Death's Playground

Chapter 12

                  

I awake to find myself lying on the floor, the room of bodies spinning around me. When my eyes finally stop spinning I try and focus on what in front of me. A woman's rotting head is nearly touching my face, her cold dead eyes staring into mine. I scream and try to shuffle back, away from the decapitated head.

I back into something squishy, turning over I realise I've bumped into a body, this one missing its arms and head. Screaming again I sit up, my eyes dashing around trying to find the door.

I've been placed in the middle of the room, surrounded by the bodies and blood. Only then, once I've sat up do I see someone standing in front of the door. My eyes widen, it's Cameron.

I search the room for Chris, panicking. "Chris!" I shout as loud as I can, nearly ripping my throat. Cameron wags his index finger at me and tuts. I hear a response from Chris coming from somewhere else in the house, but I can't tell what he's saying.

I breathe quickly and look Cameron up and down. How did he survive? I thought for sure he would be dead when we left him in the dinning room of the school. My voice stutters, "H-How did you survive...?" He gives a cold smile before he answers, "You didn't think you could kill me that easily did you? That puny knife barely scratched me." He gives a short laugh, "I simply walked away from those dead, they're not hard to escape from."

Cameron leans against the door, "Now I'm to ask you a simple question, I expect an answer. I'm not feeling to forgiving after you stabbed me. Where are your friends?" I stay silent; I don't want to risk my friends. I know they must be close, but I don't want Cameron to know that. I don't want to imagine why he wants to know. My gaze falls onto the bodies littered around me. I can't tell him anything.

I look back into his cold eyes and try to be strong and stay silent. He shakes his head, and pulls out a large metal crowbar, probably what he used to knock me out. "Now I'm going to count to five, if you don't answer there will be consequences. One" I stay strong. "Two," I keep my stare. "Three, I wonder how long it will take to brake one of Chris's bones?" Oh no, I panic, but try not to let it show. But judging by the smirk on Cameron's face, I've failed. "Four," I try and remain calm, I can do this. "Fi-" I cut him off and blurt out, "They're dead." Cameron doesn't give any signs of whether he believes me or not. I try not to act suspicious and keep his stare.

Eventually he speaks, "How?" I don't hesitate, the longer I take the less he will believe me, "We were trapped in a house, only me and Chris escaped." I hope he believes me. Oh please buy it.

He says nothing, grips his crowbar and exits the room.

My eyes widen in fear I scream out to Chris again and run for the door. I reach it just as Cameron slams it shut. I pound my fists against the door, screaming for Chris. The door shakes but doesn't budge.

Taking deep breaths I step away from the door. I can hear Chris shouting for me. I look around the room again, there's a window. I run over to it, dodging the bodies. I tare open the curtains and look down on the street below. The window is filthy and I can barely see through it. I try and lift the window up to open it but it won't move. It's stuck. I pound my fists against the window screaming for help. 

I breathe heavily, my voice hurting. Chris's shouts for me suddenly stop. I hear footsteps stomp up the stairs. I turn slowly to look at the door. My heart pounding, I get as close to the wall as I can.

The door swings open and a dead is pushed into the room, Cameron laughs, "Because of all that racket you earned yourself a friend. Think of it as a thank you for trying to kill me with a pocket knife." He slams the door shut, leaving me with the dead.

I don't move a muscle; I try and slow my breathing. It stands just in front of the door, its head twitches around, trying to find me. It can smell me but the smell of the rotting bodies must hide my live scent.

Very slowly I turn my head to look out of the window again. Movement appears behind one of the abandoned cars outside the house. Watching the dead I shuffle to get a better angle to see what's behind the car. The dead whips its head in my direction but doesn't move. I let out a deep breath of relief and look back at the car. I massive smile spreads across my face, it's Matt.

Looking around I spot Ruby and Oliver creeping up to the house. I need to get their attention without attracting the dead. I try once again to open the window but it won't budge. The dead has started to explore the room now, slowing getting closer. I look around the room for something to use to defend myself but there's nothing, no furniture, just body parts.

The dead is now meters away from me, Ruby and Oliver have only just entered the house. I need to do something now, or it will be too late.

I hear commotion downstairs, they must have found Chris and Cameron. Shouts and objects breaking sounds from below. They won't get here in time, Cameron won't go down without a good fight. I take a deep breath and make a decision, I shout as loud as my voice will allow, "MATT!" Matt's head whips up to the window. He wastes no time and runs inside, I can hear him running through the house. 

The dead heads toward me and reaches me in seconds, I extend my arms to keep it from getting closer. I push against its shoulders, it snaps its teeth at me, its arms flailing trying to grab hold of me.

My hands start to slip from the blood on its shoulders. I move my feet to get a stronger stance but slip on some of the fresh blood. I land with a smack on the hard floor, my head whacking on the floor.

Luckily, I keep my arms extended as the dead falls on top of me. Its weight nearly causes my arms to give way. Its teeth snap just inches away from my face. I turn my head, trying to get as far away as possible. I feel its hands on my shoulders, trying to grab and scratch my skin.

Matt bursts through the door and runs over to me. With one mighty swing he knocks the dead off of me with his bat. I scramble away from the dead, my back hitting the wall. I breathe heavily as Matt makes sure the dead is actually dead by hitting it in the head.

He walks over to me and helps me stand up. He stares at my shoulders, eyes wide. I suddenly panic when I see that the dead's hands had ripped through my shirt. Did it scratch me? Inspecting my shoulder I sigh in relief, it didn't break the skin.

I give Matt a big hug, catching him by surprise. Thanking him I release him and ask about the others, and most importantly Chris. "I don't know, I didn't see him when I ran up here." I immediately head out of the room, I can't stand another minute in here.

I run down the stairs where and I nearly run into Ruby when I reach the bottom. "Calm down, he's fine. Chris is fine, it's you we were worried about." She puts her hands on my face and turns my head, making sure I'm not hurt. I brush her off, "I'm fine, what happened down here?" Ruby sighs, Oliver walks out of one of the rooms, "Cameron got away, he's injured though. Don't know how long he'll make it out there."

Chris walk out of the room and hugs me, "You've gotta stop doing this Bethany, getting yourself into trouble." I smile at him, also though he jokes I know it's just his way of saying how worried he is.

We head out of that house as quick as we could and continued our journey. As we walk me and Chris try and piece together what happened in the house. When Chris shares his part of the story I start to worry, "Cameron wanted to know where we were heading, where we thought would be safe. When I refused to tell him he threatened to hurt you. So I gave in and told him about the RAF base in Hackton. But he went upstairs anyway and I heard you scream so I panicked, when he came down I tried to fight him but he knocked me out." I nod now piecing the story together, Chris had suddenly gone silent because we was no longer conscious.

I pipe up now, "He wanted to know where you guys were, that's what he asked me." I gesture to Ruby, Matt and Oliver. Ruby chips in, "Maybe he was going to get us to lead him to the RAF base?" we all think about it for a while. His plan doesn't seem to make sense, but he clearly isn't right in the head.

Matt speaks up, saying everyone's thoughts, "What if he gets to the RAF base? Who knows how much trouble he'll cause, he could destroy the place. If it's even standing that is..." Ruby stops and turns to face all of us, "There's no 'if's' the RAF base will he standing. And we will make it there. Cameron's heading there, so we'll just have to make sure we make it there first."