Hive Of the Dead

New Faces

**Chapter 5: New Faces**

She walked closer and I backed up to the wall of the hole, feeling the dirt against my back. She lifted the axe up and I closed my eyes.

I felt bad not because I was about to die, but because of what was about to kill me. Mom's help had backfired.

I heard the sound of the axe as it landed on the ground. The sound it made from the strike sent the hairs on my neck standing all the way down to my feet.

"If you ever go out without my permission, or spend longer than ten minutes outside, whether I am awake or asleep, I will make sure I send you to your mom, and trust me, just like her, you will not be in one piece,"

she said and left the axe sticking in the ground.

"Now answer my questions. Where are your clothes?"

she said as she put her walking stick in her right hand.

"...I...I left them by the stream,"

I replied.

"Why?"

she asked furiously.

"I saw an old man,"

I replied, about to explain further when she shut me up by shouting,

"Because you saw an old man you decided to leave your clothes in the stream?"

"But...but..."

I stammered and was interrupted with her stick on my head.

"Shut up! Your clothes are your business. At night when you get cold make sure you keep quiet about it, because if I hear a word you will be sleeping outside,"

she said and hit my head with the stick again.

"Where is my water?"

she asked.

"I...I...left it...too,"

I said slowly as I closed my eyes.

"You better not repeat that rubbish. Go back there and get it,"

she said.

"But Aunt Vera,"

I said, really scared to even go out, let alone to the stream.

"Leave!!"

she yelled, raising her stick, and I quickly but reluctantly climbed up the ladder. I looked around for a couple of minutes, longer than I normally do, and then got out of the hole.

I walked cautiously till I got close to the stream. I stood and observed the area for a while. There was nobody there. I slowly walked closer. My clothes lay slightly away from the stream's shore close to a tree. I walked there and picked them up, and immediately turned to the water bottle which was not so far from the tree either. I was grappled by a net which closed me in and took me up.

I began to struggle to get out of it.

"It is okay, little man!"

I heard a voice as the old man walked out from behind the tree.

"Let me go!!!"

I yelled at him.

"Why?"

he asked.

"So I can go home,"

I replied.

"Home?"

he said and paused.

"Yes! Home,"

I replied.

Then it came to me that I had a knife strapped to my leg. I quickly brought it out and began to cut the ropes binding the net.

"What a clever little boy,"

he said. I ignored him and continued cutting the rope with all concentration.

"What is a young man like you doing alone in a place like this?"

he asked. I said nothing. After successfully cutting one rope, but not without stress, stress so much that I contemplated cutting the next rope.

"Are not you hungry?"

he asked. To be honest, I was kind of hungry, but if I followed him, Aunt Vera was going to kill me.

"Just say yes and I will let you down, and we would go to my house and get you something really nice to eat. Do not stress yourself with those ropes, they are too thick for you to cut them all in a day even,"

he added, and I rested in it quietly, considering his offer.

Suddenly, the net started coming down.

"I do not want to hurt you,"

he said as I and the net finally arrived on the floor.

"What do you want?"

I asked, less scared but in a hostile manner.

"I just want to know a little more about you, that is all,"

he replied as he gave me a hand to stand up. I looked at it for a moment and then at his old face.

"Trust me,"

he added. I grabbed his hand and he pulled me up.

"What happened?"

he asked, looking at my wounded shoulder.

"It is nothing,"

I said, trying to act strong. I wore my clothes and took Aunt Vera's water bottle as I followed the old man.

"Why is it upside down?"

he asked.

"It is broken,"

I replied.

"Let me see,"

he added as he stretched his hand towards it. I gave it to him and he began to look at it strangely.

"Let's get home. I will see if it can be mended,"

he replied.

"Mended?"

I said, obviously doubting.

"Do not worry, you will see,"

he added as we kept on walking.

"Shhh,"

he hushed and bent down, pulling me down as well. He brought out the stick he had bent with the aid of a rope, and then brought out the sticks he kept in the cup-like bag strapped to his waist.

"Lay low,"

he said as he fixed a stick on the rope that bound each end of the longer stick together. He pulled the stick he had fixed on the rope backwards, and the rope went back with it. I carefully watched the act, bewildered, and in a moment I began to hear the sound of their growling. I wondered how he knew they were around and the direction they were going to be coming from.

In a moment three showed their ugly faces, and with a speed I had never seen in my life, this man let go of the rope and the stick, and the stick alone flew towards one of the monster's eyes and went through its head. It held its head and fell back to the ground.

