I'll See You in Hell
Chapter Two
In no time at all, Corey was back at my side, the door securely locked. I looked at Corey and he nodded back. It was time.
‘Let’s go!’
We charged towards the zombies, Corey taking the left hand side and I the right. The zombies looked up and acknowledged our presence by emitting guttural moans and stumbling towards us, their arms outstretched as though they wanted a hug.
No time for that.
I picked up speed and headed straight for the wall nearest to my chosen zombie, using it as a ramp so I could have the advantage of height over the infected. The bulky clothes we had to wear for protection didn’t help but I managed it nonetheless, soaring through the air and using my momentum to force the zombie below me to the floor. Rolling off it, I adjusted my grip on the shovel and slammed it down against the zombie’s head before it had a chance to react, feeling the satisfying crack as it’s skull split in two. Once, twice more I hit it, sending chunks of brain matter and skull flying everywhere until I was sure it was dead. Or rather, inactive, as zombies are already dead. But that’s beside the point.
Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted something lunge and almost reach me. Ducking just in time, I skipped to the side and spun my trusty shovel round, catching the zombie on its arm and cutting its forearm cleanly in two. Oblivious to the fact it was now missing a hand, it reached out with its stump and focused its gaze on my head. Or more specifically, where my brain was. I shuddered- zombies creeped me out. I swung my shovel for the second time and hit its neck, decapitating it completely and showering the room with blood and splinters of bone.
Feeling confident from my near perfect kills, I looked around for my next victim, and saw that Corey had taken out two of the remaining zombies and was having a hands on battle with the final one. He must have dropped his gun as it was lying uselessly next to his foot, leaving him without a weapon and vulnerable. It was down to me to help him.
I sprung into action, kicking the corpses out of my way and leaping over the limbs and bones strewn across the bloodied floor.
‘I’m coming Corey! Don’t y’ worry!’
Backed up against the wall, straining against the zombie whose strength suddenly seemed to have increased, Corey glanced distractedly at me and smiled in response. Sensing weakness, the zombie used it to its advantage and surged forwards, catching Corey off guard and aimed for his exposed neck.
‘No! Corey!’ I screamed in desperation, watching it sink its teeth into his skin and tear off a mouthful of flesh. Feebly, Corey waved it away but it had already got the taste of his blood. Savagely it attacked him, and all I could do was look on as my friend was murdered, paralysed by shock.
Giving myself a shake, I raised my shovel and stepped towards the creature, smacking it over the head with the hard metal. It crashed to the ground, and I hit it again, and again, and again. The sight of my best friend lying dead only fed my anger, and this zombie was feeling the full force of it. Literally.
A few minutes later, I was exhausted and the zombie was nothing but a pile of shattered bones and blood on the floor. Wiping the sweat from my forehead, I took one final look at my former friend.
‘Good bye Corey.’ I swallowed a sob, my voice shaking. ‘I’ll see you in hell.’
Getting to my feet, I turned and looked around for any other zombies we might have missed. I couldn’t see any but... what if they were hiding? Maybe they were watching me, and waiting for their chance? Forgetting that zombies weren’t intelligent nor patient enough to wait for their prey, I whimpered in fear and scuttled to the shadows where I wouldn’t be spotted as easily. Now I just had to get out.
I judged the distance from where I was crouched to the door to be about three strides. If I was careful, I would be able to make it to the exit safely and then there were just the corridors to negotiate. Taking a deep breath to calm my nerves, I ran the few strides and threw myself into the doorway, before checking that the corridor was zombie-free. It was. Without looking back, I hurtled down the corridor as though my trousers were on fire, not sure where I was going but certain that I had to escape.
A few weeks later, I was back on the job- my first since ‘the accident’ as we now to refer to Corey’s death as. The sirens had just sounded, signalling a break-in in the kitchens. I knew I would never forget Corey, but I’d learnt to move on and to be honest, killing the beasts which murdered my friend was possibly the best remedy for it. I had a new partner, who I would work with temporarily until a permanent partner was found for me, and thanks to him my confidence had grown back. He would never replace Corey or fill the hole his death left in me, but for the first time since I lost him, I was happy again.
