Chapter 290 - Pain - Its a hard knock life. (1/2)

I'm still looking at the sign and I'm trying hard not to laugh but my face is already giving it away. The truck Jared is on top of drove a little closer and he managed to catch a glimpse of it.

”Hah! Bro! See that shit?!” Jared slapped his thighs, laughing.

”Sir? I can't...” Cruz is scratching his head.

A few more soldiers came down and when they saw the sign, a select few gave reactions.

”Cruz, seriously?”

”What?”

”You haven't watched The Pacing Unliving?”

”I did..”

”Forgot the hospital sce-”

”Oh! F.u.c.k me! Hahahaha!”

”Be serious guys, a few are already approaching from behind.”

”Yeah, this shit is still funny though.”

”Well… it really is...”

Five soldiers wearing their military uniforms came up to us and started a short conversation. They meet the standard physique for being in the military and they seem to have the control to fool around and be aware at the same time. Not to mention they know what I'm laughing about so their fate is already sealed. The other soldiers at the back chopped down the few following behind us and I made a short conversation with the five before getting back on business. Kaley is giving a faint smile watching me talk about the show for a short moment.

”This five, with Cruz, Mando, Marlon, and Mike… they're coming with me back home.” I thought to myself and they shuddered when they felt my gaze.

”Bro, I'll bet a slap at the back a hand wi-” Jared was about to tell the scene after the protagonist from the TV Series we're referring to saw pale hands coming out of the gaps but in our case, a hand really came out with long nails, well mostly.

The pale hand is stained with darkened blood and missing a few digits but it almost copied the scene perfectly. It started to clutch the chains that are keeping the door shut but the joints in its knuckles popped to the opposite side when it tried to use more force. It made a small cracking sound which is not as loud but that happening made the ones who saw and heard what happened give out a solemn expression.

”Did it just?” one of the soldiers that has a nametag of 'Salazar' muttered.

”Yeah, it made a noise as if it got hurt when its knuckles got bent. It also pulled its hand back as if it's scalded by hot water.” I replied.

All of them let out noises. It's usually a low growl or someone almost choking but this time, after it got injured, it let out a shriek as if it's in pain. It's faintly distinct but you'd feel it's different the first time you hear it. I've cut them down without killing them outright multiple times but I've only heard that noise when they're about to chomp down on my neck or dive in head first. I've never heard or saw them like that when that happened before.

The way it suddenly pulled its hand back is sending flags in my head.

”If possible, we need to take it back… alive if possible.” I thought to myself.

”It's… feeling pain?” Kaley asked.

”It seems like the one child that retained some of its human features, correct?” Tatiana added.

”We'll see about that.” I replied and I slowly approached the door.

When I drew nearer, they seem to have caught my scent since several dozen hands tried to reach for me. There's also a few popping out from the windows but it's futile. Huge wooden planks are hammered in the windows to keep them inside even if they managed to break the window glass down. A few fingers managed to wiggle out but it's just a sight to keep some people awake at night.

I drew my katana and I chopped an arm off.

The arm I lopped off does not belong to the one I saw earlier but I want to feed my curiosity. The moment the forearm I cut made a small dust on the ground, its remaining parts are still moving around like it's nothing. I chopped a few more and now there's several stumps waving their arms around. Their blood seemed to be too sticky to fly around when they wave their hands so that's a plus. The dismembered pieces are on the ground and it made a small pile where some of them have the bone almost slipping off.

The one earlier I can't spot. I remembered its features but none of the sort appeared when I approached the doors. I even checked the pile on my feet in case I missed it but to no avail.

The owners of the stumps slowly flailing by the doors are now blocking it and I don't want the soldiers to accidentally kill that special or irregular one when we open the doors so I have to change it up.

”Yank the planks of that window so we could let out a few at a time. Let's open one for now since we don't know how much would spill out if we yanked more. I remember a crowbar in one of the toolboxes we took.” I ordered the soldiers and they followed.

They started to rifle through the toolbox for a time so I lent a hand. A small perimeter is always erected every time we make a stop.