𝐀𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐅𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐬 : 𝐉𝐨𝐞𝐥 𝐌𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫

-The Bloater-

Lincoln, 2033

Bill slammed his hands angrily onto the front of the truck, repeating his previous statement louder. "It's fuckin' empty!"

The pounding on the door got more aggressive, "Guys!" Ellie shouted to get our attention.

I looked back behind us at the door, and called out after Ellie. "Joel!"

"Bill, where to?" He asked, panicked.

Bill backed away from the truck, one hand on his head. "Uh..."

Joel only got more impatient. "Bill, where?!"

"Anywhere but here," he finally answered and started toward the door at the other side of the room.

Joel faced me. "Get ready to haul ass. C'mon." I nodded then took Ellie's hand into mine and followed Joel toward our exit. I hear the shelving unit crash down behind us and infected started pouring into the room. Once Ellie and I clear the doors, Joel and Bill slam them shut, then stick a pipe through the handles.

Heavy breathing filled the halls, as did an orchestra of fists against the doors. I rubbed my forehead tiredly, feeling a headache coming on. No battery means no car, no car means we aren't getting to Tommy's. Not anytime soon anyway. "Now what?" I ask tiredly, speaking to both men.

Bill sighs, taking a quick scan of the corridor then gestures over his shoulder. "Let's um...sneak out the back."

Joel walked forward. "You guys, follow me. I'll get us outta here." He took charge leading us through the hallways, naturally keeping low since the place was infested. We got stuck in a few corners, it didn't help that Joel had zero clue where he was going.

As exited one of the classrooms, Joel was sneaking up on a sleeping runner. I saw a set of double doors at the end of the hall. After he laid the twitching creature onto the floor, I tapped his shoulder. He looked back at me, and I pointed down the hall, "Maybe that's a way out."

He followed my hand, and shrugged once he saw them. "Worth a shot."

Double checking the coast was clear, the four of us made our way to them. Joel pushed against them, but it wouldn't open more than a crack. He beckoned for Bill. "Help me open this." The two of them leaned into the door. "Ready?" Bill gave a firm nod and they shoved their bodies into it, opening them a little wider.

"One more time," Bill said through a breath.

"C'mon," Joel grunted as they did it one more time and pushed whatever was on the other side away enough for us to squeeze through. The men moved aside to allow Ellie and I to go through first. It was a large open space, a gymnasium that doubled as a basketball court. I scanned the room for an exit but didn't see anything other than the windows above the bleachers.

"Shit," Bill cursed loudly, drawing my attention back to the door. "There's more on the way. Barricade the door." The pair moved the heavy piece of equipment back in front of the door. "This ain't gonna hold them for long," the round man said with the shake of his head.

"Then let's get the hell out of here." I say, earning an agreeing nod from everyone. Suddenly, a roar erupts from the back of the gym, turning all our heads.

"That doesn't sound good," Joel utters, and a door in the back swings open revealing probably the largest infected I've ever seen. Roughly, seven feet tall and its face was completely covered in the cordyceps.

"What the fu..." My sentence trails off in shock, my mouth hanging open.

"Oh, no..." Bill mutters beside me and Ellie finishes my words for me.