The plan was one Dez had put in place before. Back when he and Hooks were little more than brats. Hooks had a fierce passion for fire; playing with matches and lighters was the norm until the man came up with quite an idea. At the edges of Eyeville was a long condemned building, one Hooks discovered still had power. The idea had been simple: they would find a way to cut a wire, then watch the sparks go off.

  ?

  They had used a hatchet, practiced throwing it (Dez was the better of the two), and carried out the simple plan. Dez hurled the hatchet at an exposed wire repeatedly, missing several times before he hit his mark. And when he did, sparks certainly did fly. In fact, it exploded, setting the whole building ablaze.

  ?

  From there, the group merely had to find a nearby electrical panel to target. Luckily, the asylum seemed to have many, which made sense given the building's energy intensity. None of them knew what it was, but it promised to cause quite a reaction when cut.

  ?

  Then they worked on creating something strong enough to do enough damage to provoke a reaction. That was solved by Hector, the man who broke down the chairs for use. And with that, managing to salvage two pieces of hinges snapped to an edge. They were sharp enough to break skin with pressure. Heavy enough to make decent melee weapons if need be. Meaning all they needed to do was decide who would be the thrower, and for the others to create a diversion.

  ?

  With that all figured out, they began Dez’s plan. Dez and Hooks walked over the Woods, the awake guards glaring at them when they neared.

  ?

  “The hell do you two want?” Spencer asked. He was the largest of the Woods, the one who had grabbed Hooks earlier. “If you’ve come to beg, don't bother.”

  ?

  “Well, hold on now.” The other shorter woods intruded. Dez believed his name was Michael. “I wouldn’t mind them at least trying to beg. Would be funny at least.”

  ?

  They had decided Hooks and Dez would serve as the distraction. Despite their previous combined experience, Hector and K seemed much more confident that they could handle the throwing. Besides, with Hook's mouth and their natural synergy, they would be the perfect distraction.

  ?

  “Like we’d ever ask some rednecks like you for anything.” Hooks replied casually.

  ?

  “They can’t be rednecks, they're actually worth something resembling a damn.” Dez disagreed with a shrug. “These guys wished they were rednecks.”

  ?

  “You’d better watch your mouth, boy,” Spencer growled. “If not for these stupid caretakers, we would’ve taken care of you lot the old-fashioned way.”

  ?

  “They're always so one note, hatred this, impure that.” Hooks said with a dramatic shake of his head. “I always wonder why more than anything. Think it might be all the white girls we’ve been with?”

  ?

  Dez didn’t have to play up the smile that sprouted on his face. It was almost like old times, Hooks and him picking fights and finding trouble. They slipped back into their old roles effortlessly. “We’ve built up a roster really, haven’t we?” He added with a shit-eating grin. “They're always so easy.”

  ?

  “These low lives…” Spencer growled.

  ?

  “Come on, Spence, they're baiting us,” Michael said, shooting them a nearly as angry glare and placing his hand on Spencer's shoulder.

  ?

  “I think we’ve nailed it, Brother.” Hooks said with a chuckle. “Their little egos can’t handle the idea.”

  ?

  “Shame, I guess we made them. What does Vance say? Impure?” Dez finished expectedly.

  ?

  It only took a moment, a proud Woods like Spencer, especially with a violent past. Couldn’t take the teasing, despite knowing better, impulsive rage launched him into movement.

  ?

  Spencer attempted to charge them, Michael barely managing to wrap his arms around him and slow the two. Realizing the danger his rage was putting them both in.

  ?

  “You damn apes! I’ll kill you for running ya lips like that!” Spencer ranted as he drew near.

  ?

  Hooks executed the next part of the plan without missing a beat. He attempted a mock charge of his own, Dez acting as if he was struggling to hold him back as well. As the two duos struggled, the aggressors roared threats and insults at one another.

  ?

  “I’m gonna tan that hide, boy!”

  ?

  “Ya right, Uncle Tom, run it!”

  ?

  As they struggled, however, Dez mused that Hooks may have gotten lost in the fun of the plan; he looked over the important part.

  ?

