Status: New chapter in progress 4/6/14
Before You
Failure
Night came and with it, a heaviness that seemed to settle over everyone. Everyone except Elexus and myself. I immediately went straight to bed, only stripping off my boots and overcoat. Sleeping in bloody, dirty clothes was something I had to do often. Not the most sanitary thing, considering the wounds I had. I found myself staring at the ceiling again, thinking about strange and horrible things, most of which I had a hand in doing myself. This is by far one of the oddest ordeals I’ve witnessed and I can’t figure it out. Why did I just wake up here? Something happened between the time in the basement to the time I woke up in the middle of the street and I will find out what. Somehow. Every explanation I came up with was ludicrous but I suppose with all things considered, anything was possible.
I’m not sure when I finally drifted off, but when I did, I dreamed. I don’t often dream. I think my body doesn’t let me. I see my mother’s face, smiling at me, quickly flashing to that same face, only screaming and bloody; the gun shots, my brothers hand in mine; the dark, the blood. More screaming. My eyes fluttered open. My clothes were damp with sweat, and it took only a second for vision to adjust to the dark. I was no longer in the basement of my childhood home, but in a hospital bed, surrounded by people I had only just met. I took in a deep breath, and let it out slowly, deciding I needed some fresh air.
I raised myself up and slid my boots on quietly then slipped my gun in the back of my waistband because I hate going anywhere without it. An entourage was the last thing I needed. I grabbed the cigarettes out of my pocket, the ones I had taken off the cashier earlier, and headed outside. The front glass doors were locked of course, so I rotated the mechanism as quietly as I could and stepped out. It was cool, causing my skin to prickle at the slightest breeze. I lit the cigarette between my lips and pulled on the filter, letting smoke fill my lungs. The familiar taste was a normalcy I welcomed with open arms. My eyes scanned the wooded area just beyond the front doors. It was quiet. A little too quiet. I scanned the still pines, but saw nothing except darkness between the trees. Every now and then I think I catch small movements, but it was possibly the darkness playing tricks. Either that or there were some exceptionally quiet undead stragglers out there. A few puffs later, I flicked the butt, and headed back inside. I took several steps down the hall until I realized I’d forgotten to lock the door.
Shit.. I thought, as I turned around to fix my mistake. What I saw in the open doorway stopped me dead in my tracks. Taylor.
Taylor?
She was supposed to be dead. Buried six feet under and resting in peace, but here she was. Her talc blond hair was matted and falling out, her skin a sickly pale, like blood was no longer pumping through it and her eyes...clouded over, like cataracts had took them completely. The disease must not have taken complete hold of her yet, since she was still breathing heavily and not trying to eat my face off. Something had got awry, or someone didn’t do their job. I raised my gun and pointed at the girls head, finger on the trigger when a voice stops me. Ian’s voice.
“What do you think you’re doing?” he asks.
I turn my head around in the direction of the sound. Ian stands a few feet from me down the dark hall. My eyes narrowed, “something you apparently failed to do.”
When I had gotten up earlier, I must have missed that neither Bree nor Ian were in their beds.
“He did exactly what we planned. You can’t kill this innocent little girl. I won’t let you. We can help her. There must be a way,” Bree said, taking a few steps closer.
I turn my gun on her before she could take another step, but kept listening for Taylor, knowing she could make a move at any moment while I had my back turned.
“There is no girl left,” I say as patiently as I can. I knew there was no use in trying to reason with them. They had grown some sort of attachment to this person, and no matter what happened, or what changed, they’ll keep thinking that some part of this girl is still alive and worth saving.
I’m about to turn back and finish the job when I see subtle movement from behind Ian. Before I knew what happened, a blunt hollow sound, accompanied by Ian dropping to the floor had me lowering my weapon. Behind him, Elexus stood, the butt of her gun a little bloody from hitting him over the head.
“I knew we should have done it ourselves,” Elexus spat, raising her gun to the dying girl in the doorway. Her finger squeezed the trigger.
“No!”
Bree jumped in front of the bullet, then landed on the floor in a lifeless heap. Blood pooled under her body, and she made no attempt to get up. No sounds escaped her lips. She was dead.
I’m not sure when I finally drifted off, but when I did, I dreamed. I don’t often dream. I think my body doesn’t let me. I see my mother’s face, smiling at me, quickly flashing to that same face, only screaming and bloody; the gun shots, my brothers hand in mine; the dark, the blood. More screaming. My eyes fluttered open. My clothes were damp with sweat, and it took only a second for vision to adjust to the dark. I was no longer in the basement of my childhood home, but in a hospital bed, surrounded by people I had only just met. I took in a deep breath, and let it out slowly, deciding I needed some fresh air.
I raised myself up and slid my boots on quietly then slipped my gun in the back of my waistband because I hate going anywhere without it. An entourage was the last thing I needed. I grabbed the cigarettes out of my pocket, the ones I had taken off the cashier earlier, and headed outside. The front glass doors were locked of course, so I rotated the mechanism as quietly as I could and stepped out. It was cool, causing my skin to prickle at the slightest breeze. I lit the cigarette between my lips and pulled on the filter, letting smoke fill my lungs. The familiar taste was a normalcy I welcomed with open arms. My eyes scanned the wooded area just beyond the front doors. It was quiet. A little too quiet. I scanned the still pines, but saw nothing except darkness between the trees. Every now and then I think I catch small movements, but it was possibly the darkness playing tricks. Either that or there were some exceptionally quiet undead stragglers out there. A few puffs later, I flicked the butt, and headed back inside. I took several steps down the hall until I realized I’d forgotten to lock the door.
Shit.. I thought, as I turned around to fix my mistake. What I saw in the open doorway stopped me dead in my tracks. Taylor.
Taylor?
She was supposed to be dead. Buried six feet under and resting in peace, but here she was. Her talc blond hair was matted and falling out, her skin a sickly pale, like blood was no longer pumping through it and her eyes...clouded over, like cataracts had took them completely. The disease must not have taken complete hold of her yet, since she was still breathing heavily and not trying to eat my face off. Something had got awry, or someone didn’t do their job. I raised my gun and pointed at the girls head, finger on the trigger when a voice stops me. Ian’s voice.
“What do you think you’re doing?” he asks.
I turn my head around in the direction of the sound. Ian stands a few feet from me down the dark hall. My eyes narrowed, “something you apparently failed to do.”
When I had gotten up earlier, I must have missed that neither Bree nor Ian were in their beds.
“He did exactly what we planned. You can’t kill this innocent little girl. I won’t let you. We can help her. There must be a way,” Bree said, taking a few steps closer.
I turn my gun on her before she could take another step, but kept listening for Taylor, knowing she could make a move at any moment while I had my back turned.
“There is no girl left,” I say as patiently as I can. I knew there was no use in trying to reason with them. They had grown some sort of attachment to this person, and no matter what happened, or what changed, they’ll keep thinking that some part of this girl is still alive and worth saving.
I’m about to turn back and finish the job when I see subtle movement from behind Ian. Before I knew what happened, a blunt hollow sound, accompanied by Ian dropping to the floor had me lowering my weapon. Behind him, Elexus stood, the butt of her gun a little bloody from hitting him over the head.
“I knew we should have done it ourselves,” Elexus spat, raising her gun to the dying girl in the doorway. Her finger squeezed the trigger.
“No!”
Bree jumped in front of the bullet, then landed on the floor in a lifeless heap. Blood pooled under her body, and she made no attempt to get up. No sounds escaped her lips. She was dead.