Chapter 1-1 Alice Winters

It was chilly out in the fields of Eastern Europe, and night had fallen upon the land. On a stretch of black road, it appeared near desolate during this time and season. Though there was one vehicle that was making its way across the streets of the land. A dark navy blue sedan was strolling alone in the darkness. Only its headlights were the only source of illumination to help guide the machine along. Inside the car was a woman who was in the driver seat, tapping on the wheel as her piercing green eyes stared ahead. She was listening to a song which was coming from the radio.

"All our times have come. Here but now they're gone. Seasons don't fear the reaper, nor do the wind, the sun or the rain… we can be like they are. Come on baby, don't fear the reaper. Baby take my hand, don't fear the reaper. We'll be able to fly, don't fear the reaper. Baby I'm your man." The sounds of a guitar and drums along with what seemed like a cowbell played out on the speakers. The young woman soon sang along, her voice trying to match the pitch of the band that was singing once the chorus of 'La, la, la, la, la' was done. "Valentine is done. Here but now they're gone. Romeo and Juliet are together in eternity. Romeo and Juliet. 40,000 men and women every day… Like Romeo and Juliet. 40,000 men and women every day… redefine happiness. Another 40,000 coming everyday… we can be like they are. Come on baby, don't fear the reaper. Baby take my hand, don't fear the reaper. We'll be able to fly, don't fear the reaper. Baby I'm your man."

The song ended, making the woman chuckle as she turned the radio down and sighed. "Damn, that song gets me everytime." The dirty blond chuckled in her car as she gave the player a turn to settle down. She kept her eyes focused on the road ahead of her, knowing she was getting closer to her destination, but still had a long way to go. She took a break from listening to the songs and decided to check over her messages, hoping that she had gotten something from her phone. She hadn't been able to check her cellular device since she landed, and she was too busy locating where her destination would be to try and check who called her. But now that she had some freetime, she decided now was the best time.

"You have one new message!" The speaker said on her phone.

A beep was heard followed by a monotone voice of a male. "Hey Alice, sorry for not returning any of your messages. I didn't mean to brush you off, a lot is happening. Mia and I had another fight tonight. I accidentally mentioned what happened three years ago and she blew up at me. We finally settled down in our new life here in Europe to help bring Rose up properly. I know things have been calm and it all should feel like a nightmare but… I still feel like a part of me is trapped in that hell hole back in Louisiana. Mia doesn't like to talk about it, neither do I. But we can't just forget everything and pretend it didn't happen. I want to face what happened there so we can live our lives with Rose without it hanging over our heads. We owe her that much at least… I know Mia knows it as well, otherwise she wouldn't have exploded like that at the hospital. Sorry for springing this on you, but I feel I can talk about it over the phone rather than in person. I don't want Mia to hear and be even more upset. I really can't wait for you to come here… it'll be nice to have you back in my life. Maybe a familiar face is what I need to clear my mind…"

"End of message." The phone stated.

The young woman, Alice, sighed as she leaned back slightly in her seat. "I swear brother, you were never one for words." She mocked. "Still can't forgive you for just ditching me like that… but hopefully you will keep your promise and tell me everything. Christ... Ethan, what have you been through?" Alice hadn't had a good relationship with her brother in the past few years. Back in 2014, his wife, Mia, had gone missing when she was swept away on a cargo ship. It was hit by a storm on the gulf of Mexico, and since nobody was found, many presumed her dead. Ethan had grieved for three years, and it was clear he didn't want to move on. He became more distant, even his work suffered.

It wasn't until 2017 when he had gotten a message from Mia, who turned out to have been alive, who went to Louisiana to locate her. When he left, all contact with him was completely cut off. It wasn't until she met up with the team who was doing a sterilization of that area that she found out that her brother had gotten caught in the contamination. Thankfully he was alright along with Mia, but they had to move somewhere for 'protective reasons'. It was only now, after over half a decade, that Alice was finally going to be meeting up with her brother after many years apart. And when she got there, she was going to tell him off for leaving her behind. Even so, she couldn't wait to see him and his family, especially her baby niece. "I'll be there soon, big bro." Alice reassured him. For now, she had to keep going on the road until she could find the house that Ethan was stationed at. She seemed to be getting closer, just follow the stretch of road.

