Let Me Out

by A H Alhaila

  “He fell.”, said Joanna.

  “I can’t see him, where is he?”, said Steven.

  “He couldn’t have transformed into one of them so fast.”, said Joanna as she looked for Brian.

  Steven was able to find Brian under the creatures due to the bright clothes he was wearing. “Shut up you idiot!”, said Steven to Daniel. “You’re making them step on him even more.”, he added.

  Steven pulled Danial backwards and asked everyone to draw the creatures’ attention elsewhere. “The creatures are stepping on Brian. We have to draw them away from him.”, he said.

  Brian was finally seen lying on the floor with his father’s body along with the bodies of two creatures, after the group did what Steven had asked of them. “Did they wrap their hair around his head?”, asked Steven, after not finding an explanation.

  “This idiot knows the answer.”, said Joanna while looking at Elma.

  Steven followed Joanna as she went towards Elma and tugged her by her clothes. “Did they wrap their hair around Brian’s head?”, she asked.

  Elma continued to weep which made Joanna shout. “We want to correct your mistake, but you keep wasting our time! Answer me! Did they wrap their hair around Brian’s head?”, said Joanna.

  “Yes, they did.”, said Elma as she continued to cry.

  “Didn’t you say he freed himself quickly?”, asked Joanna.

  “Yes, he did.”, said Elma.

  “When he fell, did they also wrap their hair around him?”, asked Joanna.

  “No.”, said Elma.

  “He fought with only one creature?”, asked Joanna.

  “That’s right.”, said Elma.

  “The creatures didn’t attack Alexander when we threw his dead body off the roof. Does that mean Brian’s dead?”, asked Steven.

  Joanna looked at Brian and said, “There’s no sign of blood. I think he’s breathing. I can see his belly slightly moving.”, she added.

  “Has he lost his vision like Mr. William and doesn’t matter to them anymore?”, said Steven.

  “Perhaps.”, said Joanna. “I think the creature fainted because of bumping its head into Brian’s.”, she added.

  “Makes sense.”, said Steven. “That means Brian’s okay. Neither dead nor transformed.”, he added.

  “Yes. But how can we help him?”, asked Joanna.

  “Mr. William won’t be able to drag him back in here.”, said Steven.

  “I thought of Mr. William too.”, said Joanna, nodding her head.

  “It was just a thought.”, said Steven. “Brian seems close to the gate. Do you think we can pull him in?”, he added.

  “But we will be in trouble if they feel our presence.”, said Joanna.

  “Should we use the car?”, asked Steven.

  “I see no other way.”, said Joanna.

  Steven then went to ask who had the keys which he finally got. “What’s the plan?”, Max asked Steven.

  “I need your help.”, said Steven.

  Max hesitated for a moment then said, “Okay.”.

  Steven turned to Joanna and said, “You stay here and keep in contact with whoever will open the door for us after we get Brian.”.

  “Okay.”, said Joanna.

  Steven asked the doctor, Victor, to be the person in charge of opening the garage door after they successfully get Brian. He gave him the keys and headed towards the basement parking lot. Steven them took out the car keys and used the car alarm to find it. He got into it with Max and they both headed quickly towards the gate. When Victor opened the doors, Steven drove slowly until the car had become in the middle of the road, some creatures ran towards them. “Do you see what I’m seeing?”, said Max.

  “Don’t worr …”. Steven couldn’t finish his sentence as the creatures crashed the car windows.

  Victor watched everything as it happened. Steven could not reverse the car back into the garage of the creatures still present on the car which could put everyone’s life at risk. Everyone heard the loud sound of the tires spinning outside which startled them. “Everybody stay where you are and don’t look at anything.”, said Joanna.

