Undead Rises

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ 𝘀𝗶𝘅

ᴄᴏʀᴀ ʜᴇɴᴅᴇʀꜱᴏɴ'ꜱ ᴘᴏᴠ

The cold steel beneath my hands and knees helped keep my mind from the overwhelming pain my leg. I was hoping, praying, that I had somehow cut it on the edge of the vent. But I knew that wasn't the case. I took deep breaths, trying not to think of what was going to happen. Trying to ignore the lump that formed in my throat, making it difficult to breathe. I took a deep breath and focused on the problem in front of us, getting the hell out of this convenience store alive.

Tobias had led us through the ventilation shaft, to the alleyway out of the building. I had heard his foot aggressively kicking the grating before it flew out into the alley. I winced at the loud clattering of the metal hitting the concrete.

 One by one, we climbed out. As soon as my feet touched the ground, we ran. "Where are we going?" Kai yelled as he ran, and I did my best to ignore the pain radiating in my leg and push the dizziness away. Even as dark spots filled my vision, I kept running as fast as my legs could carry me. "Anywhere except here!" Jasper called out.

I looked over my shoulder and instantly regretted it. Behind us, was a horde of corpses. Hundreds of pale rotting faces shuffling their way in our direction, desperately trying to catch up. But it was easy out running a monster that could only shuffle. "We need to get out of their vision and hide!" I yelled, before running towards the suburban houses a few streets down. I took random turn after random turn before my eyes landed on a two-story pale orange house.

Everyone followed as we ran across the grass to the door. I tried opening it, but it was no use, it was locked. My eyes scanned the area and landed on the wooden structure that supported the vines against the wall. 

"Kai, climb and break the window. Then get downstairs and unlock the door." I instructed him. He was the fastest out of all of us, and he acted as soon as I instructed him. In a matter of moments, the door swung open. We all piled into the house, closing and locking the door behind us. I leaned against the door and let out a breath that I didn't even know that I was holding.

Thats when the sound of a bullet entering the chamber made us freeze, my heart sunk. "Who do you think you are? Coming into my house? Get out!" he growled, I turned to look at him. The man before us seemed to be in his mid-forties. His hair was grey and there were many wrinkles on his face, showing me that he had once been a happy man. 

"Sir, there is a horde of those things out there and they're coming this way. Please, we mean no harm, but we are not going back out there." I explained with my hands raised, slowly making my way towards him. Making sure that I stood protectively in front of the others.

"How many?"

"More than any of us could handle. They would have ripped us apart."

The older man in front of me lowered his gun as his eyes scanned over our group. "As soon as the dead ones are gone, you leave. Understood?" he stared down at me, and I nodded, speaking for my group. "We understand."

"Joseph." he said, not moving his hands and just standing there and watching us. He was weary and I understood that. "I'm Cora." and I started pointing out the names of the people who stood behind me. "Well, make yourselves comfortable. Bathrooms and spare bedrooms are upstairs." was all he said before turning and going to one of the windows. Peeking through the curtains, as if he wanted to see the horde for himself.

 Everyone went to the living room while I climbed the stairs to the bathroom.

Now that I was calmer, my leg had begun to throb with its own heartbeat. With each throb, my eyes watered as I tried not to groan in agony. I closed the bathroom door behind me and leaned against it before lowering myself to the floor.