Alice was about ready to play another song when her phone began to ring out in her car. She was hoping it was Ethan attempting to call her again, but when she saw the caller ID, she smiled for a different reason. Nevertheless, she placed it on speaker and responded. "Hey there, Mr. Alligator man." She chuckled at her greeting.

"Good to hear from you, Alice." A male with a thick, southern accent called on the end. "Zoe and I wanted to make sure you got off the plane."

"Yeah, I'm doing good. I'm heading down the road now as I speak." Alice explained as she kept her eyes on the road but her ears on the phone.

"So you managed to get there in one piece. That's good to hear." He stated. "How's Europe so far?"

"Well, I haven't had the luxury to go sightseeing." She explained. "Had to find my apartment first and get everything settled. I just unpacked my clothes and electronics, but I'll have to go shopping later on."

"They got you an apartment instead of one of those fancy houses out there? What kind of special treatment is that? I thought the BSAA would give you a better living situation given your status there. Not to mention your relationship with Ethan."

"It's not a big deal Joe, really. Besides, I'm living by myself at the moment anyway. Not like I need the extra room. And I'm not even sure if I'm going to stay in Europe." She admits.

That was when a female voice could be heard on the other side, with the same accent as Joe. "Wait, what?!"

"Zoe?" Alice raised a brow upon hearing the younger Baker.

"I thought you said that the reason you were going out there was to see your brother." Zoe pointed out.

"It is… but…"

"But…?" Joe urged her to go on.

Alice gave a shrug as she saw a few signs passing her by. "I wanted to see my brother and his family, which was why I went through all of that training to begin with. From those six months of jungle survival, weaponry and stealth training, not to mention going through so many physical and psychological tests, just to become a scientist and get the clearance I need in that company. All of it was for Ethan, mostly. And even though they want me to stay there for their European research, I am honored. I just don't know if I want to spend the rest of my life here."

"Why not? You always said you wanted to travel." Zoe pointed out. "Especially since you traveled to Greece after graduation."

"It's just… Ethan and I haven't spoken to each other in so long. And I don't want to get my hopes up, in case things don't turn out well. It was hard enough to live those years without being in contact with him." Alice sighed as her grip on the wheel tightened. "If things don't go well between us… I don't know how I can live in the same area as him knowing that there will be nothing to patch up that rift between us." Her voice was flat towards the end, indicating how much weight that sentence had on her.

The line was silent for a moment as none of the Baker members were able to come up with a response to that. It was the eldest of the three that were able to speak up. "You gotta know, deep down, he is your brother and he loves you. But there are some things you don't want to drag your family down into. I witnessed first hand what those monsters he faced were capable of. An experience like that… it's one that you can't get over."

If Alice could see Zoe's face, she would know that the female Baker had nodded. "For three years I was trapped with that family. What they turned into… and what they were capable of. Ethan had to go through hell and back just to survive with his wife. And even so… they were changed mentally and physically because of what that demon child put us all through… Trust me Alice, you should be thankful you weren't with Ethan during that time."

Alice took in what Zoe said. It wasn't that she wanted to have gone through that Louisiana estate and suffer from those creatures. After all, based on what Zoe and Joe told her about these monsters, and what she saw in the bayou, she could tell how horrifying such an event could have been. And she didn't blame her brother for wanting to spare her of that experience, she would have done the same. What upset her was that Ethan didn't at least tell her what he was up to and even considered asking her to come with him. She would at least want to be there for him, especially to find her sister-in-law, who she became very close to even before the wedding. Ethan was all she had left of her family, and if anything happened to him, she didn't know what she would do.

"Look, no matter what happens, you all are family. But in the end, only you can decide if you will forgive him. But I suggest you give him the benefit of the doubt. Three years may not be enough time. I don't think all the time in the world will cure him either." Joe stated.

Alice gave a sigh once more. "I know… I will hear him out before I make my decision." She admits.

"I only hope you and Ethan manage to settle it out." Zoe stated. "He helped me get through that hell hole and kept his promise in the end…"

"Yeah, he managed to save my niece… I'll always be grateful for that."

"You were the one that trudged through the waters of the swamp just to get Zoe back." Alice reminded him. "You're the real hero here, Joe."

