Serenity crouched in the corner of the old kitchen, her muscles tense as she tightly gripped the razor-sharp cleaver and watched for intruders. Her husband crouched nearby, a knife in each hand, and kept his eyes locked on to the back door.
Damn it all, when will this end?!
Movement near the window set her pulse racing, but she kept as still as possible. The dim light of dusk was still visible through the dust-clouded glass and the only sound that could be heard was the flapping of the winged horrors that patrolled outside. She hated that sound.
Every day they emerged on ivory wings with the rising of the sun, alluring predators searching for human life. The creatures had used their ethereal beauty to lure billions to their deaths and it was that sound, that whisper of feathers in the wind, that sparked fear and dread into those who heard it.
As the pair crouched and listened, the wings grew more faint and an unsettling silence decended. Serenity could feel herself holding her breath, waiting, listening for the sign that all was well. It felt like an eternity, her heart beating wildly and her hands beginning to shake, in that suffocating silence. And then, finally, the clear sound of the old church bell rang across the city.
"Night, at last," Serenity breathed, dropping her knife and sitting back against the wall.
Night meant the arrival of the Dark Ones, their presence a protection against the horrors that terrorized by the light of day. Serenity's husband moved to her side and placed a hand on her arm.
"Come on," he urged. "We're almost there. That old church is a veritable fortress. We need to get there if we want to be safe."
Serenity stood, her body exhausted and her mind numb from fear, and followed her husband into the darkness.
This story is continued using the next prompt! If you would like to read more, feel free to use the following link:
As always, thanks go to @mariannewest for providing this prompt! The original post can be found here.
Image sourced from Pixabay.
