Chapter 1-4 Ethan Winters
Ethan sat at his side of the bed, hearing his phone ringing on the nightstand. It was early afternoon, as the young blond was watching his wife put their newborn daughter down for a nap. He picked up the phone and looked at the screen, seeing the caller ID. Ethan recognized it right away and answered, knowing that it would be important. "Hey, Doc." He responded with the device to his ear.
"Hello Mr. Winters. I've got your daughter's results back and I'd like you to come in to talk about them." She spoke in that European accent on her end. "How about next Thursday, four o'clock?"
"No problem, we'll be there." He hung up the phone, seeing Mia approaching him as she had her hands on her stomach while her face had somber features. "That was the Doc. She'll see us next week." He told her. The brunette woman didn't respond, as she just sat at the edge of the bed, staring at the floor. She had been like this for quite a while. Ethan was worried for Mia, after everything she had been through it would seem she still didn't get over the events of three years ago. Not that he blamed her, since he was still stuck in the past. Even so, he wanted to be positive so they could at least try and move on with their lives. That didn't mean they had to forget it, but they shouldn't let it keep them shackled. "Hey, now. Think positively, all right? We talked about this." He tried to comfort her yet again. He always had, after they moved out here with Rose.
"I know." Mia stated in a cold tone, looking at Ethan for a split second before turning her gaze away. "We hardly talk about anything else. I keep telling you. It's not Rose that I'm worried about."
"Well then what are you worried about?" Ethan demanded to know. She always kept saying she wasn't worried about Rose, but Mia never further elaborated on that sentence. Once again, she scoffed and got up from the bed, walking away from him once again. "Look, she's going to be fine. I just know it! What else matters?"
Mia turned to face him in the doorway. A fuse had blown up as she looked at him with impatient eyes. "We matter, Ethan! YOU matter! You just won't-"
"Mia, what are you talking about?" Ethan ran over to her, curiosity and worry in his eyes. She was worried about Ethan? Why? Was it because of what happened back in Louisiana? "Is there something you're not telling me?" He asked. Though it wouldn't be the first time she had kept secrets from him. Or he kept secrets from her for that matter. "Come on, talk to me!" Ethan urged her, begged her. It was because of their lack of communication that caused her to be separated from him for three years. And he didn't want a repeat of that. Even though Mia looked like she wanted to tell him, her mouth kept moving but only in stutters. How much worse could things get at this point?
Ethan felt his phone ringing in his hands, so he looked at the screen to see that it was his work calling him. "Dammit, I have to take this." Mia shook her head at that response, before heading out of the room and hitting the door frame on the way out. It was not their first fight since they moved here, or after the Dulvey incident. No matter how hard they tried, it was clear some things just couldn't be said. Then again, perhaps the truth would be too overwhelming to hear.
It was the ringing of a phone that awoke Ethan Winters. He slowly opened his eyes as he tried to get a good look at his surroundings. Right away, he felt the coldness of the snow beneath him. It took all the strength he had in that instant to pull himself back to his knees and hands. All around him he could see that everything went to chaos. It should have been a night like any other, but then Chris Redfield came in and destroyed Ethan's family. He took Rose away and shot Mia right in front of Ethan. He tried to fight back, only to be knocked out and placed in some sort of vehicle. The same one that was currently knocked over with the back opened. Soldiers in black gear were laid about the ground, with many files of paper buried in the snow.
"Ugh… Jesus…" Ethan complained. It was still dark outside, though he didn't know what time it was. Probably before dawn if he had to guess. The ringing noise was still in his ears, as he looked down to see the light of a phone glowing near the hands of one of the fallen soldiers. Ethan needed answers, and he figured that whoever was calling was going to give it to him. He reached towards the device, picking it up and held it to his ear.
"About damn time! What's your status? Is the package safe?" A gruff voice on the other end questioned. Ethan did not understand what this person was talking about. So he shot back questions of his own.
"What are you talking about? Where's Chris Redfield, and Rose?"
"Who is this? This is a secure channel, you are not authorized to use this-" The person on the other end got cut off. Ethan looked at the phone, seeing the screen had gone black. Either the battery ran out or the line was compromised.
"Fuck!" He swore, looking around to try and figure out where he was. As he looked around, he saw a flashlight near the guy who had the phone. He decided to take it, as it was still dark for him to see. When he turned it on to check his surroundings out, he noticed he was in a forest area, far from the main road. "What the hell happened here?" He noted as his eyes glanced at the bodies and the wrecked vehicle. He noticed a particular folder that was next to the fallen man. He leaned down to investigate, picking up a piece of paper with some instructions on it.
Mission objectives:
-Eliminate target, recover body.
-Secure Rosemary Winters and Ethan Winters.
Move the two Winters's to site C for further investigation. At least two transport officers to accompany them.
So they were tasked to kill Mia after all, but they still wanted her body? Why? Why would Chris do everything to keep them safe only to kill and torment them in the end? Did that mean… Mia was still infected? No! That was impossible! Mia was cured from Eveline, Ethan and the BSAA made sure of that. So why would they end up killing her? Maybe the information was wrong? Maybe someone framed Redfield? No! That was Chris Redfield himself, Ethan was aware of that. As he looked around the truck, he noticed that Mia's body was nowhere in sight. They probably took it somewhere else, since it never mentioned she would be riding in the same vehicle as them. But another thing was missing from this picture, one which made Ethan panic. Rosemary! No matter how hard Ethan looked, he couldn't find his daughter anywhere. She was supposed to be in the same truck as him, but he couldn't even hear her cries.
There was no way she could still be here. Maybe one of the officers survived and tried to escape with her? Hopefully she was still safe. Either way, Ethan was not going to stay here any longer since there was nothing for him. He had no choice but to brave forward and find Rose on his own. Taking a deep breath, he walked past the blinding headlights of the truck and noticed strange indents in the snow. They looked like footprints, but the shape made it seem like the person who made them was being dragged. That was not a good sign, but it was the only lead Ethan had. He figured the best option was to follow the marks in the hope they would give him the answers he needed. He walked into the darkness, trees and bushes passing him by. He hated how eerie the scenery was, a snow-covered forest so early in the morning, all alone with only a flashlight. Ethan was not a fan in the direction this scene was heading, but he had to press on. The most unsettling aspect was how quiet the forest was. No caws of any birds, no growls of any animals, not even the rustling of the wind. For some reason, having silence was worse than hearing many things all at once.
At least with noises that seemed so close, you knew something was nearby and you could prepare for it. But when everything around you was hushed, you had no idea for certain if you were truly alone, or if someone was watching and waiting for you in the shadows. Ethan felt like he was back in Louisiana again, but quickly shook the paranoia off. He couldn't get lost in the past now, not when he had to focus on looking for his daughter. It was funny yet cruel how history had a way of repeating itself. He kept going, keeping his ears opened in case he could hear Rose crying. Even though many would rather turn back and stay at the truck until it was light out, Ethan didn't want to waste anymore time. The blonde soon came to a fence with barbed wiring. There was a wooden sign with white paint stating "DO NOT ENTER" in all caps. Despite that warning, it seemed like the only place for Ethan to go. He crouched down, using his left hand to move the wires up so he could pass right through. As he made it to the other side, he winced as a cut on the side of his palm was present. Though it wasn't the worst pain he ever felt.
He pressed on, noticing how thicker the snow and shrubbery was around here. He wondered if this was someone's private property, which would explain the sign. If that were true, Ethan hoped he could find them and get some help. He soon came across a small patch of chopped firewood next to a wheelbarrow, a sure sign that someone was nearby. Though as he looked to the ground, he could also see a few black fathers loitered around the snow. Guess that meant some birds were nearby.
The young man turned to his right as the shifting of snow could be heard, a few rocks the size of his head tumbled down a small slope. He could have sworn he also heard the crunching of the snow, indicating that someone had walked away. Against his better judgement, he climbed up the small slope to figure out who was watching him. Only to see to his horror the corpse of a bloody black bird splattered in the snow. He was taken aback, but believed that it had been a wild animal which caused the death of this avian. After all, he was out in the woods, animals did live here. When he turned his head to the side, he could see yet another tattered bird that shared the same fate. He felt his stomach become queasy, as he followed the trail of feathers and blood. One crow after another, there were a pile of them scattered with their entrails out. A few of them were even hanging up on some branches. The numbers only increased the further Ethan went. It was becoming more and more unsettling as he began to wonder why that sign and fence we placed there.
This was reminding him of the Dulvey bayou all over again, with the dead birds laying in the swamp. Though this was much more disturbing… almost ritualistic. The blood trail became thicker as he went further. He tried to keep focus ahead, but his thoughts were disrupted as one of the crows hanging by its feet began to fly around in its rope. Ethan jumped, watching the bird struggle to break out, but was unable to. As much as Ethan wanted to help the poor animal, he had nothing to cut the bird down from. Not to mention that with its cawing, it would probably attract another wild animal. Making a quick decision, Ethan jumped off a ledge to a few more bird corpses and ran as far from the living one as he could. The sounds became drowned out after a while, as the mist began to settle into the environment.