"Yeah… I was pretty badass, wasn't I?" He slightly gloated, which made both of the women giggle. "Anyways, we'll let you get back to your drive. Say hi to Ethan for us when you get there."

"Gotcha… you two enjoy your holiday."

"We will, you just be safe. Trouble tends to follow you Winters wherever you go." Joe pointed out.

"I'll be fine… I'll call you later." Alice said as she hung up. "Why does everyone sound like I'm gonna get into trouble?" She was a few miles closer to her destination. Part of her was dreading what she would be faced with. This was not how she would picture a family reunion. Even so, she was not turning back now. Alice decided to put on some more music for the time being. She looked through her phone and looked at her playlist for a song, when one came to her mind. "Huh, haven't heard Eurielle in a while." She tapped the screen on her phone and let the soft melody began to play as the voice of a woman called out from her speakers.

"I'm scared of what's inside my head... What's inside my soul... I feel like I'm running but getting nowhere. Fear is suffocating me... I can't breathe... I feel like I'm drowning. I'm sinking deeper. White light fades to red... As I enter the City of the dead." Alice sang along with the chorus as best she could, even if it was in another language. She loved songs that had such mysterious and even eerie tones, mostly because of the story they held. She thought they were a much better listen than the current music today, with a lot of rapping or too much instrumental and not enough lyrics. Music just isn't the same as it was when she was young.

"I feel it burning through my veins… It's driving me insane… The fever is rising, I'm going under. Memories flash before my eyes… I'm losing time… The poison is killing me, taking over. White light fades to red… As I enter the City of the Dead." Alice sighed as she kept listening to the music, doing her best to keep up with the chorus as she spoke in that foriegn language. Just before the finale, her phone began to ring. She wondered if it was Ethan this time, but when she didn't recognize the number, she answered it and placed it on speaker.

"Hello?" She called out.

"Hello, Miss Winters? This is Doctor Chambers." A soft spoken woman called on the other end.

"Oh, hey Rebecca." Alice smiled, hearing the kindness of one of the BSAA members.

"Sorry to call you so late, but I wanted to call you about your MRI scans."

"Did you find anything?" Alice asked, her curiosity rising as the conversation was continuing.

"Well, I have been monitoring your brain activity in regards to your night terrors. After carefully studying the patterns for a few months, and cross examining it, we believe we might have come up with some treatments."

Alice didn't get her hopes up, however, she allowed the young scientist to continue. "What kind of treatments?"

"Well, they will be more on the experimental side. We will need to test out the medications and determine if there will be any effects. The goal is to try and lower that activity of the brain which is directly linked to your night terrors. Of course, we can not fully guarantee that they will completely cure you, however we are going to try our best. I wanted to see if you would be able to come in and set up an appointment for us to discuss the matter further."

While Alice wanted this treatment to work, she had her doubts. She had been dealing with this mental illness since early childhood, and so far none of the doctors had managed to help her out. It wasn't as if Alice had doubts about the BSAA scientists, but she didn't want to get her hopes up in case this turned out to be another failure. Even so, Rebecca went out of her way to do this for Alice, the least she could do was check it out and humor the situation. "Yeah, sure… I'll call you either tomorrow or the day after. I still need to settle down in the apartment and check up with Ethan."

"Alright, I'll see when our schedules will be open. Oh, and welcome to the country!" Rebecca said sweetly.

"Thanks for the welcome. I'll call you later." Alice promised before hanging up. She sighed as she was feeling a bit stressed all of a sudden. She's only been in the country for not even a day, and had gotten so many calls already. Expect from her brother, unless the voicemail counted. "Almost there… Hope you're ready for me, Ethan." So many emotions swirled inside of her at the same time. She took a turn as she was going further down the road. The darkness was clouding the sky above her, which made the lights on her car reflect on the surface of the road. She took in a deep breath as she began to slow down, since she was almost at the location. "Should just be up ahead…"

Alice looked out from the windshield as she could see the silhouette of a house just a few yards ahead of her. It was a fairly large one, and a bit far out. In fact, it was the only house out here for the next two miles. Probably to ensure better security and less risk of civilians getting hurt. Must have been a pain for errands though. Still, hopefully they managed to settle down here. As she was approaching the home, she suddenly stopped and looked ahead as something was amiss. For starters, the whole front was lit up, but not from the porch lights. No, it was the shine from the headlights of large vehicles, which blended into the night. "The hell?" Alice questioned, as she stopped her car completely. She didn't recall Ethan inviting anyone else over, since she doubted he would have made any friends out here. She grabbed her phone and used it's enhanced camera features to look at what was going on.

