The Rising - Chapter Four

Chapter four1

We were all ready, armed and to be honest, shitting our pants as we watched Johns every movement as he peeked out into the outside world through a tiny opening in the front room curtains. He said he would tap the wall every time he saw one of the creatures, and he would hold his thumb up if they did not approach, if they did, the thumb turned 180 degrees, and so their luck would probably go with it.2

Silence ruled in the room, I could hear Luke swallow from across the room, and I saw a bead of sweat meander down my father’s forehead, he blinked it away and ignored the shaking in his hand. 3

John tapped the wall once, then again, his thumb still upwards. Another four taps followed, and he began tapping vigorously for ten seconds without stopping, his thumb remaining in its preferred position. I sighed after a minute of waiting and leaned forwards to whisper a few words to Tanya when Johns thumb began to waver, I thought at first his thumb was tired, but after a second his hand plunged downwards, he withdrew his head from the crevasse and his face bore pure terror which spread throughout the group, my mother began to whimper uncontrollably. We moved into the hallway and waited for the siege to begin.4

The banging on the outside front door, which led into a small porch to fit around three people sounded like thunder, the door was glass but they weren’t hitting hard, it was as if they couldn’t see the glass door and were just banging into it. Tanya let go of her flash stick, the new ones used by riot police, placed her hand in mine and squeezed tightly. I felt a rush of determination to kill these monsters 5

We waited, and it was agony, my leg was involuntarily shaking throughout the ten minutes that we looked upon the door in fear, but after that, the noise ceased, so suddenly, it sounded like the world had ended, i for one couldn't understand the lack of noise and shook my head as if there was water in my ears or something. A few minutes later, after we assumed that the danger was over, we began breathing normally, but none of us dared to talk, all ears were straining for the slightest noise.6

Gradually people began to disperse, those on watches returned to their posts, looking for them. I was on a watch, along with Luke and Emily. Everyone else was still working hard at making our outpost safer, more easily defendable and thanks to John, more soundproof. 7

After i had finished my watch, it was my Mother, Father and Mikes turn, with everyone else hard at work, Tanya and I took a moment to talk about things.8

"You know, it's really hard for me to be here" She told me, with her hands clasped between her legs, sat upon the only decent couch in the house. 9

"Yeah, i know, with your parents dead and all, but think about it, that's happened now, it's something that can't change, and revenge does no good, because revenge gets you killed" I told her, i only wated to make her feel better, but I didn't want to sound ignorant of the pain she was in,10

She replied to me in a shaky voice "Shaw, every time i have a problem you're there to make it easy for me, for what? nearly fourteen years weve known each other, and most of that time, I've been taken care of by you, comforted and held tight when things got bad"11

I smiled at her and saw that she had tears welling in her eyes, her nose twitched he same way mine did when i was upset.12

"You know I'll always be there for you, because i love you, more than anything" I told her, wiping a glistening tear from her cheek. 13

Tanya rubbed her eyes and cheeks and ran her hands through her long black hair. 14

"You've been there for so long Shaw, but what did i ever give back to you? I always took you being there for granted, but when i was in that wardrobe, the thought of you not being there for me ran through my head so much, and it would have killed me to find out you were dead"15

After a long pause with her sobbing on my chest, and a tear rolling down my own cheek, she looked up at me with the most beautiful eyes in the world.16

"All this time, I've loved you, i just never wanted to lose you" She whispered to me.17

Although I'd spent my life thinking of what I would do if this happened, I was lost for words. I swallowed and ran my tongue across my lips, Tanya wanted me to say something back, and so did I. I felt myself turn red in the face and she looked at me with such fondness.18

"You know, every time you do that, I know you can't think of anything to say" She said with a small smile on her face, she lifted my chin and brought my face close to hers so that our noses were touching. 19