The snow became fully white once again, but that meant there were no other tracks. Ethan felt like the trail was growing cold, and he was becoming increasingly worried about Rose. His ears once again caught the sound of rustling, as he looked to the darkness, seeing a faint outline of someone before running away. He thought it was just his mind playing tricks on him, but he hoped that it was someone who could help him. He came to a stony wall, most likely the edge of the cliff he just jumped from. He kept pressing forward, the snow becoming dirt as he made his way to a wooden bridge. He hoped this was a good sign, as he walked across the small river bank and towards the other side. Piles of garbage bags and more cut down logs were everywhere, indicating that people were most likely here.
His suspicions were correct when he saw what appeared to have been a large house. Ethan questioned why a structure would be all the way out here, but he figured it meant his luck could be turning for the better. He decided to investigate, heading up to the door only to notice right away a trail of fresh blood leading up to the steps. He tried not to let that get to him as he pushed the wooden entrance open to get a good look inside. Right away, the entrance alone looked like it was in disarray. Shelves lined up the walls upon entering, with strange bottles, papers and other assessments such as dishes, brooms, and boxes could be seen. Whoever lived here must not know what organization was.
Ethan walked further inside, wondering if anyone still lived here. His eyes noticed a white dresser drawer with the paint chipped off. Curious, he took hold of the double handles and pulled the top shelf, wondering what was inside. There were a few brushes, a rope and a couple of documents written in English. Ethan became confused but decided to take a look. He pulled the pieces of papers from their resting spot and checked them over.
'My sincerest gratitude for your contribution in regards to my project. I was marveled by how you managed to get the samples I requested from you. You were capable of playing your part as a doctor quite well, and was able to retrieve the DNA of the subject. In exchange for your corporation, I will ensure a trust fund in your bank ranking up to three times of what you make annually with the current position you hold. I do hope that we can keep this exchange between you and me, if a third party were to find out, we'd both be dragged down. Not to worry, you have fulfilled your end of the bargain, so I will not request anything from you. Though I do ask you to destroy any documentation about the current infection that the subject has so that no one will suspect anything. I will write up a new report to showcase that the patient is clean, and turn it over. I will also be looking over the family from here on out. There could be a possibility I will need to collect more data on the subject, as not even I am aware of their powers. I will need to know the limits the project will have based on the abilities the subject possesses. For now, we shall leave it at that.'
Ethan read the letter, and he was confused. There was no signature on the paper, so he didn't know who wrote it. Though this seemed like some sort of shady science experiment that was going on. Could that be what this house was for? Some place to do tests? He looked around, seeing a sink against the wall, which was filled with dirty water. Looks like no one had been here in quite a while. He turned back to the dresser and noticed an archway leading to another area of the pitch black house. He walked over, checking the next room which held a single sized bed with thick layers of sheets. Across from the bed was a table with a singular chair. Upon closer examination, there was a plate with a spoon there, as well as a bottle with a syringe next to it. Ethan raised a brow at the set up, but he became even more confused when he saw another note next to the plate.
'H-001 must be given 15mL of the serum 1hr a.c and 1hr p.c. to keep the metabolism strong and to ensure that H-001 does not become unstable.'
H-001? What was that? Could that have been the science experiment here? Ethan hummed as he looked back at that nickname: H-001. Why does that sound so familiar to him? He also noticed there were some splatter of blood on the table, wondering if that was from the writer of this note or the person that was eating. He also noticed something else, a dirty white wrist band that had been cut, with the code H-001 written in black ink. Just what was this scientist trying to do?
Ethan jumped as he heard the thumping of something near him. Was there another floor? He needed to investigate. He checked around, seeing other tables and even a wooden dresser. He came across a small photo resting on a white chipped stand. Inside a bronze frame, Ethan could see what appeared to have been a young woman with long, flowing hair holding out her hand for a bird to land on her fingers. He tried to recognize the bird, though since the colors of the picture were cinematic, it was hard to tell for certain. A weird image, but he rather not question it.
The blood stains coated the floor, making Ethan follow them to another doorway, turning right to see what appeared to have been a basement. One would have to see many horror movies to know where this scene was going. The ledges of the stairwell had a few taxidermized animals such as a fox and a deer head surrounding the passage. A signal lit lantern was all Ethan had for light in this house, aside from the one he currently had. Even so, he went down in the hopes for any clues. The walls were of a stony exterior, as he had to turn a few corners to see what was down below. The first thing he noticed was another table and a single chair. Resting on the surface, it looked to have been a leather journal. Once again, Ethan wanted to read the contents for more clues, but when he opened the journal, it was in a strange language that he was not able to read. There were a few entries, but he was not able to make out what was written. Strange, the other notes were in English, so why wasn't this?
Ethan decided to keep the journal for reference, in case he could translate it later. He went further into the room, wondering what else was here. There were many other shelves of jars and files lining the walls, but he also noticed that there were books as well. Mostly pop-up books for kids. One in particular stood out to him, a familiar black and golden cover with the title 'Village of Shadow' written on it. Guess Mia was right that it was a local tale. There was even a wooden chest which read 'Toys' carved into the frame. He could see a table of papers and colored pencils on the surface. Getting a closer look, Ethan could see mainly pictures of birds of different species. It seemed normal enough, until he noticed one piece of paper holding a strange symbol on the cover. It seemed to have been a strange fetus-like form being surrounded by two rings with writing that he could not translate, and four wings. What kind of symbol was that? It certainly looked disturbing.
He moved away from the drawing table, seeing another bed with a nightstand next to it. There, he could see a framed image of someone. At first, it looked like a Jesus-figure, someone in a robe with a circlet behind their head and a strange bird mask. Ethan didn't know who or what this was, but he figured it must have held some meaning. He set the frame down just in time to hear the falling of a few boards behind him. When he turned to see the fallen boards, his anxiety rose. Even more soon as he kept hearing the thudding of something nearby. He looked to see yet another wooden wardrobe, with some blood stains on the door. He knew it was against his better judgement, but it was like he was compelled to open that wardrobe. Ethan took in a deep breath, holding the double handles before slowly cracking the doors apart. He half-expected to find a monster ready to jump out at him. Instead, the squeaks of a mouse were heard as the rodent sniffed up at Ethan before running away. He sighed in relief, glad that it was just a small rat and nothing else. The rest of the closet had nothing of interest, just a broom, some kitty litter and an umbrella.
The older Winters felt a sense of calm wash over him as he believed it was safe. He turned back and was planning on heading out of the cellar since it was apparent nothing of interest would help him find Rose. Just as he turned from the closet, the floorboards above him rumbled. Noises from upstairs could be heard, as dust from the boards fell between the cracks and landed on the ground. Ethan felt his heart skip a beat, realizing that something was above him. That something was most likely the same thing that caused the death of all those crows. The crashing of furniture could be heard for quite a while, until it finally settled down. Looks like whatever caused the ruckus upstairs was no longer in the house. Ethan decided to check it out for himself, slowly making his way through the room and towards the stairwell, where he was greeted by the deer head that fell and had one of the antlers broken off.
Ethan headed up the stairs, still hearing the creaking of wood. When he turned the corner to the archway, he could see that the dresser in the upper bedroom had fallen over and blocked most of his path. Clearly whatever was here wanted to leave behind a trail of destruction. He figured he'd seen enough, so it was time to get out of there while he could. The blond crouched down and slowly crawled under the small space, moving a box out of the way. When he placed his hand down on the floor, he felt the wetness and stickiness of a liquid. He looked at his hand, seeing the familiar crimson of blood on his once injured skin. He sighed, moving a crate and standing, checking out how disarray the place was. Books scattered, furniture torn apart, a hole in the wall was present now. "What did all this?" Ethan wondered, questioning if it was that creature that killed the crows and what he saw in the forest. Could it have been this H-001?
Ethan noticed that the sky was becoming lighter, which was good for him since that meant he could see better now. Shutting off his flashlight, he walked out through the new exit. He came to the backyard of the house, going further into the snow. Climbing over a fence, he hiked up a narrowed slope with rough rocky walls and more shrubbery. He kept walking, seeing a clearing up ahead. He pressed on, but was not prepared for what he was about to see. Before him laid a civilization. Trees and houses dotted the area, as he could hear church bells ringing out. His eyes noticed many other structures, such as a windmill to his left, smoke coming from the right, and in the center up on the tall hill looked like a huge castle. It loomed over the whole place, appearing important. Ethan wondered if Rose could have been taken there. Some of the houses below him were blazing up smoke from their chimneys, which meant some people were down there. Hopefully someone could give him the answers he needed to find his daughter.
