Chatterbox: Inkwell

This is a continuation of a story I started wrriting a while back that has since drowned in the Inkwell. See if you can find it as a challenge. Also, when I say continuation I  mean I'm reposting the whole thing, otherwise if you can't find it you wouldn't be able to see the whole thing. Yes, I am aware that I am rambling so here's the story. 

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Prologue

The boy runs through the ruins, his breathing echoing on the high, broken walls. He glances over his shoulder and trips, falling to the ground. He struggles to pull himself to his feet, righting himself and running another few yards. Then it happens. There is a flash of claws and teeth, a scream. Then the boy is dead, ripped to shreds by the creature. The monster stays there for a moment, devouring the boy’s flesh. Then, with a howl, it turns and runs off, disappearing into the night.

One

I jolt awake, sitting up in bed.

"What is it?" My younger sister asks groggily.

"Nothing," I respond, pushing her dirty white blond hair off her brow, "Go back to sleep." I climb out of the bed and walk over to the small sink in our room. I turn on the water and splash it over my face, letting it soothe my nerves. I splash some over the back of my neck and go over to the single window. I open it up and take my customary place in the chair beside it, breathing in the cool night air. As I gaze out over the ruins of this once great city, I think back to my nightmare. I catch a glimpse of movement down in the street and withdraw instinctively, pulling my head back inside. When I can no longer see the glowing red eyes of the monster, I close the window and fish a book from my backpack. It'll be alright, I think It has to be, right?

I wake to see a monster. It's towering over my sleeping sister. As I watch it draws one of its razor sharp claws across her throat, silently killing her. I pull out my knife and sneak up behind it. With a cry of anger and pain, I sink my knife hilt deep into it's back. I release the knife and back slowly away as it's body collapses on to that of my sisters. I walk back over to it and grab what used to be it’s arms. I shudder. This thing used to be human, I guess it goes to show that there is a monster in all of us.I pull it’s huge body over to the window and heave it out, watching as its body hits the ground with a sickening Crunch! I turn away and go over to my sister’s body. Other than the bleeding cut across her throat, she looks almost peaceful. I clasp her hand in mine and gently place a kiss on her forehead.

“Goodbye,” I whisper, “I love you.” I stand there like that for a full minute, then I drop her hand and step back. No more mourning. I can’t afford to mourn, it could cost me my life, and I know she wouldn’t want that. I gather my few belongings and pull open the door to our room. I sling my backpack over my shoulder and start down the stairs of the closed down hotel we were sheltering in. If one monster made it in, more are close behind it. It’s not safe here anymore, it’s not safe anywhere.

I make it to the lobby and walk out into the street. I make my way through the maze of streets, occasionally glimpsing monsters through side streets. I hike all day, avoiding the main roads and sticking to the side streets and back alleys. When the sun begins to set, I set up camp in an underground parking garage. I’m just about to crawl into my makeshift bed when I hear voices coming from the ramp to the next level down. I pull out my knife and silently creep over to the ramp. When it comes into view through the pillars I wince as a bright light stings my eyes. I wait a moment to let them adjust, and then realize that there is a figure standing in front of me holding a torch. The figure lowers the light and I can see that it is a boy of around 18 with messy dark hair, piercing pale green eyes and high cheekbones. I stare for a moment too long until the second figure speaks.

“Hey Ace!” the second guy shouts, “What’d you find”

“Just some girl with a knife.” Ace shouts back, “Why don’t you come see for yourself, Josh?” The other guy, Josh I guess, walks over and shines his torch in my face. While I’m distracted by the light he reaches over and pulls the knife from my hand.

“Hey!” I shout, “That’s mine!”

“Yours?” Josh scoffs, “I bet you don’t even know how to use it.”

“Hey, give the girl a break. She’s survived this long hasn’t she?” Ace interjects. “Anyways, she’s kinda cute.”

“I have a name you know.” I say.

“Well,” Ace says, “You haven’t told us it yet, so until then…”

“My name’s Alexi”

“Well Alexi, how did you come to reside in this garage?” He asks, gesturing around us.

“Well…..” I say, “It’s sort of a long story.”

“We have time.”

“Okay then, here goes.” I take a deep breath, and start to tell my story.

Two years ago, my family was perfect. It was me, my sister and our mom and dad. We weren’t a poor family, but we also weren’t super rich. Our parents had respectable jobs, we went to a good school. Then all hell broke loose. We were at school when it happened. All of the sudden there were creatures running around in the streets, breaking into houses and buildings. When the adults finally said it was safe to leave, the entire Northern half or the city had been destroyed. Luckily, we lived in the Southern half. Unluckily, our parents worked on the North side. Everyone in their building had been killed. Lili and I didn’t even know until a few hours afterwards. That was when I vowed to avenge their death by killing every one of the monsters I saw. Lili and wandered for a while, staying nowhere for long. Then, a couple of months ago we found an abandoned hotel in this city. Last night a monster found where we were hiding, it killed my sister in her sleep.

“Then I killed it, with that very knife.” By the end of my story I was crying. Ace puts his arm around my shoulders, wiping away one of my tears with his thumb. A gesture of kindness. I lean into him, wiping my nose in the back of my hand. I close my eyes for a moment, waiting for the sadness to subside. I pull away and put my hand out, palm up.

“Can I have my knife back now?” I demand, trying to look as dignified as possible. Josh turns the knife around and hands it back to me, hilt first. “Thank you very much. Now if you don’t mind I’ll be leaving know, I would say I would like to see you again, but to be honest, I really couldn’t care less. Goodbye.”

I walk confidently back to where I left my stuff before I encountered the two boys. When I reached it I gathered my scarce supplies and belongings and headed out to find another place to shelter, seeing as this one is taken.

Two

Three weeks later

I close my eyes as I lift the knife up and settle the cool blade of the knife over my heart. I open my eyes one last time, about to chicken out, then bend my neck and look down at by bloodstained body. I’ve lost everything. My family, my friends. I have nothing left to live for. I lift my head and prepare to plunge the knife into my chest. I singular tear slides down my cheek. “Goodbye.” I whisper to the empty world. Crack! A noise startles me just as I stab with the knife, causing my hand to slip. Instead of impaling my heart like it was supposed to the knife jerks downwards, lodging itself in my ribs. I collapse, hitting my head on the curb. I hear footsteps above me and see the blurry form of a boy kneeling over me.

“It’s gonna be alright.” He murmurs a he scoops me into his arms. I try to struggle but am too weak to escape. I stop and settle my head on his shoulder, then everything goes black.

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I may post more later if you people like it. Feed back is very much appreciated.