Penumbra

Undead

The moment we arrive to the proximities to Himmelsburg I feel a sudden crash, I went fast and the car twisted and turned around. My bones cracked and I rolled around. I legs did not reacted anymore, in that moment I knew that there were broken.

I suddenly woke up after the hit, I must have fallen unconscious for some time. I took my last emergency painkiller and crawled back to the car, I check my phone and is gone, I check on Ralph, he was not reacting,

"Buddy, come on! wake up!"

I checked his body and I recognized those marks, those.. marks on his neck just like that boy on the autopsy "Oh no, we are in danger, ok, ok think Gonzalo, think!, check for a phone or something. Where is my phone? His phone? No, no there is no time."I found only his gun.. Maybe I can make noise with it or defend myself. I keep and keep crawling, and I get closer to the car...

When I arrived there she was...my...poor Marie.. this can't be "this can't be! she was attacked too.. I looked around with the gun in my hand. I shoot in the sky searching for help, I honk the car horn, again, again, nothing.

"Whoever you are!! I am gonna kill you!! bastard!!"

I crawled to Marie and she was cold, no pulse. just her lifeless body, that beautiful eyes, now looking empty, that beautiful cheerful face that always gave me warmth and made me happy, lies there...lifeless.... I wanted to cry but this is not over yet.

"where is the freaking radio.. a freaking phone..good dammit!"

I look around and I see my poor baby Lucero, she is alive but hurt, she is inside the car, but the car was upside down, I need to grab her out, the door is closed, i barely open but manage to get inside and release the baby seat, I crawled with all my strength and I got there. I keep screaming for help and looking around, but nobody comes, the rain finally stops, but the temperature gets colder. I am still dizzy and I try to focus, "I need to keep my baby warm, please move, Gonzalo, please..."

I am losing my conscience , I am bleeding out, I remove my little Lucero seatbelt and I grab her and I take her with me, she is cold, I see she is bleeding too, I make a knot and I cover the wound, I grab any clothe and I put her close to me, on my chest, I surround my arms around her, she must be kept warm.

"There, baby girl, we are together now.."

She gets colder and colder, I keep screaming. I shoot into the sky, I need to make noise, someone must be around, but nothing yet, just the wind and the road, the car and us. I crawl close to Marie. I put one of my hands around her and I can't hold on anymore..

"Why... this is happening.."

I start to pray, I am not a believer but I am running out of options, I don't know what to do... Lucero cries get softer and softer.

"No baby girl.. please stay with me.... Papa is warming you.."

I hug her harder and she starts to sleep.. or I want to believe she is sleeping. Her little warm heart beats slower and slower.

"No, no, no, no.... stay with me, stay with papa baby girl"

Then it stops..I hug her and I finally break. I hug her tight and I cry. I contemplate all my life with Marie, my baby, everyone and I think.

"This is it...my baby girl..my little princess..I failed you, I failed you all".

I stroke Marie cheek a last time, her beautiful hair a last time, I kiss my Lucero, I think of Chief Klein, how much he had fought for this town and how his life ended, and now I am here to, the same destiny waits for me, and I am tired....cold....

As I start to hallucinate already, I feel someone grabbing me, I ask myself. Is the perpetrator? Or help finally came? I mutter

"Please, help them, don't let them here..."