Hive Of the Dead

Demons are Black

**Chapter 6: Demons are Black**

Just when I thought I had someone other than Aunt Vera, it turns out he is just like her. I live in a world of monsters.

With the stick in his hand, he hit my arm with so much force that I fell down holding it. "Please!" I pleaded as he lifted the stick up again. "I want you to remember this, so that even when I am gone you won't misbehave with just your aunty," he said and forcefully rested the stick on my face. I fell down again crying seriously.

I touched my face and looked at my hand, and in it was blood. "Help!!!" I cried out. "Who do you expect to hear and help you, the zombies?" he asked as he and Aunt Vera began to laugh. "Go to sleep my friend," he said and hit me again, this time with the stick to my head. As soon as the stick landed I fell down and slowly lost consciousness.

When I opened my eyes, it was morning. Although the sun was not fully out, I could tell from the brightness that it was morning. I picked myself up not without a little bit of struggle. It felt like my arm's bone was shattered by the hit from the stick.

I fell back down with my eyes closed. I opened them and realized I was face to face with the snake's huge hole. I tried crawling in, in search of another snake, even as my arm hurt. I honestly did not care if the other would be more aggressive or less tolerable than the last. What did I have to lose?

On going halfway, I saw something stand out from the dirt. It was multicolored but more of white though. I picked it up and held it. It was quite smooth. "Derick!!" I heard Aunt Vera call. I quickly crept out of the hole. "What were you doing in there?" she asked as I came out of the hole. "I was..." I said. "He was getting us breakfast," the dark dude who seemed to have passed the night in our hole said, looking at my hand. "It has been a while since I ate snake egg," he said as he walked to where I was. "Hand it over!" he commanded. I looked at the egg and then at him. He grabbed it and slapped me immediately. "Rule number 1: when I give you an instruction, you do it without contemplating!" he said as I landed on the floor. Unlike Aunt Vera's slaps, there was something about his that made my bones hurt.

I touched my face and on my hand was blood. He seemed to have reopened the wound he initially created yesterday. "Vera darling, would you do me a solid and cook up this egg while I find a way to de-skin the dead momma!" he said and turned to the dead snake. "Derick dear, go get us water. Make sure you don't take too long outside. If you do there will be consequences!" he said and walked to Aunt Vera.

I sat down there looking at my bloody palm. "What are you still doing there!" he bellowed, and I stood up immediately and began to climb. "Now that he is out, can we get another round in," I heard Aunt Vera say.

Another round of what? I thought as I looked around for any monsters, or zombies as the grown ups call them. I got out still searching my mind for what 'another round' could mean. What are they hiding from me?

I finally arrived at the stream with the water bottle in my hand. "I knew you would come," I heard the voice of the old man as I bent down to fetch the water. "I have to get home on time," I said to him as I began to walk away. He held me by my arm. "Ahhh!" I exclaimed in pain as I gently tried to pull my arm away. "What's wrong?" he asked, surprised by my reaction. "It's nothing," I said trying to conceal the truth from him. "Young Derick!" he said gently touching my hand which appeared small and weak in his big old and soft hand. "Let me help you," he replied. I thought for a while. "Okay," I said as I let him look at the hand. "My wife made a really nice soup, filled with meat. Won't you like to eat that while I take care of your hurting arm and shoulder," he said. I thought about the new guy and Aunt Vera. Whatever it is they are hiding, they would not want me to know, so I guess I can take a little longer.

"What's that?" I asked staring at the sticks he used yesterday to kill the zombies. "They are called arrows, and this is a bow," he explained raising them up. "Could you teach me how to use them?" I enquired. "Sure!" he replied happily.

We got to his house. He opened the door. "Claire dear! Come see who I found again!" he added. "Derick!!" she said aloud as she came to hug me. For the first time in a long time I felt home again. I felt almost the way I did with Mom. The peace, the love, the comfort. All that was amiss was the familiarity, which I believe will grow with time.

"Get him something to eat please," he added. "On it dear!" she said as she walked away. "Let's see," he said pointing a torch to my shoulder. "Alright then, just wait right here!" he said and he walked away.

I sat on their soft chair once again. So soft it can be mistaken for a bed. It is so nice and comfortable. I cannot remember what Mom called it, but I remembered seeing the same in one of the books Mom taught me from. I rested my back on it and closed my eyes.

When I opened my eyes, I was already deep into the afternoon, sunny and all. My shoulders had a white cloth on it and the same substance was felt on my face. "What is this?" I asked as I touched my shoulder. "It's called a bandage," the old man said seated facing me. "Claire dear, you can bring it now, he is awake!" he said aloud. "Okay dear!" she yelled back.

