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At nightfall, I wished with great fear that it would still be daylight. The Oberons will appear in a short time. I ran with all my strength through the empty streets, which some time ago were populated with people, now only some ruins of residences, where they had lived touching class of person. I didn't even take a look, every time I did that feeling of loneliness and nostalgia emerged. There was only the vestige of an ancient human settlement. The windows were empty and broken, full of cobwebs or dust, with no cries of joy or old wives' gossip. All around there were only collapsed buildings as if a great explosion had knocked them down like dominoes. In some parts a black, sticky, smelly liquid spread all over the place. It came out of the smallest cracks and windows like blood.
My steps resounded throughout the desolate landscape, my tabby cat followed me. I called him Leon, even though he didn't look like the lucky cat. He was the last gift from my parents before they died. Since he was give to me, I have been taking care of him with care and attention, sometimes stopping to eat so that my pet could live. The cat was skinny and dirty like me, we both imitated each other, and we were inseparable since then.
The big sun hid among the ruins of the city slowly and the night was taking over the scene, leaning out to replace it with an intact full moon, without having suffered any alteration after all the years he had been alive.
ʽCome in,ʼ yelled an old woman giving way.
It was Mrs. Petra, a dark-skinned woman, a friend of her parents and me. She took care of me as much as she could in the company of her two children. Her husband had died the same way my parents had and if we were not careful, we would follow his path. Petra closed the door with numerous locks and bolts, while we children settled down in a corner, then she as usual proceeded to serve me a plate of burnt and stale green peas.
ʽEat it all, and don't give it to Leon, it's one of our last meals, Jaime.ʼ The lady scolded me by walking away.
I ignored it and shared the food with Leon, who mewed with fierce hunger.
ʽCalmly Leon, eat, slowly,ʼ I said sweetly and threw some leftovers.
The animal was not fussy and ate everything I gave him. He would even digest bread if the occasion warranted it. Even after the dinner was over his guts kept asking for more food, but at least he had something in his stomach. I grabbed Leon who shrieked slightly annoyed and we went down to the basement.
We were in one of the many collapsed buildings, where the four of us were living after the explosion incident. We had been living like this for about five years, surviving to find food and manage to live at night until the sun came up. Walking around the building was difficult, it was sloping, so it had to be delicate, besides, not making noise at night was a law.
Run when the walls fluoresce, until you hit the door. I opened and closed it with all the pins that the door had.
ʽDid they touch you, Jaime?ʼ asked Joseph.
ʽNeither me nor Leon,ʼ and I showed my arms.
Joseph was Petra's eldest son, under the knife of cooking. At the age of 20 he was emaciated like everyone else and filthy, his hair was curly like his mother's and his characteristic gorilla face. Michael, the youngest son of about 12 years old, was the scary crybaby in the group. When he was afraid, he would hide in a box in the corner of the room, shivering. I left Leon on the floor and he went towards Michael sniffing curiously, the boy stroked him fearfully.
The basement was a small, uncomfortable corner for sleeping. But it was the only place where the Oberons did not enter, until now.
ʽIf you want to sleep, Michael, we'll keep watch, won't we, children?ʼ said Mrs. Petra.
We both nodded in agreement, pessimistic and tired. At night we slept at least 4 hours each, taking turns watching. The only thing we had to do was look at the only door all night until the other one got up. First the children went to bed, with the poor lady standing guard with the only weapon that had a flashlight.
I woke up with Petra's screams, desperate I looked in the darkness for Leon, I couldn't find him. Afraid I got up from the ground, the darkness was being repelled. A fluorescent substance was spreading on the walls and floor. The Oberons were finally entering and Mrs. Petra had touched them.
The woman was jumping around in terror. Her neck was marked with that shiny substance, and her legs were equally stain. As I walked around the room, I wondered how people were able to touch them. I didn't look for Joseph or Michael, my search was for my cat. I cried hysterically at not seeing him anywhere.
ʽLeón… León… León… Where are you, pussycat?ʼ I turned over the objects that stood in my way.
I was careful to step on the illuminated floor or objects marked with the strange substance. Then, at that, moment passed, surely the happy 15 minutes of long wait of agony culminated. I looked with chills at the ceiling, exactly where there was a luminescent essence millions of abnormal hands came out shining. The supernatural entities changed their shape in a few seconds, took the form of knives and slit Mrs. Petra's neck, exactly where it was vein, and other sharp objects came out of the floor and cut her legs. The most surprising thing was that none of the severed parts ever touched the floor; the hands once amputated were move to another plane. From the wounds, a stream of blood came out and splashed on my face and clothes. Freezing, I did the only thing that made sense to me, which was to cry aloud.
I knew that my parents had died in the same way, I didn't think twice and I ran away from that place. With great caution where to step, but it was almost impossible, all over the place there were the luminous marks. A thousand tears fell on the floor, I kept crying because I had lost my only friend and left him behind, I cried because without Mrs. Petra, I would die of hunger and I cried because I had left the children of the Mrs. Petra behind like a chicken.