From her screen, she could make out a man in a trench coat heading out of the door with something in his arms. She couldn't tell what it was, since he held it close to his chest. Alice focused on his features, looking at the face. She recognized the strong and chiseled expression, and the rough exterior. "Chris?! What's he doing here?!" She questioned. Chris kept in contact with Ethan and his family, but she didn't recall him doing physical check ins. He was a busy man, after all. And considering the clothes he was wearing, this didn't seem like a casual visit. Especially considering the fact he had friends with armed weapons. Did something happen?! She looked back at the phone lens to see what else she could make out. A few of the men were carrying some sort of limp figure, but Alice couldn't make out who it was either as they had it in a black bag.

Her eyes caught sight of one familiar figure that Alice could recognize. Someone with blond hair like hers, and shared the similar eye shape and color. "Ethan!?" Alice gasped, watching his unconscious body being taken to one of the large trucks. He was stuck inside with the other two figures, whom she assumed was his family. "What the hell is going on?!" She didn't know what Chris was up to, but she did not like it one bit. As much as Alice wanted to drive up and demand answers, she doubted that doing so would give her any. They would most likely just take her into custody with them. She watched from the sidelines as they loaded the cargo into the back before the doors closed. Chris headed to a car of his own, driving off. While the other truck waited until they began to move.

Shifting her gears, Alice took the chance and began to pick up speed. "Like hell you're getting away with this, Redfield!" She didn't know what was going on, or what Chris was up to, but she wasn't going to watch her brother be taken away again. She tailed behind that vehicle, which was carrying Ethan and his family. She made sure to stay a good distance away, but also was following close by. She didn't want them to think she was following them after all. Knowing the BSAA, they were probably counting on her tailing them. Even so, she had to get to the bottom of this. So, Alice drove right behind the truck and kept her eyes on it. She didn't know what trouble her brother had gotten into now, but she was not letting him go through this alone!

"Where are you taking him, you assholes?!" Alice questioned as she picked up a bit of speed so she could stay close enough. They drove down the road, as there was nothing man-made for miles. Only snow covered fields and barren trees were the scenery before them. They really did have to put her brother out here in the middle of nowhere. But if she had to guess on where they were transporting them, probably a facility. How far that facility was though, she had no idea. All she could do was just go forward.

Her focus was suddenly interrupted as the truck seemed to be serving a bit. It was slight at first but it began to grow more out of control. Alice saw the truck stopping all of sudden, which forced her to act quickly. She spun the wheel, driving off the road, into the snow covered fields. Her control over the car escalated, as it spun out of control before flipping over a few times. Alice screamed, as she knew she couldn't take hold of the situation.

By the time it stopped flipping, Alice was covered in a few bruises and cuts. The car landed on it's wheels, a miraculous miracle, but the damage had been done to both her and the vehicle. The younger Winters groaned in pain as she leaned against her seat. Her body was aching, but her mind was screaming at her to get out of the dented machine. She reached over, trying to unbuckle herself. Of course it wouldn't be that easy, as the seatbelt was jammed. Alice wasn't too frustrated, as she had a pocketknife in her cup holder. Wincing slightly, she grabbed hold of the tool and opened the blade. Using the sharp end, she managed to cut through the fabric holding her against the seat. Once she was out, she tried to open up the door, but of course it was jammed. "Shit…" She had no choice but to use force. Lifting up her legs, she shoved her boots into the door. Jamming her feet into the side, as it became looser. Eventually, she managed to kick it off entirely, freeing herself from the car.

Alice had to crawl out, stumbling into the snow. She grunted a bit, as the pain was catching up to her body. However, she continued to walk from the wreck. There was no way she was going to continue in her car. If she was faring badly, she couldn't imagine what the others in that truck were going through. Especially her brother. "Ethan…" She winced, squinting her eyes as she had gotten a good distance between her and the car. It was all she could do before she fell to her knees, as her body began to collapse to the ground. She panted a bit, as she looked around the area. It was too dark to get any baring's, and she hardly knew this forest to begin with. Still, she was persistent. Despite her pain, she still managed to take her phone out and used the flashlight to illuminate her path.

