With her back pressed against the cold door of her hotel room, Lucy tried to come to her senses and make sense of what had happened outside the four walls. Everything inside her was empty. She stared dumbly ahead with unseeing eyes, her ears humming. The room around her floated and spun, and she tried to calm herself, trying to breathe slowly.
Inhale…exhale…inhale…exhale…
In her bag, her cell phone vibrated on silent mode. She always turned it off, so she wouldn't be disturbed by unnecessary noise. This time was no exception. It'd be ironic if she got hurt by someone calling her. Ringing...?
Her phone's ringing?!
She seemed to wake up from her state, trying to remove and disentangle herself from the strap of her bag. Lucy tried to ignore the scarlet-colored sleeves of her shirt.
Her hands wouldn't listen, and she just dumped the contents on the floor. With a loud noise, the contents crumbled to the floor, and she saw the buzzing, glowing phone. Her father's number popped up on the screen.
"Dad!"
"Lucy! Oh my god, you finally picked up the phone! I've been calling you so much, why didn't you answer?" Her father yelled into the phone, and you could hear the panic in his voice, there wasn't an ounce of anger, just fear for her.
"Are you okay? Are you alright? Where are you now? My little girl, I've been so worried."
Dad pelted her with questions, her eyes filled with tears, she was so happy to hear his dear voice. She wanted to burst into tears, for him to hold her and comfort her. Lucy wanted to be home now.
"D-daddy, I'm o-okay, I'm in my room right now. I'm scared! I don't understand what's going on outside and in the city!" Her hands trembled as she held the phone to her ear, the throat was scratchy, and she hiccuped nervously at intervals. Even if they had a trusting relationship, she tried to be strong and not hang all her problems on him. But not now...
"And you, are you h-home? Are you okay?!"
"I'm home. We're fine, but Lucy, you know it's not just Fiore, right?" dad sighed heavily, and terror gripped whole body.
"W-what? What do you mean? Is it really all of this, happening all over the world. This chaos, the destruction, people who attack and kill others?!" She mumbled incoherently into the receiver
"You weren't hurt? You weren't bitten, were you?!" It was so loud she had to move the phone away from her ear.
"No, no, I'm fine… I think so. I think I have some bruises from falling down the stairs. But I wasn't bitten, thank God" she decided not to tell it like it was, once she was in a safe place, the adrenaline was starting to wear off, and she was starting to feel pain all over her body.
"Fell down the stairs?! You don't have a concussion or a fracture? Maybe I made this conversation up out of excitement? " I've been trying to call you for over three hours." He obviously wanted to say the last one to himself, but it came out differently.
"I'm really okay, Dad. " It's just minor bruises, but I think by the time I get home... I'll be fine. How's it going in there? Spetto's supposed to be here today, is she okay?"
She was concerned about every worker who worked in their house. They were all wonderful people, but her nanny was special. After mom died, she didn't try to replace her. No. But she always tried to do what was best for Lucy and be at her side.
When there was no immediate response from her father, anxiety began to fill her and her heart raced.
"Dad?"
"Lucy I'm not going to lie, there are some injuries, but overall everything is fine at home. We'll figure it out. The important thing is you made it to your room, and you're almost in one piece."
"Now listen to me carefully. You have to stay in your room, don't try to get anywhere on your own. Airports, train stations, everything is in chaos. Don't you dare set foot in a hospital! Try to patch yourself up. You're a smart girl. The military's trying to sort things out, but there's too many of these , aggressive people. These are the most dangerous places, I think you've seen a lot on the street."
"I sent our helicopter to pick you up as soon as the flowers exploded and all this started, it should have picked you up by now, but it stopped communicating, and its location is unknown," her father was broadcasting the information to her, even now still with a clear diction. She heard everything, understood, but there was just too much information."
"What do you mean the flowers blew up?!" she must have short-circuited now, for it was a completely incomprehensible sentence to her " I-I don't understand. I remember the explosion, and then I passed out in the office building for an hour. When I woke up, everything was in shambles."
Jude remained silent without giving an answer right away, mulling over his daughter's words, but determined to keep his mind on it. Since she was talking to him now, he wouldn't emphasize everything at the moment. But then, once she was safely home, he would find out from her. What's happened in the hours he's been trying to contact her.
"fiore d'ombra's exploded all over the world, according to the news, and after the explosions some weird monsters started coming out, I can't believe I'm saying this, but they're very dangerous Lucy. There are a lot of information and videos on the internet, so make sure you watch as much as you can. You brought your headphones, right? Yeah, you always wear them. Listen only in them, don't attract attention, and try to conserve battery power."
