[Chapter 11]
The team walked out into the open air and looked at their surroundings. The sky was already beginning to redden as the sun descended. They stood on an asphalt street with several modern cottages and farmhouses on either side of them, behind them all that could be seen was the green countryside. The building they had just left was a small, one story structure with a tall radio tower soaring out of the roof. Aside from a slightly cold breeze, the street was quiet.
The girls all looked around curiously, Simon himself did not know where they were. It was not until they walked a good ways away from the building and along the hedged road that they came to a dip in the land that overlooked a small red-roofed village among the fields.
"Oh, no." Said Sayori, her pipe nearly touching the ground.
"What?" Said Simon.
Natsuki looked worried.
"That's..."
"Blossom Grove, has to be." Said Yuri.
"Monika lives there."
She pointed to a corner on the far side of the village.
"Her parents' house is there."
Simon took a deep breath.
"Anything about the area I should know?"
"What do you mean?" Asked Sayori.
"Like, anything that could be dangerous, or any shortcuts to get through to her place quickly?"
"There's nothing there." Said Natsuki. "It's in the middle of nowhere, just houses and one market. As for the route, just keeping following High Street until you reach Orchard Road and her house is right there. We can lead you through it" Natsuki pointed out a simple path over the village with her finger.
"We're gonna find weird stuff there, won't we?" She turned to Simon.
"Yeah, but nothing we can't handle."
Simon then felt it, a strange "point" at the back of his head, causing his body to tense up for a second. He knew what this meant.
"Let's go."
The team walked down the hill along the empty road. On either side were green fields of varying hues cut and divided by hedges and fences. The short chirping of birds could be heard from the far-off woods in the fields. Soon enough they had reached the border of the village. There was a large sign with curved edges and an ornate font displaying: Blossom Grove, Population 511.
The team walked into the village, each member keeping an eye out for danger. Yuri stayed at the back while Sayori was walking between Simon and Natsuki, who were leading the team. The neighbourhood consisted of various small, traditional 19th-century style homes with cars parked in almost every driveway. There were large trees with full crowns of orange leaves that loomed over the homes and street. The only sound that could be heard was that of the leaves against the wind.
The team walked further into the village. As they went through a bend in the road the sight of a stone church with its tall steeple suddenly appeared at the end of the street. Natsuki pointed at the building and spoke up.
"Just make a left there and then-"
"Get down!" Yuri whispered harshly as she ducked and quickly ran over to a car parked in a driveway, gesturing the others to follow her and hide also.
The team all bunched up behind the car with their backs to the doors.
"What is it?" Whispered Simon.
"We're not alone. Near the church."
Simon slowly poked his over the back of the car. Five humanoid figures could be seen walking aimlessly around the road by the church. The figure closest to them could be seen eerily twitching its head and feverishly scratching its arm and neck with its right hand. It was wearing clothing of some kind, as it tugged at the collar as it scratched its neck. Suddenly it stopped in the middle of the road and brought its right hand up to its face. The shape of a pistol could clearly be seen as it pulled the barrel back with its left hand.
Simon quickly crawled back behind the car and sighed deeply.
"They have guns." He said, looking up.
Natsuki looked at Simon in disbelief.
"Crap… We can still get them can't we?"
"We can't just take them head on. We could try to sneak around them, but if one of them notices us its gunshots will send the whole pack after us. They have shit aim most of the time but get you right in the head if they get a chance. That and they'll just keep coming at you until you can smell their breath."
Simon took another look at the road around the church with its creatures patrolling the streets. He then pulled back and looked at Natsuki.
"You think we can sneak around the gardens to get to Orchard street?" He pointed at the house connected to the driveway.
Natsuki nodded and stealthily crawled over to the house, prompting the team to follow. They walked through the alley between the house and the fence and approached the back garden. Simon leered in over the wall with his shotgun ready to check if it was safe. Find the garden to be empty, he lead the team in. It was a well-maintained garden. With a recently mowed lawn and several red leaves resting on the grass. A small wooden shed stood in the right corner of the garden. Simon climbed atop it and scouted the area for threats. After seeing no creatures in the gardens ahead of them, he pulled Natsuki upwards and asked her for directions. She said that they should climb on top of the flat-roofed metal shed right next to them in the opposite garden and then hop from there over the fence to the other garden on the left side. Then they would just have to cross that house to get to Orchard Road.