  Joanna went to look towards the other side of the building from the fence. She saw that the car had just turned around the building. Joanna kept following them from the roof while some creatures got on top of the car. Joanna got extremely worried about what was going on. Meanwhile, Victor came up to the roof to tell them what was happening. “Quick go back down and open the door when we tell you.”, said Joanna. Victor hurried back to his position as Joanna waited for her father. Steven kept driving around the building as Adam went to Joanna and said, “Your father is driving around in circles … what are we going to do?”.

  “I think he’s trying to tell us something.”, said Joanna.

  “I believe he cannot do what he set out to do and so he’s just circling the building trying to find the best moment to go in.”, replied Joseph interrupting them.

  “Are you saying we should open the doors for him?”, asked Joanna.

  “Yes, but I think he wants us to use be armed and wait in the garage. Some creatures are bound to come in.”, said Joseph.

  Joanna was convinced by Joseph and so she went to some of the group members to tell them to be armed, while she asked others to give them of Steven’s updates. As they went to the first floor to get armed, a lady who was sitting with Oliver sensed that something was happening. “What’s going on?”, she asked Joanna.

  “Don’t worry.”, replied Joanna.

  Everyone was armed and read and so they headed towards the garage doors. They stood in front of the doors. At the same time, Steven was circling in the car when he said, “I hope they understand what I meant.”.

  Each time they circled around the building, Max would look towards the garage door but couldn’t see anyone there. “They didn’t get it! … We’re doomed.”, said Max.

  During one of the turns, Max took a look at the garage and found them standing on one side of it, fully armed and prepared. “They understood it! They got it!”, said Max joyfully.

  “Okay. Get ready! This is our last lap around the building.”, said Steven. “We will get out through my door only. Not yours.”, he added. Max did not know why Steven said that, but he knew that he had to do it.

  “Get ready everyone!”, said Joanna.

  Steven reached midway through his final lap when he looked at those on the roof and gave them a signal to open the door. They in turn communicated it to Victor who opened the door, as the group were ready to go into battle. Seconds passed like hours at the point when the suddenly saw the front of the car enter the garage doors, heading down towards them. The car skid towards the side and came to a halt, blocking the entrance of the door. Steven and Max came out of the car through Stevens door, which he did in order to stall the creatures with the car. Joanna told them to close the doors and the garage doors started coming down slowly, giving enough time for Steen and Max to throw themselves under the doors, entering the building. However, three creatures managed to enter as well. After they had shot them dead almost instantly, Steven asked everyone to head upstairs to distract the creatures towards the other side so that they do not break down the garage doors. The basement was empty after everyone had headed up towards the roof, distracting to creatures away from the doors. Steven sat down with the others and said, “I think we should all have tinted cars otherwise we will be attacked!”.

  “At least now we are sure of it.”, said Joanna.

  “Has Brian woken up?”, asked Joseph.

  “Not yet.”, said Joanna.

  Steven started discussing the theories he and his daughter came up with as Victor and Adam were listening. “If you think he’s now blind and the creatures won’t harm him, then why did you want to rescue him so badly?” You should have waited for him to wake up and come to us like the blind old man did.”, said Joseph.

  “Losing his sight was uncertain.”, interrupted Victor. “We had to rescue him in case he has a
facture, or a broken bone of some sort and he wouldn’t be able to save himself when he awakes.”, he added.

  “We though helping him would be easier than to wait for him to wake up.”, said Steven. “All we had to do was park the car next to him and pull him in. We’ve cruised through the creatures without harm before. This time, it was different.”, he added.

  “He just moved!”, shouted some people standing around Brian.

  Everyone stood up quickly and Steven asked them to draw the creatures away from Brian. Steven and Joanna kept watching Brian as the group distracted the creatures. They saw him move his legs and put his hands on his head where he hit. He opened his eyes and found himself looking towards the sky with Steven and Joanna’s eyes looking directly at him. He turned to look around him and remembered what had happened. He wanted to get up but was afraid he would draw the attention of the creatures. Joanna then noticed one of the creatures as it looked at Brian noticing him and said to herself, “They can see!”.

