Hive Of the Dead

Premonition

**Chapter 1: Premonition**

Hiding and running has become the order of the day.

Bunch of brainless goons everywhere. Some having no arms, legs or penises even. I wonder how they pee.

Weirdos of different sizes and behaviors.

All they do is drool and eat.

No one knows where they came from or how they keep multiplying, so all I can tell you is how their first arrival was.

I was very little at the time of the incident. My mom on the other hand was not.

Here is what she told me.

It rained heavily that day and the sun had been long hidden in the clouds.

The heavy rainfall soon graduated to a storm, and the storm to tornadoes, and tornadoes to lightning strikes.

Soon, people started evacuating their cars and running for shelter.

Then the first of these beasts appeared in the midst of this pandemonium, at least the first my mom saw.

It appeared to be an old man, an old man under the heavy rain walking sluggishly as though all the strength he had had been sucked out of him.

Mom wanted to help but could not because she held onto cold me as tight as she could in her arms, so she called out to dad who was looking for a way for us to get out of there.

So dad went to get the old man out of the rain and that is how he left. He took the old man out and never came back.

Dad was a hero!

He saved the old man, I and mom that day.

Afterwards, these monsters occupied the city and for that reason we cannot go out. Only mom can. She goes out to bring us food.

"Derick, I do not think... I think your mom is not telling you the whole story,"

the new aunty said interrupting the wonderful story I was telling.

"What do you mean mom is not telling me the whole story? My mom would never lie!"

I replied angered by the new aunty's remark.

"I did not say she lied. I just said she is not telling you the whole story,"

she added.

"We have to go!"

Mom said as she rushed into the house panting with her gun in one hand and a loaf of bread in the other.

"But mom, I like it here!"

I replied not wanting to leave.

"Vera let's go!"

mom said bending down to support the new aunty whose leg was injured.

"Sweetie we have to go. The monsters know we are here..."

she added.

"But mom! Can't you drive them away with your gun like you always do!"

I said hesitant to leave.

"Not this time sweetie, they are too many! Trust me you are going to love where we are going!"

she replied.

Just then, we heard a bang on the door.

"Derick!!! Shut up and let's go!"

the new aunty yelled as I was about to speak.

She is new and already acting mean.

"Vera please do not talk to my son that way!"

mom said pissed.

"Why!! Why are you hiding the obvious truth from him?!"

she said aloud.

"I... there is no time for this! Derick let's go!"

mom replied as she struggled with the new aunty to the door.

We got out of the house through the back door.

It was night and the place was really dark.

"Derick dear, can you help mommy hold the torch?"

mom said handing me her over, from which I collected the torch.

I held the torch as we walked in the dark striding through the bushes.

"Where are we going mom?!"

I asked.

"Just up ahead!"

she replied as we continued moving forward.

"Mom, I am hungry,"

I said after we had walked some distance.

"Please wait a bit Derick, we would get there soon!"

mom replied.

"Shhhh,"

Mom uttered abruptly.

"Derick put off the torch!"

Mom whispered.

"Okay mommy,"

I whispered back and then put off the torch.

"Bend down!"

she added still whispering.

I soon started hearing the voices of these monsters as they got closer.

"Shhhh!"

mom hushed as quietly as possible. I understood, kept quiet and remained still.

We remained hidden, waited there for a while but these monsters refused to go away.

"They can smell us,"

mom whispered again.

"It is only a matter of time before they get to where we are. We have to get out of here,"

mom uttered silently as she looked around.

"Ahgghghghh!!"

one of the monsters uttered aloud.

"Let's go, let's go, let's go, let's go!!"

she shouted and we began to run.

"Mommy!!"

I cried on falling to the ground.

"Derick!!"

Mom called out as she ran back to where I was with Aunt Vera still on her shoulder.

I cried louder because the monster was closer to me than my mom was.

"Do not steal my mind!"

I screamed.

And immediately, there was a loud resounding shout from both the gun and the monster mom shot.

"Stay away from my child!"

she said handing the gun to Aunt Vera so she could pick me up.

Mom picked me and continued running.