  With Spencer and Michael distracted by Hooks and him, it provided the perfect moment. There was a rush of footsteps and curses as Vance and Derby awoke and rushed over. Derby helps Michael restrain Spencer as Vance steps toward them, smiling and shaking his head. Dez and Hooks dropped the act as he drew near.

  Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

  ?

  “You’re that desperate now, are we? Hoping to bait one, my boys from doing something foolish, a clever idea, but born to fail.” Vance said, shaking his head. “Too little, too late. You had a chance, Dez, all you had to do was turn on ya boy. But now it’s over, you’re all going to be picked off one by one. Dying scared, hungry, and terrified. But try not to worry too much, I’ll make sure I remember you all when I survive.”

  ?

  “Maybe it would go that way if nothing changed,” Dez admitted with a shrug. “Unfortunately for you, we’ve decided to do something about it.”

  ?

  “Let’s see you hold the kitchen now!” Hooks agreed with a crazed smile.

  ?

  Vance was sharper than his boys. Flinching in realization and looking over to see K and Hector a short distance away from the kitchen. It seemed the two of them were experienced with throwing melee weapons. Hector apparently had been interested in such before all of this, and K refused to explain her own. They had figured that with two people attempting the throw, we could double our chances. And while Hooks and Dez had kept the Woods busy, the two had opened and measured their angle. K and Hector aimed their weapons, rearing back their hands behind their heads to unleash their volley, Vance calling out, alarmed, but being much too late to stop them.

  ?

  The flat metal shards flew through the air, both impacting the panel hard, denting it, before causing a flash of light and a burst of flames. The Woods and Vance were thrown from the blast, as were Hooks and Dez. The lights flickered for a moment as chaos erupted. Before an all too familiar sound erupted, silencing them all at once. That inhumane screech, the very sound filling each of them with dread, and a growing sense of fear.

  ?

  Olaf’s screen shot down with gusto, a tired but terrifyingly excited Olaf appearing on it. “I was just about to have my Golden Spear kill you all for the offense of damaging this great building, but it appears the matter will be handled for me-”

  ?

  The screen grew more static with each word before cutting off entirely. Dez and Hooks were dragged off by K and Hector, respectively, their vision dimly lit by the growing fire inside the kitchen. As they retreated into their fort, Dez saw Michael and Spencer fighting the fire in the kitchen, using water from the sink in a desperate attempt to save their own hideout and all the food Olaf had supplied them. Vance was already to his feet, slapping a dazed Derby in an attempt to knock him free of his stupor.

  ?

  This time, it didn’t announce its presence or wait. There was a whoosh of wind and a pair of pain and fear-induced screams.

  ?

  Dez forced himself to his knees to watch from without their table fort, the others doing the same around him, peaking around their cover to watch their plan in action.

  ?

  It was Michael who was struck first. Dez doubted the man even realized what had happened. One moment, he was passing a bucket of water to Spencer, and the next, a giant feathered body crashed onto him from above. The sickening sound of snapping bones echoes throughout the lobby. Dez flinched seeing the blood spatter, and bones just from the still screaming body of Michael. Spencer stumbled back fearfully, only for the beast to suddenly swipe with its seemingly human hand. It tore from the midsection of Spencer with terrifying ease, a gush of blood and unidentifiable meat spilling from it.

  The creature then scanned the room, once again locking eyes with each of them. When it locked onto Dez, it was all he could focus on. There was no dying Michael or Spencer, no fort or his allies within it, not even himself. Merely the giant, red, intelligent orbs staring back at him. Those damned eyes…

  ?

  The Eyes stopped its staring contest, suddenly stepping off the still screaming Michael and lifting his body up to stare him in the face. The man fell silent as it did, before the beast suddenly shifted. Dez could see a beak now, full of sharpened teeth as it suddenly opened its maw. It lifted the dazed Michael into its beak, horrifyingly beginning to swallow the man whole.

  ?

  Spencer crawled as The Eyes slowly swallowed his friend whole. “Vance, help!” The man called out desperately, Vance and Derby both standing and looking back at the man.

  ?