  “Get up and run!”, said Joanna. “One of them is coming for you!”, she added.

  Brian got up and ran towards the main door as soon as he saw the creature heading towards him. Some creatures who were in the building came out of the main entrance which made him run away, making the creatures chase him. Brian started jumping over the cars and grabbed on to one of the street lamps, which he used to jump onto a store. The creatures surrounded the store as Brian laid on his back on the roof of the store to rest. After the breath-taking and thrilling incidents, everyone felt comfortable when they knew he was safe.

  “The creature wasn’t blind!”, said Joseph surprised.

  “Maybe they didn’t attack to him because he was unconscious?”, said Joanna.

  “Maybe!”, replied Steven.

  “Don’t give up brother!”, said Daniel.

  “Brian! Watch out!”, shouted Daniel. “Some creatures are climbing up to you.”, he added.

  Brian sensed his end was near. In an attempt to save himself, he looked upwards towards them and asked for a rope; but they did not have a rope other than the one that was cut. The group kept encouraging him however Brian felt that this was it. Joanna made everyone be quiet and said, “Brian listen to me carefully.”. “Don’t look directly at them and believe me you will get through this. Understand?”, she added.

  “Yes.”, replied Brian as the creatures drew closer to him.

  Joanna kept talking, using her hands to explain. “Put your hands on the sides of your throat and push inwards hard.”. Brian imitated Joanna and did what she asked. “Keep putting pressure on the veins.”, she added.

  He kept doing what Joanna had asked him to do, standing there looking at the group and especially his brother as they looked back at him. that’s when some creatures got to him and jumped on him, knocking him to the floor, covering him up entirely. Everyone was silent, shocked at what they had just seen, as some started crying for what has happened to him. Daniel broke down completely as Max and Steven went to console him. Joanna kept her eyes set on the creatures which started slowly moving away from Brian, without wrapping their hair around him. Instead, the creatures kept looking towards the sky, not paying attention to Brian. “He’s okay!”, shouted Joanna joyfully.

  Everyone came to look as Joanna said, “They moved away from him quickly. He’s lying on the floor which means he’s unconscious and they didn’t wrap their hair around him.”.

  Everyone felt overwhelmed with happiness, especially Daniel whose happiness is indescribable.

  “Well done Joanna.”, said Max excitedly.

  “Quick we don’t have much time.”, said Joanna.

  Joanna was able to provide a few more minutes for Brian so that when he wakes up, he could enter the building without being harmed by any of the creatures inside the building, on the ground floor.

  Realizing there wasn’t much time, Steven found that there was only one solution. “We don’t have much time. I want two groups to distract the creatures away from Brian and away from the doors.”, said Steven. “I want someone to hold a bottle of water, who we will signal to pour onto Brian’s face, after we’re done clearing the ground floor from the creatures.”, he added.

  The task of pouring the water on Brian’s face went to Sam while Adam was the one who would signal Sam. Joseph was in charge of the two groups who were going to distract the creatures away from Brian. Steven, Joanna, Max, and Victor’s tasks, along with a few others, was to clear the ground floor. Everyone took their positions quickly and started doing their tasks. Steven and those with him went down to the first floor and asked some to take up strategic positions and shoot any creature who follows them on their way back to the stairs. Steven then went down to the ground floor along with a few others. Some of them became hesitant and asked Steven if they could be with those in the first floor instead. “Okay, but you know what you’re doing right?”, said Steven.

  “Shoot any creature that follows you!”, they replied.

  He told them to leave as only Steven, Joanna, Max and Victor were left to face the creatures. In an attempt to make everyone feel better, Steven said, “Just think of it as a video game!”.

  “Except if we die, we won’t be able to “Restart”. It would be “Game Over!””.

  Joanna laughed, and Steven said, “My daughter and I will be in the front, fighting with our swords. You cover us. Get ready, I’m opening the doors.”.