Making the decision, Ethan hopped down the cliff and followed the dirt path downward, sliding straight into the area. He looked around, searching but could not see any signs of life. Actually, it was pretty quiet. The first house he spotted had some branches and wood sticking out, and even the corpse of a horse right next to it. That was not a good sign according to Ethan. He looked to his right, seeing the house before him and wanted to check it out. Right in front of the door was a bowl of eggs laying on the ground, some had their shells broken and their yolks laid about. A clove of garlic was hanging above the roof, dancing in the wind of the snow. He looked at the door, seeing it open ajar. He took that as a sign he could enter, and walked in to see the disarray of the place. It was just as bad as the house he came from. Things were scattered or torn apart, furniture was moved or shredded. The dishes on the table were smashed to pieces, and food was rolled onto the wooden floor. No sign of life anywhere inside.
"Maybe-maybe they're out?" Ethan said to himself, hoping that was the reason and not the more morbid one. He also noticed a pot of steaming stew on the stovetop, checking it over. It was still warm, meaning these people must have just gotten ready to eat, only for them to have an unwanted house guest. He turned to the other room, seeing that it was a bedroom of sorts, in worse condition as the kitchen. Ethan could make out a white symbol that had been drawn on the floor. Some of it was covered by the rug, but he could make out the faint image of wings and a fetus like creature. The same one from the previous house. It really must have been an important icon around these parts. Which meant Ethan had to be careful, for all he knew this place was the home of nut jobs.
Ethan made the choice to head out of the house, since no one was there. He went back to the door, opening it and saw the same horse corpse being dragged off around a fence in front of him. He stopped, watching the animal being carried off by someone or something. He was hating this even more by the second. Despite that, he had to keep going. He walked up the steps to the new pathway, looking to his left and right. He walked over to the left, seeing a truck that had toppled over with some boxes and other materials laying in the snow. The machine blocked his path, meaning he had to go the other direction. He walked down the pathway, passing by a few more houses. Everything was still quiet, and Ethan felt more unsettled by the minute. Bricks laid in the snow, a cart of hay was un-pulled. Snow fell onto the land, as early morning was upon this village.
Ethan looked around, seeing that a lot of the houses were in shambles. Some of the structures even had one or two of their walls ripped out. He kept noticing the same strange symbol and odd holy figure in some of the houses, wondering what the connection was. He walked down the path, keeping his eyes peeled. He saw a tractor against the fence. It didn't seem out of place, until he looked over to see five maybe six decapitated male goat heads hanging up by ropes on the trees. "What happened?" Ethan asked himself, as this place was becoming unsettling the further he went inside. He was beginning to believe that no one was even here anymore, since he saw no living soul around. He quickly passed the animal heads, seeing a post sign to help steer him in the right direction. The Workshop was back the way he came, but if he kept going, he would be able to get to the Graveyard and the Ceremony Site. He didn't know what a Ceremony Site was, but he didn't want to go back the way he came. So he pressed forward.
The sound of chickens could be heard nearby, as Ethan spotted a house with a lit fire hanging from the roof. Maybe that meant somebody was still inside? He had to take the risk, as he headed over to the door, which was once again open ajar. He walked inside, seeing the stuff that was propped up against the wall. He hurried in, seeing something sticking to the table in front of him. It ended up being a knife, small but sharp. Ethan grabbed it and held it, figuring it was better to have some weapon for protection. He tested it out, using it to break apart a box with yellow paint. Inside, he found a first aid kid, which was a bottle of the similar substance he used in the Baker House. He also pocketed that in case of an emergency.
He went further into the house, being taken to what appeared like a kitchen. With a sink and counters, a table in the center with multiple chairs. Shelves lined with canned goods and silverware. What caught Ethan's attention the most was when he noticed a pot of soup sitting on the counter. It still seemed warm, but had been left alone. "Did they just… run out of the house?" Ethan hoped whoever lived here had managed to get out of this village, before shit went downhill. Ethan jumped slightly as he heard the rustle of something nearby. His eyes landed on a plaid pattern curtain hanging above a door frame. Holding his knife out, Ethan slowly made his way over to the curtain, using his knife to slowly pull the cloth back. When he did, he heard the fire of a gun, as a flash and smoke could be seen. Ethan dodge it in time, lucky enough to not be hit. He could hear the distress of the person.
"Aah! No, no! Friendly, friendly!" Ethan held up his hands, pocketing the knife for now.
"Who are you? Who sent you?" He couldn't tell who it was since it was still dark, but by the voice and tone alone, it sounded like an old man.
"Nobody! There was an accident, down on the road, and-" Ethan was interrupted as he could hear what sounded like man-made howls. The old man came over, waving his hand as he looked around. The wrinkles on his face moved as fear gripped hold. A shotgun in his hand as he looked around the kitchen. "What's going on?" Ethan tried to ask, only to be hushed by the old man, feeling his hand clamped over his mouth while the growls were still getting louder. The man looked around the room, landing his eyes on Ethan for a moment before he headed to the window, shotgun in hand as he was scouting outside.
"Oh, no. They're coming!" He turned back to Ethan as he spoke.
"Who is? What the hell was that?"
"Do you have a gun?"
"What?" Ethan raised a brow in alarm.
"Please tell me you have a gun!"
"No. Why would I?" He questioned. A thump could be heard above them, as the old man looked to the ceiling in fear. He aimed the barrel of his weapon at the roof, while slowly moving back to his hiding spot, grabbing something then headed back to Ethan. When he came out, he held a handgun and presented it to Ethan.
"It's all I can spare." He stated, still looking up at the roof. "Take it! Take it!" He ordered, to which Ethan agreed. He cocked the gun and checked the ammo, having twenty bullets in total at the moment.
"Tell me what's out there!" Ethan demanded as he wanted to know what they were going to fight. The only answer he got was the old man shooting a round off at the other window. Ethan turned around, looking out the glass but saw nothing. When he looked back at the man, he dumped some shells on the table and started to reload the gun. "Hey, are you listening? Hey!" Ethan urged him to give him some answers. Or at least an idea of what he was up against. Once again, he only found himself with questions as a pair of strong hands reached down from the roof, grabbing the man by the neck and pulling him up to the attic. Ethan tried to keep him from going, grabbing onto his leg but it was all in vain. Dust and blood came down as shuffling could be heard upstairs.
"What the-" Ethan was speechless as he was helpless. Even more so when a bloodied hand broke through the boards "Ah! Shit!" Ethan cursed as he found himself dragged down to below the house. Grunting and panting as he saw his life flash before his eyes by the sudden dragging. He tried catching his breath before he would focus. It was dark around him, so he had to use his flashlight to see around. He jumped back in shock as he saw the bloodied face of another old man in front of him. He took a few gasps, looking around the floorboards of the house. "A dead body?" Ethan questioned. As he looked around, he noticed that it wasn't just one. "Wait… there's more…" He could see multiple bodies of both men and women, laying in pools of their own blood. The worst part was, they weren't decayed, meaning they had only been recently killed.
He went to investigate further, seeing a hanged over body, which he tried to get a better look at. He lifted up the head, seeing the caked crimson on the skin. "Jesus Christ…" Ethan breathed. So this was the fate of the people who lived here. But, what caused this? No way a human could have been capable of such feral destruction. "What the hell is wrong with this place?" He had to ask, though he doubted he would get an answer anytime soon. He jumped as he saw another body that had landed right in front of him. He shone his light towards the very back of the foundation of the floorboards, seeing something hunched over towards the wall. As much as Ethan was curious, he had a strong feeling that whatever was left alive down here, was the cause of these corpses. And he was not planning on being their next victim. He figured the best approach was to slowly back away and try to get out of this place without causing any scene. The last thing he wanted was trouble, and it wasn't like he could do anything for these people now that they were dead.
If only it was that easy. Pain radiated from Ethan's left hand, as he felt sharp teeth puncture into his skin and fingers. He looked up, seeing a twisted figure with gray skin and hair, glassy eyes and yellow chompers digging into his flesh. Bloody clawed hands held onto his wrist, as the scrunched up face of the beast splattered Ethan's life fuel out of him. "Get off!" Ethan shouted, using his might to try and push the monster off of him. Instead, the creature tore apart Ethan's pinky and ring finger, howling with crimson lips before grabbing Ethan by the shoulder like he was a sack of potatoes. It tossed the human through the walls, landing in the yard of the house. When he looked over at his chewed up hand, the pain became surreal to him. "Shit!" He swore, as blood split out of his wound and onto the ground. "What the fuck was that!?"
He could hear the growls of the beast, seeing the silhouette of the monster in the hole of the wall. Before it slowly staggered forward. Ethan could see that this creature, while having the appearance of a man, was just a semi-built animal. Fangs, pressed in snout, harsh eyes, claws on both hands and feet. The clothes were ripped apart, having much of the skin revealed. Only one thing was on this beast's mind: food. And at the moment, it saw Ethan as such. "No! St-stay back!" Ethan warned. He stood up, using his new weapon he got from the old man and aimed right for the monster. He shot it in the head two times, but it advanced still in determination. Ethan felt the teeth sink into his skin as it bit into him. Ethan pushed it off, he didn't come this far just to be the snack of some half-man half-animal creature. He kept shooting, missing a few times since this beast was very agile, and dodged him. It had a lot of intelligence despite it being feral. In the end, Ethan had to use about twelve bullets just to put it down. The monster howled in pain, falling to the ground in the snow.
