Five
Avocet awoke, weak, limp, and in pain, but alive. She also felt warm. Too warm. She opened her eyes, trying to figure out where she was. The sky was now brown and smelled of pine trees. She was covered in something soft, but that she couldn't identify. It felt familiar to her own clothing, and smelled strange.
Sitting up, she looked around. She was inside what appeared to be a room of some kind, though just what kind, she couldn't be sure. Everything appeared to be made of wood.
Her heart skipped in terror as she realized she was in a human dwelling! How had she gotten here? When had she gotten here? She remembered passing out on that street after leaving the forest. She'd been attacked and...what else? She couldn't remember. She could have sworn she felt someone touching her sensitive wings, but she couldn't remember anything after that black demon had attacked her.
She scrunched her eyes shut, running a hand through the down on her head. The action soothed her and she continued scratching her head until she felt better. She fluffed her wings, and her eyes sharpened as she looked around. She had to get out. She couldn't stay where humans were; not after what they'd done to her father and the rest of her clan over the years. She was leaving!
She got out of the bed and moved around the room, trying to find a way out. She tried the window, but there was a thick wooden bar slung across it, barring it from opening. It was too high for her to reach. The only other entrances were the door and what appeared to be a fire pit with a hole leading through a rocky tunnel and out through the roof. She could probably climb that like she did trees.
She headed over to the fireplace poked her head up into the opening. It was dark; she couldn't see the end. But she could smell fresh air wafting down through it so she knew it led outside. She crawled inside and straightened up, reaching out and digging her claws into the mortar covering the stones. These were much tougher than trees and her claws kept sliding. She braced herself with her feet as she ground her teeth, dragging herself up, dislodging smaller stones as she went. Pushing against the opposite wall with her back, smashing her wings slightly, she continued to ascend a little higher until she was almost at the top—when she discovered the opening was too small to fit through. She couldn't get her shoulders through it. She ducked back down to try again and her claws slipped on the slick stones. She screamed as she dropped back down in the soft pile of ashes, scattering dirt and debris everywhere with a tremendous puff of smoke. She was too busy coughing and hacking to notice the door fly open and someone rush in. It was only when that person started laughing uncontrollably that she finally noticed she was being watched. She shrieked and jumped back with a hiss, flaring her wings out and baring her claws.
"O-Oh dear, I'm s-sorry!" the person choked out, "I...I heard a noise and I thought it was one of those things, but...it was just you! Oh my, you're c-covered in soot! I'm sorry, I shouldn't be laughing, but it's hilarious! I really am sorry."
Avocet blinked a few times, looking up at the human standing in front of her. As the dust settled, she became able to see her more clearly. She was tall and thin, and didn't appear incredibly healthy. Her hands were thin and bony and she was missing two fingers on one hand. Her voice was scratchy behind the melodious laugh. Her long pale blond hair was tied back behind her in a stringent braid held together with bits of string and she wore a thick cowl about her neck against the chill outside. Even despite her friendly appearance, Avocet remained cautious, backing away from her suspiciously. The woman noticed her discomfort and sighed, ceasing her laughter, "Sorry. I just really needed that laugh." she said with a shrug, "I'm Maria. This is my home. Er, what's left of it, anyway."
She gestured around her slightly, her face apologetic and amused all at once. She looked back at the young Avian, "Forgive me for startling you. I found you out all alone on the pavement last night on my way home from visiting my sister. I bandaged your leg for you."
Avocet frowned and then looked down at her ankle; a thick piece of cloth was wrapped tightly around it and the bleeding had finally stopped. It still hurt, but not excruciatingly so like before. She could put her weight on it at least.
"Those creatures are terrible, aren't they?" Maria said softly, "I'd recognize that bite anywhere. They've driven everyone out of this region. Only a few of us remain."
Avocet glanced at her, her expression filled with both mistrust and curiosity, creating a morbid fascination. But she didn't say anything. Maria smiled and sighed, "I guess it's stubborn loyalty to this place. It's kinda hard to leave a place your great-great-granddad built. The house is nice, even though I can't really manage it by myself anymore, not with these hands."
She held up her hands for emphasis. Avocet could see that aside from her right hand missing two fingers, they were also riddled with scars and burns.
"My own incompetence, sadly," she said with a sheepish laugh, "I can't hammer a nail to save my life, though it can't be said I didn't try. And thanks to the boards over the windows and a sturdy canning basement, I've managed to outlive most of my neighbors. My sister, her husband, and I are the only ones still living in this place."
