My arms ached as I forced my oars through the current. I could hear the flapping of wings in the distance. I looked behind me and saw huge crow like creatures tearing apart the town, my home.

I tried to get out as fast as I could, luckily I still had my boat from when I went fishing with my son. He was still in the village, he was gone when I woke up. I hope he’s safe.

I looked back in front of me and paddled like my life depended on it, which it did. I heard the sound of wings approaching but I was too scared to turn around. I froze and hoped it would maybe pass by. That’s when a smaller crow landed on the bow of my boat. His head turned to the side as he looked me dead in the eyes. He cawed and hopped closer. I freaked out and extended my leg, kicking him off my small boat. There was a small splash before he got back on my boat. He shook off and tilted his head before his wings extended. The sound of bones cracking and shifting could be heard echoing over the open water. His wings got bigger and his back arched before his back burst open, another pair of wings pushed their way out. Although unlike the others, these ones had hands with claw like fingers on the end of them. I didn’t know what to do. Scared, I hit it with my oar. The back of my boat weighed down and a loud caw rang though my ears. Another weight shook the boat before it tipped over. I tried my best to swim to the surface but before I could there was a sharp pain in my sides. I got pulled out of the water and noticed I was being held by huge talons, I looked up to see that it they were the same arm like wings that the other crow had, just ten times bigger. A long stringy sticky like tentacle wrapped around my body. I panicked and tried to shake free despite the pain I felt in my sides. I looked at where it was coming from and noticed that it was a tongue which belonged to the same bird holding me. I screamed in not only pain but disgust. I knew it was over. There was no way I could escape from it, I felt limp and my whole life ran though my head. What if I did this differently? Did I tell my son I loved him last night? Was I the best dad I could’ve been? What if I had been there more?

BANG

The grasp that the bird had on me loosened and I slipped out of the tongue and onto my boat which rocked back and forth as it was still capsized. The other birds which were previously on the boat had taken off. Blood was oozing from my sides as I pushed myself up so I was sitting, trying not to slip since me and the boat were soaked.

I sighed in relief and a smile made it’s way onto my face.

“Milo..”

The boat came closer and my son pulled me into his boat which held him and his dog.

“Here.”

Milo took out a first aid kit, pulled my shirt up, and started patching my sides to the best of his ability.

“There should be a village at the end of the river if we head east. We’ll get help there.”

I pushed myself up with a grunt as I leaned against the side.

“What are those things?”

“I don’t know but they’ve killed almost everyone in the village. They’ve taken over.”

I nodded and looked back at the village as Milo kept rowing. It was quiet but tense, my heart was still racing and I’m sure his was too. I leaned my head back against the side of the boat and looked up.

“Milo..”

He hummed in response and looked at me, he saw where I was looking so he too tilted his head up.

There were at least seven or eight “birds” flying in a circle relatively low, they all looked as if they had been through a world war. They were covered in blood, their beaks were gnarled and their eyes were almost popping out of their sockets as they were watching us.

Milo looked back down and started rowing again.

“Don’t look at them.”

I closed my eyes though it was hard to keep them closed as I knew that murderous creatures were flying just meters above my head. I moved my head back down and looked at his dog who too was staring up at the birds. I gently placed my hand on my side but jumped when Milo suddenly ducked his head and swung his arm out.

“What happened?”

“A bee.”

I watched him as he picked back up the oar but as he made the first stroke a black figure snatched him up just feet away. I jumped to grab him, his dog barking, him screaming. My sides hurt making me collapse on the seat he was just sitting in. I looked above me panicked as the dog continued barking. The sound echoing in my head, driving me insane. I watched as two of the birds tossed him back and fourth. Then like a rubber band which too much tension, he snapped. The water around me turning red, the front of the boat coated, my arm reaching out was covered. In the red rain coming from above. It broke me. I couldn’t look, I could hear the sounds of ripping, chewing, crunching. My head hurt. My boy. They took my boy. I couldn’t move, I looked down and shut my eyes. I heard a splash, I didn’t look. I heard another. The barking stopped. I opened my eyes. There was scratching as I looked behind me..

pt 2 will be up soon