"What the hell?" Ethan questioned as he stared at the corpse. So this was what he was up against. And based on the damage that this village seemed to have sustained, chances are there were more of these monsters around. The longer Ethan stayed here, the likelihood of him becoming a meal increased. He needed to find a way out of this place, but first he had to escape this small yard. He saw the gate leading him outside, only to see that it was bolted by some chains. Not even his gun or knife would be able to slice through that.
There was a shed off to the side, so he figured he'd have some luck there. Inside, the young man found a Chem Fluid and a green Herb. He mixed them together to give himself a Healing juice, which he used one on his eaten hand. It wouldn't fix the damage, but it did help the pain go numb. He also managed to find some bolt cutters, which would be perfect for getting rid of those chains. Heading back with the tool, he used the item and cut the chains keeping the gate closed. When he opened the doors, he walked across a small bridge on a shallow river and saw another house with the door open. The shifting sounds of footsteps inside told Ethan to stay away, but what other choice did he have when this was his only place to go?
When he reached inside, the place was deserted as he expected. There were some shelves, tables, and a stairwell leading upstairs. A shelf was next to the door, which Ethan used to barricade the entrance. There was no way he was taking any chances, especially with those monsters running around. His ears picked up the static of the radio, which was sitting at the table a little ways away. He went over, wondering if there was a signal being broadcasted. When he got there, there was nothing. So much for that, Ethan thought. He didn't have much time to be disappointed as the floors above him began to creak, before seeing a small pool of red liquid coming through the cracks. Ethan knew that meant they were inside. He managed to grab some ammo laying on the table next to the radio, and held his gun.
The young man headed up the stairs, keeping his weapon close to him. On his third step up, he could feel one of the floorboards loose and cause his foot to crash right through. He was disgruntled as he marched right up to a small space with only a metal shelf and boarded up windows. He noticed some more ammo resting on the top shelf of the window. He was greedy and went after it. Only to be backed away as a bloody, sharp hand reached right between the boards. Ethan saw one of the monsters reaching in, trying to get at the man. When it was unsuccessful, it jumped away, giving Ethan the opportunity to get the bullets. He thought he was safe, until the roof caved in and a stiff body fell with some of the boards. This time, of a man with dark skin. Some Chem Fluid was right next to the corpse, which Ethan took since he had a strong feeling he was going to be needing it very soon.
He was right on that intuition, as he headed back downstairs to see more of those monsters surrounding the door. They howled and snapped their jaws, trying to desperately get in by ripping apart the windows and boards. One even tried to climb through the window, which Ethan managed to shoot it in the head, making it die. "Surrounded, dammit!" He cursed as he tried to get to higher ground. One of the monsters found its way inside already, attacking him up the stairs. Ethan did his best to defend himself, with the limited ammo he had as he managed to kill the one who ambushed him. He kept his ears open, trying to pinpoint where they were next, but the outside grew silent. No growls, no clawing, and he couldn't see the beasts when he peeked through the window. "Is it… over?" He asked himself, not wanting to get his hopes up, but did want to catch a breather.
The static of the radio could be heard once again, as Ethan went downstairs to see what was going on with the device. When he got down, he was surprised to hear the voice of a woman on the line. "Hello? If there are any survivors out there, come to my- to Luiza's house near the fields."
"Survivors?" Ethan was once again caught off guard by that. He didn't think there was anyone left in this place, given how many corpses there were already. But if that old man had been alive and this woman was on the radio, there just might be a possibility. He wished he could have contacted that woman, call to her in some way. But it seemed the radio was only a one way call. Even so, he knew where he might be heading next. If there were any survivors, maybe they could tell him what was going on here.
He pushed back the shelf blocking the door, and headed outside. Keeping his gun with him as he could hear the faint howls of the monsters nearby. He knew they were still there, probably just watching him. Teasing him and waiting for the right moment to strike. He went to his left on the side of the house, seeing another pathway for him to take to yet another structure, which he assumed was abandoned. As he looked around, Ethan could see some of the monsters perched up on the roofs, keeping their distance though they appeared ready to attack. He headed up the stairs of the house, walking around the patio as one of the creatures jumped from above and howled. He quickly made his way inside, seeking shelter. The moment he went in, the roars grew louder. It was a trap, and he fell for it. Ethan quickly barricaded the door and looked around for anything he could use. He saw a canister of gunpowder, which he could craft to make ammo. But the real treasure was a M1897 shotgun which was resting on the table. Thankfully it had some shotgun shells inside, so he felt ready.
He had to play it smart, he would wait and see if they would come to him and then blast them. Hopefully this shotgun was powerful enough to kill them with fewer bullets. They struggled to get inside for a while, as Ethan scavenged what he could inside. He managed to find a ladder leading downwards. He took that as a chance to escape, so he climbed down and shimmed through the crawl space. He could see through a small iron fence two of those creatures growling and standing their ground. They clearly wanted to get to him, but could not at the moment. However, he could hear how many there were, and it was a huge number. "There's no end to them." He told himself, trying to figure out his next move. He saw a small hole in the stone wall, thinking it was better to face them outside. Though he didn't count on seeing the flaming arrows being shot at him. They can use weapons!? So much for Ethan having the advantage. He ran over to another house, where he barricaded himself inside and got more rusted parts, ammo and other craftable objects.
The monsters were not letting up as they wanted him to become their prey. And Ethan saw how determined they were. As he climbed up a red ladder to get to the roof of the house, he saw the trees and parts of the houses on fire. The monsters were standing on the roofs, shooting flaming arrows as they were using resources now. Ethan couldn't believe how persistent they were, at this point he would rather be back in Louisiana and face those Molded monsters. One of the beasts climbed up on the roof, trying to get to Ethan. Thankfully, he had his shotgun at the ready and blasted it off the building. The shotgun did a lot of damage, especially to the face. But he also had limited ammo, so he had to be careful.
Ethan ran circles around these monsters, going into many different houses in the small area, heading up and down levels and killing as many of these beasts as he could. Yet no matter how many he killed, they always seemed to keep coming. For every one that was defeated, two more took its place. Ethan could hardly craft or find enough ammunition, and he was also being munched on like a midnight snack. He couldn't keep running and shooting, but at this point they weren't giving him the option. He didn't know how much more of this he would be able to take. He was running to yet another house, crossing the fields until one of the man-beasts grabbed him by the shoulders and flung him straight into the shallow waters. He grunted after screaming, hearing the sounds of footsteps and howls as he found himself surrounded by these creatures. There were too many, Ethan would not be able to take them on his own. He felt the hot breath of one of them snarling into his face.
They kept their distance though, as if they were still waiting for something or someone. Ethan looked up to the rooftop as he noticed a larger figure jumping onto the ground, making it shake beneath him. This creature was much bigger than the rest, having a full hairy beard and mane, welding a large hammer. He howled out to the others of his kind, silencing them as it soon got up into Ethan's face. The blond believed that he was going to be killed right here, never to see Rose again.
Fate had other plans, as the ringing of the same church bells he heard when he came here rang out again. It seemed to have been enough to draw the attention of the army. He watched them going off to his right, the big one jumping from roof to roof while the lackies followed behind. The trees were still on fire, and Ethan was bruised up quite a bit. At least he was alive, and that was what was important. He turned to see an arrow was in his left knee, and knew he had to get it out. He reached towards it, gripping his leg with one hand and pulling the arrow out with the other. It hurt, but not the worst pain he felt. He took a look back at his chewed up hand, knowing he couldn't keep it like this forever. He managed to find some bandages in one of the houses, and figured now was as good a time as any to use them. He wrapped up the hand, as some of the blood pooled out. One would have died with blood loss after having this wound be open for so long, yet he managed to survive.
At least with those creatures away, Ethan could hopefully take a break. He turned back to where they had gone, seeing a strange person in a black cloak with a staff next to her near the red iron gates. She stared at Ethan for a bit, before turning the other way and walking up. "W-wait…" Ethan called out as he got up and wanted to go to her. Was she another survivor? She appeared human, so Ethan didn't complain. He followed her, wanting some answers at this point. He walked past the iron gates, seeing the woman using her staff with many strange objects to make some strange symbol in the dirt.
"In life and in death, we give glory…" She spoke in a strange tongue, but Ethan ignored it.
"Uh, hello? You shouldn't be out here. It's not safe." Ethan told her, but she just kept drawing in the dirt. "What the hell? Hey, can you hear me?" He spoke louder.
The blue eyed woman looked up at him, with her silver hair decorated in many beads and totems. When she looked up at Ethan, she tilted her head. "It's you? The child's father."
"Child?" Ethan questioned, until it began to click for him. "Hey, wait-do you mean Rose? Is she here?"
