Chapter 11

Amidst the crumbling buildings, a lone girl slept peacefully in the dark. Random bits of wreckage and debris cluttered the ground around her. Light rhythmic breaths gestured that the girl was still among the living. As she relished in her slumber, the girl occasionally rolled and squeezed the stiff article beside her.

Clack

The noise had awoken the snoozing girl. Slightly confused and disoriented, the little girl questioned as she sat up and rubbed her lidded eyes.

“Where-”

Yawn

“Am I…?” She stretched her arms to find the pain that had harassed her beforehand to be gone.

“It worked! Boone, the medicine worked!” The girl said enthusiastically.

“…”

No response was heard.

Anya looked around. She found it strange that they did not camp within the confines of some run-down structure but among the wrecked carriages that inhabited the roads.

“Boone?” The girl continued to search the vicinity. In her eyes, the world was gray and black. Anya understood that this meant she was encased in darkness.

Her hand felt the rough fabric that laced some sort of rigid object. The girl turned her head for a glance. Although her vision was still blurry, she recognized the familiar torso. Using some strength, she pushed the body.

“Boone, wake up! Your medicine worked!” There was no response, therefore Anya tried again.

“Boone, let’s get moving! I’m feeling better now! The pain, it’s all gone!” The body remained quiet and unmoving.

“Boone?” Anya reached for the man’s hand and grasped it. His hands felt hard and cold. Slowly, her gaze moved towards the man’s face.

“Aieeeeee!” Anya stumbled backward as she shrieked. She did not find the companion that accompanied her, but instead a mutilated half-eaten corpse. Nothing remained of the neck but the bone. Picked nearly completely clean, only small pieces of flesh lingered between the crevasses. Large portions of the face were forcefully ripped out, exposing parts of the skull and cheekbones. A half-eaten eye drooped down the side of his face, latching on by a thin strand of tissue. The puddle of drying blood surrounding the carcass left a trail that led back to her.

While trembling, she held her hands in front of her and glanced at them. The hands were still her own but covered with dried blood. Anya touched her face, she could feel the same dried substance on her cheeks and chin. Her attention was then brought to the discomfort she felt at her lower back. Hesitantly, she touched the area with her hands. Two small and sharp protrusions could be felt as if the tips of two spears stuck out of her.

Clack

Frightened and with her brain in chaos, she quickly turned her head to the source of the noise. What she saw froze her mind and body. An abomination, the likes of which she had never seen before, steadily approached her. A twisted deformation of the human form; the creature walked on six arms. Three conjoined heads sat on top of their respective amalgamated torsos. Sharp claws, each attached to one of its four bony arms, swung as the creature swayed.

“S-S-Stay back!” Anya screamed at the creature. To her disbelief, the creature complied. The abomination lowered its body slightly and spoke with its low and monotone cocktail of voices.

“Directives updated. My queen. I have found you.”

“Wh-What are you talking about?!” Anya widened her eyes as she remained immobile. The fear had turned her body into stone.

“Queen. Birth mother. Origin of your brood. Origin of This One.”

“…” Anya stayed silent as the words of the frightening creature seeped into her head.

“Queen. Disoriented. Side effect of starvation recovery. Possible. Temporary. Anxiety unnecessary.”

“Starvation…Recovery…?” Her thoughts fell on the man’s corpse as her heart began to drop.

“No…No! I-I’m… not one of you!” Anya distanced herself from the creature.

“Fear. Unnecessary. Hostile intentions. This One has none.” The abomination began to approach the terrified girl.

“S-STAY AWAY!” Anya screamed.

Like before, the creature halted.

“This One obeys.” And just like that, it turned around and left.

The void around her became silent.

Anya was alone once again. She huddled next to the body of the man she once knew and trusted. Fragments of memories conveyed the struggles and desperation he faced right before his demise. Anya felt sick. Whether she accepted or denied it, she had taken his life.

“I’m sorry…” The girl began tearing up.

“Why… why does this keep happening to me…?” The light weep escalated to a full-blown cry as she rubbed her eyes. Anya could not understand what crime she had committed to warrant such a fate. At the summit of every moment of happiness, the world would mercilessly snatch it away. At the back of her head, she began to understand. This was the nature of the world she lived in.

Twenty minutes had passed and her emotions began to calm down. However, her mind continuously reminded her of the sweet and joyous moments she had experienced on their travels. The girl opened her journal and read a few words she could make out in the lighting as an effort to distract her thoughts. She remained beside Boone, for she had nowhere else to go. Her heart could not bear to leave the man behind. After a while, Anya started to read the passages out loud as if to entertain her deceased companion. She didn’t understand why she did this, only that it alleviated the pain in her chest. As she continued reading, Anya began to converse with the dead body. Although she heard no response, she could imagine the man’s reply.

“Really! Daddy really did do it!”

Anya pointed at a passage from the journal.

“And then, Mommy was so angry about it that she ignored him for a week.”

The girl released a solemn laughter as streaks of tears flowed down her cheeks.

“I wish… I got to meet her…”

“…”

“I know…But I still…”

“…”

“No, it’s fine, you don’t have to apologize. It’s just that… it brings back unpleasant memories.”

“…”

“This journal… is precious to me, it’s the only proof I have that Mommy existed…”

“…”

“Even if I remember, memories just aren’t enough…”

“…”

“DO NOT MOVE!” A loud and muffled voice commanded from behind. Anya turned around only to be blinded by the bright light shone on her.

“STATE YOUR NAME.”

Anya remained silent.

“ARE YOU DEAF, HEATHEN?! WHAT IS A CHILD DOING OUT HERE ALONE!? WHAT HAPPENED TO THE MAN BESIDE YOU? ANSWER ME!”

The little girl was visibly shaken by the stranger’s shouting.

“Disciple, yield your weapon. Can you not see? The child is frightened.” Anya heard another voice, but the blinding beam kept her from spotting the individual.

“Oracle, the blood stains. She may be a demon. We must be cautious.”

Hearing this, Anya quickly attempted to wipe her mouth with her clothing.

A figure approached and kneeled before her. He removed his gas mask to reveal the young charming face underneath.

“I am Oracle Maximus. That man over there is a disciple of our great church. Forgive his rudeness, for he is inexperienced.” The young man held Anya’s hand and kissed it.

“May I have your name, young maiden?”

“A-Anya…” The girl responded hesitantly.

“Anya, that is a beautiful name. May I inquire the reason of which you are out here, Anya?”

“W-We were heading to Luminus…”

“Oh? That man over there, is he your father, Anya?”

She shook her head.

“And may I ask what happened to him?”

Anya hesitated for a while before simply shaking her head again.

“FOUL SWINE! YOU DARE REFUS-” The disciple silenced himself the moment Maximus raised his hand.

“Yield, Disciple.” The man stood up. “I will not press on if you do not wish to speak.”

“Oracle, what shall we do with her?”

“That is for the inquisitor to decide. Sedate her.” The young man walked away.

Before Anya could respond, the stock of the firearm struck her head. Her vision faded as she lost consciousness.