Escape From Thera: Chapter 4

I didn’t move at all after it collapsed on me. I had thought it was going to wake up for a second time so I just waited it out. But holy shit I can’t believe I survived one of those things. And it came from an egg sac! What the hell is that? Is that how they were born? It gave me the heebie jeebies.

I managed to get the mutants arm off me with a shove. Thankfully like 98% of my vomit actually went on the thing and I was mostly clean. But the red gook had gotten on me. It was going to stain and linger for a long time. Making a face I stepped over it slowly then went to the head. 

Its eyes hard rolled to the back of its head and my arrows were protruding like really bad gauges. Grabbing one arrow I yanked it out and it actually snapped. Holding half a shaft and fletching I dropped it. The last two arrows I held my hands out for. I felt for the arrow heads and let my magnetism flow.

The arrows wobbled in its head and I felt them struggling to come free. I upped the oomph and they vibrated inside its head as I pulled. Jerking both my arms backwards I felt the arrows flip outward and made them float. Still in one piece might I add.

Grinning I floated them back to my hands and then held them tight. Alright Jenny, we’re getting the hang of this thing. Though they were covered in this damn ick. I wiped them off on my pants then dropped them into the quiver.

My body ached as I moved, hating every step that I took. Going up the stairs slowly the rope smacked me in the face again. Glaring at it I looked it up and down and frowned. Getting one of my arrows out I walked the stairs and then looked at where it was rooted to the ceiling. Glancing at my arrow I tried to imagine aiming this properly.

As I looked closer I could see the hook that it was tied to. Raising my hand I felt the metal vibrate slightly at my attention. No arrows or aim required. I flexed my powers and it came loose with a clang. I dragged it forward and it floated to my hand. The rope was surprisingly in good shape, really thick. It supported me through my swing so awesome. And there was so fucking much. I could hog tie a super mutant with this if I ever got that close to one. I kept the hook too cause it was nice.

Wrapping the rope around my arm I walked back into the dorms. There was a lot of slack that dragged behind me as I walked and I nearly tripped a few times. He really did a number on the hallways. Shit was even more broken up than before. Miraculously my bag was in one piece. Putting the rope and hook inside, I slid it back over my shoulders and reached with my powers. I felt my bow tugging at my mind but it was different. Like if I whistled for a dog and it knew its owner as opposed to a random one.

Walking into the apartment it zipped into my hand and I felt better having it. Taking a slow breath, an anxiety I didn’t know I had went away. The room was at a point of time spotless but now it was worse for wear. Maybe there was something worth taking here. Moonlight was pouring in from the window.

Going through the dressers I found some clothes that weren’t actually trashed. Resting them against my body I measured and found that some of them actually were a decent fit. Tearing off what I was wearing I quickly put on the new jeans. Putting the quiver back around my thigh and bag on my back I went through the hallway.

There were no more locked doors nor were there anymore super mutants. Progress.

I passed a room and walked toward a window. I could confirm it was very dark outside now. Reaching into my bag I got out my flashlight. It was see through, with the wiring and things visible. There was a metal bar thing in the center which when shaken would power the light. Rechargeable and small.

Holding it upward I let my powers flow through it and a beam of light cut through the darkness. The further down I walked the more the hair on my arms started to stand on end. I couldn’t draw my bow and hold this flashlight at the same time. If someone or something attacked, I’d be screwed most likely.

Taking a steadying breath, I trudged onward. I made it to the end of the hallway without incident and even found a not completely awful room on the way there. Checking the door to the stairwell up and down a few times I backed tracked to that room. It was almost identical the one I’d found earlier except this one didn’t have a couch.

Going to the bedroom I plopped down on the least moldy one and opened my bag. Putting the rope away I got out the bread and cheese and made myself a poor man’s sandwich. I tore chunks of bred away and put corners of cheese between them and ate. I say that but when I bit into it I nearly cried it was so good. I’d had dried rat, burnt rat, and some weird form of deer since we had giant green versions of those running around now. I’d also had various types of plants to very mixed results. But old fashioned bread and cheese seemed like a dream come true.

It was quiet outside. No gun shots, or animals or weird creature features. Just quiet and that was weird. I didn’t know what to do with it. I wished I had a book or something to read.

Putting down my makeshift sandwich I frowned. I didn’t know how to feel right now. It was just, the world was dragging on me. It had been an eventful day. Way too eventful. I’d have to scavenge tomorrow at least a little bit. This bread and cheese wouldn’t last more than two or three days.

Finishing my meager meal I pulled my quiver from my thigh. I tapped my way through each of the arrows and counted. There were twenty left. I was lucky to get back the few that I did. If I wasn’t careful I was gonna run out the next time I had a bad scuffle with someone.

My mind thought back to the leg of that bed frame. If I took that along and stayed put for a while I could probably turn that into something. They wouldn’t be arrows but thin shards of iron would be the next best thing if I really gave it a shot.

That’d have to wait till tomorrow. I could feel my stamina waning more and more. I needed to sleep. And this bed was the best that I was gonna get.

Before settling in I hopped to my feet and went to the door. Well the door itself wasn’t there anymore. It was more like a suggestion hanging on the hinges rather than a determent. Getting one of the shelves that was still standing I dragged it along the carpet and shoved it in front of the opening. Making sure it was stuck there best that I could I then moved a table and a few chairs in front of it. There was a small gap to see through but for the most part it was secure.