Avocet wondered why the woman was bothering to tell her all this as she moved around the room, checking the windows and eventually the fireplace, peeking beneath it to make sure none of the stones had clattered loose. She glanced at Avocet and chuckled, "And you look like you've been through a war, kiddo. Want some water to clean up?"
Avocet's skin bristled at the thought of a human touching her and she shrunk in on herself, glaring at Maria. The woman seemed to notice and nodded once, "I see. I'll get you some and you can take care of it on your own." she said. She left the room a moment, allowing Avocet to process her situation. The door had been left open and she could see a long, narrow hallway branching off into a few different rooms through the opening. Her wings twitched out of curiosity and she felt the tingling feeling increase as she stood up to get a better look. She didn't hear anything out of the ordinary. She crept forward and leaned against the door frame, her sharp eyes boring through the darkness as she studied the hallway Maria had gone down. There were no lights, so she must have been navigating it by memory.
She didn't dare step out, not when the tingling shooting down her back was so intense. Just the thought of being inside a human dwelling was enough to make the down on her head stand on end. Approaching footsteps made her retreat back into the room, sitting down in the corner and folding her legs back beneath her. Maria reappeared with a bowl of water and a rag. She set these on the floor in front of Avocet and then moved to sit cross-legged on the bed, far away from her. Avocet watched her warily and slowly reached for the water and the cloth. She continued to watch Maria even as she soaked the rag in water and washed the soot from her face and arms. She also tried to wipe down her tunic and her wings, all while keeping a close eye on the human who stared into space, apparently deep in thought and not paying attention to her.
"Pretty wings." Maria said suddenly, startling the Avian. Her eyes shot over to her accusingly, but Maria didn't appear to notice. She just smiled sadly, "They're a nice color. I bet you can't even see them at night."
Avocet didn't reply, watching her from the corner of her eye as she continued to scrub her left arm as something to distract her. Maria sighed, "So, were you born that way or are you with those black creatures?"
At the mention of the black demons, Avocet hissed and ruffled her feathers, unconsciously clutching her ankle as she glared toward the opposite wall. Maria giggled, "Well, I guess that answers my question," she said, "So with that, I'm guessing you're one of the Avians. I'd heard of your kind before, but no one has seen any of you in years. Decades to be exact."
At this, Avocet turned, eying the woman curiously. Maria nodded, "My grandfather once brought us a corpse of a winged human. Or at least we thought it was a corpse, until it came back to life and killed him right in front of us. Oh, don't worry, I don't hold it against you." she said quickly when she saw Avocet's face darken in suspicion, "Honestly, granddad should have known better than to mess with a creature he'd never seen before. In any event, it isn't like it matters much now. I'm probably not going to be around much longer to see anything else progress," she said, changing the subject abruptly. She shifted so she sat against the wall with her knees folded up, "I may end up accepting Yutani's offer. They've come by repeatedly offering to buy this house and my sister's house and relocate us. I guess they want to quarantine the area. Not that I blame them."
She started laughing suddenly, "I'm sorry, dear, I guess I'm just so starved for conversation that I'm rambling on and on. You haven't told me your name yet. Do you want to?"
Avocet simply shrunk in on herself again, her eyes still casting a wary gaze on Maria. The woman sighed, "Well, all right. But I need to call you something. Lets' see...hmm...how about Michelle? Do you like that name? At least until you feel ready to tell me yours. How about it?"
Avocet didn't really care. She wasn't about to give a human the satisfaction of knowing her name.
"Michelle it is. Incidentally, that was my daughter's name. You don't look much like her, but I don't think she'd mind if we borrowed her name." Maria said, chuckling. She stretched and stood up, "Well, I don't have much, but you look like you haven't eaten anything in days. Want something to eat, Michelle?"
Avocet continued to frown at her, but the prospect of eating something had lowered her guard slightly. Even so, she told herself not to touch anything prepared by this human. She needed to wait until Maria fell asleep so she could escape as soon as possible.
"Come on," Maria said, "If it'll make you feel better, you can watch me make it."
She smiled bemusedly while she said it, clearly picking up the hostile vibes of the Avian. Avocet stood up slowly, her wings fanning the air slightly behind her. Maria moved into the hallway and waited for Avocet to appear at the door. She did, but never once taking her eyes off Maria. The woman smiled, "I'm not going to hurt you, Michelle. Come on, dear, lets' see what we can find."
Avocet followed her down the hallway, moving so quietly that Maria had to turn around a few times to make sure she was still there. They passed a set of stairs leading up to the second floor, completely pitch black. Several paintings lined the walls, reflected by the faint light of the candle Maria was holding. Avocet found she could see fairly well even without the candle, but she liked the idea of having it.