Alice sighed as she began to walk through the snow. "First day here, and already I've gotten into a jam. Maybe Joe was onto something." She trudged through the snow, thankful she decided to wear boots and thick jeans today. She waved her phone in many directions, trying to gather her surroundings. "That truck holding Ethan should be close by. Hopefully they didn't manage to crash like I did. I'll be sure to send my insurance bill to Chris." Despite how pissed Alice was at Redfield, she wanted him to live so she could extort him in exchange for taking her brother from her.

She started walking, limping a bit from the damage she took, but continued on. The snow was surprisingly thick, going up above Alice's ankles. It was also freezing, despite there being no wind or flakes falling down. Then again, she was in Eastern Europe during early February, so what would anyone expect? She held her jacket close to her frame, as she tried to block out the cold. This was not how she pictured her meeting with Ethan and his family. Part of her was tempted to call him on his phone, but she was certain they took any communications from him when they took him into custody.

As she walked through the forest, she kept her eyes peeled. Hopefully she would be able to find some trace of that truck or any BSAA members. Alice could hardly locate anything, given how shitty the weather was. The dirty blond woman tried to pick up the pace, but could only go one speed as her legs were numb from the crash and snow. "How big is this forest?!" She started to complain. She wasn't sure how far she was from the truck, but she figured that it must have crashed due to how unbalanced it was. Alice was certain it crashed as well, but what could the cause for it have been? Did Ethan try fighting back? She wouldn't blame him if he resorted to that.

Alice's eyes looked around every corner she could find, leaving nothing unturned as she searched for a sign on where she was supposed to go. Before her was only snow, trees and darkness. No sign of any human life, as far as she knew. "Where are you all?" She whispered to herself, shining her light in any direction. Her phone managed to reflect against something just ahead of her. It quickly scurried away, but based on the shape, it looked humanoid at least. "Hello?" She called out, trying to catch up to the person. "Hey! Wait!" Alice wanted to get some answers, and that person was her only hope. Whoever it was though was much quicker than her, and she could no longer be right behind them. Alice cursed inwardly as she lost her only lead.

Her light went to the snow, believing that she could follow the footprints that would take her to said person. She did manage to find them, but as she closely examined the prints, she noticed that the soles were not of any shoe she recognized. Not to mention the fact that she could see toe prints indented into the ground as well. Was this person barefooted?

"A bare footprint? I don't think this person would just forget their snow boots. This couldn't have been one of the soldiers." She remarked. At this point, she was questioning whether or not following this person was a good idea, if they even were a normal human. After all, how can one walk around with naked feet and not have their toes go numb? Alice jumped out of her thoughts when she heard the sound of gunfire in the distance. Only the BSAA would be able to carry guns out here.

Alice hurried in the snow, following the sound of the shots. It didn't seem as far off, so hopefully she could get there soon. But why would they be firing out here? They wouldn't fire at her brother, Alice was certain. And would they really waste their bullets on a wild animal? Last time Alice checked, there weren't any bears or wolves out here. At least, that was what she first thought. As she kept heading to her destination, she could hear the rustling of the trees and the crunching of the snow. She knew that she wasn't alone, but since she couldn't see who was watching her made her on edge. Especially when they were stalking her, rather than just coming out to find her. She didn't like this, but she couldn't do anything else.

Alice was able to come to a clearing, where she believed the gunshot was heard. She raised up her phone, lighting up the area to see what had occurred. The first thing her eyes landed on was a lone figure laying in the snow. She quickly rushed over to it, and the closer she got, the more armor and padding they had on them. A BSAA member, Alice was certain. "Hey! Are you alright?!" Alice reached over, taking the shoulders and turning the person around so she could see their face. The woman instantly pulled back as she saw the damage on the corpse. His neck was slashed, blood still oozing out of the wound. The armor was also ripped off, leaving marks resembling claws which were sharp enough to get to the skin. There were even some teeth marks on the body, mainly the fingers as some were missing. "What the hell?" Alice questioned. This man had been mutilated, but by what? She looked around the area for any further clues, trying to get to the bottom of this. Immediately, she caught sight of the same bare footprints that she saw not too long ago. The same size and indent, there was no doubt about it, there had to have been a connection. "Hmmmm…" Alice hummed as she was certain something was amiss here, but she didn't have all the pieces yet.

