The Broken

The liquid in his glass was the colour of despair and hopelessness - whiskey, the drink for the broken, the lost and most importantly, the ones who see their glasses as half full. These feelings were not uncommon for David, but they were what represented him. He was two people: the existing - the persona that made him walk out the front door to his shitty job every weekday at 6am, without fail, to provide for an ungrateful wife that begrudged him for saying the wrong things, for not making enough money, and working too late.

Secondly he was the awakening - a man in a bar who will seduce you with his eyes, kiss you with rough hands running down your back, and bring you back to his second apartment to fulfill all your sexual desires. The asshole. And he’ll be damned if this wasn’t his favourite person to become.

Danny’s Bar was empty tonight. The rain outside was pounding hard against the windows, the night made darker by the clouds, except for the occasional blue flash of lightning that struck unforgivably. Inside was no better, the bar top was covered in chips from bottles smashed against it, sandy coloured wood now stained a dark brown. A stench of beer and cigarettes wafted up from the floorboards, and the walls were covered in animal heads - the statement of being able to kill, and that Danny isn’t one for trouble.

“Another whiskey, Dave?” Danny held the Whiskey bottle eye level, his scarred hand on full display, a tempting offer. “If a tart walks in here tonight you need to be drunk enough to take her home. Just maybe she’ll come home with me tonight”.

“As handsome as you are, no girl, tart or not, would pick you over me. But yeah, I'd love another”. He gave his cocky grin, all teeth, and dimples that are covered by a thick, black beard. Danny grumbled something and pushed the bottle over to David, and then returned to cleaning pint glasses. Just as he was pouring the whiskey the bell to the door sounded, a sweet tinkling that reminded him of the bell his mother used to soothe him when he was small. A man, dripping wet, came limping towards the bar. “Vodka straight, no ice”. Danny didn’t hesitate to provide and the man drank it in one huge gulp. He took a seat a couple down from David, ignoring the surrounding wooden tables that took up most of the floor. David looked at him: his hair was long and grey, a black bandana across his forehead, rugged face which was weathered worn from years of sun, a denim jacket and jeans that looked at least a decade out of fashion. He also noticed the blood leaking down his arm, covering his wrist and trailing across the bar.

“What happened to you?”, eyeing up his arm he could see the wound was bad. The man only looked at him and smiled, “wouldn’t believe me if I told you”, he looked at Danny, “another vodka”.

“Well as interesting and sinister as that sounds, it’s time for me to go for a smoke”, David stood and walked out the front door. The rain had stopped outside but the smell was still fresh in the air, earthy and damp. David took out the cigarette, flipped open his lighter and lit the end. He’d always enjoyed the things he knew would bring him to an end, the cigarettes bringing him poor health, the wife who would no doubt leave him as soon as she found out about his late outings, and the job which would one day leave him hanging from the ceiling. Smiling at the thought, he took in the surroundings, a car park filled with only his land rover, a desert landscape with mountains on the horizon. If this wasn’t paradise he didn’t know what was.

Stumping out his cigarette he took one last glimpse into the horizon, a faint orange glow was coming over, a fire? He couldn’t tell. Walking to the end of the car park he squinted trying to make out what exactly was ablaze. Figures, human form, were starting to come into view. What the hell, he thought, there were no signs of belongings being carried or any trailing loved ones. Just individuals - all running with a cause, with an intent. They were getting closer, their features almost in sight, but David had seen enough to know something wasn’t right. He turned, and he ran like the devil was chasing him back into the bar.

“DAVID, GET THIS BASTARD OFF OF ME”, the man held Danny by the throat and had him spread over the bar top. David quickly threw the block of wood over the double doors, and ran towards the man. Throwing his arm around the man he put all his weight into throwing him from Danny, but he wouldn’t move. He quickly looked around, he needed a weapon. Seeing no other options he picked up the bar stool and smashed it over his head. He let go of Danny and slowly turned, and what David saw was enough to have him whimpering and backing away. His eyes had turned a deep black, a pit of oblivion, the surrounding area was covered in purple veins that protruded from his skin. And his mouth, blood trickled down the corners, his lips pierced by the elongated teeth that now showed from inside. It cocked his head, and sniffed. Throwing its head back and grinning he took up a crouching position. David saw no other option than to keep backing away, his eyes searching frantically for anything to use to defend himself. He knew he could not outrun this creature; the hunt would probably send it into a frenzy, making it harder to escape.

With a scream that cut David to the core, it launched itself at him. David only had time to cower before he felt a hand grab his hair, nails digging in deep enough he felt blood dripping down his scalp. It pulled his head back, exposing his neck, and then ran its tongue along the vein - pausing on the pulse that was beating rapidly. An open mouth and teeth came into his view.. God save my soul - the only thought that escaped him.. A loud bang sounded, something wet struck his face, mushy lumps cascading around him. Opening his eyes he only saw a body, no head, the gore was horrific. It wasn’t long before he doubled over and vomited up all the food in his stomach.

By the time he was finished his whole body was trembling, this was either from fear or the emptying of his stomach. Danny stood over him, a hand on his shoulder, the other holding a shotgun.

“You okay, buddy?”, genuine concern laced his eyes.

“No. What was that thing?”, David was exhausted, the terror that laced through him was gone, as was the adrenaline.