The old woman grew a smile as she cackled. "Rose, Rose, yes!" She smirked up at Ethan, before her face turned serious. "She is in great danger. Since Mother Miranda brought her to the village, we have fallen into darkness!"
"What are you talking about? You mean the monsters?" Ethan asked. He began to hear the bells, this time coming from the large castle he noticed when he first came here.
"The castle bell heralds danger! They're coming!" The woman laughed as she began to head to the red gates, going to the other side and began to close them.
"No, wait! Where's Rose?!" Ethan asked as he ran to try and catch up to the old woman. "Who's Mother Miranda?"
"The bell tolls for us all! They're coming again!" She merely laughed as she closed the gate and walked away on the other side.
Ethan was too stunned by the information to even ask anything else. "Rose is here?" He pondered. If that were true, then at least he knew she was close by. But where could his daughter have gone? This village seemed pretty big, which meant she could be anywhere. He had to find her before those monsters got to her too. For now, he would have to look around and see if he could find his daughter. Part of him believed she was in that large castle up on that hill, but he would need to find a way to get to it. He began to explore the rest of the village to look for further clues. He turned to his left, seeing a gate which had many flowers and herbs at the steps. The fence was broken so he could go to the house, which had many candles and flowers laying on the doorsteps. Portraits of figures hung on the wall, wondering if this house was very religious. He decided to head inside, when he did the first thing he noticed was the same fetus symbol with wings on the floor, with candles surrounding the circles. It would seem that there were two beds, one outside here in the room, and the other in the room to the left with a fridge and a cabinet.
Upon the desk with more candles, Ethan found a piece of paper with only a few sentences. 'O great lycans, The fabled monster wolves of old. They come during the nights, when everything is bare and cold. They will use their claws to tear you apart, they will use their eyes to stare into your heart. They will come to eat the flesh of animals and man. They will let nothing in their path stand. Beware the lycans, the fabled monster wolves of old. Beware the witch, who cursed their soul.'
Lycans, monster wolves? So those are the things that attacked Ethan. Guess he would be calling them that from now on. He headed out of the house since there was nothing left and went to an opening where a maiden statue with a sword and shield in her hands was resting. He tried to figure out where he would go next. He saw a pathway littered with gravestones, so he headed there. As he walked, he could see a wooden shrine with a wooden bird nodding its head back and forth, having a candle on either side. There was text written below the space, which read:
'We offer these Crows of Warding to protect the village and its people. Any who break them shall feel Mother Miranda's wrath.' Ethan figured he would rather not get on Mother Miranda's bad side, so he left the sacrificial bird alone. He continued up the path, passing by many more graves until he noticed a large stone wall before him, with a carving on the door of what looked to have been some figure and a demon. Two circle indents were present on the faces of those figures. A torch was lit on either side of the gate. Above the gate, Ethan could read 'Castle Dimitrescu'. "Guess this leads to the castle." Ethan stated, but as for how he would get inside, he wasn't sure. Though Ethan had a strong feeling he needed to complete the mural if he was allowed inside.
He began to search, on the hunt for some kind of stone pieces to fit in the depressions. He saw a house with lines and carvings on the walls, and the gate leading to it was wide open. He decided to check it out, going through the gate and saw a symbol on the door. It was of a girl standing on a crescent moon as she was reaching out towards a bird. Though it didn't look like a crow, more like a… hummingbird? Ethan didn't question it further as he walked inside. The house had only one room, and it was dark saved for two lamps that still had flickering candles. There were a few pews and even some chairs on the far end of the wall. Was this a makeshift church? Ethan looked over to the alcove between the candles, seeing something resting on a table. Placed on a bowl, he saw a stone circle, with the face of the maiden. He was certain this was one of the slots used for the gate,
Ethan stashed it away, then looked back as he noticed something. This looked to have been an altar, with five pictures of separate figures. The one in the very center was square framed and it showed an image of a woman wearing a mask that was attached to a sharp nose looking like a beak. The rest of the people were in diamond shaped frames and they were all black and white, unlike the colorful woman in the center. On the left of the bird figure, there was a pale woman with a hat along with a necklace with many pearls. Next to that was an image showing a picture of some sort of hunchback creature wearing a cloak and having a crown of bones over his head.
On the right side, the nearest image was of someone in a black outfit, where Ethan could not see their face. But they looked to be holding something in their arms, with a white veil and dress. A bride? The final picture was of a man with rough, flowing hair wearing a leather cowboy hat, but the hat shadowed his face so Ethan couldn't make out the eyes, though this man did have a beard. The altar was littered with more candles, holy images and even flowers. Ethan realized these five must have been the main bigwigs around here. So, where were they when these Lycans attacked?
Ethan didn't like this, but he had to press on. He noticed something on the chair nearby, a few papers which he began to read over. They were journal entries, and thankfully they were in English so he could read them.
September 5th 2019:
Today I made an offering to Lady Dimitrescu. I was told she was a huge fan of wine, so I asked one of the villagers to help me make the alcohol, since I was still too young. Apparently, she really likes her wine thick, and tends to use a secret ingredient. There's a rumor that it has something to do with the maidens who work at the castle. I'm not sure what that ingredient is, so I just went with using some blood from animals. Mainly a horse, since one of them in the barn was dying anyways. I do hope she likes the gift.
September 20th, 2019:
Luiza told me that Lady Dimitrescu liked my wine! She requested for me to send her the recipe and to tell me who helped me make it. I could not refuse a request from one of the Lords. I am honored that Lady Dimitrescu enjoyed my gift. I knew the Lords weren't as bad as what the other kids said. I want to make sure that I give the other Lords gifts that they will like.
November 15th, 2019:
I ended up learning how to crochet in order to make a gift for Lady Beniviento. I wanted to make her a puppet that looked like her, but I am not as skilled at doll making as she is. I ended up trying to make a crochet doll of her favorite figurine, the one she usually carries around whenever I take a peek at her. I hope I got the features right, the dress and veil were the most difficult part. Thankfully Luiza helped me out with the stitching.
December 23rd, 2019:
I finally finished getting some gifts for Lord Moreau. I was told he likes to watch movies that are of the romantic genre. I don't know what classifies as 'romance', but I know where I might be able to get some movies. I am aware that outside media is forbidden in the village, but if it is meant to be a gift for the Lord, surely they can make an exception. Oh! Speaking of which, Lady Beniviento gave me a gift, a doll version of me! She liked the job I did and wanted to thank me in return. I'm curious what the other two Lords will think of my gifts.
January 14th, 2020:
It took a lot of work, but I managed to collect all the scrap metal I could find! I had a few run-ins with the Lycans, but was too fast for them! Looks like that trick of masking my scent with dirt and animal droppings worked, much to Luiza's dismay. I didn't really know what I could make with the metal, but I hope that Lord Heisenberg will like the donations. He seems to tinker away in his factory anyways. I hardly ever see him outside, he is always within the factory's walls as I can hear the scraping and hammering of parts. I'm starting to wonder if he actually sleeps.
March 20th, 2020
The Lycans have been getting dangerously close to the village as of late. All of the kids are convinced we'll be fresh meat for the monsters. I'm not worried, Mother Miranda and the Lords will protect us if they get too close. The villagers and Luiza have made a disaster plan. If anything were to happen to the village, we have to seek out the crests to the Castle Dimitrescu for sanctuary. We keep one of the crests here in the church and the other is at Luiza's house. Though even if you got the crests and went to the castle, Lady Dimitrescu runs that place, and only she can welcome those in. Perhaps I should make an offering to Mother Miranda to ensure protection in the village, since the other Lords liked my gifts. But what can I give to her? Hmmm…
Attached to the final entry in the journal, Ethan got a map of where Luiza's house was from the Church. Looks like it wasn't too far, just past the graveyard. At least Ethan knew where to go next. He headed out of the church, needing to make his way to Luiza's house to locate the next crest. As he checked around the rest of the church, he noticed an old fashioned typewriter, with ink in the ribbon. Out of compliance, he reached over and decided to type away his progress, just in case anything were to happen to him.
He passed some stone walls and found himself in a field with some scarecrows and wheat growing as tall as Ethan. He thought nothing of the field, until he heard the familiar growls of the Lycans. His eyes adjusted to the movement of the wheat, seeing something inside rustling around. He held his gun at the ready, going as slow as he could and stayed on the path. He should have known it would have been too good to be true that the Lycans would just leave him alone. But he couldn't risk another Lycan fight now, he had to conserve his ammo and play it smart. He needed to get to Luiza's house and get the crest.
He managed to evade the sight of the Lycans, and finally reached the house. Unfortunately, it was locked by a wooden and iron gate. Ethan tried to open it, but it was no doubt locked on the other side. He pushed as hard as he could and sighed in frustration. "Shit!" He wondered what he was going to do now. He needed to get into the house to find the other crest. Otherwise, there was no way he could get to the castle.
