( Viewer discretion is advised, scenes depict much gore )
I walk forward with a new liveliness to my step and open the door, nearly bumping into Michelle. "Ohmygod!" She practically squeals, "You're okay!" She quickly pulls me into a hug. Classic Michelle.
"Yeah. I managed to get out. But a lot of the… Test subjects are still in there." I say, whispering the last bit. Didn't know who was listening, and every hair on the back of my neck stood up.
We were quickly seated, and we each ordered some food. She got a waffle with berries and whipped cream, and I got a breakfast wrap with egg whites, veggies, and sausage.
I still felt on edge, like someone was watching me. My eyes scanned every person in the restaurant. But, they all looked pretty much harmless. The place was small, and hiding in plain sight is harder than it sounds. Especially when one knew what they were looking for. As someone who had been brought up to be a killing machine, I knew every trick in the book. How and where to hide weapons. What each and every side glance means. Even how to look at someone's hands and determine what they do for a living based on how many calluses were on their hands and where they were placed on the hands.
Our food arrives, and I watch the man like a hawk. My hand is itching for a knife. But, the boy was already practically terrified, shaking so bad he nearly drops my wrap. Michelle smiles at him and thanks him. Neither one of us tries to eat. Somehow, it just didn't seem right.
After he leaves, she says, "Jesus, you look like you were about ready to cut his head off."
I sigh, "Yeah, its been a long day."
"What happened?" She finally asks, worry in her eyes.
"Okay. I-look, I don't know how to explain half the shit that went down. Not all of the subjects were monsters, some were human, Michelle. But others were definitely vampires and probably some werewolves. They were keeping Fletcher prisoner there. But, that's not all. That, I guess, was the normal part. Okay, promise me you'll keep your cool? It's kinda… A lot to take in."
"Okay, okay." She quickly says, edging closer.
I look around the place. Everyone seemed into their own thing, unconcerned with what we were doing. A couple side glances, but that was to be expected. Both of us were armed to the teeth and people were naturally weary of our presence.
I take a deep breath and explain everything, starting back when I first tried to kill Fletcher. The ride with the blood slave, Noah. Me waking up in the hospital. How easily Fletcher gave me my sword back. And everything I'd learned about the vail and DMHS. I unloaded everything on the girl.
I take a deep breath, still unable to look at her, "He had bullets that shattered into wood. I've literally never seen anything like it. But, it cut through Fletcher-"
A scream pierces the air and the restaurant that was buzzing with activity, goes completely silent. My head snaps up and meets Michelle's eyes for the first time since I had started my story.
As one, we scramble to our feet and rush to the door. Still, no one moved. No one said anything. They knew what we were and were waiting for our decision. They wanted to know what we were going to do. Through the windows I could see people rushing by in a panic. But I couldn't see what they were running from.
It was now daylight out, so it couldn't be a vampire attack. Not that I would know what to do now anyway. Try to talk to it? Would that even work? Fletcher was the only vampire I had spoken to, I don't even know if I could just convince another vampire to stand down.
I open the door and step out, the crowd of people rushing by in a panic. Through the chaos I see a dog. A medium to large sized dog tearing at a women's arm. She was screaming in pain and fear as it feasted on flesh, indifferent at the fact she was still alive and kicking.
I begin to move forward, ready to end it. Although not necessarily a monster, it was still hurting people and I couldn't allow that to continue. But as it bites into her side and tears out feet of intestines, it tilts its head my way, looking away from its victim, now dead. My body goes ice cold. Half its skull sticking out on the side that was facing away from me. I freeze, my body unable to move as my mind tries to comprehend what I was seeing.
The dog, no, creature was dead. No animal could live through the amount of damage this thing had. Aside from the face, three of its legs were torn up or almost completely made of bone without any skin or fur. Most of its flesh was rotting away. Ribs showed through the blood-soaked fur, and pieces of skin were just flapping loose. It looked like it had been decomposing for a couple of days.
"Quinn…" Michelle quietly squeaks out, "What the fu…"
Noah's voice rings in my head from the night he drove me to the hospital, 'there were things that would come out that even he couldn't beat on his own.'
Behind the first one, I saw glimpses of two more through the panicked crowd. I was unsure what breeds they were, but none of them were the same. I didn't know what they were or what their weaknesses were. I would be going in blind and my arm was still broken.
I glance over to Michelle. She was frozen in place. Eyes wide and confused, her lips were slightly parted, like they were stuck and new words couldn't form anymore. What had to be done was clear, "Back in." I say, ushering her back into the restaurant.