What I saw amazed me. Unlike mom's gun, not a single sound was heard. He turned to the other and did the exact same thing in an abnormal speed. The final one was closer. This time he brought out a cutlass he had strapped to the other side of his waist and struck this one's head, and it split into two.

I watched in awe still on the floor. This old man had just killed three of these monsters without breaking a sweat. He picked me back up and gave me a warm smile.

"Sorry you had to see that,"

he added as he pulled one by the leg, and we continued walking.

We walked a little further and arrived at the man's house, the same house I had earlier seen, the one which had the old lady in it. We walked closer and the smell of something nice and edible got a lot stronger, but I was reluctant to follow the old man in. He turned to me, seemingly noticing the resistance I was putting up.

"Do not be scared, come with me,"

he said, walked to the door and opened it.

"Claire, it is me,"

he said as we both walked in.

"Of course it is. How many times do I have to tell you that the zombies do not know how to open the door,"

she replied.

"It is the young man from before. How funny fate is,"

she said and stood from her chair, walking towards me.

"What is your name?"

she asked.

"Derick,"

I replied.

"What a nice name. You can call me Mrs. Claire,"

she added as she walked away.

"Claire dear, bring something for the young man to eat,"

he said aloud.

"On it!"

she added.

"Let me go take a look at his water bottle,"

he said, looking at the water bottle.

"Make yourself at home,"

he said and walked away.

On sitting down I had a clearer and more open mind. I began to see and take note of things I usually did not. I realized that the house was not so big, but was kind of like the houses Mom used to show me when I was little.

"Derick!"

Mrs. Claire said as she came in with a plate of something steamy hot and smelling tasty.

"I hope you do not mind the heat,"

she said as she placed it on the table. I honestly could not remember the last time I ate something hot.

I held a fork for the first time as I stared at the food. Mom never taught me how to use this. It was either a spoon or our hands, but I believed the same principle applied.

"Having any problems?"

she asked.

"No,"

I said as I stared at the food, leaves and small chunks of meat cut all over it.

I took the first bite and noticed the indisputable difference between it and the food I had been eating all my life. It was perfect. I knew Aunt Vera was going to kill me after this but any death I got after eating this was worth it. In a few minutes I was done and the old man was back with my water bottle filled to the brim and no longer leaking at the bottom.

"Thank...you,"

I said and stood up.

"I have to go,"

I said to them.

"Go where?"

the old man and lady chorused.

"Home,"

I replied.

"Where is your house?"

the man asked and looked at his wife.

"I do not want you to come,"

I said and ran out of the house so I would not be chased.

"At least let me help you treat your shoulder wound,"

the old man said aloud from the door where he stood. I ignored him and continued running off.

I got back to the hole with the water bottle fixed and filled to the brim. I stood in front as I imagined what Aunt Vera was going to do to me when I got down there. But no matter how long I waited she would still do what she wanted, probably worse if I stayed out longer.

I was about going into the hole when I saw someone coming out of it. I walked back shocked.

"You must be Derick,"

the dark and really thick guy said as he walked out with a headless monster on his shoulder. It must have been the one I killed.

"Why would you leave Aunt all alone?"

he asked as I stared at him confused.

"I...I..."

I stammered as I looked at his big arms.

"Go in, she has been worried sick about you,"

he added.

I went down as I was told, still wondering how this guy found our hideout. Although it was quite open, I was not sure Mom thought this totally through. She probably had plans to get us out of here after a period of time, or make a door. That seemed to be the case. From the things she had stored here, it seemed she planned to make this a permanent house.

I got down to Aunt Vera.

"Kneel down!"

she said in a very husky tone.

"You are way too stubborn for my liking,"

she said as she walked closer to me, who was already on my knees and shaking.

"Vera!"

the guy said as he came down the ladder.

"Yes?"

Aunt Vera replied in a slightly higher pitch, quite polite.

"What is wrong?"

he asked.

"It is this good-for-nothing little boy who keeps getting on my nerves,"

she replied as the guy finally got down from the ladder.

"I sent him to get me water. The first time he broke the water bottle, the second he came back empty handed and now he has wasted more than an hour,"

she replied in a childish manner. Not sure why she was doing that.

"Is that true Derick?"

the dark guy asked.

"Is not that true Derick?"

Aunt Vera asked, looking at me in the eyes.

"I..I.."

I stammered as always, scared to say a word that would make Aunt Vera kill me.

"That means Aunt Vera is right, and I do not like stubborn boys,"

the dark dude said and took the stick from Aunt Vera and walked towards me. Aunt Vera smiled devilishly as she looked at everything. I guess Aunt Vera has got her own guardian demon.

To be continued.....