I close and lock the door behind me, then jump up on the tables to pull the blinds down, completely ignoring the food and people quietly protesting as I kick plates, bowls and silverware to the floor and out of my way.
I turn around and pause. Dozens of eyes are staring at me in complete silence. Waiting for instructions. Waiting to be told if it was a vampire, witch, or some sort of shifter. They wanted to know if I could protect them from the coming doom or if they were going to die here.
I look at each face. Man, women, and to my gut-wrenching realization, children. Even Michelle was looking to me for direction.
I turn back around and peek through the window blinds. The people outside had already mostly dispersed. I could see a couple of people jumping into cars and talking off. But only the last couple stragglers.
Now, with no crowd in the way, I could see that there were five of the creatures. I didn't know what breeds, but they all looked very different and at different points of decomposition. To my horror, there was one just outside the door. More than half its face was gone, showing the bone underneath. Through its torn skin, gore from its victims slowly dripped from its uncovered teeth. From the new, closer distance, I could see maggots writhing in its empty eye socket. Its tongue slips out and licks some dripping gore back in. My stomach twists with disgust and even fear, an emotion I'd been taught to ignore since childhood. But this time, I couldn't seem to keep the fear contained.
Its head tilts up, and its nonexistent nose sniffs the air. I freeze solid, hoping with every part of my being it hadn't smelled us hiding in here. To my joyous relief, it lowered its head and continued walking. I silently sigh as the ice-cold fear begins to thaw.
Without warning, a child from the restaurant cries out. I whip around to look at the child responsible for the cries. The tension of the situation is just too much for him to bear. Everyone in the dinner stiffens and glares daggers at the child as the mother desperately tries to calm him.
I suck in a breath and turn back to look out the window. I could still hear the mother trying to shush the child as everyone hisses at her to quiet him. But it was too late. Outside, the creature had stopped, its ears twitching and focusing on the whispers and cries coming from within.
It slowly turned its head until its single eye, on the other side of its head, was looking directly at me through the blinds. I couldn't breathe through the fear, holding my breath. Its one good eye had found me, and it held my gaze as it slowly turned around and faced me. Its bad eye, hanging loosely from the socket.
Then, like a rabid animal, it launches for the entrance and begins frantically scratching at the door. The creature's nails catch on the wooden frame, tearing off small pieces at a time. Slowly, the wooden door is torn to pieces right before my eyes.
Behind it, two more creatures take position, waiting almost patiently for the first one to rip its way through. The second one was larger with long, shaggy black hair and the other, a short haired, smaller brown dog with a limp leg dragging underneath it.
We didn't have much time until the creature ripped its way through the door, and we became its next victim. I pulled my bone sword free from my side. It was the most powerful weapon I had. If anything was going to hurt this thing, it would be my mother's enchanted sword.
I slip my arm free from its sling. It throbbed in protest, but the pain was bearable. My hand shook slightly with pain as I brought it up to the hilt and positioned myself between the door and the people from the restaurant.
Michelle came to my side with a worried exhale. I glanced to my right to look at her, but she didn't look back. She didn't need to. We were thinking the same thing. We were not going to get out of this.
"Take out the small brown one first." I tell her, rocking onto the balls of my feet, getting ready, "If we're going to kill any of these things, it's going to be that one. Try and take it down quickly."
She licks her lips, nodding. But says nothing.
The first dog manages to wiggle its head and some of its front mass through the gap it had made at the bottom of the door. I jump forward and slash at its face. With shockingly fast reflexes, it whips its head to the side and catches my sword in its jaws.
"Shit!" I yell, yanking my sword free of its mouth. Without stopping, I advance again and thrust my sword forward as hard as I could, my broken arm screaming in pain. But, the creature is unable to catch my weapon this time, and the sword sinks deep into its chest, between its neck and shoulder.
It yelps and squeals in pain and retreats, backing out of the hole it had ripped open and leaving behind sickly brown blood. I jump back and wait as the smaller brown one slips through the hole with ease. It comes straight for me, as if it knew I was the one who hurt its companion.