Day 6 – Part 2

Cruelty

        The woman standing before Kahi dug the blade deeper into her flesh, drawing blood. The red liquid trailed slowly down Kahi's slender throat and disappeared beneath the collar of her shirt. The woman didn't let up and stared her small eyes into Kahi's.

       “Answer the question,” the woman hissed, her voice slightly muffled by the blue mask she wore over . It was the kind of mask one wore when they were sick and needed to go out in public, made of a soft fabric and reusable. “Tell me who you are.”

       “I-I'm Kahi,” she responded and for the first time in her life she felt intimidated. She would have backed away from the woman and her blade if she was certain she wouldn't be killed for it. As it was she could hardly breathe in fear of forcing the woman's hand. “These are my friends. We-”

       “Have any of you been bitten?” The words were curt, clipped and pronounced with precision. She spoke without honorifics though Kahi was clearly older than she – not to mention, a complete stranger.

       “No.”

       The blade she had pressed against Kahi's throat was withdrawn but her hard stare remained. She clearly did not trust these people standing before her. Standing behind the woman with the blade was a man whose face was contorted in fear.

       “Ga-in?” he questioned, staring through the darkness in an attempt to get a better look at the new arrivals standing outside the door.

       The woman he had addressed stepped out of the newcomers way and walked behind the man who had spoken. Kahi waved for the others to follow her inside though she herself was feeling rather hesitant.

       The blade the woman, Ga-in, was holding raised and then in a quick motion she slid it across the man's throat. He gurgled something unintelligible before falling to the floor. Kahi took a step back, running into Nana.

       “What is it?” the younger girl questioned, looking beyond Kahi. She had heard a sound but the room was so dark she couldn't see a thing.

       Ga-in stared down at the man who was bleeding out onto the floor for a moment before looking up and meeting Kahi's terrified gaze.

       “It was for his own good.”

       “What?”

       “He had been bitten-”

       “But that-”

       “You don't understand, do you? Being bitten means death. I was jut putting him out of his misery. Better now than later.” Her voice held no emotion, like she had just killed a stranger instead of one of her companions.

       Kahi remained silent, afraid to speak while Ga-in still had that blade in her grasp. She didn't understand what being bitten had to do with Ga-in killing him so coldly. Hadn't the man been begging her before? Kahi was not clear on the situation or the conversation that had transpired before their arrival, but she had seen how scared the man had been. Ga-in had taken no pity on him. Her gaze was cold and dull, like there was no life left in her.

       Maybe this was a mistake.

       Ga-in slid the blade into a sheath at her waist and then took a step back from the bleeding man. She appraised the small group that had entered her hideout.

       “Close the door.”

       Kahi threw a look at Tablo, questioning him. He just stared back at her, unsure of what she wanted him to do. Before they could come to a silent decision, Lizzy did what Ga-in had told them to. She shut the door.

       “Now, because you don't seem to know what's going on-”

       “We know what's going on. People have turned into monsters and are eating each other,” Tablo stated.

       Ga-in's expression finally changed. No longer was she staring at them like she wanted to kill them, no, now she was gazing at Tablo, her expression clearly asking him if he was really that stupid. He just stared back at her, confused as to why she was looking at him like that.

       “You haven't lost anyone yet, have you?” Ga-in's voice filled with a bitter emotion that Kahi could hardly believe. Still, the woman's eyes betrayed nothing, she looked on at the group before her. “Once you're bitten – or scratched – then you turn into one of the them. There is no cure. There is no helping it. There's no stopping it. You'll turn. The end.” She kicked the corpse at her feet. “The end,” she repeated quietly. Her hands lifted to her face and she adjusted the mask that covered and nose. “Come with me.” She her heel and disappeared into the darkness beyond the room.

       Kahi exchanged a nervous glance with her companions. Were they really going to follow after that woman?