Dead Paper Birds

by Megan McKinney

  My stomach grumbled. I sighed staring down at it. This was something we should have planned on. Getting stuck in here with no access to food or water. At the thought of water, I realized how my tongue felt like sandpaper across my cheeks. Tonight, was going to be hell. I could handle going without food, I mean I’ve done it before but I’ve always made sure I had water. I’ve never been in a predicament where I’ve never had access to water.

  I drummed my fingers on the floor anxiously. I can’t just sit here but what other choice do I really have? I’ll take another look, maybe there’s a pattern. I can’t just do nothing. I just can’t. I poked my eyes above the windowsill to look around. There was still quite a bit of people running around but now some of them had congregated into a group in the center of the street. Someone was in the middle giving out orders. He would point and yell dramatically before a group of four or five would break off and jog down the street. I was watching the latest group running off before turning my gaze back to the group. It was like I was hit like a bold of lightening. The leader was pointing at the building I was in. It could be coincidence but there was a group of ten breaking off and coming towards me. Alright Alice, get your ass in gear. I didn’t want to take the chance that it was coincidence. I was moving. Besides a moving target was harder to hit.

  I skittered across the floor to the door that I’d originally come through. I poked my head out. The path looked clear. I pulled the door shut. From behind me came a gasp. I twisted around to see a woman standing in the path, eyes wide. I held out my empty hands and took a step away from her. That movement was enough that it broke the spell. She screamed. She screamed at the top of her lungs. I turned and sprinted away. I would have killed her but the cat was out of the bag now. If only I’d waited. If I’d waited just a minute more she would have gone on by and this wouldn’t be happening. I just needed to get out of here as fast as possible. I had turned back to where Rick’s truck had made its escape. My coat was flapping behind me while I sprinted down along the side of the buildings. I just need to get out. But dammit. This would have been easier without her screaming.

  I passed an alley and something hit me in the side. I grunted when I hit the ground. I rolled onto my back, reaching for my knife but instead found a knife at my own throat. I looked into his face, to see who had pinned me. He was panting heavily, but there was no hesitation in any of his actions. He took the hilt of his knife and brought it down on my head. There was nothing but darkness.

  Chapter seventeen… When people don’t listen, shoot their legs

  I slowly swam towards consciousness. Everything was blurred except for the sharp pain that was radiating from my head. The pain was pulling me further away from the warm darkness that had enveloped me. Why did it hurt so much? Almost feels like I got hit in the head… My eyes shot open. What happened? Where am I? I looked frantically around me while trying to not move my head. Just moving my eyes felt like an effort. How much damage is there? A concussion maybe? What are the symptoms of one? I tried to think but everything was trying to meld together. I was laying on my back in what looked like a holding cell of some kind, like a prison cell. There was some light but I couldn’t see the source without moving my head. The ceiling above me and the wall to my left was a dirty grey color. It could have been white but with how dim the lighting was in here I couldn’t tell.

  The cot I was laying on was covered in rough fabric that made my bare arms itch. I ran my fingertips over the fabric, making a soft whooshing sound with my nails. I bet it was striped. I wonder how many people had slept on this before me. I mentally shook my head. I need to focus but everything seemed to be enveloped in a haze. How long have I been out? Did they catch the others? No, wait two of them got out. One of them might have been Dean. It was the right body type but it was dark so who knows. I blinked lazily. It could have been Richard or Rick with him. Too many questions with no answers.

  The door to my right was white with a small square cut into it with bars placed inside of it instead of glass. Outside of the small cutout I could see the edge of another door, next to it was a propane lantern hanging from the wall. It was the source of my light. I sat up very slowly, trying not to enflame my head any more than it already was. It was pounding with the beat of my heart. The room was slowly rocking back and forth like I was on a boat. I breathed in and out slowly, trying to control the nausea that was settling in. I swung my legs off of the cot one by one. I glanced down at the pad. Ha, I was right it is striped. White with dark blue stripes or at least I think that’s the colors. I stood up and the room started to spin in addition to the rocking. Maybe I should sit back down. No, in a minute. I have to see what’s outside, then I’ll lay back down. I took my time in walking to the door. At it I grabbed onto the bars in the window for support and looked down the hallway to my right for as far as I could see. It was just a hallway. It looked like there were more cells but the light didn’t reach very far. Was I in a police station? Was there a police station here? Hell, how was I supposed to know that? We should have thought out our plan a lot better. There was no plan B or C, to make up for A going down the toilet.

