Margaret kept running.
Despite the slippery road, the heavy load she carried, and even her broken leg, she didn't stop. The rain didn't make things easier for her. Not to mention the growls and stomps of the demon chasing her.
She couldn't let the last descendant of that family die. Not while she was still alive.
The baby she clutched cried. Cried loudly. But Margaret ignored it. She hugged the baby tightly and kept running. While the child she carried on her back whimpered in fear.
The doors of the houses she passed by closed as soon as she approached. The owners weren't willing to give them even a place to shelter. They were too afraid. Not of the demon chasing them, but of the prophecy. Margaret hated the person who made that crazy prophecy. She thought what the seer said was not the future, but a curse.
Yes. That seer must have cursed the family she served. Maybe someone paid him a lot of money to make a nonsensical prophecy. But unfortunately, the whole country believed it.
The demon groaned again. This time Margaret was sure the demon was getting closer. She couldn't hide. Especially from a demon.
The only chance to survive was to run.
She turned, ran through the alley between two house walls, jumped over the wooden planks blocking the way, kicked over the trash cans to create a distance from the demon. Because the alley was narrow. There was no way the demon's large body could pass through it. However, unexpectedly, the demon broke through the house wall that was blocking it and continued to chase Margaret.
"Oh God."
Margaret's chest felt like it was about to explode. Her breath came in short gasps. She burst through the back door of a house when she found the road ahead of her was dead-ended.
The demon's evil laughter shook the ground she was standing on, making her even more terrified. She jumped over chairs and knocked over tables, causing the occupants of the house she passed through to scream hysterically. She managed to get out of the house just as the demon managed to bring down the wall and bury the occupants.
The creature's body was huge, almost as tall as the roof, with skin that looked like black smoke. Although it looked like smoke, the demon was able to destroy anything it hit, including bricks. And anyone who inhaled its smoke would die with a blackened body, as if cursed. Its eyes glowed red. Two horns grew on its head. It had pointed ears. Its teeth were sharp, like a saw, but longer and sharper.
It smelled incredibly rotten.
"You can't run anymore. Hand over the baby!" The demon growled.
Margaret didn't give up. She kept running. The baby in her arms still wouldn't be quiet. Maybe he was hungry, or cold, or who knows. The point is, Margaret felt sorry for him. The baby had only felt his mother's embrace for one month. While the child she carried on her back was luckier. He had the opportunity to feel his parents' love for a little over two years. The baby and the child were unfortunate siblings whose family had been slaughtered by demons.
The woman had already asked for help from six other families who had sworn to protect the country. But until now, they hadn't come yet. Why? Margaret couldn't explain. Besides, about those demons, how could they come out of the underworld and specifically attack one family? Margaret was sure one of the other six families called them. But who? She didn't know and didn't have time to find out.
It happened very quickly. At first, Margaret was putting the baby to sleep in the bedroom when a long scream was heard. Knowing something was wrong, she ran to the eldest child's room, who was still two years old, while clutching the baby.
"Mama!" The eldest pointed to the front room, where family members were fighting the attacking demons. Margaret immediately rang the bell as a sign for help.
In a hurry, her female employer handed her a shawl. "Run! Save them."
"Where is the master?" Margaret was sure, with the head of the family's strength, the demons could be easily defeated. However, her mistress's answer was shocking.
"The master is dead."
Without thinking twice, Margaret carried the eldest on her back with a shawl and held the baby tightly to her chest. She then ran to the back door. She could hear her mistress's screams before going out into the street. Soon, the biggest demon was chasing her.
Remembering what happened to the family that had given her life, the woman promised to take care of them as if they were her own flesh and blood. However, on the condition that they survived.
"Give me the baby!" The ground Margaret was standing on shook from the demon's steps. Apparently, the creature had managed to catch up with her.
The only hope was the horse-drawn carriage that was standing not far from where she was now running. The carriage was parked in front of a building whose door had just closed as soon as it saw Margaret approaching. It seemed that the owner was too afraid to travel and chose to hide in his house, which he thought was safe.
Margaret forced her legs to move faster. Her shoulders ached from the pressure of the shawl. Her lungs felt like they were about to burst. Her throat was so dry that there was no saliva to swallow. A little more, she thought.
Ten meters away from the carriage. The demon's foul smell stung her nose.
Seven meters. Margaret's steps faltered due to the shaking ground, like an earthquake.
Five meters. She kept running.
Three meters. The horse pulling the carriage neighed. "No! Don't run. Let us get in. Please!"
Two meters.
One meter.
Margaret jumped, trying to reach the carriage door.
Something hit her waist, causing her to be thrown away, falling far from the carriage. The horse neighed and pulled the carriage away.
Margaret's body was dragged. The baby she was carrying was released from her embrace. The blanket wrapped around the baby opened, revealing the baby's tiny hand that was tightly clenched. Raindrops soon wet the baby's body, making its cries louder.
Margaret gasped. Her ribs were broken. She tried to get up but failed. She had reached her limit.
The eldest child was carrying let go. The child ran towards the baby, racing against the demon's foot and wanted to step on it.
"No!" Margaret screamed. She was horrified to see the two children she wanted to save die in one attack.
Suddenly, both the child and the baby disappeared. The demon stepped on empty air.