"I called for another helicopter, but that's a huge problem, and so are the pilots. "My dear, I'll be sure to get you out of there. Just stay in one place, so Daddy can find you. Don't open any doors and don't try to help anyone else. I know your character and I know you. But right now, my sweetheart, you won't distinguish evil, and you might get hurt."
"All right papa. I will try to wait for you. You know I trust you."
"I know, my little star, I know. Also try to find more miscellaneous information related to …" On the other end, she listened to the thrumming and muffled response of one of the workers. She tried to hear what Daddy was talking to someone about, but he clearly had the speaker covered, and she couldn't hear.
"Honey… I have to go, some circumstances have come up" her father spoke reluctantly, she could hear how he wanted to stay in touch and know for sure she was okay until help arrived.
"We will meet soon my little star, daddy will be able to hold you tight and protect you. Be well. I love you from the stars and back. More than anyone in the world."
The words made tears run down her cheeks. He said them often, but there was a depth to them that she couldn't put into words.
"I understand, Dad, everything is f-fine. I'll be home soon, and I can ruin your shirt with my snot. Huh. Be okay, just please…" She tried to joke, sniffling her nose, trying to restrain herself from bursting into tears into the tube. After all, it was so scary to hang up the phone and end this connection.
The thin line that connected them.
"I love you Daddy, I love you so much from the stars and back. Be ok please" she so hated to say goodbye to him, her heart was scrambling and everything was turning over inside.
"Love you Lucy, be alright daughter" the end of the call was deafening, as if there was not a single sound in the world and the room became empty in an instant with a pressurized atmosphere.
And she was alone now, all alone.
It was harder than ever to calm down. She sat there for a good ten minutes trying to calm her rapid breathing, her chest burning as much as her eyes, but not just from the tears.
Right now, she was feeling the full spectrum of pain from this morning. Her head throbbed with pain where she'd hit, her skull felt like a thousand hot needles had been inserted into it. It all made her throat feel nauseous, and her eyes stung, making them water.
What next? Ah, her back was stinging, as if she had been hit with a red-hot rod and had fallen down the stairs.
What she hadn't noticed before was the swollen and purple bruise on her leg. It seemed to hurt the most, making cold sweat run down her body. Lucy had obviously twisted it badly.
"How the hell did I not notice I twisted my leg before? It must have been from falling down the stairs. And I somehow walked and ran. I hope it's not broken..."
"Please, please, please don't just be broken. I can't go to the hospital to get help with you and everything." She whispered it, trying to rotate her leg and push on it with her fingers. But it only made her wince and squeak in pain.
It was a miracle that the adrenaline was raging so strongly in her body that it dulled any pain. If her body didn't do that, she would simply trivialize her footing, and as a conclusion, she would be the easiest prey.
One must take care of one's feet.
The scrapes, torn knees, and bruises that dotted her entire body didn't bother her much. They stung and all, but she needed to wash off all the blood she was covered in first, and then treat herself with whatever she had in her mini first aid kit.
The blood… there was so much of it. Her hands, no matter how hard she tried to wipe them off, were tightly covered as if she were wearing gloves. Her sleeves absorbed like sponges and were colored as if in a scarlet gradient . Her legs and once-creamy skirt were no better. It was as if she'd been dipped in someone else's blood, though that was essentially what it was. The odor was so acrid and strong that she struggled to breathe.
As Lucy examined herself, unconsciously, moments from thirty minutes ago began to form before her eyes.
Thirty minutes ago
She left that freak to die in the arms of a zombie. He craved the warmth of another man's body. She ran through the park, bodies scattered in the grass like… body parts.
It was horrible to see, so she made it a point to look only ahead to the road leading to the hotel entrance. The hotel and Seraphima Park were separated by a single, not very wide, road. And by running that small distance, she would be closer to her goal. Though she had to dodge the zombies, and now she just remembered playing catch-up as a child, who knew it would come in handy?
Surprisingly, these things had very little concentration on one person. 'Cause they were quick to jump on another running object.
She jerked when a woman jumped out, almost in front of her, with a little girl in a fluffy pink dress. The little girl turned back, looking at Lucy, trying to keep up with her mother's fast running. There was so much panic in her eyes, so much fear. She was screaming silently how scared she was and how she didn't know what was going on.
They were also visitors to the hotel where she was staying. A cheerful, laughing woman and a little girl entered the elevator one floor below. And the cute little girl waved and smiled at her. Lucy did the same in return. She was so happy then, all dressed up. I think they had discussed going to the ice cream parlor and the rides at the park with her mom. And now they're desperately trying to save their lives.