‘Let’s go!’
We charged towards the zombies, Corey taking the left hand side and I the right. The zombies looked up and acknowledged our presence by emitting guttural moans and stumbling towards us, their arms outstretched as though they wanted a hug.
No time for that.
I picked up speed and headed straight for the wall nearest to my chosen zombie, using it as a ramp so I could have the advantage of height over the infected. The bulky clothes we had to wear for protection didn’t help but I managed it nonetheless, soaring through the air and using my momentum to force the zombie below me to the floor. Rolling off it, I adjusted my grip on the shovel and slammed it down against the zombie’s head before it had a chance to react, feeling the satisfying crack as it’s skull split in two. Once, twice more I hit it, sending chunks of brain matter and skull flying everywhere until I was sure it was dead. Or rather, inactive, as zombies are already dead. But that’s beside the point.
Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted something lunge and almost reach me. Ducking just in time, I skipped to the side and spun my trusty shovel round, catching the zombie on its arm and cutting its forearm cleanly in two. Oblivious to the fact it was now missing a hand, it reached out with its stump and focused its gaze on my head. Or more specifically, where my brain was. I shuddered- zombies creeped me out. I swung my shovel for the second time and hit its neck, decapitating it completely and showering the room with blood and splinters of bone.
Feeling confident from my near perfect kills, I looked around for my next victim, and saw that Corey had taken out two of the remaining zombies and was having a hands on battle with the final one. He must have dropped his gun as it was lying uselessly next to his foot, leaving him without a weapon and vulnerable. It was down to me to help him.
I sprung into action, kicking the corpses out of my way and leaping over the limbs and bones strewn across the bloodied floor.
‘I’m coming Corey! Don’t y’ worry!’
Backed up against the wall, straining against the zombie whose strength suddenly seemed to have increased, Corey glanced distractedly at me and smiled in response. Sensing weakness, the zombie used it to its advantage and surged forwards, catching Corey off guard and aimed for his exposed neck.
‘No! Corey!’ I screamed in desperation, watching it sink its teeth into his skin and tear off a mouthful of flesh. Feebly, Corey waved it away but it had already got the taste of his blood. Savagely it attacked him, and all I could do was look on as my friend was murdered, paralysed by shock.
Giving myself a shake, I raised my shovel and stepped towards the creature, smacking it over the head with the hard metal. It crashed to the ground, and I hit it again, and again, and again. The sight of my best friend lying dead only fed my anger, and this zombie was feeling the full force of it. Literally.
A few minutes later, I was exhausted and the zombie was nothing but a pile of shattered bones and blood on the floor. Wiping the sweat from my forehead, I took one final look at my former friend.
‘Good bye Corey.’ I swallowed a sob, my voice shaking. ‘I’ll see you in hell.’
Getting to my feet, I turned and looked around for any other zombies we might have missed. I couldn’t see any but... what if they were hiding? Maybe they were watching me, and waiting for their chance? Forgetting that zombies weren’t intelligent nor patient enough to wait for their prey, I whimpered in fear and scuttled to the shadows where I wouldn’t be spotted as easily. Now I just had to get out.
I judged the distance from where I was crouched to the door to be about three strides. If I was careful, I would be able to make it to the exit safely and then there were just the corridors to negotiate. Taking a deep breath to calm my nerves, I ran the few strides and threw myself into the doorway, before checking that the corridor was zombie-free. It was. Without looking back, I hurtled down the corridor as though my trousers were on fire, not sure where I was going but certain that I had to escape.
A few weeks later, I was back on the job- my first since ‘the accident’ as we now to refer to Corey’s death as. The sirens had just sounded, signalling a break-in in the kitchens. I knew I would never forget Corey, but I’d learnt to move on and to be honest, killing the beasts which murdered my friend was possibly the best remedy for it. I had a new partner, who I would work with temporarily until a permanent partner was found for me, and thanks to him my confidence had grown back. He would never replace Corey or fill the hole his death left in me, but for the first time since I lost him, I was happy again.