[3] Falling wolves?

Target was more concerned about how big the wound is and grabbed one of my hands to squeeze tightly, conveying her concern, "I saw it bite you. Are you okay? You cleaned the wound right, Liz? We need to get that treated. We need medicine. I walked by a pharmacy when I was walking back here—"

"Target. Tell us what happened." I stop her before she can run off to the sunset. She was always the impulsive one, acting before speaking, run solely by the need to do something.

She would have opened her mouth and start screaming if it weren't for Elizabeth who clamped it shut and hushed her, telling her to be quiet.

Unknowing of the danger we were probably in, Target angrily hissed in response, "I don't know! That shit destroyed the fucking bus and attacked you! I fucking kicked its face and would have done more if I didn't get teleported away! Thank fuck Elizabeth was here with you or—"

Knock Knock Knock

...

Apparently getting the vibe of our current situation, Target protectively stood in front of us. "What the fuck was that?"

"We don't know. It's been rampaging around the restaurant breaking everything it heard." I was starting to feel fatigue really drag my bones. All this stress wasn't helping me cope with my wound, better yet for it to start healing. I might actually pass out if that door opens.

Elizabeth seemed to notice the slack in my movement and she pulled Target back before she can do anything else, her voice was lowered than before, "We need to leave. Teressa isn't fairing much and if whatever it is behind that door was the coyote from earlier, we need to leave. If you were nearby then the others shouldn't be that far. Can you lead us to where the pharmacy was?"

"Yes, Captain." Target came to my other side. It was a little awkward to be assisted by both of them, especially when Target was a head taller than Elizabeth and I.

We thankfully made it through the window without too much of a hassle.

My neck was starting to ache and I had to bring it down to give it a bit of time to rest. That's when I noticed the red slowly trickling down Target's side.

"Target... you're hurt..." Some water would be nice. Hopefully the pharmacy would have some.

Target didn't stop moving, though she did look down to check on her wound and winced. She swallowed her chuckle when she saw the seething glare that Elizabeth threw her way.

"I-it must have been scratched when I went through the broken window earlier." Elizabeth's glare lessened but it was still there, as if asking why she didn't say anything in the first place. "I didn't know, okay? I was so worried about you and Tess, it must have slipped my mind. No bother now, we're going to the pharmacy anyway."

I turned my head toward Elizabeth, albeit slowly, "She's right, you know. You can worry and fuss about us when we're recovering safely."

Safely, huh? Do I even have time to recover? The text message said I had two days before they will kill my mom.

Technically, it never said anything about the sender would be the one to kill her but the anonymity was something I couldn't ignore.

With a bus ride, it would take us 3 hours to get back home. If we travelled fast the time it would take to get there would be 16 hours by foot. I can't afford to lay around and rest for any more than 5 hours if I want to make it there in time and ready everything essential to deal with whoever came to kill my mother.

Fuck, wasn't Monica in school right now? I hope she's doing alright.

"Target, where did you find yourself when you got separated?" Elizabeth asked softly, we walked quite the distance already. Both didn't show any signs of exhaustion though.

"I told you, it was a block away from here."

"Why are we walking through the alleyways?"

"I..." Target slowed as she tried to remember. Was this an effect from the coyote? "There was... there were other animals that fell from the sky. Where I woke up in, there was a wolf. I didnt stay long, the crowd was running away from it and I didn't want to see why exactly."

"A wolf..." I hoarsed as I thought out loud, "How many animals fell from the sky?"

My question was left unanswered when we rounded the corner. Just on the other side of the road when you emerge out of the alleyway was the pharmacy that Target mentioned.

The scene reminded me of the destruction and desolate roads from wherever I was earlier before waking up to Elizabeth.

Our steps softened as we approached the scene. It looked like something fell in an angle onto the pharmacy's glass walls. There were large splotches of blood that painted the sidewalks around the pharmacist as well as the inside.

It looked like a death trap than it was a pharmacy.

"How far away did you get teleported from here, Target?" I didn't think Elizabeth's voice could have gotten any softer but here I am.

"About four more roads from here..." Target was trying to place herself in front of us but with how she was assisting me with standing, it was hard to do so.

The question that appeared in my mind was to ask if what fell was a coyote or a wolf. I decided to keep it to myself.

"We should turn back."

"No." Without warning, Elizabeth pushed me to Target, forcing the woman to fully hold me up. I don't know what to think about being treated like a ragdoll. "Take her. Between the three of us, I'm the one who has the most knowledge in medicine. I'll get what we need and then some while you wait here."

"What the fuck, Liz—"

"Hush now," She hissed, "I don't want to linger too long. Teressa is starting to heat up, the possibility of infection is climbing higher the longer we leave her wound untreated."

"I'm not some damsel in distress, you know..." I tried to protest. The weakness in my voice was unconvincing as it was pathetic.

Elizabeth clicked her throat. "Stay with Target, Teressa. Target take care of her. If there are any more falling animals get out. Don't call me, don't even look back."

"Aye." Target easily agreed.

I was a different case, "I can't let you—"

"Tess, I don't think now's the time to contest Captain's orders."

"We aren't in the dojo, Target."

"Exactly."

Elizabeth pulled the both of us in a hug before any more could be said. My arms hung weakly to the side, unable to reciprocate.

There was a different ache that bloomed in my chest as I glared at the stupid pharmacy and the consequences that led us here. I shouldn't have gotten myself hurt.

"I'll be right back." Elizabeth nodded at the two of us before she carefully made her way to the pharmacy.