  “Rick? Dean? Richard?” I called out.

  My voice echoed down the hallway. There was no reply. It would have been nice to hear a familiar voice. The silence slowly closed in on me. My ears were ringing and there was nothing to distract me from that or the pain. Ok, I really need to sit down now. The cot was looking extremely comfortable right now. I propped my head against the cool bars. I felt like I was on a boat, the whole place felt like I was rocking back and forth on waves while slowly spinning. Using my left hand, I placed it on the wall to guide me back to the bed. I took a step and it came bubbling up. I retched up the contents in my stomach. For once it paid off that I didn’t eat much, not that I had eaten recently. I kept my hand on the wall, but I felt like I was going to fall over. Everything needs to stop rocking and spinning. I tried to step around my vomit but everything was spinning too fast. I fell against the wall and my legs slid out from under me, refusing to hold my weight any longer. I landed on my hip but it was much better than my head. I put my head against the wall and focused on breathing. I’ll just sit here a moment, just a moment then I’ll get back onto the cot. My head got heavier and heavier until I couldn’t hold it up anymore. I laid down on the cold ground and fell asleep.

  …

  I woke up slowly. I wasn’t on the floor anymore, I was back on the cot. Someone had moved me. People were whispering nearby but my brain was still too foggy to understand what they were saying. They were male but I didn’t recognize them. I blinked lazily and rolled my head to face them. Everything was blurry but I could see them. They stopped talking and one of them knelt beside me.

  “Watch out, I threw up.” It came out as a mumble. My tongue didn’t want to work, it felt like it was glued to the top of my mouth. I tried to swallow the spit that had gathered in my mouth but it tasted foul. A toothbrush and toothpaste had never sounded so good before.

  The man kneeling beside me pulled a flashlight from somewhere and shined it in my eyes. I shut my eyes and turned away. He grabbed my chin and turned me back. Letting go of my chin he forced my eye open, and shined the light directly into it. I tried lifting my arm to grab him but it wasn’t getting the message. It didn’t work and the rest of my body felt the same way! I tried moving my head again but as weak as I was he had no problem holding me in place. My brain had decided to wake up enough so that I could finally start stringing all of their words together to make cohesive sentences.

  “I could safely say that there is a concussion, a good one at that.”

  “Is she still functional, at all? Boss man ain’t gonna be happy that one of his new toys ain’t functioning.”

  Toys? Great what mess am I in now? I should say we since it sounds like at least one of the pin heads are ok and are here with me. The man that had been inspecting my eye stood up and put his light away.

  “I believe that she was still reeling f
rom the side effects of the hit to the head that she was given. I wouldn’t say severely underweight but she could use several good meals to boost her weight and that is the main problem. She probably hasn’t eaten in days either. But overall, I’d say she’s a healthy individual. But as for this over here luckily for us she was probably conscious when she vomited or she could have drowned in it.”

  They both walked out continuing their conversation. “How much longer will it for it leave her to recuperate?”

  “Within the next couple of hours, I suspect-” The rest of the sentence was cut off when they shut the door behind them.

  I turned my head towards the door. Everything felt so heavy and numb. How was I able to get up and walk earlier when now I can’t even raise my arm? I tried sitting up again but nothing happened. Sleep was creeping up on me and I turned my head back to look at the ceiling, fighting to keep my eyes open. There was nothing to keep me occupied, nothing to keep my mind from shutting down.