A walker jumped out of the tree like the devil out of a snuffbox and was about to attack the family in front of her. The girl shrieked in fright, and Lucy, not realizing how she'd gotten there in time, threw her whole body at the snarling attacker, knocking him to the ground.
"T-thank you!" The woman exhaled heavily as she continued to run, even though she stumbled.
"Yeah... come on, we've got to get faster."
So how come she's running behind and a mom and a girl get hit in the crosswalk in front of her. Why is there a deafening scream in her ears?
It was her scream.
The mother's body fell in one place, and the girl's in another. They lay motionless. They froze, and Lucy's world froze.
"Oh, God! No, no, no. Please, no," Lucy repeated like a mantra, running to the damaged, mangled lives.
Mother's body was closer, and she stopped to do something to help her. To do something!
" I'll be right there! I'll call an ambulance."
"Louise…" But the girl's mother didn't hear her. She said only the name of her beloved child and never moved again. Shattered, she died instantly. The blonde swallowed her bitter tears and walked toward the girl.
"It's gonna be okay, it's gonna be okay baby, I'm here for you, I'll help you" Lucy kneeled down in front of the child's body. She was scratching and scraping her less knees, but how could she feel any pain when the baby in front of her was in such a state?
The baby's blood was spreading into a large puddle beneath her body, gurgling sounds escaping her baby lips as tears mixed with the blood. She was so broken and hurt. Lucy tried to cover the visible wound and do something, looking into Louise's eyes.
"Please God help her, help . So m-much blood, so much. I don't know what to do," she stuttered and sobbed. The child in front of her was suffering, and there was nothing she could do.
"M-ma-m-maaa"
"P-patience, patience please, I'm going to call an ambulance, I'm coming, coming, " her hands faltered as she tried to reach for the phone. She needed it now, damn it, maybe the paramedics could help.
"Shit, shit, shit!"
She froze raising her eyes from the bag to the girl's face. No more desperate attempts to gasp for air and call out for her mother as she choked on her blood. The once bright eyes stared up into the sky, no longer had a drop of life in them, they were frozen and shimmering like beautiful gemstones.
"No, little one. Louise?" Lucy touched her trembling hand to the six-year-old's cheek, "Louise, please."
Her desperate plea was unheeded, the world continued to fall into chaos, and the child's body froze unmoving .
How could it, how could it?!
That was the only question on mind, and her body shook with loud sobs. She didn't save her, she was useless!
Lucy stroked the baby's already cooling cheek, even in the heat of summer. Seemed to be trying to reassure herself and her that where she was going would be better. That she'd meet her mommy and not be alone.
The blonde closed the baby's eyes and kissed her forehead. Asking the angels to protect her and her mommy in that world if they couldn't do it in theirs.
She got up on numb legs, drenched in the baby's blood. And ran toward the hotel.
How Lucy got to the hotel and then to her floor she couldn't remember, it was all a blur.
The icy water felt good, and in the heat of the summer, and after the marathon, it felt good. But not for ten or fifteen minutes straight just standing under the spray.
"Oh, shit, shit! It's so cold. Oh, you bitch!" Lucy hissed indignantly, waking up from her thoughts. Realizing that she'd stepped into the shower in her clothes, and it was weighing down on her tired body.
Her hands reached out to turn off the water, because it was no longer pleasant, and she wanted to scream indignantly, but there was a lump in her throat.
Her gaze froze on her hand… Broken fingernails, tiny scratches, the purple imprint of a man's hand, but did she care about that now? Maybe she's having a blackout. She couldn't remember how she'd gotten there and ended up underwater.
The blood had almost washed off her body, staining the water a crimson hue. It reminded her of the bath bombs she'd bought for Halloween. Those colors had accompanied the holiday, though now the nightmare had come alive in their world. Were the people who loved the event happy to dye themselves in fake blood then?
Are they alive now?
Lucy pushed those thoughts away, she seemed to be trying to make a joke or to dispel herself. To dispel the moments of the morning that didn't want to leave her mind.
The clothes fell to the shower tile with a loud, wet pop. She wanted to burn the clothes, she never wanted to see them again. Even if they were brand-name clothes, what was the value of money now?
There was no sponge in the shower room for her to use, so she desperately scrubbed her skin with her fingernails. Hoping to wash away all the horror, all the fear, all the pain of the day.
She accidentally grazed her back, and hissed in pain. She also leaned more on her left leg, so as not to further traumatize her twisted leg. Lucy couldn't think of going outside the room and trying to do anything. She'd die right then and there.
Red streaks dotted her bare skin as she examined herself in the mirror. When was the last time she'd seen herself with such empty, lifeless eyes?