It occurred to me that I was blocking myself in right now but if I was gonna get any rest I needed to at least have some false sense of security that I was safe for a few hours. Satisfied at my handiwork I dragged myself back to the bed. Putting my bag on the floor against the bed, I found a pillow that wasn’t completely devoid of stuffing and even a half chewed away blanket.

Unwrapping my scarf and putting it into my hat I lay my head down and closed my weary eyes. I was gone before I knew it.

And I was dragged right back by thunderous crashing. My heart had to have stopped as I jumped to my feet and rolled away from the bed. I tipped over falling on my back with a dull thud and groaned. Where the hell am I? What’s going on?

With another grunt I rolled to my hands and knees then stood. Grabbing my bow first and then my bag I got my bearings. It was dark but light was starting to shine through the darkness. Just enough that I knew dawn was coming but not enough to actually do much help.

Climbing over a chair, shimmying across the table, I glanced over the dresser. Shapes were moving past in the hallway. Lots of them and a few of them had flash lights. I couldn’t glean anymore information from the situation and ducked down. Probably more survivors trying to scavenge like me. They wouldn’t like seeing someone like me hanging around.

Time to skeedaddle. Going back toward the room I glanced around quickly. No other doors, not much furniture but there was a window. Two windows if I counted the one in the bedroom. Going toward the first one I glanced through the dirty glass and all I got was an empty space. If I glanced down I could see the street. Nothing close by. I’d probably die if I tried that jump.

Swearing to myself rapidly I backed off and went toward the bedroom window. Tearing the blinds away I shoved the window open. Cold air wafted in blasting my hair into my face. Swiping it away I looked around. I was in luck. There was a neighboring building not far from here. Another residence hall probably. Far is a relative term considering the situation but my options were low.

I’d be stupid to try and jump that and believe I’d make it to the other side. Improvise. Come on Jenny. You can figure this one out. You were an honor student once. What if I got the bed frame out and shoved it out and tried to glide down with magnetism? I didn’t have any sort of confidence in my ability to do that.

I could try to climb down but if I fucked up I fall and die. Then again the options weren’t exactly high. I really didn’t want to risk them finding me here without the backup plan. Climbing down was going to be my only option right now.

Swearing more I went to grab my hat and tucked my hair into it. Securing it firmly and wrapping my scarf around my face I sighed. Going back to my bag I tore off a chunk of bread to chew on when I paused.

There was the rope, like a shining beacon of progress. Grabbing the rope, I dragged it out and then laid it across the ground. Raising my hands to the window I pulled and what little metal inside there reacted. I yanked the top half out and it was just a big gaping hole in the wall.

Taking my bow out and aiming an arrow out the wall I fired. Narrowing my eyes, I watched the arrow fly and then stop. It managed to hit a little lower than where I was. I had a rough idea of how far it went. Probably thirty feet at the most. That was a shot I could make in my sleep.

I took another arrow and aimed it toward a window. It was further down and at a sharper angle than I wanted but it’d have to do. I lowered my bow and picked up the rope. Tying it around the shaft tightly I pulled and it was tight. It didn’t give either. This might actually work.

As I went back to the window I heard another crash and then shouting. Gunfire erupted afterwards and my heart started pumping fast. Lowering the bow, I went back and jumped over the chairs to the table and looked over the dresser. There was a body on the ground now and blood pooling.

Muzzle flash down the hallway drew my gaze but I couldn’t see who they were firing at. Or what. I didn’t want to know either. Time to fuck off.

Going back to the bedroom I put the bag on my shoulders and glanced at the rope. I was trusting my whole life with this thing. Plan better fucking work. Taking the rope arrow, I knocked it and aimed above one of the windows on the other side. I thought about it the corrected it and aimed a few floors above. This was gonna suck if I missed.

Slowing my breath I shut my eyes for a moment, opened them a slit and then fired. The arrow flew and the rope flew with it. Like a snake it wriggled through the air before slowing to a halt. Reaching down quickly I grabbed the rope before it fell out. The arrow hit home and I still had some slack to work with. Putting the bow between my back and the bag I gripped the rope with both hands hesitantly.

Taking a deeper breath, I heard more gunshots and nodded. “Alright. Now or never Jenny. Do or die. Go hard or die hard.” Jumping out the window I felt my breath snatch from my lips and the air rush through my ears. I wanted to scream. Colors rushed beside me and I couldn’t even focus on the street below to realize just how high up I was.

The other dorm was coming up fast and I swung my legs to aim at the window. The fact that I was going to smash through a window loosely went through my head. Gritting my teeth, I tried not to think about that. As the window came up I shut my eyes tightly and gripped the rope tighter.

I crashed into the window shattering it on contact and was sent rolling across the ground. My hands and parts of my face were cut by it and my shoulders and chest were screaming at me as I lay against the floor. Coughing I felt the blood dripping down my face. I couldn’t feel my shoulder or that entire arm at the moment.

Coughing I raised my head slowly, shaking left and right as I raised my head. It was another dorm, like the others maybe slightly rearranged. I moved slowly and then my eyes widened. There was a blade in my face. Like a machete or some kind of sword. The owner was wearing a bandana from her nose down and I had no idea what she was thinking.

Out of the frying pan and into the fire.