Carrying I and Aunt Vera, as a multitude of these monsters followed closely behind.

I was getting cold... covered in the blood of the monster mom shot and the cold rain shower made things worse.

I had no idea where mom was taking us to, but I could not help but feel bad. I felt helpless and useless, like a burden that she cannot get rid of, and then there is mean Aunt Vera.

If only I was older and stronger, I would have helped mom.

But I am just 10! My hands are too small to hold a gun, my legs are too feeble to stand in front of these monsters, and my eyes are still too innocent to witness what they can do.

The running continued and suddenly she stopped.

Looked back and dropped Aunt Vera in a hole after collecting her gun from her.

Afterwards, she turned to me and said,

"Mommy loves you. Be a good kid... stay away from the monsters okay?!"

she said as she dropped me in the hole as well.

"Mom!!"

I cried as I fell in, landing on a bed.

The sound of mom's gun began to echo as I cried uncontrollably.

"Derick, shut up!"

Aunt Vera hushed.

This only made my crying worse.

I looked and saw the ladder to go back up and without hesitation began to climb back up.

"Derick! Derick stop it!"

Aunt Vera commanded but I refused to listen.

"Derick!"

Aunt Vera shouted and a slap followed, straight to my face as I fell off the ladder, crying a lot louder.

I stood up again, now more desperate to meet mom.

"Stop being stubborn!"

Aunt Vera said again, this time more mad than she was before. I ignored and held onto the ladder yet again.

Once again Aunt Vera's hand flew to my face, another resounding slap.

"Why would you slap him?!"

I woke up hearing mom's voice.

"He was being stubborn!"

Aunt Vera yelled back.

"His mom was outside battling with monsters, and you expect him to stay calm!"

she replied.

"Yes!! Considering how much you have brainwashed him. Does he even know what these monsters are really capable of?!"

Aunt Vera asked.

"To some extent he does!"

mom replied with her voice slightly lowered.

"Why to some extent?! Why not everything!"

Aunt Vera asked.

"He is just 10! His hands are too small to hold a gun, his legs are too feeble to stand in front of these monsters and his eyes are still too innocent to witness what they can do,"

mom replied her with what she always tells me.

"And still too young to know his father is dead?!"

Aunt Vera asked and mom became quiet.

"How am I supposed to tell him that?! How am I supposed to tell my son that his father was eaten by these monsters!"

mom said as she broke down in tears.

These monsters ate dad?

I thought she said he took the old man out of the rain and left a hero...

But... but come to think of it, was not the old man a monster in the story?

I thought as I tried to stay quiet while crying, so mom and aunt would not know I was awake.

"You should have just told him... it will make matters a lot easier. He will not be acting the way he does if he knows what these things really do!"

Aunt Vera replied.

"I know my son, he is very stubborn. But even though that is how he is, I still love the fact that he is not really scared of these monsters. If he knows what they really do and what they did to his father he would be terrified. His bravery is all that matters for now, that is what I am trying to maintain. Do you know how many times I have caught him attempting to sneak out with my gun in search of these monsters? I cannot go through the pain of losing someone again. I will keep it all away from him for the rest of our lives if I can, just to keep him safe,"

mom explained.

"So are you guys to live and die on the same day?"

she said and paused.

"Is it that you just do not want to see him die with your eyes? So whatever happens to him after your death does not matter? Do you not love him?"

Aunt Vera questioned mom endlessly.

"I love my son just like I did his father! And now he is all that I have left of the both of them. More than often he reminds me of his father which is quite comforting for me. I feel like he is still with me."

she said and paused seeming looking at me.

"Like his father, Derick is stubborn. Even though I blame myself each day for his father's death, I still believe that he would have just run away when he discovered that the old man was one of them. He went ahead to kill it, ignoring my call for us to run away. He not only killed the first, but two others as well before a horde of them came to end his life right before my eyes..."

she explained crying.

"And then there is Derick similarly stubborn, after attempts to sneak out of the house with my gun had failed, he kept on telling me that he wanted to go and look for his dad, and that I should get him a gun, and teach him how to use it. So he could help me in the killing of these monsters who are trying to steal his mind!"

mom explained.