The team decided to go one person at a time, starting with Natsuki. She quickly stretched over the fence and crawled onto the metal shed, she then hopped over the fence adjacent to her without any fuss. Next was Sayori, Simon helped her up the wooden shed and she nervously crouched on the corner of the roof. Natsuki gestured her to carry on. She then hopped onto the metal shed. The roof made a loud creaking noise as her feet pressed against the metal. Sayori looked about, panicked. Simon, gripping his shotgun in one hand, silently gestured for quickly get off the roof, which she did, she would've tumbled onto the grass if Natsuki had not been waiting to catch her. Simon looked around for a few moments, checking if anything heard the noise, but all quiet. Simon looked over to the two girls in the garden and gave a thumbs up, Natsuki returned in kind. Next was Yuri, her height allowed her to climb onto the roof of the wooden shed with ease. She quickly hopped from the metal shed and over the fence in just a few seconds. Finally, it was Simon's turn. Slinging his shotgun on his back, he quickly hopped over onto the metal shed.
As Simon's feet hit the roof the back hinges of the metal sheet suddenly became loose from its screws and collapsed under his weight. The roof fell into the shed with a loud crash that brought Simon sliding down along with it. An inhuman screeching was heard from behind the house attached to the garden. Simon quickly climbed up the now open walls of the shed, accidentally pricking his finger on an exposed screw. He ignored the pain and managed to pull himself over the fence, landing on the grass on his back. The girls rushed over to to him.
"Simo-" Natsuki stopped when he put a finger over his lips.
Simon crept up to the fence and peered into a hole in the planks. He could see a figure stomp its way into view. Its feverish breathing and grunting could be heard from behind the fence as it looked about the garden. Its arms twitched about as its free hand with its thin and gnarled fingers tugged at its dirty green shirt as the other gripped a pistol in its red knuckles. The tears in its black trousers showed raw, red knees, with dried blood staining the cloth. The top of its head was grotesquely swollen, and its scalp consisted of small, irregular patches of grey hair. Its face was a permanent look of frenzy and hate, with yellow teeth gritted against open lips and small white eyes surrounded by black, sunken rings. After about ten seconds of stomping about the garden, it emitted a frustrated snarl and walked out of sight. Simon kept looking out the hole for about a minute, hoping that the creature did not return or worse, bring some of its friends. After no sight or sound of the creature appeared, he gave the team the all-clear and they slowly made their way out into the alley.
The team stood by the entrance of the alley and looked out into the street. Beyond the brick fence of the front garden could be seen several one-story houses lined up along the pavement, partially hidden by separated rows of tall hedges. The autumn trees seemed to completely cover the sky over the little road, creating a canopy of red leaves. Natsuki pointed to a small metal gate between some tall hedges at the end of the road. The team were just about to leave the alley when gurgling sound was heard next to them.
A figure shambled out from behind the brick fence. It was the same creature Simon saw in the garden, pistol in hand. It was walking right up the road towards them, but it did not seem to notice them. It was so close to them that they could smell the rank odour coming from the creature. Simon silently gestured for his team to walk back into the alley. They took a few slow, short steps.
Sayori fearfully gripped her metal pipe as she bunched behind the team, her heart racing at the sight of the horrid creature. As she took another step back, she felt her back push against something hard and cold before falling back. The trash cans made a great crash as they tumbled over.
The creature snorted and now turned to look directly at them. The creature screeched as lumbered towards as flung its arm forward. Simon struggled to get his shotgun aimed as the team were cramped up in the alley. Natsuki was just about to fire at the creature when it shot once from its pistol. The bullet hit the brick wall of the alley. Chunks of hard clay and dust exploded near Natsuki's head, causing her to flinch. As she did so she bumped into Simon which made him stagger and lower his aim as the shotgun fired.
A massive hole was made in the side of the creature's abdomen, causing it to lose balance and fall to the ground. As Simon got himself and Natsuki up, he could hear a cacophony of snarls and screeches echoing from down the road. Simon pointed to the section of brick fence surrounding the right side of the front garden.
"Get to cover, now!"
Simon and Natsuki rushed out of the alley with their guns in hand. Yuri was about to follow suit when she suddenly felt something pull at her left shin and cut into the skin that caused her to yell and stumble. She looked down in horror at creature, still living, with the chunk of flesh missing from its stomach, biting into her leg. Yuri then flinched as a pipe swung directly into the creature's head, causing bits of skull and flesh to fly out onto the pavement. Before she could even respond, Sayori helped Yuri back on her feet with one hand, while holding a bloody pipe in the other.
The brick fence was divided into sections of four pillars, which you could stand behind, and three small walls, which you could crouch behind. The middle of the fence curved around the border to the neighbouring house. Simon told Yuri to station herself at the curved corner of the fence and fire at any creatures that come into view. Natsuki was to take cover behind the pillar by the gate leading to the street and fire on any creatures that come into range. Sayori was to lay down between them behind the fence and keep her head down. Simon walked off into the street with his shotgun and took cover behind a car on the other side of the road. His plan was to fight them directly and draw their fire whilst the girls shot from the other side.