"Thank you!" I said looking out the window. "Aunt Vera and the black uncle are going to kill me, but I was hungry. I bet what they were trying to hide from me must have been food." In a short while the food was brought for me, sweetly scenting as always. I took the first bite of the meat as they both looked at me. "How was it?" Mrs. Claire asked as I continued eating. "It's really nice," I replied smiling.

After awkwardly being watched eating, I got up and was ready to leave. "You are going already?" Mrs. Claire said staring at me. "Yes ma," I said as I picked up my water bottle and began heading home. "If you stay a little longer, I'll teach you how to use the bow and arrows," the old man said as soon as I walked out the door. I stood for a while contemplating. When one of his so called arrows flew past me and got stuck to the tree in front of me. "Wow!" I exclaimed amused. "The key is in the hold, here," he said as he handed it to me. What a clever old man. He lowered my chances of rejecting his offer.

I took the bow from his hand and dropped my water bottle on the floor just by the door. "Here's an arrow," he said handing me a stick with a pointy mouth. I took it and was looking at it. "What you do is put the blunt, that is not so sharp side against the rope, then partially rest the front on the bow," he said and I did as described. "Not so," he said assisting me with it. "Good," he added as soon as I got it. "Now pull the blunt end and the rope back, and look for what you want to shoot at!" he said. "It's difficult," I said struggling with the rope. "Relax Derick, stop fighting with it," he said and assisted me with the placing and pull. "Look forward," he said. "Aim for the tree," he added. "Let go!" he yelled and I did immediately. The arrow flew out of the bow and went straight to the ground, and the old man began to laugh. "It's not funny!" I said quite disappointed by my performance. "It's okay, young Derick. No one gets it on their first trial!" he replied. "Except my grandson June," he said in a depressing tone. I looked at his face as sadness slowly built on it. "It's ok March," Mrs. Claire said trying to comfort him. "I have to go!" I said noticing the awkwardness of the moment. "I'll come with!" Mr. March said.

At first I was reluctant but had to give in, noticing how much time I had spent out. He probably would be able to convince Aunt Vera and her guardian demon.

We walked together, led by me. We arrived at the hole. "This is it!" I said. "This is what?" Mr. March asked. "My house," I said as we walked closer. "You live here?" he asked looking into the hole. "Yes!" I replied as I began to climb down.

"Again!" the dark guy said immediately he set his eyes on me. "I can explain!" I said confidently as he walked closer to me. I stared at his broad chest, some weirdly shaped cubes on his tummy. They all became more visible as he spoke. "What did I tell you in the morning?" he asked as he raised his hand about to hit me. "Who put a bandage on your shoulder?" he asked. "I did!" Mr. March said as he finally arrived at the floor. "So this is where you live?" he said looking around. "Who's the old man?" he asked looking at me. "He's my friend," I replied. "I am March," he said putting his hands forward. "Why are you here?" the dark dude asked. "I just escorted him home," he replied. "Where's the water bottle?" Aunt Vera asked. "It's...it's," I said as I looked around myself. "Gosh! You left it again!" Aunt Vera said aloud, and before I could utter a word I received a slap from the dark guy.

"Why would you do that?" Mr. March said aloud. "I'll do whatever I want to discipline this young lad," he said as he walked to where I lay on the floor crying. "Stop!" Mr. March barked at him. "Or what?" the dark dude turned to face Mr. March. "Let's go Derick," Mr. March said to me and held me by my arm. "He is not going anywhere!" the dark guy said in a violent tone. "I can't leave him here! I can't leave him here for you and this witch to maltreat," Mr. March said still pulling me. "Who are you calling a witch?" Aunt Vera asked aloud. "You. Weren't you guys the ones who gave him these scars? Even if this black man was the only one that did it, you are a woman. A real woman has compassion, and would beg for a child. So the fact remains you aren't a woman, you are a witch!" Mr. March said obviously from a lost temper. "That's enough old man," the dark dude said and brought the knife out of Mr. March's tummy. I did not see when the knife went in, but I did see it coming out. "Mr. March!!!" I screamed as I ran towards him, holding him as he fell on the floor. "Ugh!" he coughed. "Mr. March!" I said touching his face. I honestly did not know what to do or say. "Shhhh," he hushed, smiled and coughed out some more blood. "Give this to Claire," he whispered and pulled his necklace. "But till then, put it on," he said and his eyes closed. "Mr. March!!" I yelled. "Mr. March!!!" I continued yelling and crying, trying to pull him up. "Zombies!!!" Aunt Vera yelled. I turned around to see, and to make matters worse there they were, fallen into our hole.

To be continued.....