“I have no idea, it seems like the devil’s been busy with the sinners. Hell has broken loose - ain’t no surviving this one”. Danny looked at the damage, leaning down to inspect the creature closely, “We know they’re strong, that’s for sure, a bullet to the head will kill them - at least we know they can be killed. Look at me David”.

David was hunched over the bar, shaking his head. “This isn’t real. This isn’t real. This isn’t real.” Danny approached him cautiously, standing next to him, providing comfort the only way he knew how. “There’s more out there, I saw them. A whole lot, Danny. We’re in for it, there’s no getting out of this”. As if on cue, a pounding on the doors sounded.

“David I need you to pull yourself together, quickly. Right now they’re at the doors, next they’ll be at the windows. We need to barricade them. Five windows in total, one left to the door, four opposite the bar. Grab the chairs and block the windows. GO!”.

Danny sprinted past David aiming for the window left of the door, grabbing two chairs from a table as he went past. David follow suit, going for the closest of the four windows opposite the bar. As he came to the window a creature smashed through the window with its head. Blood poured down either side of its face only increasing the terrifying look of the monster: again, black eyes, protruding veins and elongated teeth.

“And those who run, and those who hide, who cower at our faces and flinch at our touch. Those are who we hunt, those are who we destroy - those are where we transfer our souls. Your bodies we take, your souls replace ours. That's how he likes it, our master.. Soon to be yours”. The creature threw all its weight at the window, clearing through it and taking David with it. Landing swiftly on top of him, David only had time to throw his hand in front before the devils masterpiece sunk its teeth into his wrist.

All he could hear was screaming, the smashing of windows, the stampede of fast feet and shrieks of the creatures. And through the pain he could hear Danny screaming, shooting and reloading. Fighting.

The monster had disappeared, a quick bite and it was gone - the damage already done. He could feel the change beginning in his body; his canines were throbbing, his eyes burning. David felt like he was burning, the skin feeling like a cage to the fire that seemed to be engulfing him within. But, he could also feel strength coming into his weak human body. David knew he didn’t have much time before his soul was lost, but he knew he had now and that meant using what was given. He shakily got to his feet, taking in the scene. Ten creatures had circled Danny, swiping at him carelessly, producing blood from different places of his body. Danny was using the shotgun - out of shells, hitting them back with the butt of the gun. Without a second thought he charged at the creatures, his feet not making a sound, moving so swift and fast they didn’t notice until he was upon them. Grabbing two by their hair he pulled them back, sending them flying behind him, clearing a gap for him to reach Danny. The creatures screamed all at once, snarling and smelling, the confusion written all over their faces. David stalked around them all, facing each and every one of them. He would not show weakness. One stepped forward, and he did not hesitate, David grabbed its neck, exposing the throat and sunk his teeth into the flesh. Biting down hard he threw back his head and ripped out the throat. The creature only made a gurgling noise before falling to the ground. That was when they all threw themselves at him - teeth and claws came from all directions but David's senses were high, he dodged and moved and used teeth and claws when he saw the chance. He cleared his mind, focusing on giving away the horror he felt within himself for becoming so violent, so animal. Some places on his body dripped with blood from where he wasn’t quick enough, but he’d taken down two thirds of the pack already. David sunk his teeth into one of the remaining two, this time ripping the head clean off, when he looked up and saw the creature that had bitten him. He held Danny; a hand cradled under his chin and the other around the throat. Ready at any second to snap his neck.

“Betraying your own to save one so weak. Careless fool! The master will not be happy with you, oh, how he’ll enjoy preying on you, breaking you. My mistake. I saw a cowering man, weak and broken. My brother is waiting to take your soul, yet, how is it you are still here? Master will discover this madness, and when he does you better pray your human God watches over you”.

David saw it before it happened, the crack in Danny’s neck, eyes that turned lifeless, and a body that hung limp. He lunged. Jumping high, he gripped the monster's shoulders, bringing his arms away from Danny’s neck.

Landing atop of the monster, straddling his arms, giving him no source of defense David saw his chance. He looked down upon him and smiled. “Your master means nothing to me, you mean nothing to me. I may be one of you now, but not for long. I don’t know why you came and I don’t care. But you will be gone now”. And with that he dug his nails into the creatures eyes, pushing hard. Blood was covering his hands, running down the creature's face. And all the while it thrashed and screamed, trying to break loose. But David would not yield, he pushed harder until finally the body stopped moving. Releasing the body and standing up he looked over towards Danny.

“You look disgusting”, Danny said, approaching cautiously. “Don’t tell me you saved my neck only for you to be ripping it out though”.

David smiled, “You’re safe, I promise”. Rays of sun had now started coming through the windows, with the lifeless corpses everywhere he saw the damage he had done. “I don’t want this, Danny. Everyone will fear me, try to kill me. What life is that?”.

“Not the one for you”, Danny walked beside him. “You know I love you, the second you walked through my bar I knew what a man you were. You weren’t kind in life, but what you did just now? That was kindness. By saving me you gave my little girl her father back, don’t think lightly on that”. Danny gave him one last clap on the back before he left the bar, he didn’t look back.

Hours had flown by before David saw no reason to stay there, he’d stood in the same spot staring at all the carnage. Enough, he thought. He approached the open double doors, stepping into the light when he felt his leg burn. He retreated back. Staring at the rays and then back at his legs. If he walked through those doors he would die. The thought made him smile, that night had been hell, but he’d saved a man from a fate that would have been torture. An act of kindness for a friend - saving his life. An act of kindness for himself - David stepped out into the sunlight.