Until You Die

Miles was unsure if Ellias benefactor was located at the fountain.

There were terrorists roaming in this town, and a conspicuous area like the fountain was not a proper place to hide.

Miles: ”Are you sure, Ellia? Your benefactor might have hidden in these houses. I mean, it makes sense, right? There are terrorists in this town, and hiding in these houses seems the right choice. ”

Miles made a valid point, and Ellia understood that, but nobody knows her benefactor more than she does. Ellia showed a brave smile to showcase her confidence.

Ellia: ”If there are terrorists in this town, then they should all be prepared. My benefactor is very strong. In fact, I have seen no one as strong as him. He would definitely stay at the fountain and…DEFEAT THEM ALL! ”

Ellia raised her fist high up and screamed as she was excited to boast about her benefactor, hoping to get an astonished reaction from Miles, but it did the opposite effect as Miles hurriedly covered Ellias mouth.

Miles: ”Shush, Kid! If these terrorists find us out, who knows what might happen to us? ”

Ellia: ”I-I-Im s-sorry, Miles. ”

Ellia dejectedly said as her head was hung down, seemingly embarrassed by her childish outburst.

Miles patted her head to calm her down. He began leaning on the wall of a house.

Miles: ”I will put you down, kid. My arms are getting numb. ”

Ellia: ”Okay, Miles. ”

Ellia smiled warmly as she was gently put down. When Miles had finally found a proper position to lean on, he began to ask Ellia.

Miles: ”A question for you, Ellia. If you look straight ahead in this street, what do you see? ”

Ellia: ”An empty street and the fountain at the end. ”

Ellia said with a serious face, but it did not suit her as it only made her cuter.

Miles: ”Correct, looking straight ahead, you would see nothing but an empty street. This means only two things, whether the terrorists had not cleared this area yet or they have already set up traps. Maybe they are confident in their traps to leave this area unsupervised. ”

Miles said with seriousness on his face. Before he began to speak, doubt loomed in his mind.

Was it really ideal to save her benefactor? Didn he die earlier before this? Why was he alive? Is this another hallucination?

He shook his head. He does not want to think about it right now as there are more serious problems to deal with.

All he wanted right now was to get this over with and go home.

He would not allow any mistakes.

That is why theyll play it slowly and carefully.

Miles: ”Heres the plan. We will sneak here all the way to the fountain. We will also sneak corner by corner in each house so we would not be easily spotted. ”

Miles pointed at the stall beside them.

Miles: ”We will also grab rocks onto that pavement. Those rocks would be our tool later. Only use it if you see a suspicious object that could look like a trap. Only gently toss the rock. No throwing. It might attract those terrorists. ”

He took a long breath and asked Ellia again.

Miles: ”You understand? ”

Ellia nodded energetically.

Miles: ”Good, lets go. ”

****

30 Minutes had passed, and Miles and Ellia sneaked into a couple of houses.

There were only 6 houses to sneak past, and they could properly see the fountain.

They never got to use the rocks as they were very careful sneaking past each house.

They also didn see any suspicious traps.

Miles and Ellia stopped at the sixth house to see if there were any hostile entities blocking their path.

Five houses to sneak past before reaching the fountain.

They saw nothing but only a bunch of stray dogs circling at the center of the fountain.

He saw the dogs were wounded, hairless, and red skin was showing as if they had been skinned.

He pitied those stray dogs, as he thought they might be living in pain.

His pity came to a halt when he saw they were eating somebody.

Miles: ”Shit! Are those rabid dogs!? ”

Are these the traps that the terrorists set out!?

Miles believes the very person who the dogs were eating was Ellias benefactor as he was the only presumed person staying in the fountain.

The rabid dogs aggressively ate the person lying on the fountain, as the body had already made an enormous pool of blood.

Arms, intestines, and the leg could already be seen dangling in the mouths of those dogs.

It was his first time seeing such a gruesome scene.

It was unpleasant.

Miles was having a hard time believing that this was all real.

He was under the illusion that these rabid dogs chewing are just dog food, not a person.

— ba-thump! ba-thump! ba-thump!

He could not discern his reality. He was trying to delude himself that this was another hallucination.

If he just closed his eyes and then opened them, all of those dogs would magically disappear.

— ba-thump! ba-thump!

His heart keeps beating loudly as sweat is already trickling down his chin.

As his pupils were shaking in fear, his sight was focusing on the persons chewed-off hands dangling at the dogs mouth.

He was this close to having a panic attack if not for his breathing. A breathing technique that his father had taught him to calm down whenever he was angry.

Miles admitted to himself that he was scared shitless.

He was ready to grab Ellia as they had already got the answer they needed.

Her benefactor was dead, and it was time to get out of the damn place.

They can grieve and mourn about her benefactor later, but right now, they need to get out of this place as fast as possible.

Miles quickly turned his head to find Ellia.

Miles: ”Ellia, Im sorry, but we need— ”

His eyes grew wider when he could not find Ellia behind him.

He quickly turned his head — left —right, but to no avail.

He wanted to freak out, but he could not afford to, so he calmed down and decided to check inside these houses as Ellia might have hidden inside.