"Papa, there's someone-!" Ethan jumped as he turned to his right, seeing a door to a small shed closing. He could have sworn he heard the voice of a woman. Now that he thought about it, wasn't Luiza's house supposed to be a safe place for those who managed to survive the Lycans? Could there be survivors here? Ethan had to check it out, so he went over to the shed and opened the door. "Close the door! Please!" The woman begged, as Ethan got a good look at her. She was a young woman, probably late teens to early adulthood if Ethan had to guess. Her hair was a dirty blond, much like his, with some strands of her bangs hanging on her face and the rest up in a bun. She had a brown long sleeve vest with a crimson cardigan around her shoulders and a long skirt to match. She sounded desperate, and scared. Not that Ethan blamed her.
Ethan shut the door as per her request and then approached to start asking the questions. "Hey, what are you doing here?" Ethan went closer to the woman, but she stepped back as her face was that of confusion. Ethan assumed since he didn't look local, she was wary.
"Stay back!" An old man coughed as he held up a machete to him. He had white hair and a beard, dressed with a green scarf, with a brown vest and black jacket and pants.
"Please, don't hurt us!" The woman begged as she kept her hands up to warn him to give them distance.
"Whoa. It's OK. I'm not gonna hurt you. I'm just glad to see normal people at last." Ethan admitted. It was a sight he was pleased to see. They didn't look harmful, but they also didn't appear in the best of shape either. The older man especially. "Have you seen any other survivors?"
The woman looked back at her father before turning to Ethan. "No, they're all in Luiza's house. And she's not answering, and the gate is locked." She explained.
"Quite, girl! He's an outsider!" The man, whom Ethan assumed was this woman's father, warned his daughter. He was right about the outsider part for sure. Even with that warning, the woman looked at Ethan, having a glint of hope in her eyes. It was quickly thwarted as all three of them could hear the howling of the Lycans outside. Even though it sounded far away, Ethan knew first hand how quickly they would be coming.
"Shit, we're sitting ducks in here. Can your old man walk?"
The woman shook her head. "No, one of the monsters cut him! He's lost a lot of blood-we have to get into Luiza's house!" She began to grow hysterical, as her voice began to rise.
"Shhh… quiet!" Ethan warned, knowing that the louder they were, the easier it would be for the Lycans to find them. She zipped her lip, but still looked to him for an answer. "There must be a way inside. Stay here, be quiet, and don't move until I get those gates open." Ethan advised. Even though he didn't want to take any detours, he couldn't leave these people like this. The old man was in great pain, and the shelter was right by them. Besides, they were all going to the same place, and hopefully they could give Ethan some answers. The old man kept coughing, as his daughter went to his side and tried to calm him down.
Ethan looked around, trying to figure out what to do. He couldn't go back the way he came, since nothing would be there for him. That was when he saw an open window. He went over and jumped through it, taking himself to a side yard. He saw a few crates covered up by a blue tarp, which he managed to climb over the broken stone wall and into the yard of Luzia. Once there, he quickly went to the gate and unlatched it, then opened it wide enough. He signaled with his hand over to the woman, who was already opening the door. "C'mon-it's clear!"
The old man came out, wincing in pain as his daughter wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "Hurry! Hurry!" She urged her father, walking over to Ethan as fast as they could. Once they were there, Ethan could see the caked blood in his hair and face. And Ethan thought he had it bad.
"Took your damn time." He scoffed before heading to the house.
"You're welcome." Ethan shrugged sarcastically. The woman ended up helping Ethan close the gate and lock it, just to ensure extra protection.
She looked over at her father and shook her head. "He's not used to relying on other people. I'm sorry." She apologized to Ethan with her blue eyes. "We'll be safe in here, won't we?" She asked, wanting his reassurance.
"Safer here than out there, that's for sure." That was good enough for her, as she was about to join her father. But Ethan was not done talking. "Hey, do you know anything about what's going on around here?"
She shook her head, as the confusion was back on her face. "It doesn't make any sense. Mother Miranda has always protected us-" She began to speak. So this Mother Miranda really was the bigwig here. But if she was supposed to protect them from these Lycans, why hadn't she done anything? Maybe she got caught up with these monsters herself? Or perhaps…
The old man kept pounding on the door, but when he got no answer, he turned back to his daughter. "Nobody's answering! Come help me-" He panted harshly as he walked down the steps, only to fall forward and was trying to catch his breath.
"Father?!" The woman hurried to his side, supporting him. He looked like he was getting worse. At this rate, he would not be able to even walk. He leaned against one of the porch beams, groaning in pain. The woman turned back to Ethan with desperation on her features. "We have to get inside!" She rested by her father, trying to get him to calm down.
Ethan knew that they needed to take shelter, as he was about to head to the door, his eyes came across a strange shrine which was gated by blue clover bars. He took a step forward, examining it for a moment. There was something inside, and he was certain it was the second stone slot for the gate to the castle. The problem was, the bars that kept it inside were locked, and he had nothing on him that he could use. That meant Ethan would need to go inside and get a tool. "Just hold on a bit longer, Papa." The woman urged as Ethan walked up the stairs and headed to the red doors.
He pounded on the wood, and called out. "Hello? Anybody home?" There was no response, much like before.
"Maybe a familiar voice will help." The woman suggested, as she began to knock gently on the door. "Luiza, open up! It's me, Elena!" The door did indeed open a jar, but what came out was the barrel of a shotgun. Both Ethan and Elena slowly walked backwards, as the gun was attached to an old man as he aimed it right at Elena. He had a brown flat cap with a tan colored trench coat hugging his body. Though he was worn, he still was determined to defend.
"Stop shouting. You'll draw the monsters!" He warned in a hushed tone while keeping the gun raised.
"Iuilan, calm down-" Elena urged.
"Who's this?" Iuilan questioned as he raised the gun right at Ethan now, who merely raised his hands up in defense.
"A friend-"
"Stay back!" Iuilan warned as he had his attention to the outsider. Guess these people didn't get many tourists here. Though considering the situation right now, Ethan wouldn't want to be here either. Elena's father kept coughing, as he went to his daughter's side while she held him.
"Father!" He fell to the ground, holding his wound as he tried to keep himself steady. "For Miranda's sake, Iuilan, let us in." Elena practically demanded now that the tensions were high.
"No, no, they'll smell the blood- You'll endanger us all!" He declared as he kept the gun right at Elena's father. Was he planning on killing him if he had to? Ethan couldn't believe how cruel this man was being.
"My father will die out here!"
"That's not my problem!"
Ethan wanted to speak up, try to defend Elena and her father. But someone else beat him to it. "What's going on?" Through the open door, Ethan could see a woman in a long sleeved, button up black dress approaching. She appeared younger, with her black hair tied up in a bun. Ethan could only guess that must have been Luiza, since he recognized that voice from the radio.
"These people want to let a dying man into our home." Iulian complained as he glared at the three while guarding the door.
"Come now. 'These people' are our friends." Luzia declared as she approached and helped Elena's father walk through the foyer. "Go on, go inside. Come now, this way." She urged them, letting the two villagers inside before turning her attention to Ethan. "You're not from this village…"
"Uh, no. I'm Ethan." He introduced himself.
"Iulian, go make yourself useful and check the grounds." Luiza ordered. He still stood there, keeping his gun aimed at Ethan. "I said go!" She ordered in a more demanding tone. Even though the man was disgruntled by the command, he moved away for Luiza to come closer to Ethan, with understanding eyes. "Well, if Elena trusts you… then so do I. Come inside, Ethan." She led the blond inside, as he did not protest. They were in the foyer, with a doorway on either side of the wall. The room was decorated with furniture such as a green couch to his left, a dresser to his right with a typewriter on it, and in the very corner was a leather chair with something laying on the cushion. "Wait here, I'll check on the others." Luiza went to the doorway on the left side of the foyer, leaving Ethan to wander a bit.
He decided to check the leather chair since it appeared something was there. A small piece of paper laid on the cushion, which Ethan read: 'Luiza, They broke in again, got more of the livestock. I don't think we'll make it through winter at this rate. Ernest is still missing, too. We can't find him anywhere. Has Mother Miranda abandoned us?'
Based on the note, Ethan could only assume that these Lycans had been a problem for a while now. He was surprised that so many villagers had even stayed behind. If it were him, he would have left this village a long time ago. Then again, maybe the Lycans got to them before they could even attempt escape. But there was that title, Mother Miranda. Could she have been one of the figures that he saw in that church? He was certain it couldn't have been the one wearing the cowboy hat or the one in the cloak, since they both appeared to be men. And he wasn't too sure about the one holding a bride-like figure in their black clothing. So that only left the pale lady or the one in the bird mask. All Ethan knew was that if this Mother Miranda saw him, she probably wouldn't show him any hospitality.