Probably as a child after her mom died? Or maybe at some other time, her thoughts were just jumbled. She didn't pay attention to the scar on her chest trying to examine her back.
"Oh, shit."
The bright streaks from hitting the ribs of the steps bloomed purple and red streaks on her back. Moving her shoulder blades and her back in general was painful. So she stopped it, she wanted to get out of the shower and go straight to bed and just fall asleep.
To fall asleep and let it all be just a horror, a bad nightmare of her sick imagination.
Outside her room, the man Lucy had almost hit with the door that morning was scrubbing the walls in the hallway. He mumbled incoherently to himself and then shrieked, acting delirious.
He looked up, as if something had caught his attention more than his condition. His face was gaunt, no longer radiating masculine strength and confidence. Sweat dripped down his gray face, trickling down the lids of his cloudy eyes.
"Why did he feel so bad? Why did everything burn and ache so badly?!"
"The neighbor," he saw the girl make her way to their floor ahead of him. She has to help, she has to help him!"
The anger that came from somewhere, a fierce hatred, made him stand up straighter than he had a moment ago, when he had no strength at all to straighten his back.
He rushed to the door of her room, pulling desperately at the knob, seemingly trying to tear it from its roots.
"O-open! Open, p-please, p-please!" He wanted to say more! But for some reason that was all he could get out of his mouth, he thought he was screaming at the top of his lungs, but it was not louder than a whisper.
Anger spilled through his veins, she had ignored him, she had left him here to die. That juvenile bitch! He should have killed her the morning he met her. Torn every bit of skin. If he were in clear consciousness, he would have been horrified at his own thoughts and desires at this moment.
But the thoughts were no longer swirling in his head as he began banging his forehead frantically against her door. The pain didn't bother him anymore, only anger and a terrible hunger for flesh.
Boom…Boom…Boom…
The door was tight and unmarked for now, but a dent would still begin to form in the paneling. Just as the frontal bone began to press inward.
But did he care? No, just as Lucy was in the protective cocoon of her room and thoughts.
He was distracted by a noise on the stairs and rushed that way, but the electric locking door was locked, not letting him out, locked like an animal. He would wander down the small, enclosed hallway of the seventh floor, waiting for Lucy to decide to make the first move.
Lucy sat on the bed, a bedside lamp illuminating the space. The curtains were drawn tightly to shut out the horrors of the world, the room was stuffy, but smoke mingled with the wind through the window, filling the room with the stench until she closed it. The blonde didn't want to see or hear what was going on outside the window.
In her suitcase, she found her mini first-aid kit with various pills. Cream for her hands and feet. She put on her tracksuit with a T-shirt and shorts.
She put as much cream on her back as she could; she didn't have any medicinal ointments with her. In the logic of a normal person and a normal, ordinary life, she could have gone to a pharmacy or a store and bought everything she needed. And not bother herself with these questions.
But life became abnormal in an instant.
She put ice from the bar on her swollen leg. Even though it had been a long time since she'd fallen, it should help with the swelling. She treated her forehead with disinfectant cotton swabs she bought when she went to Korea in May. It was so fun and exciting back then. And the spicy food she ate? It burned her mouth so much, only milk and ice cream helped. Nice moments, she tried to assure herself that there would be more like it.
A colored band-aid covered the cut on her forehead, probably leaving a scar. But it probably wouldn't be visible behind her bangs, and frankly, she didn't care, as long as there wasn't any infection.
Examining the different medicines and their quantity, did Lucy want to drink them and fall into a carefree sleep forever?
No, she was just looking for a pain pill. Her head was cracking, and she just wanted to get some rest.
The water and the pill ended up in her mouth and then flowed down her throat, going down the "wrong throat".
"She should have choked on it too," the soft flesh scratched and scraped in an irritated cough. Lucy pressed her lips to the pillow to stifle the painful cough, doing so automatically, unaware that she had a listener.
The room was stuffy, but she was cold. Her wet hair was wet and cold against her pillow and neck. She wrapped herself in the blanket, closing her eyes. Momentarily falling into a restless sleep, and in the back of her mind was the thought that she had forgotten something, that her father had asked her to look at something…
She tried to pull her hand away. She was disgusted. Her wrist burned from the force he was putting on it, and her bones seemed to crack from the pressure.
"Stop resisting Lucy, I want to help and save you, daughter! Come home, sweetie; Daddy's coming to get you."
It was her father standing before her now, not that maniac. How did it change so much? Daddy was smiling and smelled of home and warmth. She smiled back with a tearful smile.