I left the basement to be in shock at what I was seeing. All the ruins were lit up by the disgusting greenish, orange or reddish fluorescent element. It was as if millions of stars were embodied in the ground, but more sinister. I was stuck not knowing whether to turn back or take refuge somewhere, I didn't even try to make my way there.
Something grabbed me and pulled me. I screamed loudly, thinking it was an Oberon.
ʽShut up, Jaime, it's us.ʼIt was the voice of Joseph.
ʽWe have to go back,ʼ insisted Michael, appearing beside his brother.
ʽWe can't, it's already contaminated,ʼ said his older brother.
ʽAnd mom?ʼ asked the little one.
ʽShe's dead, come on you two, we have to find a shelter to live and escape from here,ʼ Joseph ordered hysterically.
ʽI just want my pet.ʼ I screamed and shed more tears, I was disconsolate.
ʽYou must live for your parents,ʼ Joseph insisted.
Before he could answer, the stains began to move towards us.
ʽDamn it,ʼ cursed Joseph, and pulled us away.
We walked through the corridors illuminated by the stains. These followed us like bloodthirsty slugs, closing their way, doing so without hurry, but with speed.
Michael let go of his brother's hand and fell to the ground, being touched on one of his toes. Before it spread, Joseph grabbed him and cut off the two already contaminated fingers with a knife he possessed. It was horrible to see the blood flowing madly, and chilling to hear the boy's howls of pain.
ʽJaime, if you do not run with me, you will die,ʼ Joseph said to me as he carried his brother in blood and ran.
I followed him without knowing why. The blood Michael left behind was like a trail for the Oberons. We never found a very dark area; it seemed as if we were destined to wander all night in that collapsed building. So that was the plan, I thought pessimistically.
I almost fell to the ground when I tripped over my cat. Leon's meow of pain filled my heart with joy, but it all fell apart when I saw just the little paw, it was over a fluorescent area. The stain spread to the paw before I plucked it off the ground and ran. However, there was no point in running away, it was mark. I had to catch up with Joseph and ask him for the knife before the 15 minutes were up.
I went for a jog, I cried again when I heard your cat purring.
ʽYou will live, Leon!ʼ I whispered to myself more than anything else, to give me encouragement.
I embraced him tightly and my Lion sharpened his claws in a loving way as he always did, he bit my fingers with sweetness and passed his rough tongue to make me see that we were together again. I accelerated the pace incredibly, I was motivated, I would not let them take away the most precious thing in my life.
I watched in the distance as Joseph jumped out of a window, and in a few seconds, I jumped out too. Now I was chasing him through the dark streets, not finding any spots nearby.
ʽGive me the knife!ʼ I was the plea in my voice.
Joseph took one look at me and noticed the stain on the cat.
He threw the knife at me. He didn't stop and kept going until he disappeared around a corner.
I dodged the knife, which went into the ground. I grabbed the knife, doubting whether I could do what I had in mind. My arm was lift and I looked at my cat, she continued purring as if nothing was happening.
Perhaps it was my childish mentality, but at that moment, all doubt was clear and I cut off Leon's paw. It wasn't easy, the animal feeling the pain began to meow and scratch me. What I was doing was unforgivable; I might lose Leon's friendship. The sound of the bones crunching mixed with the screams was terrible for me and for him. When I finally managed to slice the leg, he saw to my carelessness that if I did not cover the wound I would bleed to death.
I let go of my dirty shirt and didn't know that I could infect the wound in the cover. Leon had no strength left, and from his countenance, it seemed that it was the end of him. I continued to walk around disoriented, not knowing that time was passing around me. The sun rose and illuminated us. Leon was dying.
ʽForgive me Leon, please don't die. I need you; you are all I have left. Don't die, I didn't mean to hurt you. I really love you very muchʼ only my voice resonated in the loneliness of the streets.
I rocked my cat who was getting stiff and heavy. I knew that Leon's meowing was getting weaker and weaker; little by little, the purring that identified him was fading away.
Declaration
I certify that my entry to the The Ink Well Writing Prize is my own original work and has been published exclusively to The Ink Well and my Hive profile. I understand that my entry may be excluded from the Writing Prize if I have not met the Rules of Entry and the Community Rules. The Ink Well and the Writing Prize is supported by the @ocd Communities Incubation Programme and the @curie curation initiative.
Declaration
I certify that my entry to the The Ink Well Writing Prize is my own original work and has been published exclusively to The Ink Well and my Hive profile. I understand that my entry may be excluded from the Writing Prize if I have not met the Rules of Entry and the Community Rules. The Ink Well and the Writing Prize is supported by the @ocd Communities Incubation Programme and the @curie curation initiative.
Dividers created in photoshop