"I do have electricity, Michelle," Maria said, startling her, "But the lights are run by a generator outside and the noise it makes attracts those creatures, so I use it sparingly. This doesn't even account for when the generator breaks down and I have to go outside to repair it. It's old; like me, it's seen better days."
Avocet lowered her head slightly, flexing her claws in and out reflectively. Maria didn't appear to be all that old. Just how long had this nightmare been going on for, anyway? Avocet vaguely hoped her family would remain spared from all this.
Maria turned to a door at the end of the hall and grasped the knob, opening it slowly. She shined the candle inside and stepped into the room, "Here's the kitchen. Watch out for rats, Michelle. They can be a bit mean."
She stepped inside. Avocet followed, instantly hit by the horrible smell of rat droppings and rotting food. She hissed in disgust and stepped back out into the hallway. Maria turned around, eying her curiously and setting the candle on the counter, "I know it smells bad, dear, but that's what happens when the refrigerator loses power. Here, I have some carrots I've been growing upstairs. Would you like one?" she asked, handing a small bundle over to her. Avocet stood in the doorway, her eyes narrowed at the thought of more floral food. At least Maria wasn't offering her mushrooms.
She stepped inside delicately, her feet moving deftly around broken debris and any small rodents darting in and out of the shadows created by the candle. She reached out and took the proffered carrots, stepping back away from Maria. The woman just watched her as she did so. Avocet watched as Maria dug out a few other vegetables and assorted dried foods from a large wooden cedar chest resting against the wall. She shut the lid and straightened up, "All right. I've got a few other things. If you get thirsty, I have a rain barrel set up upstairs. Okay, Michelle?"
Avocet stepped back as Maria came out of the kitchen, moving back toward the room at the end. She followed silently, clutching her little bundle of carrots. She had to admit, they smelled sweet. Maybe they'd taste better than the various mushrooms she'd been finding.
Once back inside the room, Maria closed the door and moved to the fireplace. She placed a few logs in from the box beside the structure and struck a match. It took a few minutes, but a little fire started crackling and popping away in the hearth.
Maria added a few handfuls of straw to give it fuel and then turned to Avocet, "There, now we have a little more light, Michelle. The carrots are clean; I washed them after I picked them. Go ahead and eat."
Avocet was still trying to get used to being called a different name. But she didn't complain about it since if she did, she'd have to tell Maria what her name actually was. She instead eyed the carrots distastefully. She used one of her claws to snap the string holding them together. Picking one up, she sniffed it carefully and took a small bite off the end. It was crunchy, and not very soft. The taste wasn't very strong and it had a slight Earthy flavor. She swallowed dryly, not finding the taste to her liking, but forcing herself to finish it. She needed the nutrients if she was going to escape.
"I'm sorry I don't have much else," Maria said, picking up some vegetable that Avocet didn't recognize, "I got some of this from my sister. Her husband is a brave man and he goes into the forest every day to tend to a garden he's keeping. Maryann worries endlessly that he'll never come home, but I understand his thinking; we've gotta have food, after all, one way or another."
Avocet started working on another carrot, her mind already sharpening from fresh food in her belly. She eyed Maria curiously. The woman shook her head, chuckling nervously, "It's okay. He's fine, I'm sure. The creatures don't really come around during the day, so I'm sure he'll stay safe."
Avocet raised her head slightly.
The tingling feeling was back. She whipped her head to the side, glaring toward the window. She hissed and raised herself on her haunches, baring her claws as she backed up against the wall, her wings opening behind her. Maria looked in that direction, her eyes emotionless and distant.
Scrape. Scccccccratch. Scccccccratch.
"Right on time," Maria mumbled, her gaze rising to the roof of the house, "Be quiet, Michelle. If they don't hear anything for sure, they won't bother trying to break in."
Avocet glanced at her and fell silent. All around outside, she could hear the familiar snuffling and chuffing of the black demon. Only this time, it sounded like there were more of them. There was a loud smack on the wall, as if one of them dashed their tail against the side of the house. A chilling hiss echoed from another not too far from the window and this was replied to by a few more further away. Avocet still sat crouched defensively, her claws digging into the wooden floor as she trained her eyes on the window. She was ready to spring at a moment's notice in case they broke in.
"Michelle, just relax," Maria said soothingly, "They do this every night. I've yet to see one actually get in."
