The Extinct

CHAPTER

60





Eric sat with his back against a wall of the attic, Jalani asleep in his arms. She had smears of dirt on her face and clothes but her beauty still shined through like an emerald gleaming through water. He had no watch but could guess that it was probably three or four in the morning. He’d been hearing howls and laughter all night. The hyenas weren’t leaving; they would circle the house, sometimes coming inside and occasionally coming into the room below them.

Eric forewent sleep and stayed up until sunrise. The sun came through the window and filled the attic with streams of warm light. Swirls of dust were in every beam and it had the smell of mildew.

The attic was small and dirty, cluttered with old papers and clothes from vacationers not terribly worried about leaving behind personal items. There was some lingerie in a corner coated with a thick layer of dust and cardboard boxes filled with old paperback novels, brushes, matchbooks, toiletries, and a few office supplies. In the north corner was a stool and a three gallon plastic container of gasoline.

Jalani awoke and smiled when she saw him. She rubbed her eyes and yawned, a grave expression coming over her face when the realities of her circumstances dawned on her and she realized it wasn’t a dream.

“Did you not sleep?” she asked.



“I’m fine.”



“You can sleep now if you like.”



“No, I’m okay.” He glanced around his surroundings. “We should empty those boxes and see if we can find anything useful.”



They went about the task of dumping the contents of all the boxes onto the bare floor. Soon, hardly any portion of the floor was visible. A hunting knife was in one box and Eric tucked it into his waistband. They found an old pack of gum and each had a piece, the gum stale and tasting like dust.

Eventually everything was emptied on to the floor and examined. There was little they could use.



“We’ll need to leave here soon,” Eric said, walking to the window and glaring out. “I think they’ve already left.”



“They won’t leave.”



He turned to her. “How do you know?”



“We’ve killed one of their clan. They will not leave until we are dead.”



Eric turned back to the window. He noticed something out near the grass: a white shirt and boots. They were Thomas’s boots.



“Stay here,” Eric said, running to the latch. He opened the latch and went to climb down.



Jalani grabbed him and screamed, “No!” She pulled him up just as massive jaws snapped shut below his feet. It jumped again, the snout coming up through the latch and pushing his leg but not getting hold of it.

Eric grabbed the latch and locked it. They crawled to the other side of the room and listened as the hyena thumped his snout against the wood, growling and biting at the latch.

Jalani wrapped her arms around him and they sat in silence, listening to the growls fade and the patter of the creature’s footsteps as it exited the room and left the house.

“What the hell is that thing,” Eric said.

“I told you,” she said, leaning her head against him, “they are demons.”