  Steven kicked the door with all his might, opening it, hitting a creature that was behind it, sending it flying away. “Too easy … this one is yours Max.”, said Joanna.

  Max smiled understanding what she had meant before fishing the creature off. They all started brutally fighting the creatures on the ground floor. Steven and Joanna fought harmoniously until they reached the door. They sent out the signal for them tell Sam to pour the water over Brian’s face. As soon as Brian woke up, Joseph said, “Get up quick and head into the building. The road is cleared.”.

  As soon as Brian had got up and entered the building, he saw Steven just leaving it, signaling him to come to him quickly. Brian jumped onto one of the cars, which grabbed the attention of the creatures that started running towards him. They all started to retreat as the creatures chased after them, out numbering them. Brian was dazzled at what was happening that everything passed by him in slow motion. He saw Joanna telling him to hurry and the group shooting the creatures from the first floor. Brian fell just before they reached the doors, which made Steven have to go back to drag him in. They kept running until they made it in and Victor slammed the door shut behind them. Luckily, they lived through it, thanks to the group that was firing from above, staling the creatures. Everyone then sat on the stairs to catch their breath. “Did you at least get the keys?”, said Max.

  “Yes, I did”, said Brian, raising his hands with the keys tied on a rubber band to his fingers.

  “Good because I would have killed you if you didn’t.”, said Max.

  Max’s reaction made Joanna laugh. During that time, the group gathered at the stairs to check on everyone. “Is everybody okay?”, said Joseph.

  “Yes. Thanks for helping us.”, replied Steven.

  Daniel and his brother were reunited but did not show that warm brotherly hug, even though everyone expected to see it.

  They all went upstairs as they talked about the excitement that happened and how Brian escaped their grasps. “We have to keep an eye on you along with Mr. William.”, said Steven.

  “Who’s Mr. William?”, said Brian.

  “The blind old man.”, replied Steven.

  “Okay.”, said Brian.

  Brian headed towards Mr. William and sat next to him. When Joanna came, she saw that Mr. William was still asleep despite the gunshots. “He’s a heavy sleeper. Doesn’t seem like he’ll wake up soon.”

  Steven, Joseph, Adam, and Max went to Joanna. “You saved Brian in the last moment.”, said Steven.

  “How did you manage to do that so quickly?”, said Adam.


  “Thanks to their stupidity. When Brian fell and passed out, the creatures didn’t care much for him. I just made him pass out again to keep them away from him. You see! Sometimes stupidity actually pays off.”, said Joanna.

  “So, they don’t take notice to the blind, the dead, or the unconscious!”, said joseph.

  “That’s what we know so far.”, said Joanna.

  “That’s good progress!”, said Steven.

  “Joseph saved you again when you guys were circling the building.”, said Adam.

  “Was he the one who understood what I meant?”, asked Steven.

  “Yes, he was. After that, we were armed and headed to the garage door.”, said Adam.

  “Thank you, Joseph, for always being there.”, said Steven

  “Don’t mention it.”, replied Joseph.

  Chapter Thirteen

  The Spoof!

  “Is he still asleep?”, said Steven to Joanna after looking at Mr. William.

  “I guess he’s a heavy sleeper.”, said Joanna.

  “Very heavy … Excuse me, I’ll go to Oliver.”, said Adam.

  Adam left, so did Joseph while Max stayed with Steven and Joanna. “Is there anything in the books that describes these creatures?”, said Steven to Joanna.

  “You know, the books have become useless because they only discuss the matter in a general way. I will keep on reading but for now, we have to find out everything ourselves.”, replied Joanna.

  “You’re right.”, said Steven. “We’re lucky we found some information about them already.”, he added.

  “The only benefit of the books was finding my mother’s letter.”, said Joanna. “Maybe we will know what she means by it soon.”, she added.

  “What message?”, said Max.

  “The message we’ve found in one of the books. However, some of the letters are not clear after Alexander attacked Joanna.”, replied Steven.