Avocet wouldn't be calmed, however. The tingling down her back had since turned into full blown stabbing and her feathers stood on end. She felt like a caged rat, fighting her instincts screaming at her to run. She maintained a continuous low growl deep in her throat. Maria just stared at her worriedly, occasionally casting nervous glances toward the locked window. This night, it truly did sound like there were more of them out there than usual.
It was probably going to be a very long night.
/ooo/
Morning took far too long to arrive. The black demons had congregated around the house all night. They'd finally dispersed an hour or so before sunup. Now, the outside sounds were quiet, extremely so, without even birdsong to brighten the day and chase away the lingering nightmares of before.
Avocet was still on high alert. After nearly three weeks of living this way, she was becoming highly attuned to existing on a knife edge. She also refused to fall asleep, keeping both eyes on the window and on Maria. Yes, Maria had been quite kind to her, but as far as she was concerned, no human could be fully trusted.
However, she was considering breaking her silence and actually speaking to the woman for once. She figured she owed her that much at least.
Maria had finally drifted off to sleep a couple of hours before, despite the ruckus outside. Now, she was beginning to stir from her fitful slumber. Avocet watched her quietly, noting the dark marks beneath the woman's eyes and the gauntness of her face. Though young, Avocet trusted her instincts implicitly. They told her that Maria wouldn't live much longer at this rate.
Avocet flexed her wings in and out as she thought. She knew that the black demons had smelled them hiding in the house. There was no other reason for them to search the same place over and over again. On top of that, the smell of her blood from her healing wound was still very potent. She couldn't stay much longer in this place.
For both their sakes, she had to keep moving.
Maria still slept lightly, her eyes moving beneath the lids. Avocet stood up silently, noting the sunlight streaming through the slits in the boards over the windows. Remembering a custom performed in the clan, she reached behind her and winced as she yanked a small feather out of her right wing. Her wings twitched at the sting, but she ignored it and bent down before Maria, opening her right hand carefully so as not to wake her and placing the feather in her hand, "Thank you, Maria..." she whispered softly, "For everything."
Maria didn't awaken and Avocet straightened up. She left the room, closing the door behind her as she made her way upstairs. She'd heard a whistling draft wafting in from the stairs the night before and knew there had to be a way out through there. She ascended quietly, her feet making nary a sound on the old rickety floorboards. Upon reaching the landing, she heard the distinct sound of wind humming from somewhere close by. The upstairs looked much like the downstairs with a single narrow hallway and a small selection of doors to choose from. Following the smell of the wind, Avocet traced it to the second door sitting slightly ajar and opened it cautiously. Just as she'd suspected, there was another fireplace in this room. She moved across the room toward it and leaned in to glance up through the chimney. She could see daylight through the opening and hoped it was big enough to slip through. Sliding into the chimney, she gouged her claws into the rocks, finding the going to be a little easier this time around. Working in tandem, she pulled herself along, alternating between her hand and foot claws as she steadily moved upward. Dust and soot coated her down and arms, but she paid it no mind. She managed to reach the top and scrabbled onto the edge of the chimney, grinding her teeth as she heaved herself up. Thankfully, this chimney was a bit wider than the other one and she was able to slip through the opening. She jumped down onto the roof, gently sliding her way to the edge. Gauging the distance to be about twenty feet or so, she braced and dropped off the roof, landing somewhat clumsily, but still balanced. Learning to climb all those trees had strengthened her legs.
She glanced behind her at the house; the walls and boards were covered in scratch marks and there was a heavy, musty scent all over the place. It smelled like the saliva the black demons possessed and Avocet shivered at the memory. Despite the damage though, the house appeared sturdy.
"Thank you, Maria," she said again, though mostly to herself, "I hope you survive this."
Avocet lingered a short while outside the house, trying to ignore a small surge of guilt welling through her. She hadn't said a word to the woman at all during their night spent hiding from the black demons. She regretted it some, but knew it was for the best. She was on her own now and if she was going to survive, she needed to put herself first.
She looked back at the house one last time and then turned, heading off toward the forest.
A/N: I am currently up to 219 pages with this story and making fairly good progress. With this in mind, I may begin to update more frequently. As always, your reviews and feedback help me improve and, most importantly, keep me motivated. Shout out to werewolfbleu and her story, 'Can I Keep Him?' for the AvP franchise. Absolutely a riot, one of the THE funniest things I have ever read, expertly written action scenes, and Predator portrayals so accurate and yet so mind-bogglingly hilarious that I don't even want to tell you more about it; spoilers are not welcome. Oh, and as for her two big guys and what their names end up being? I won't even DARE spoil it for you here.