"Ethan," Luiza called for him, as she opened the wooden door of where she was. "This way." She urged him to follow, which he did. He walked through the halls, seeing the many windows and pictures into the structure. He walked on the red rugs, taking a right turn to another door with some blue and white patterned curtains above the door frame. "Come inside, the others are waiting." Luiza walked in through the curtains, as Ethan followed after. The fireplace was lit as well as a lantern on a round table, giving the room light. Including himself, Elena, her father and Luiza, there were four other people there. One of them was a man, who was drinking. He seemed far too dressed for the occasions, wearing a dark brown suited coat and tailored pants with a black vest hiding a white shirt. Another man sat on a chair, with a bandage over his right eye and half of his face, holding a crutch by his side. There was a woman who had a scarf over her head, holding back her hair as she was dressed more traditionally from the 1800's according to Ethan. She stood over a couch where a man, whom Ethan assumed was related to her, was lying in an unresponsive state.
The one who was dressed more nicely stared at Ethan as he made his way inside the room. "What the fuck is this? Outsiders-you're going to get us all killed!" Ethan could see that this man had a bottle of alcohol with him, and from the smell of his breath he no doubt had been drinking recently.
"Quiet, Anton." Luiza warned. "He helped Leonardo and Elena."
"We were doing fine by ourselves!" Leonardo stated as he leaned into the chair next to the table, while his daughter was by his side. He kept a firm grip on the machete he wielded, which Ethan was a bit uncomfortable with but said nothing of the matter.
"Please, Ethan, take a seat." Luiza gestured as she pulled out the chair for him to sit. Ethan was a bit tired himself, so he took the chance and sat down for a moment.
He had many questions, especially as he looked around the whole room. "Is this all that's left? From your entire village?"
"All that's left?" Anton repeated. "All that's left?" He stood up from his seat and glared hatefully at Ethan. "There is no one left!" He went around the room and gestured to the people who were there. "A worthless invalid!" He pointed at the one with the bandage and crutch. "A stupid, wailing bitch…!" He shouted at the woman mourning over her husband. "And you!" He pointed at Luiza. "You drag a bloody man and an outsider in here like it's nothing… And expect to be all safe? There is no safe! Every sorry bastard out there has been ripped in half!" His voice raised the more he talked. "But tomorrow…" He paused as he took a large sip from his bottle before speaking in a somber tone. "Tomorrow we'll all be dead. Just like her damn husband!" The woman cried even more as she kept her eyes away from Anton. "Put a sock in it, Roxana!" Anton shouted once more.
"That's enough!" Luiza got in between Anton and the others. "This house has protected my family for generations. And drunk or not, you are all welcome-and safe-in here." She reached over to grab Anton's hand, only for him to pull back and glare at her. Muttering a 'whatever' before going back to his chair.
"Can someone please tell me what the hell is going on here?" Ethan questioned, becoming impatient as he wanted to understand the gravity of the situation.
"We don't know." Luiza admitted. "One day we were a quiet, devout village- and the next those monsters came and attacked us. And they… they kept coming, and…" Luiza trailed off as she tried to recall the events that led them to this moment.
"Wait, Luiza," Elena looked over at the woman with concern. "Where is your husband? Did they…?"
"No, n-no. He's out there-somewhere…" Ethan could hear the denial in her voice, but he didn't blame her. He wondered if her husband's name was Ernest… was that the man who gave Ethan the gun a few hours ago? If so… he dare not have the heart to tell Luiza his fate. "H-he went to check on the children. Yes…. yes, that's-that's it. He went to fetch the orphans."
"Let us pray." Roxana offered. "For him. For all of us."
"Good idea. Come. Gather." Luiza escorted everyone around the table. Ethan held hands with her and Elena, as most of them joined in. Anton sat out, but he did watch. Everyone but Ethan began to speak their prayers.
"Great ones, hear our voice, together as one in reverence. We call on thee within the endless dark to deliver us into fate's hands. As the midnight moon rises on black wings, so we make our sacrifice and await the light at the end. In life and in death, we give glory, Mother Miranda." Once they finished their prayers, they let go of the hands as Luiza got back on track.
"Now, the tea should be ready." Luiza stated. "Come help me, Elena, please." Elena went over to Luiza while Roxana helped the guy in the crutch get back to his seat.
"That prayer-I've heard it before. There was an old woman near the graveyard." Ethan stated out loud as he remembered what that old lady said. Mostly about Rose being here. He was about to ask any of them if they had seen his daughter, only for Leonardo to chuckle.
"You mean the hag? Dumb bitch is crazy as a bag of rats."
"There is wisdom in her devotion, though…" Luiza stated as she set a cup in front of Ethan. "And I hope it protected her as it shall protect us." Ethan may not have been a religious man, but honestly he could use all the help that he could get.
Leonardo kept laughing at that remark, while holding onto his wounded side. His laughter soon turned into groans of pain as he fell onto the table, knocking over the lantern. It in turn hit the floor and broke, creating a fire that caught on the rug. "What the fuck are you doing!?" Anton questioned as he stomped the fire to put it out as quickly as he could.
"Leonardo, what's wrong? Are you OK?" Luiza asked as she went over to the man's side to help him. Ethan was about to help as well, wondering if his wound was acting up. But he was back far enough not to be caught in the crossfires. The machete that Leonardo carried plunged deep into Luiza's right shoulder, causing blood to fly as the poor woman howled in pain.
"No!" Anton shouted, taking action as he smashed his bottle over Leonardo's head. It didn't do much damage, as he still shoved Luiza's bloody body to the ground. Leonardo jumped on the table, looking at everyone. When Ethan saw his face, he noticed that his teeth were becoming much sharper, and his eyes were glassing over with murderous intent. He saw that look before. It was the same one that he saw in the Lycans.
"Father!" Elena shouted as she stared with wide eyes at the man who had raised her.
"Elena, no! Stay back!" Ethan warned as he pushed her into a hallway to keep her out of harm's way.
"No-let me go!" She begged. Ethan turned back to see the damage that Leonardo had brought into the room. He had dug his hand right into Anton's chest, tearing out his heart which caused the man to double over in pain. Blood coated Leonardo's arms, as he aimed for Roxana next. She screamed, heading over to Ethan only to be pulled back by the madman. When she fell to the ground, he raised up her head so he could bite into her neck. The room became filled with flames of orange and crimson liquid. The smells of metal and smoke filled Ethan's nose, as it was a sure warning that they could no longer stay there.
"Oh god, no. He'll kill us both!" Ethan declared. "We have to go!" Ethan pushed Elena behind him, as the howls of the man who was once her father, came closer to them. The shell of Leonardo ran out of the burning and bloodied room, heading straight towards what he considered his next meal. Ethan pulled his handgun out, aiming it right at the turning beast. Despite getting a few shots in, he found himself pinned by the man-beast. The unrecognizable man tried to naw at Ethan's face, wanting to take a bite out of him like he did the others back there. He tried to keep him back with all his might, but Ethan was not as matched in strength as this newly born beast.
"Let him go!" Elena shouted, causing the monster to look up from Ethan. With a flash and bang, Leonardo's body was sent flying as a bullet flew from the hall into him.
"Elena?" Ethan looked up and was surprised to see the young woman holding a shotgun in her arms. Despite how shaky she was, her legs stood their ground as her eyes were glued to the man that was once her father. Leonardo stood up, ready to attack again, but Elena would not have any of that.
"I said no!" She blasted another bullet, causing him to lay on the ground in pain. Upon realizing what she had done, Elena dropped the gun as her voice was that of guilt. "Oh no. I'm so sorry, Father…"
Ethan quickly got up from the floor, holding onto her shoulders to look at her. "Hey, hey. That wasn't your father anymore. You did the right thing." He reassured her. The two turned back, seeing the ceiling falling down in burning bundles above Leonardo. He howled in pain, clearly some of his sanity was still there but he was too far gone. Even so, Elena tried to go after him, only for Ethan to hold her back. "Elena. Elena, no! There's nothing you can do!"
"Papa!" Elena cried out as she struggled, but Ethan managed to pull her further into the hallway.
"This entire place is collapsing!" He pointed out, as the fire was spreading throughout the house. He pulled Elena into a room, which looked to have been the garage. Ethan closed the door quickly, giving them some space from the fire. He turned back, seeing Elena holding onto a red pickup truck as he was panting hysterically. "You couldn't save him. He was already gone." Ethan tried to persuade her, even if she was denying it.
"Leave me alone." She begged.
"No. We're getting out of here-together." Ethan reassured as he placed a hand on her shoulder. She didn't want to believe him, she didn't want to escape. Ethan wasn't going to abandon her though, she had been through enough and he was not going to have any more victims. But there was one thing that he had to focus on at that moment. "We gotta get outta here…" He muttered, trying to figure out what his next plan was. There was no way he was going back where they came from. There was a garage door, but it seemed to have been blocked by boxes, so there was no way to open that. He checked around, hoping to find something. He walked through a door to a dining room, where the fire was spreading under the door. He needed to act fast. Turning left in the dining room, he found himself in a kitchen with green cabinets. Ethan ruffled through every nook and cranny he could find, even going through all of the drawers. "Come on, come on…" Ethan prayed that there was something in here that he could use.