  Chapter eighteen… Maybe chocolate will make me feel better

  I woke up curled up on my side. Someone was banging metal on metal. I opened my eyes. I was facing the door and someone was standing in front of it, staring at me through the window. I sat up slowly and waited to see if the room was going to start spinning or rocking. It didn’t. I sighed internally, whatever that crap was my body had finally gotten rid of it. But what fresh hell is this.

  The someone turned out to be a man. He was clicking his ring against the glass. He grinned when he realized I was sitting up staring at him. He unlocked the door and pushed it open. He slid in through the open door, leaving it open behind him as he crossed his arms across his chest. “Good morning, love.” He opened his mouth slightly and I could see his tongue running across his teeth. I scooted back on the cot till my back hit the wall.

  The light that was hitting him in the face revealed that he was in his late 40’s or early 50’s. He had long greasy brown hair hanging in his pale face. He had a thick winter coat on making him look bigger than he really was. When he smiled, he had teeth missing and the ones that were there were brown and in desperate need of a good brushing.

  Looking away from him I looked up above my head. There was a small window with bars set into it. That was where the natural light was coming from. I looked back to the man standing in front of my cage. “So, are you just going to stand there and stare at me?” I made sure that my voice dripped with sarcasm. This may be a cell, but it was mine and he was not welcome.

  He smiled. “This will be fun.” He unclipped a walky talky from his belt. “Vince. She’s awake and already fiery.” He then clipped it back to his belt and continued to stare.

  I curled my toes up inside my shoes. If I had my weapons, I wouldn’t have to put up with this. He would have a bullet sitting right in the center of his brain. A shiver ran through me, starting with my arms and down to my legs. Goose bumps pricked my arms and along the rest of me. I curled in on myself, pulling my arms tightly across my chest to try and hold in as much body heat as I could and to be as small as possible. “Could you at least throw me my jacket, huh?”

  He just kept a grin on his face but didn’t move. “You’re lucky we left you your shoes.”

  I scowled at him. He was pissing me off and he was enjoying it. If I ever get the chance, I was going to play the same game with him. The door behind him was pushed further open. Another man walked in, except with him, unlike ugly teeth, this man had an aura of power. It seemed to radiate off of him in waves. And I had to fight hard to keep from screaming and cowering in the corner. Instead I straightened and stared him dead on. My knuckles turning white from how hard I was holding myself together.

  The guy with the greasy hair looked at the newcomer. “I don’t think she likes you.” He stated.

  “I wouldn’t know why. I don’t know her.” He looked at me quizzically. He leaned back against the door pushing it shut and raised one arm above his head.

  “Oh, but I know you. I’d know your face from anywhere you bastard.” I hissed. I stood up and walked towards the men. Both men stood their ground and looked at me with tense faces. Ugly teeth had a hand on a knife hilt, muscles tensed ready to take me down. But I didn’t care about him. I only had eyes for him. The man responsible for everything. “Years ago, you probably don’t remember but it was right outside of the safe zone, up north. You came on a man and his daughter. You wanted to invite them to a ‘party’ where they would be the guests of honor. They didn’t like the idea so much. You managed to kill the man but the girl got away. Well,” I held my arms away from my body. “Here I am. And I am pissed.” His face went from quizzical to surprise with a hint of anger.

  He smirked. “Oh. Oh!” He laughed for a minute while ugly teeth looked on with curiosity. “I never expected to see you again. And I have to say you’ve gotten even more beautiful. Pity I had to kill him, he would have made a great addition to my group.” He chuckled some more. “You see Mike, we were there and even with that haircut and horrendous clothes it was obvious that she was a she. But I underestimated her and now look. Standing right in front of me. So glad the hair grew out, that style really didn’t suit you.”

  I tried to hold in my anger, my fists were clenched hard enough that my muscles all the way up my arm started cramping. At the first chance I got I was going to kill this man. He was scum. Anyone and everyone here were scum. They would all die but him first. He killed Dad. Bile rose to the back of my throat. He was standing here, alive and healthy while Dad had been worm food a long time ago. He wouldn’t be healthy for much longer, not if it was up to me.

