BEGINNING OF THE END

The day faded fast, night was almost here. Whitey was looking at the map, Astrid was shining a light to assist.

‘There should be a motel, about five kilometers up the road on the left side at the intersection.’

Harry continued to follow Whitey’s directions, eventually the view of the motel slowly came into sight. Harry drives further down the road, turning the wheel with one hand as he pulled into the small gravel parking lot. Astrid hopped in the passenger seat as Whitey headed into the lobby at the front desk. No more than 10 minutes later, Whitey came out with a room key.

‘Since I paid for the room and there’s only two beds, one of you is sleeping on the floor.’

Whitey twirled the key in his hand and headed to room 7.

Harry grabbed his pistol from the glove compartment of the jeep and stuck it in the holster on his waist, Astrid doing the same with hers. They walked over to the room, Whitey already taking a shower.

‘You take the bed Astrid, I’m going to take first watch tonight. However, I get the shower after him.’  Astrid extended her hand, shaking Harry’s.

‘Deal.’

She then jumped on the bed and closed her eyes. Whitey came out of the bathroom in different clothes than earlier. Rubbing a towel through his hair.

‘Man that felt nice. Plenty of hot water for whomever wants to go next.’

Harry was already heading into the bathroom for his turn while Whitey was rambling.

After a while, Harry finished his shower, steam rolled out of the bathroom like a fog as he opened the door to give Astrid access to the bathroom. Whitey was snoring on the bed as Harry made his way to the window. Watching outside as cars passed by.  The sun was gone for the day and the moon shined bright in the night sky.

As Harry stared out the window, there was a crinkling of wrappers behind him.

‘Want one?’ Astrid asked, holding a granola bar at him. Harry took the bar from her, opened it and took a bite. He thanked her with a mouthful, dropping crumbs off his lips in the process. As Astrid finished her bar, she laid down, closed her eyes, and tried to fall asleep. Harry checked every lock available on the door, all locked. He then laid down on the floor and he himself tried to get some sleep.

A bright light shined through the motel window, waking Harry. He blinked vigorously as he sat up from the floor, Whitey was watching out the window. Harry snapped his fingers once to get Whitey’s attention, he looked. Harry quietly whispered, so not to wake Astrid yet.

‘What’s going on?’

Whitey shook his head, whispering back.

‘There’s a taxi outside.’

Harry looked at Whitey.

‘So?’

Whitey grabbed a small section of the curtain and pulled it back slowly to show Harry. Harry took the scope from his gun, pressing it against his eye as he peered through and out the window.

There was a man sitting in the driver’s seat of the taxi, talking on a cell.

Harry watched his as Whitey peeked through the curtain again.

‘Anything to worry about kid?’ Whitey asked as he squinted his eyes for a clearer view. Harry spoke quietly.

‘I don’t think so, at least nothing that we need to concern our…’

Harry stopped mid-sentence. Whitey looked over at him.

‘See some kid?’

Harry was silent as he continued to watch this mysterious man. He watched him finished his phone call, grab what looked like a vile out of the glove compartment and syringe. Harry watched as he filled the syringe from the vile, flicking it a few times before pushing some back through the needle. Harry spoke quietly.

‘Something’s Wrong!!’

Whitey moved the curtain open a little more to get a better look. As Whitey squinted his eyes to see, something touched his shoulder. He looked to see Astrid awake by his side.

‘What’s going on?’ she asked as she opened her mouth wide and her eyes squinted shut, letting out a big yawn. She looked at Harry, who was intently watching the man in the taxi.

Harry watched the mysterious man exit the vehicle, leaving the driver side door open. He walked around to the passenger side of the vehicle, opening the back door. An unconscious woman fell into his arms. As he caught her, he stuck the needle in her neck and injected her with whatever was inside. He threw the syringe on the ground, planted his feet, and threw the woman over his shoulder. Heading around to the back of the taxi and opening the trunk.

He threw the syringe.

‘What the fuck?’ Harry shouted, ‘Stay here!’ He stepped out of the hotel room slamming the door behind him, leaving Whitey and Astrid standing in the hotel window.

‘Excuse me!’

Harry’s gun was pointed at the stranger. The man raised his arms, stepping back as Harry approached him.

‘May I ask why you are out here?’ Harry’s gun still pointing at the man, his finger close to the trigger. The man responded.

‘Sorry, little lost friend. You mind telling me which way to Cherry Blossom Town?’

Harry watched the man carefully.

‘West.’ Harry stepped to the left, towards the trunk.

‘Cherry Blossom Towns’ been hit and even more risky to be driving at night right now.’

Harry watched the man, his eyes went from Harry to the trunk. Harry also noticed his arms were starting to lower as he got closer to the trunk.

‘There a reason you have a gun pointed at me?’ The man asked. Harry, now standing by the trunk of the car.

‘I just find it odd that a taxi is so far from the city, heading to a small town that’s been quarantined, with no plates.’ Harry kicked the back of the car, right where his plates should have been. There was a long silence between the two. The strange man dropped his hands and head.

‘Sir?’ Harry stepped back, his gun still pointing at the man. The man’s hands twitched, head flew back and then stared at Harry. The man’s face had changed, almost creature - like. The strange man smiled a devilish smile and spoke.

‘Bellum venturus est!’

A voice so deep, it dug into Harry’s very core. The man screamed a high-pitched scream before lunging at Harry. There was a shot from behind and the man’s body hit the car and fell to the ground. Harry turned to look behind him, Whitey was cocking his gun to get ready to fire another round. Harry nodded and saluted him, Astrid and Whitey headed towards where Harry was standing, staring at the strange man’s body.

‘What the hell happened?’ Astrid asked as she came along Harry’s right side. Whitey on the left.

