no way it worked anymore, but even when it did, it must've just barely gotten people around. He couldn't imagine this was built before the rapture.

There was a light in the distance. As they got closer, they could see a hole in the ceiling, and a latter came down from it. It was above a platform in the middle of the railway, dividing the left and right side.

They climbed up onto the platform and looked up at the hole from under it. Stella still held Jonas. They weren't sure how they were going to get themselves up the vertical latter while holding a child.

(Lucas: "Try not to drop him.")

(Stella: "Shut up.")

Lucas climbed up slowly. Going up the latter was tough with the gallon of water weighing him down. His hands gripped the steps tightly. Stella Bayan going up after him, carrying Jonas in one arm, and using the other to pull herself up.

Lucas was getting closer to the hole. The hole led to a small cylindrical space which had a lid covering the top. There were holes in the lid which was how the light was able to get through. Lucas continued to climb until he wasn't able to. Something was preventing him. The gallon of water! The space was small, and it couldn't fit the water.

(Lucas: "Goddamnit.")

(Stella: "What's up?")

(Lucas: "This little space is what's up. I can't fit the water through.")

(Stella: "Could you take it off and push it through before you?")

(Lucas: "Not without accidentally dropping it onto you.")

They were high up. The railway was huge and tall. The ceiling where the hole was is at least thirty feet high. To fall from there could incapacitate anybody.

(Lucas: "Go back down. Go back down.")

They reached the bottom and Lucas removed the gallon of water from his back.

(Stella: "What are you doing?")

(Lucas: "Leaving the water.")

(Stella: "What if we need it?")

(Lucas: "I'll find water somewhere.")

Lucas began climbing up again, Stella following him up. Lucas got back to the hole and could actually fit this time. He pushed the lid up and threw it to the side and pulled himself out the top. Stella climbed out as well, and Lucas helped her up.

They looked around. It was quiet. It was cold. Standing before them was an apostle. It made no noise, and it stood in place. It hand long hind legs, which it stood on, and small arms, as slender as a bone. Where a hand would be, a sharp claw protruded out of the end of its arm.

It's head was roughly structured like that of a wolf, but it was bony. In fact, it looked almost like a hairless dog. If it weren't for the ridiculous proportions, you could easily mistake it for one at a distance. You could see the basic structure of the skull just by looking at it. It had no lips, so the vicious teeth it bore could be seen by all. It's snout was long and it had a tiny button nose on the end.

Unlike a wolf, its ears did not sit on the top of the head, but rather the sides like a human. It had binocular vision, its eyes being placed on the front of the head rather than the sides. It was a predator.

But there was something curious about its eyes. They had a white coating over them. It stared at them, cocking its head. Lucas got in front of Stella, and they began quietly moving away from the apostle. As they moved, it did not track them with its eyes. It knew they were there, but it couldn't see them. It was blind.

None of them made a sound. They moved slower than a snail to prevent any sound at all. Lucas began to slowly reach into his pocket. He grabbed the gun and carefully pulled it out.

He aimed it steadily at the apostle. Suddenly, another apostle ran out. It was of the same species, and it ran straight at the one Lucas had his gun pointed at and tackled it.

They were attacking each other. Stella looked on in horror. The apostles dug their claws into each other. The one on top bit down on the one below, tearing a ragged chunk of flesh off. The one on the bottom let out an anguished growl.

A couple more of the same apostles came out and dog piled on them. Lucas couldn't believe what he was seeing. Cannibalism among apostles? Impossible! Apostles are made to specifically attack native life on this planet. But his eyes didn't deceive. What he saw was real.

(Lucas: "Go, go, go!")

Lucas whispered. They began to carefully walk away. They took large steps, making them as slow and methodical as possible as to not make too much noise.

Of course, that didn't work. One of the apostles looked their way. It heard one of them. It got done on all fours. Its legs stretched outward, and it pushed itself forward with its forefoot. It sprinted toward them in an awkward fashion, supporting its upper body with just the claws on the end of its slender arms, but it was fast. One could say it was unnaturally swift.

The road and sidewalk was separated by a concrete barrier. Lucas and Stella hopped over it and ducked below it. The apostle crashed right into the barrier. It sounded like it gasped when it ran head first into solid concrete.

Lucas looked at Stella. He signaled for her to hand something over. He mouthed the word "crossbow." Stella shook her head. "Use your gun," she mouthed back.

Lucas became more aggressive in his hand movements. He was commanding her to give him the crossbow without saying a word.

The claw of the apostle came between them. It hadn't seen them, but it looked right above them. It was trying to figure out where they were.

The apostle smelled horrible. It was like something on it was dead and rotting. They both looked up at it. Jonas also saw it. Stella forgot to cover his eyes.

Lucas looked down at Jonas' face, which was mostly shock and fear at the sight of the monster. It then began slowly contorting into an ugly cry. Lucas had no choice.

With a swift motion, he aimed his gun at the head of the apostle and pulled the trigger. The gunshot was thunderous. The apostle went limp and fell between them, dead. Jonas began crying tumultuously.

Without a word, they ran, a horde of apostles right behind them.