Finally, he managed to get said luck as he opened one of the drawers and found a key attached to a leather pouch. This had to be the key to the truck in the garage. What's more, as he closely examined the leather pouch, he unbuttoned it to get himself a screwdriver. Ethan smiled as he knew he could use both of these. He hurried back to the garage where Elena was waiting for him. When he did, he saw flames coming from underneath the door as it began to spread to the boxes and walls. "Damn, the fire's moving fast!" Ethan coughed as he got into the driver seat of the vehicle. Using the key, he turned it to start the ignition.
"What are you thinking?" Elena asked.
"Step back. We can bust out with this." Ethan told her, as she took his advice and headed into the passenger seat. Once the truck was started, he shifted the gears to go as far back as he could. Hitting the gas, he drove right into the wall. He had to do it again since it didn't make a dent. This time, they drove right through, being on the side of the dining room.
"Ethan! Ethan! Are you alright!?" Elena asked with worry as she was already out of the truck.
"I-I'm fine. Let me back up again." He urged, wanting to plow his way through the walls at this point. Only to see the flames spreading into the room they were now in, trying to catch up to them.
"The fire-there isn't any time!" Elena warned. They looked at one another, trying to figure out the next step. Looking out of the truck, Ethan could see a broken stairwell. It seems sturdy as it went upstairs though, which was their only option.
"Nowhere to go but up." He crawled out of the front windshield, and hopped on the hood of the truck. "Grab on. Hurry." He reached his hand out to her, as he pulled Elena up on the vehicle. "Let's move!" He urged as he let Elena go first, walking up the steps on the catwalk. She looked back down, fear engulfing her as the fire was growing. "Don't worry, and try not to breathe in the smoke." Ethan advised.
"I know. Thank you, Ethan. You're kind." She said, holding her hand over her face to try and keep the smoke out of her nose. "I hope your family is safe." Elena prayed for him.
"I do too. Once you get out of here maybe you'll get to meet them." Ethan hoped, though he didn't want to jinx anything. They went through the second floor walkway, seeing that the beams and wood were falling apart. The floorboards to the attic fell off as well, but it ended up making a bridge for them so they could climb up to the top level of the house. It wasn't too stable though, as Ethan's foot landed right through. "Come on, it'll hold." He reassured as he grabbed Elena and held her as he tried to find their exit point. "There!" He pointed to a window with a crate below. "That's our way out."
"Thank god." Elena breathed, as she was so close to getting out of this mess. "But what then?" She asked as she looked at him. "The village is still full of monsters. We can't fight them! There's too many!" She wasn't wrong on any of those aspects, but Ethan was not one to give up hope so easily.
"Hey! Hey. Don't talk like that." Ethan looked her in the eyes as he held onto her shoulders to try and give her confidence. "We'll find a safe house to put you in until I can find my daughter. My hunch is she's in that old castle." He pointed to the window where he could see the structure.
"No!" Elena shook her head in dismay. "That place is full of nothing but blood and death! And I don't want to be alone while you're-" Elena was cut off as she looked back down to the burning floor. "Father?!" She gasped. Ethan turned to look as well, shocked to see that Leonardo was still alive and crawled his way up here. His clothes were even on fire, but Elena could only see the parent who raised her.
"Elena, no!" Ethan warned her. "That's not him-not anymore!" He tried to hold her back, knowing if she went to him, he would only do to her what he did to the others.
"Ele...na…" His voice groaned in two pitches, as he reached out to the woman.
"He said my name! Papa!" Elena cried as she rushed down the floorboards.
"Wait, it's not safe!" Ethan was too late, for as he pressed his own weight the floor beneath them gave way. The planks began to fall one after another. As Elena was on a small platform with what was left of her father. She was beginning to lose balance as the planks would not hold for long. "Stay there!" Ethan called as he went around to a safer side of the floor and knelt down as he stretched out his hand. "C'mon, give me your hand!" Ethan urged.
Elena looked up at him, as she held her father curled up on the wood. Elena looked around, seeing the fire rising, her father losing his sanity, and the distance between them. With a shake of her head, she looked up at the outsider. "Ethan, go… Save your daughter!"
Ethan didn't want her to go, he could still save her. "Elena, don't give up!" Ethan begged as he saw the boards coming loose, making Leonardo fall to the flames. She would be next at this rate. "Reach for me!" Elena only looked up, biting her lip as she was ready to accept her fate. With a scream, the final planks gave way and her body was thrown in to fuel the fire. "No! God dammit!" Ethan cursed as he could only watch as Elena became another victim. He panted heavily as the rush of guilt and frustration rose into his being. "Why is everyone dying on me!?" He grunted as he stared at the fire, not able to make out where Elena was anymore. She didn't deserve this. None of these people deserve this. "This is… this is just too much. They did nothing! I just… don't get it."
Ethan's body was on autopilot as he went over to the window, climbing on the boxes and up on the sill. He could see that the fire was spreading on the roof as well. He stared out to see the sun rising on the mountains. It was still early morning but so much had already happened. And at the moment, Ethan was all alone. He turned back to the house, seeing the inside was slowly burning away as the flames were consuming everything in their paths. "This place has gone mad. Why the fuck is this happening again!?" He pounded his wounded hand onto the sil, as his anger increased. "Shit!" He hopped out of the window, landing on the deck. He then jumped from there onto the ground, sighing as he dusted himself from the snow.
He looked back at the house, wondering how long it would be until nothing was left. He sighed as he headed over to the shrine, knowing what must be done. Despite what he was forced to witness, he needed to keep going. So Ethan reached into his pocket, taking out the screwdriver he got and unlocked the gate keeping the shrine closed. He reached in and took the face of the demon, which would be the last piece of the puzzle he needed. Nothing was keeping him from staying here, so he was about to head out. Going to the gate, he started to unlatch it. The sound of gunshots could be heard, causing Ethan to jump. "Who's there?!" Ethan called out as he began to open the doors.
"Stop! Mother Miranda!" Ethan recognized that voice. It was Iulian! He hurried to get the gate open, seeing what was going on.
"Hey!" Ethan gasped as he was just in time to see the man being held by his chest, getting it pierced by a woman dressed in black. Iulian fell to the ground, bleeding out as Ethan stayed back and watched. The woman merely laughed as she walked away from the fields, not taking notice upon Ethan. "W-Was that… Mother Miranda?" Ethan questioned. So that must have been the woman who was supposed to 'protect' this village. Though it would seem she had done more damage than anything else. This proved she wasn't the savior everyone in the village thought she was. The bells began to ring out again, signaling that the Lycans might be on their way.
Ethan had to hurry. He needed to find Rose and get out of here before Mother Miranda came after either of them. He had to head to the castle, so he ran down the field and found himself on the path. Along the way there, he noticed the same old woman with the staff marking the ground once more. "Death. Yes. Death has visited them all!" She laughed as she kept digging up the dirt. Ethan didn't want to get closer to her, as she seemed just as crazy. He passed her and went back inside the church, then came out the other side so he could make it to the castle gates. Once there, he grabbed hold of the demon and maiden slots and placed them in the spots where the faces were. After turning it a bit to fit, he managed to make it work and watched as the gates opened for him.
"Nothing but blood and death, huh?" Ethan repeated what Elena told him about that castle. At least he knew what he was in for this time. Keeping his handgun out, he walked up the path to a mount and crossed the bridge to get inside a passageway. He walked up some stairs as he went further into this cave-like structure. Eventually, he found himself in a room full of large barrels and baskets of fruits. Bricks and scrap metal laid on the ground, as Ethan tried to find his exit. He saw a large door which was blocked by gears and iron bars. Fortunately, there appeared to have been a lever with yellow tape next to it, which would no doubt open it. The blond hurried over, wanting to get out of here as soon as possible.
The moment he went to it, he stopped upon hearing a voice. "Well, well." He turned around, seeing someone approaching him. A man with a mustache and beard, grayed out along with his shoulder length hair. He had on baggy clothes such as pants and a shirt, with a tattered coat and boots. Around his neck was what appeared to be a fishing lure, and on his head was a leather hat. Old fashioned sunglasses framed his eyes, while he took a drag of a cigar, blowing smoke out. What was most noticeable was the fact he had a large, custom-made hammer that appeared heavy, yet he was lifting it with one arm. And the closer he got to Ethan, the more of the metal in the room started to float, which caught the blonds attention. "Didn't think anyone was left! You must be pretty tough, huh?" He asked in a strange accent, putting the cigar on the floor before stomping on it.
"Who the fuck are you?" Ethan questioned.
This caught the guy off guard, yet he smiled regardless. "Oh, you're not local! Even better." The man flung his wrist towards Ethan, which caused a metal pole to launch itself and strike Ethan in the chest. He hissed in pain as he gripped onto the weapon, seeing splatters of his blood on his hands and coat. He then began to feel the cold metal scraps surrounding his body as he fell to his knees. "Mother Miranda's gonna love you!" The man laughed as he watched Ethan becoming cocooned in the metals, before his face was entirely covered. The last thing Ethan heard was the cackling of this insane man. He could only imagine what horrible fate that would play out for him next.