Just as he was about to stand up, a panic scream could be heard.

Ellia: ”MISTER! ”

Ellia was running frantically to the fountain as she was trying to reach the man who was badly beaten.

Ellia: ”HOLD ON, ILL SAVE YOU! ”

That kid!

Flashes of images flickered in Miless head.

Images of Ellia and the man switched places, and Ellia was the one getting devoured.

Her head was lifeless, and her mouth was filled with cold blood.

Her arm dangling in the mouth of a rabid dog.

Her eyes were dark, devoid of any life.

Miles panicked and ran after her.

Forget sneaking. Miles would not allow seeing another gruesome sight.

It was bad enough to see a stranger getting brutally devoured. What if he saw a kid getting devoured, and it was someone he knew?

He would not allow it.

He would drag Ellia away from that place.

****

Ellia was very close to the fountain.

She just needed to get past the last house.

Prior back when Miles was having a crisis after seeing such a gruesome sight, Ellia was already running to the fountain desperately wanting to save her benefactor.

I won let anything happen to you, mister, just please wait for me.

She was running desperately as her legs were already flailing in exhaustion.

She was small, and her small legs were already giving up, but it did not stop her to keep pushing on.

She ran past a couple of dogs, and the dogs did not attack her. However, there were some dogs that looked at her with a red glint in their eyes.

She was close to the fountain, and she was drawing near where the circle of dogs was located.

She ran and almost tripped over.

She held up her hands, reaching for the man that was being devoured.

Ellia, with a light blush on her cheeks, smiled as warmly as she could.

Ellia: ”Im here, mister benefactor. Everything will be alright. ”

She sweetly whispered as misty breath came out of her mouth.

I aspire to be like you.

Then time had slowed down.

Their figures were at a halt, and three dogs jumped at her with their fangs open.

— CRUNCH! CRUNCH! CRUNCH!

The dogs had bitten Ellia. One on her neck, the other on the arm, and the last is on the leg.

She could not scream.

The bite was so powerful that even her small bones cracked under the pressure.

Her head was tilted as her neck was snapped like a twig.

It could even be called a miracle, as she did not experience pain since she had already died when her neck was broken.

When her neck had snapped, the whole body had severed the connection to the brainstem.

Any pain that she could feel was non-existent, as the pain receptor did not reach her brain.

In other words, she died instantly.

Miles will never know that fact as he can only see three dogs munching down Ellia.

Unbeknownst to him, he would never know that she died instantly. In his mind, he was already imagining the worst, as he was trying to feel what was inside of Ellias mind as she was being devoured.

— khrk!

He gritted his teeth as he ran with full vigor.

His eyes were blazing with fury.

He is planning to kill the dogs that were munching down Ellia. After that, he will grab the body and get out of this damn town.

— tok! Tok! Tok!

His footsteps were getting louder as he got close to Ellias body.

He finally reached where Ellias body was located and saw the dogs munching at her body.

The dogs became docile and distant as they each took a part of Ellias body and ate at a relatively distant place.

The flashback he has earlier had become a reality.

Her head was lifeless, and her mouth was filled with cold blood.

Her arm was dangling in the mouth of a rabid dog.

Her leg was dangling in the mouth of a rabid dog.

A part of her neck was dangling in the mouth of a rabid dog.

Her eyes were dark, devoid of any life.

****

He looked at Ellia with a look of indifference.

It might look like he was looking at her devoid of emotions, but in reality, he was almost reaching a boiling point of no return.

Miles was a hot-headed person, and whenever he was angry, he had a tendency to forget the consequences of what he would do.

That is why he was trying his best to stay calm.

He took a long breath and walked to the dog that was eating Ellias leg.

— tok. tok. tok.

It was a quiet step that fully blended with the noises outside.

— tok. tok. tok.

A calming step that no one suspects to bear such hostility.

His quiet steps stopped when he approached a dog who was munching on a leg.

— crunch! crunch!

The leg looked so tender as all the bones were already broken, and its skin was soaked with many liquids such as blood and saliva.

Miles: ”You really like eating legs, huh? ”

Said Miles as he looked at the dog with indifference.

But his facade of indifference was short-lived, as his anger had already reached a boiling point.

Miles: ”I BET YOUD LIKE MINE MORE! ”

He angrily screamed as he lifted his legs as high as he could.

He stomped the dog that was eating with full force.

— CRACK!

Miless strength was above average, as he could shatter the skull of a dog with a powerful stomp.

Miles: ”Whats the matter dogo, don you like legs! ”

— krak! krak! krak! krak! krak! krak! krak! krak! krak!

The dog was already dead, but it did not matter to Miles as he was still stomping the dead dog.

Trying to erase that stupid, smug face on that dog by crushing its head into mush.

His eyes were still burning with rage, not satisfied with killing one dog.

Miles looked at the fountain.

At least a hundred dogs could be seen, and there were at least nine dogs in the circle formed on the benefactors dead body.

Two dogs are still eating on Ellias body.

Ive changed my mind.

Miles cracked his neck and fiercely looked at the hundred dogs.

— crack!

Before I go home….. Let me kill them all.