  He laughed again and covered his mouth with his hand. “This is almost too much. This is going to be so much fun.”

  “Oh, you think so,” I whispered angrily. “You are all going to die.” I bit down on my cheek, the urge to scream and wrap my fingers around his throat was almost too strong to ignore.

  He looked at me with humor. “Oh sweetheart, that’s the only thing that I would expect you to do. But believe me by the end you’ll be begging me to hold you and keep you safe from the others.”

  I glanced at ugly teeth and he was grinning at me. I spit in his face. He yelped and jumped back wiping his face off. He glared at me and growled, “You’re going to regret that.”

  I stepped forward, raising my arms. Fists ready to go. “Well c’mon then. Step in and show me. Or are you just a bitch?” I mocked. I’d take him here and now.

  He grabbed ugly teeth by the shoulder and threw him out of the cell. At the doorway he stopped. “You can call me Vince. All you have to say is my name and no one else will hurt you sweetheart, we could still have that party that you never came to.” He slammed the door behind him, then he grabbed the lantern winked at me and left.

  I sat down on the bed and held my head in my hands. I’m in a spot here, a bad spot. I shouldn’t have said that. Maybe if I played off the weak girl, they would have gone with it, thinking I was weak and soft. I could have gotten out way easier. But at the same time, they would have expected me to do that. Play it off, play being weak. I already look it. Which means that I have to be as strong as I possibly can. Angrily I stood up and rushed the door. I pushed and pulled on it but nothing happened. It didn’t move, not an inch. I tried hitting the glass. It didn’t crack or even scratch. All I succeeded in doing was bruising my hand. I screamed in anger. I can’t just sit here and wait. I can’t! They weren’t going to get me. No way. If they even think I’m going to lay down and let them walk all over me then they have no idea what’s coming.

  I kicked the door before laying down on the bed again. I covered my eyes and focused my breathing. I had to stay calm or I really would die. This wasn’t like dealing with infected. These guys were smart, who can think for themselves. They can come up with plans, they’ll react logically not just out of instinct. I took deep breath after deep breath. They would eventually have to pull me out of this place. If they only send one person to get me then I’ll be able to take them down bu
t any more than that and I’ll be at a disadvantage. I frowned up at the ceiling. My fingers played with the hem of my shirt. It smelled like my sweat and was covered in dirt but it wasn’t my biggest concern. They’ll keep me at the biggest disadvantage that they can. I’ll have to be patient and wait for the right opportunity. But even if it doesn’t come, I won’t go down without a fight even if it means that I do get hurt. Even if I die. They think they can do whatever they want, well that’s not happening with me. Whatever I can pull out of my magical hat this time I’ll use it. I snorted. Magic, yeah right. More like complete bull. Maybe if I actually took this seriously, I could think of something, but how am I supposed to do that if I’m not even sure of where I’m at? I groaned and dropped a hand on my face.

  I pulled my hand off of my face and rolled onto my side. I guess there’s no harm in trying to relax while waiting. I closed my eyes and tried to calm my racing mind. I took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. Even if I had to knock myself out, I was going to get some kind of rest here. I groaned and opened my eyes. I shivered and tried to curl up in as small as I could to hold in my body heat. I scooted away from the walls and huddled in the middle of the cot. I closed my eyes again and focused on my breathing.

  I laid like that for what felt like hours before I heard someone outside of the door. I stiffly sat up and waited patiently for the door to open. There was some whispering before my door swung open. I raised my chin and took a deep breath before staring defiantly at them. There was four of them. They all looked like they’d seen some hard days. Their faces had deep lines etched into them, at least where their facial hair wasn’t covering them. One had a full beard growing while the others were in various stages in-between clean shaven and him. Their eyes were all sunken in, which suggested that they had food but not enough to go all the way around. Two of them were blonde, the third was a mix between blonde and brown hair, while the one with the key had dark brown hair. The youngest looked like he was in his mid-twenties while the oldest looked to be in his forties. The youngest looking stepped up to me.