Again, the rustling could be heard, as Alice turned around to see what was nearby. All she could see in the darkness were blue piercing eyes and low growls. She gasped, as all she could hear was that of growling, like a rabid animal. "Shit!" She looked back down at the corpse, seeing the gun next to him. Acting quickly, she grabbed hold of the weapon and aimed it right into the darkness, trying to look for those piercing eyes. She knew for a fact that this monster was the cause of this soldier's death. Meaning she had to defend herself, as it was not going to give her a choice.

Alice began to aim the weapon, trying to keep her focus on the eyes. The grunting was growing in volume, as Alice began to shoot. She fired a few bullets into the air, but knew she missed. She grunted as she had to save her ammo, since she didn't know how much was left in the cartage. The creature approached her, showing off some sharp, yellow teeth. She wasn't able to get a good look at the form, but she was able to blast it in the face with some lead. Thankfully, it was enough to drive it back. With a wolf-like howl, it pulled back and scrambled away. Alice panted, as she began to kick her legs into overdrive. Carrying the weapon, she tried to get out of the forest. Her hope was to find the road and get out from there.

Hopefully the truck was still somewhere near that road, along with her brother. She kept wincing with each step she took, it was a lot of stress and physical damage she received. Even so, she was determined to look for Ethan, the BSAA or anyone. The howls kept coming, as her eyes widened in anticipation. She knew that those creatures had their sights on her, but she would fight with her last breath. She saw another pair of sharp teeth and piercing eyes coming her way. The moment it was close enough, she aimed the gun at it and shot it. It hissed in pain, enough to drive it back and walk off.

Alice was getting sick of this, as she felt she wasn't getting any close to her end goal and she didn't know how many of these freaks were out there. Despite her best effort to keep herself safe, she had limited ammo and no sense of direction. Alice still dragged on, doing her best to push forward despite the odds. She hopped over a fallen tree, as she was getting further into the woods. As she took a few feet forward, she felt herself being pinned by strong claw-like hands. Alice screamed as she felt herself being held to the ground, the gun flew from her hand on the impact. The beast before her snarled, as it tried to bite at her face. She held it back as best she could with her arms, but its weight was much greater than hers. There was no way she would be able to push it off.

Her green eyes landed over to where the gun was, just an arms length from her. It was a risk, but one she had to take. Using her right arm, she reached for the weapon by her side while the left one was keeping the beast at bay. It became more aggressive as it tried taking a bite out of her face. She grunted, practically stretching out her fingers just to lightly brush against the metal. With some effort and strain, she finally managed to grab the handle and aimed the barrel right at the head. She pulled the trigger, letting the bullet free and the blood splatter. The figure laid limp on her body, as she tried to regain her breathing.

She used what little strength she had to move the figure off of her. She was not able to see what it looked like, but for some reason when she held the shoulders, she could feel hair? She didn't question it or peek into it further. All she cared about was getting away. Once it was off of her, Alice looked back at the gun, cocking it a few times but when she pulled the trigger, nothing came out. "Shit… empty already…" She complained. Wincing as the pain surged in her once again. No time for defending, she had to get out of here. She picked herself up and started to wobble away from the crime scene she made. She used her phone as a flashlight again, getting her bearings as she kept walking further into the forest.

For a brief moment, she thought she could breathe. Only to hear the rustling of footsteps from behind her. Just as she was able to turn and shine a light, a fuzzy figure came up and slashed her phone out of her hands, causing her to fall to the ground. She grunted as the hot breath of the monster in front of her growled, ready to devour her. Alice cursed inwardly, as she had no means to defend herself and she was already feeling too weak to do anything. All she had was her pocket knife, but that would not do true damage.

The monster that she could hardly see howled in her face, as it seemed ready to attack her once more. Gunshot fires could be heard nearby, as the monster before her backed away while getting hit with bullets. After five shots, the monster went down with no question. Alice panted, as her eyes grew heavy. All she remembered was the ringing of her ears and the metallic smell of the blood, before the darkness and bitter cold took hold of her. She wasn't sure what was going to happen next, all she hoped was that her and Ethan would be reunited, and at least get some answers.