"D-daddy! I-… Sure, let's go. How did you end up here?" There was so much more she wanted to ask, how he had gotten to her so quickly. Why did it seem like a completely different scene a second ago?
It felt good and happy to see her daddy and not alone. But why did her arm burn with a steel vise. Her gaze moved to her hand, and she froze…
"What…?" Nausea came to her throat, why was she being held by such a disfigured hand? It seemed if she took a better look she could see the lack of skin in some areas…and how thin bones could be seen. Panic filled every part with her body as her father's hand moved and now clawed at her wrist. She groaned in pain.
"D-dad?! What are you…?" Droplets of blood seeped from the small scratches, and then began to turn into a continuous gush of blood on the floor from the wound? A burn on her skin? It stretched from the point of the claw to her elbow.
Frightened eyes flickered to her father's face and widened in horror, a loud, throat-scratching scream leaving her. Before her stood her father, now embittered, with so much anger in him! She had never seen him like this before, and fear began to seize every fiber of her being, and she had never been afraid of him.
His face, from bright, lively, full of warmth, was now gray. His eyes sunken in and his cheekbones prominent. Daddy, what happened?
In what seemed like a second of her blinking, the right side of his face began to slip, the skin just dripping down with blood. The eye started to leak out too.
"Daddy!" Did she scream incessantly? Was she crying? She didn't know for sure, but she was scared as hell and in pain! She tried to pull on her own arm, and... what could she do?
Worst of all, her body, wrapped up in the power of dreams, wouldn't listen at all and just stood in one place. It was annoying!
And then her father lunged and lunged at her, his sharp yellowed teeth bared, ready to lunge at her.
"N-no!"
A startled, hoarse, and harsh exhalation filled the pillow as she was jerked out of the embrace of sleep. Her heart pounded frantically as her eyes darted around the room in the light gloom. Her hand clutched frantically at the blanket.
Her back was unpleasantly wet and clammy from the nightmare of a summer's day.
Lucy rolled over onto her back, desperate for more air. She realized why her arm burned so much in the dream world; in the dream, she'd laid it down, trapping her body in one position.
And the dream… Lucy squeezed her eyes shut, trying to suppress the vision. It was just the sick games in her mind. She'd been thinking about Daddy just before she went to sleep, the horrors of the day, and just the whole thing jumbled together.
Her phone read almost 7:00 p.m., and she'd slept nothing at all, just over an hour. But Lucy couldn't sleep any more as she thought about the moments that had terrified her. And memories she was afraid to recall.
Lying on her back and staring stupidly at the ceiling, she wondered what to do now. The anesthetic was still working, and her body felt comfortable.
"Right! Daddy said to watch the news," she whispered a little louder than she should have. And… there was a lot more sound outside the door, and Lucy noticed it. "What's that noise? Was someone in there?"
Goosebumps ran up her spine, and fine hairs stood up.
Carefully, she slid her feet off the bed and tried to tread lightly and quietly. The bedroom was carpeted. Passing the living room, she made her way to the hallway. There was less light, and the corridor was dark, giving the atmosphere that something would jump out at her from the darkness. Lucy tried to tiptoe, but with her injured leg, it didn't work, so she decided to give up.
She almost screamed at the strength of her lungs when she stepped on the stack of tissues she'd scattered earlier. Her hand went to her heart, feeling it beating hard under her palm. Lucy giggled stupidly, "I'll soon be afraid of my own shadow."
The scuffling and scraping continued in the hallway, tensing her nerves. Maybe there was someone in there who needed help? In her condition, she might not have heard someone calling her or even knocking on the door.
He might have gotten on the floor, but he might not have gotten off. She honestly didn't remember if the door closed behind her or not. As long as the lights were on, the electronic doors would be locked until one of the floor's occupants unlocked them with their card.
Her hand reached for the doorknob to press a button, and the locks would open. But she remembered her father telling her not to do anything stupid.
There were no peepholes in the door of this hotel, and that would have been creepy. But there were electronic cameras that showed who was on the other side of the door. A light touch, and most importantly, no noise, and the screen lit up. She was a little afraid to look and still find out what was behind the door.
Don't be a coward, Lucy!
Well, Lucy's getting to her hotel room! And that's where she'll be safe for the near future. Rereading it several times to check for errors and to make sure that the meaning of words is not lost in translation is frankly exhausting. But! I like the fact that I can write and that someone might be interested. Thank you more for my first comment Daryl Elorza and for your words! I hope my story will continue to please and attract new readers. I can't say for sure if I should write a note about blood before the chapter? Maybe when there are too many gory details I will do it. I've created a Twitter page with drawings for some of the moments in the story, so check it out there!It has the same picture as my profile picture.