"Is that the lie you told him? That these monsters would steal his mind?"

Aunt Vera asked laughing.

"I did not lie, that is what they do!"

mom replied.

"Oh please! You mean that is what you sugar quote their doings as. You and I both know that what they do is eat humans, just like they ate his dad!"

Aunt Vera said heartlessly.

"Stop it!"

mom shunned sounding pissed with the tears clearly heard in her voice.

"If I were you, I would have raised my son up in a way we could both seek vengeance on my husband!"

Aunt Vera said to mom who remained quiet.

Aunt Vera is right though, I am a man! It is not right for a man to do nothing! I am supposed to avenge my dad. I cannot believe mom lied to me. I cannot believe she hid such a huge secret from me.

"I cannot... I cannot bear the thought of anything happening to my son!"

mom said with her voice breaking.

"I know you saved me, and I am grateful for that, but honestly, you are weak! What will happen when you get old or sick and cannot defend yourself? So you would watch as you both die right?"

Aunt Vera said to mom.

That is so true, who is going to defend mom when she is old, or sick... or injured even. I have to kill the man on suit! He is their leader... since he ordered for dad to be killed, it has to be him.

"Why are you speechless? You see that I am right, right?! You see how useless the son you raised is?"

Aunt Vera said to mom who remained speechless.

"Useless just like his father!"

she added.

Mom did not say anything to counter or defend me, which means she too agrees that I am useless. And to be honest they are right! All I do is let my mom go out to risk her life for my survival. I am worse than useless even, I am a burden!

I stood up and ran towards the ladder.

"Derick!!"

mom yelled on seeing me run.

I ignored, grabbed and swiftly climbed up the ladder to the surface, so fast even mom could not catch me.

I got to the surface picked up a sharp piece of wood and charged towards where we were coming from.

"Derick!"

mom yelled as she chased after me.

"Stop running!"

she added and held my hand.

"Derick!"

she cried pulling and then hugging me.

"Leave me alone!"

I said to her trying to loose her grip on me.

"Why are you doing this?!"

mom said crying.

"I am useless aren't I?"

I asked.

"No Derick, you are not useless. You are the reason I get up every morning to fight these monsters! If you were not in the picture, I probably would not have any reason to live!"

she said to me with tears in her eyes.

"But I cannot help you,"

I said now crying.

"You are not old enough to help me! I know when you are, you would do way better. So please forget about what Aunt Vera said and come back home with mom!"

Mom spoke holding my cheeks.

"Is dad dead?"

I asked.

She hesitated for a bit, looked away and then back into my eyes and said seriously,

"...yes he is! Now let's go!"

"Why did you lie to me?!"

I asked her as she pulled me back to the hole.

"I did not lie to you, he did not come back,"

she replied.

"Shhhh,"

she hushed and held my mouth as we bent down.

"Mom, I am scared!"

I said to her.

"Why are you scared?"

she asked sounding worried.

"Why should I not be? Did not you hear what Aunt Vera said, these monsters eat humans!"

I said to her.

"This is exactly why I told you what I did! So you would not be scared of them. Fuck!!... sorry.... shit! Sorry... Vera is so annoying!"

mom said obviously confused and pissed as she held my arm tighter.

"Mom!"

I uttered slightly aloud on feeling her tight grip on my arm.

"Sorry,"

she replied quietly.

But my slightly loud utterance was loud enough to invite these monsters.

So she picked me up and began to run.

As she ran she tripped and fell and we both fell to the ground.

"Mom!!!"

I screamed as the monsters got closer.

"Derick!!"

she screamed back getting up and rushing to me.

She kicked the monster and grabbed me.

At this point the monsters had us surrounded.

There was nowhere to run.

Mom stood in front of me with her arms wide open as she tried to protect me.

"Uuugghhh!"

the monsters growled as saliva, blood and dirt dripped off their mouths.

They smelled so bad, a smell similar to that of a dead rat.

My knees trembled as they got closer to me and my weapon-less mom.

To be continued.....