  However, Vance merely shook his head at the man. Dragging Derby along as the two began to run away from The Eyes. Spencer sobbed in despair and pain, and Dez couldn’t help but watch helplessly as the owlish Eyes plodded over to the fading and mortally wounded Spencer. As The Eyes towered over him, its talons slammed beside his body on both sides. Spencer desperately rolled to face it, barely able to choke out a plea through a blood-soaked mouth.

  ?

  But The Eyes merely blinked, as if confounded by it. Before it struck faster than Dez could even see, one second cocking its head bemused at its prey, before becoming a blur and reappearing in place, beak bloody and full of scraps of flesh, and Spencer fading weakly, clutching at the grizzly wound that had once been his throat. The flesh, muscle, and tendons are missing, and the spine within it is exposed.

  ?

  Dez could hear Hector wretching in response, disgusted by the sight of such gruesome death. K seemed to silently whisper something to herself, but it was Hooks that broke through it all.

  ?

  “Those damn bastards!” Hooks cried out. “Vance and Derby are trying to come in!”

  ?

  Dez's sense flared angrily, so intensely it nearly floored him. It was just as intense as it had been before, when he had saved K and him from The Eyes. His eyes automatically flicked over, seeing Vance and Derby mere inches away from their fort and attempting to climb inside.

  ?

  It was conflicting, but those bastards had caused this, and his sense was warning him; they must’ve been the threat. Dez moved with Hooks, the two working wordlessly as a team. Derby attempted to climb in, only for Hooks to stop him, smashing a third improvised metal rod, flat-side, into the face of Derby. The man took a couple of steps back, confused, blood trailing from a deep gash on his head, before he lost his balance. Knees crumbling as he fell into a seated position. Vance attempted the same, but Dez snapped him back with a sneak attack jab to the face. The larger man at the punch, though, was attempting to dive under a table to get into the fort. Dez attempted to drop to stop him, only for Hector to suddenly interject, shoving Dez back and allowing Vance inside.

  ?

  Dez fell against a chair, flinching as he watched The Eyes draw closer. Derby barely managed to flinch before it snapped its head off its shoulder with a shower of blood and gore in an instant, barely pausing its charge towards them.

  ?

  “The hell, Hector!” Hooks snapped at the man brandishing the rod at him threateningly. Dez tried to speak but couldn’t; every time he tried, he saw the eyes flash in his head.

  ?

  “We can’t just let him die, we already damned the others!”

  ?

  “They're our enemies, Hector.” K pointed out calmly. “But there’s nothing to be done now. It’s already had two of us; last time that was enough.”

  ?

  “Screw that, he goes too!” Hooks demanded.

  ?

  Dez desperately tried to yell again, to warn them. The Eyes had taken flight now, in mere moments, its giant form would collide with their fort. Their shoddy defenses wouldn’t hold-

  ?

  However, someone else did notice it all. Vance's eyes, crazed and panicked, flickered to his, then traced his gaze. Suddenly, the fear disappeared for a moment. Replaced with a vindictive glee as he locked eyes with Dez, before shoving Hector toward the wall of the fort.

  ?

  Hector hadn’t expected it; he was smaller than even Dez as well. So Vance’s shove was effective, slamming Hector into a wall of stacked tables and knocking them back slightly. Dez finally managed to speak, attempting to dive for Hector to save him.

  ?

  But the Eyes were faster. It slammed through the tables and into Hector with ease. Snatching Hector from his feet and bursting through the top of their fort, it left the tables and chairs to collapse on top of them all.

  ?

  But Dez didn’t acknowledge any of it, even as a chair bounced off his head. Instead, he watched the frozen Hector, the massive talons of The Eyes spearing through his chest and legs. His friend weakly struggled against its grasp, but The Eyes had already taken them high into the air of the room. Even if he broke free, there was nowhere to go…

  ?

  Hector weakly locked eyes with Dez. He raised a hand as if reaching out to him, mouth silently mouthing something even as blood trailed from it. But Dez couldn’t decipher it, and a moment later, The Eyes pumped its massive wings once, disappearing in the single bound…