The team waited anxiously for around ten seconds. Then the sounds of footsteps and growling came to their ears. Sayori shook at the sound of Yuri firing her rifle. Several gunshots from out into the street could be heard, with the girls hearing one whizz above their heads. Natsuki, with her back to the pillar and her gun in both hands, turned and saw Simon run out from behind the car and disappear behind a row of tall hedges. The sound of a shotgun and pistols firing echoed from the street. Yuri fired her rifle again. She missed.
"Nats, there's one coming your way!"
Natsuki looked out onto the street but saw nothing. She then heard the sound of footsteps and a gibbering voice come from behind a car parked by the street just in front of her. A figure could be seen quickly shambling from the side windows. Natsuki wasted no time and fired at the figure. Glass shattered as the bullet went through both windows, the figure collapsed onto the ground, its torso visible from behind the front of the car.
Natsuki suddenly heard Yuri scream in pain and turned to her friend crouching in front of fence, grasping her bleeding forearm. Sayori was still staying low behind the fence next to her with her face, her hands clutching at her head. Just then a figure emerged from behind the fence and started firing over the wall. Natsuki heard a bullet whizz pass her as she quickly dived back behind the pillar. Another bullet hit the pillar and she felt it crack the brick behind her. Suddenly the sound of Sayori yelling was heard followed by the sound of something falling to the floor. Natsuki wasn't going to leave her friends behind, she turned around the pillar with her gun drawn.
She stood to see Sayori with her back to her standing over the now-laying humanoid creature, holding her pipe like a gold club. One fast swing sent bits of bone and flesh scattering and sticking to the wall next to Yuri, who watched in shock. Sayori then dropped her pipe and ran to Yuri, kneeling down beside her. Yuri, still clutching her wound, blinked a few times before facing Sayori.
"I-I'll be fine, Sayori, I was only grazed."
Sayori then turned and looked up at Natsuki. She saw that Sayori had a nasty-looking cut above her right eye, and it was bleeding badly, causing her to keep her eye closed.
It was just then they all realized how quiet it was. No sound of gunshots, or sight of monsters. Only the wind could be heard. Then Sayori pointed to a car on the other side of road with look of fear on her face.
"Over there!" She whispered.
Natsuki turned and saw a figure moving behind the car. With her gun ready, she positioned herself behind the pillar. The figure could be seen emerging from behind the car from the corner of her eye. She was just about to open fire when the figure suddenly collapsed onto the street. Natsuki turned to look around the pillar.
"Simon!"
Natsuki quickly put her gun in her bag and ran towards him. The other girls followed suit. Natsuki knelt down next to Simon, who was laying face down, and saw that he was breathing. Sayori noticed spots of blood on the floor leading from Simon to behind the car. She followed the stains and looked around the car. There was a trail of blood spots along the whole street. She quickly ran back to Simon as Natsuki was trying to sit him up. That's when she noticed the bloody hole in his right shoe. Natsuki and Sayori sat him up next to the car. His breathing became steadier and Simon lifted his head. His face was pale. He looked at Natsuki with heavy eyes.
"Nats..." He mumbled.
"Simon! What happened?!"
"Foot… But they're all gone."
He then looked up at Yuri and Sayori.
"You're hurt, you need-"
Natsuki grabbed his shoulder and looked at him sternly.
"We need to sort you out first, Simon! Look at yourself."
"Sayori and I can help each other out. But you need all the help you can get."
Simon looked back at Natsuki. He gave weak smile.
"Okay… But be quick, we need to get to the house."
Whilst Yuri and Sayori tended to each other, Natsuki knelt down next to Simon and placed his right foot on her lap. She felt a chill when saw the hole in the bottom of his shoe. She started removing his shoe. He winced in pain as she did so. His sock was partially soaked in blood, this was removed also. It was bad. The bullet had passed through the top of Simon's foot and went out the other side. The hole itself was small and narrow but there was no way he could be walk like this. Natsuki took the set of first aid equipment from Simon's bag got out a small towel and cleaned the blood off his foot. Then she wrapped his foot in a thick layer of gauze. Just as she was finishing up the other girls walked up to them. Sayori had a square bandage above her right eye and Yuri was rolling her sleeve down her bandaged arm. As Simon was in no condition to walk, both Yuri and Sayori held him on either side and helped him up the street. Natsuki had wanted to help him but was too short to support his height. She took to walking in front and being the lookout.
Eventually they came across the row of tall hedges separated by small iron gate. They passed through and were greeted to the sight of an open meadow separated by a tall fence on the right side and rows of tall trees showing glimpses of the countryside between them on the left. In the centre of the grassy field stood a small modernist house, it had an angled roof and wide windows, with a stone path leading to the gate. The sun at this point was disappearing behind the horizon, and a blue twilight loomed over the meadow. The team followed the path to the house, Simon's good foot tapping against the stone tiles. They arrived at the porch. The door was open.