‘I really don’t know.’ Harry knelt closer to the body. The hole in his foreheads was oozing blood.

‘Nice shot Whitey,’ Harry turned to look at him.

‘He said something else to me, ‘Bellum ventur something.’ Any idea?’

Clear as day Whitey spoke.

‘Bellum venturus est.’

Henry waited as Whitey closed his eyes and took a deep breath before answering.

‘War is coming.’

Harry grabbed the keys out of the ignition. Turning the car off.

‘What war? Is that why those creatures are here?’ Astrid’s voice was getting more high-pitched and panicky with each question. As Harry unlocked the trunk, he spoke.

‘We’ll get our answers in Mournstead.’

Harry opened the trunk to see an unconscious woman inside. He knew whatever the strange man gave her, wasn’t going to let her wake until the drug wore off. Harry carefully slid one of his arms under legs and the other under her neck, supporting her head. He carried her into the motel room they were staying in and laid her on the bed.

‘Is she going to be, okay?’ Astrid asked as she grabbed a blanket to cover the woman with. Harry checked her pulse one more time.

‘It’s weak, but I think it might be a side effect to whatever he gave her.’

He looked over at Astrid.

‘You can take my sleeping bag for the night, I’ll stay up a while and watch over before I have Whitey take over. Especially since he is already asleep in the other bed.’ Harry nodded in the direction of Whitey who was snoring. Astrid shook her head.

‘You sure Harry?’ I don’t mind taking the first watch.’ Harry was next to shake his head.

‘Not really tired anyway, you go ahead.’

Astrid made herself comfy in Harry’s sleeping bag on the floor. It didn’t take long before she was next to start snoring. Harry grabbed a stool that was sitting at the desk in the motel room and sat at the window.

Harry watched outside, it had been hours since Whitey and Astrid went to sleep. Just as Harry was getting ready to get some shut eye himself, there was something that caught the corner of his eyes. He waited as he tried to catch another glimpse. Then, there it was. It jumped on top of the taxi, a creature just like the one he killed in his barn. He looked through the scope of his gun, watching it as it slid its tongue all over the top of the taxi. As it got closer to the trunk, the body language changed. It was almost defensive as its head lowered down, using its tongue to guide itself closer to the trunk. The creature stopped moving as it got closer to the trunk. Then, there was a banshee like scream. The creature screamed long and loudly, waking Astrid and Whitey.

Harry signalled for them both to stay quiet. When he looked back outside, the creature was gone. Harry continued to look outside, waiting to see if the creature would come back.

‘Harry,’ a whisper behind him, startled him. Harry turned around.

‘What?’

‘What the fuck was that?’ Harry knew it was Astrid by the profanity.

‘One of those things.’ Harry sat by the unconscious woman.

‘Two more hours before dawn. We are getting our Answers.’

Harry closed his eyes and tried to sleep.

Hours later, Harry woke with a strange feeling. A sense of light and warmth washed over him. He stood up realizing that Whitey and Astrid were not in their beds. Harry stepped outside seeing Whitey and Astrid by the jeep. Whitey and Astrid had finished putting gear away. Whitey walked over to Harry, throwing him another protein bar and some biltong.

‘We wanted to let you sleep an extra hour, you were looking a little restless.’

Harry, with a mouthful nodded, then looked over at the woman. Her back was to him. Harry nodded in her direction.

‘Any change with this one?’

Whitey knelt beside the woman.

‘Honestly, I’m a little worried. If she was given a knockout drug, she should have been awake by now. However, she seems to be running a fever.’

Harry threw his wrapper in the trash.

‘Well let’s see if that vile in the car has a label.’

Astrid was next to speak.

‘There wasn’t’

Whitey and Harry looked at her, she tossed the empty vile at Whitey.

‘We can’t exactly just drop her off at the hospital, not with everything that’s going on.’ Astrid finished tightening up the supplies, grabbing her gun and joining the boys.

Harry tossed his gun at Whitey, slid one arm under the woman’s legs and his other arm supporting her head.

‘We can’t’ just leave her here either. Maybe there’s someone in Mournstead who can help her.’

Harry laid her down in the back seat, keeping the blanket over her. Astrid, now annoyed that the woman is taking her spot, hops in the back of the jeep, sitting next to the supplies. Harry and Whitey hopped in the jeep and pulled out of the motel parking lot.

9:30am they arrived in Mournstead. The woman’s breathing had gotten shallow and wheezy. Astrid, unable to watch her suffer, was continually dabbing her with a towel, using her water bottle to dampen it. Whitey was giving Harry directions to where they needed to go. As they pulled up to their destination, Harry couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

‘A fucking Church?’ This dude is a priest? Are you kidding me right now?’

Harry shook his head.

‘Just grab the girl and let’s go. You wanted your answers and now you are going to get them.’

Whitey snapped back at Harry, irritated with his lack of faith. Harry picked up the woman and headed into the church, trailing behind Astrid and Whitey.

The woman was shaking in Harry’s arms as he pulled her closer to him, pressing her face against his chest. He walked up the steps, his, Astrid’s and Whitey’s feet echoing as they reached the luxuriously carved wooden doors.

As Whitey opened the doors, a loud screech bounced off the walls in the main hall, echoing through the main area of the church. There were very few people there, heads were bowed down. Some were praying to their form of God, whispering and murmurs as they hurried past the pews. The air smelt of decaying flowers, incense filled the air with clouds of smoke and a mixture of lavender and lilac. There was a man, standing next to an eight - foot crucifix, lighting candles at the base.

Whitey hurriedly approached him.

‘Excuse me,’ the man in the long black robe turned around. He smiled so big you could see every line imaginable around the corners of his mouth.

‘Whitey!’