Still breathing | Original story

Chapter Ten: The 'hole' experience is deadly

"She bit?" The woman spoke.
"N-no!" I outburst, I hadn't come that far just for some woman and her henchmen to think I was infected. She raised an eyebrow at me, I gulped. "What about you?" She held onto her stomach tightly and slowly walked forward. Her skin was scarily pale.
"Did we say you could ask questions? No, so I'd keep your mouth shut," the young man said, stepping closer to me. "Unless you wanna go back in that hole?"
"Ladies calm down," the woman spoke again and looked me in the eye. "I'm pregnant love not bit. Now I've answered your question how about we get to know each other? Who are you?" I didn't want to answer but I felt a pang of sympathy for her, I couldn't even begin to imagine the strain this world was putting on her and the baby.
"Remi, I'm the person that fell into your trap," I replied, my throat became scratchy from all the dirt I had lodged in there. I wasn't sure whether to trust her or not.
"Well, you shouldn't have fallen in then! You have eyes, any normal person would've walked around it," axeman shot at me.
"I tried but something made me trip up," I tried to defend myself and ignored his weapon as I stood my ground. "I'll just go if all is good here?" I wanted to stay and survive in a group but these people didn't seem like they wanted company. I didn't want their company anyway. There was a bad vibe that seemed to radiate from them.
"You ain't leaving," the younger guy said and the older one held his axe in my direction. I stopped in my tracks as I felt the sharp edge closing in on my chest.
"Em is pretty ill. She needs food." He pointed towards the pregnant woman. "I bet you have some."
I gulped and turned my head to face him, his axe so close to me that one swipe would kill me instantly.
"Some..." I bit my lip. Ella had the other bag of food and it had been left behind, I had enough for myself.
"We can get it off you with force if you want." He smirked, cocking his head to one side.
"I can get you something better," I said, my mouth going dry and not just because of the dirt still stuck on the roof of it. The man arched an eyebrow.
"Go on."
"Okay, well, you'll need baby food, bottles, diapers, the lot. Right?" They didn't reply but they continued to look at me so I took that as a go-ahead to carry on. "If I can get you those things will you let me leave?" I questioned. A plan forming in my mind as I tried to escape with my life and my food. I just hoped this plan was better than the last.
"Where will you be finding them?" he questioned me, his voice disbelieving.
"A nursery up that bank. Not far," I replied. He started dropping his weapon and I thought I was getting away but the younger man whispered something in his ear and his weapon flung back up.
"No!" Em yelled at the man.
"She's bluffing," he replied.
"Yeah I raided that nursery and there's nothing, it's empty." I thought back to the draws in the main office under lock and key. When I took Logan's brother there the woman behind the counter had been really nice. Being a friend of my mum's she allowed me to make the babies some milk and I saw where she put the keys for the cupboard.
"You need a key," I told them.
"Okay." Em nodded and the man seemed like he was going to interject but she didn't let him. "We need that stuff, Ty." The older man, Ty, nodded and then turned to me, flaring with anger.
"Take us there. But if you're lying I won't hesitate to kill you!" I nodded "Get in the car." He pushed me in the direction of a car parked a few metres away and then I lost all dignity as I began to limp my way towards it. My leg throbbing in pain.
"You sure you aren't bit?" Tyler shot at me.
"Not bit," I replied. He backed off then and I carried on walking. I heard whispers behind me.

When I got to the car I heard footsteps get closer and turned around to see the girl. Her curly blonde locks looked dull in the dim light the sky gave.
"You aright?" She questioned me and pointed at my leg. I knew the others must've asked her to come and talk to me but I decided to talk anyway.
"Yeah, just been one of those days," I replied grimly and she nodded in response.
"Sorry about the trap. That was Tyler's idea, ya know the one with the axe?"
"I'm aware of him," I confirmed and the girl shook her head with a smile on her face. It quickly went when she looked back at me, she pursed her lips. We stopped at the car and she continued talking whilst the others got in.
"We didn't mean to catch a person. It was mean' for food... Em's not doin' too good."
"She your mum?" I questioned as I saw worry on the girls face.
"No. But she totally acts like one." She giggled slightly. "I'm Patricia. Patricia Bailey." The name sent a shiver down my spine. Miss Bailey... are you okay? - I tried to shake off the memory of the creature in my house but it appeared clearly in my mind. "But you can call me Pat." I didn't respond so she pushed on, trying to maintain a dead end conversation. "'n you're Remi yeah?" she asked and I nodded.
"Yeah. Who's the other guy?" I questioned so I'd, at least, know everyone.
"Connor," she replied and looked dreamily into space, she saw that I had seen it and blushed deeply. I ignored it and Pat opened the car door as rain began to spit on us.

"Nursery's up ahead," I called to Tyler who was driving. He made the turning and we parked up in the public parking area. I waited for Pat to open the car door again before rushing to the main doors. The only thing running through my mind was that the sooner I had the stuff, the sooner I could see Logan.
"Hey!" I heard Tyler yell as I looked through the glass door panel into the nursery. I felt a tug on my shoulder as he pulled me away from the door. "You don't run off, we stick together," he told me defiantly and I nodded.
"Understood." I looked towards the door and Tyler nodded at me to proceed. Locked. I reached for my bat and panicked when I couldn't find it. "Shit!"
"What's wrong?" Pat asked. How stupid could I have been to not notice it was gone sooner?
"My bat. It fell in the hole." I sighed and tried to push the door open with force but it wouldn't budge. My shoulder whined in protest as I pushed even harder, but again it was to no avail.
"Hold up." Pat went into the car boot and produced a what looked to be an axe, but much smaller, with a stainless steel blade. "Here," she handed it to me and glared at Ty who was about to butt in.
"I appreciate it," I told her. I felt the weight in my hands and it was much better than the bat, it felt well balanced. I shoved the end of the axe into the window.
"Unlock it," Tyler instructed, putting his arm in the way of Pat so she couldn't follow. I went under the framing alone. I unlocked the door from the inside and let them safely in.
"Mind the glass," I warned before waiting for Tyler to give me the all clear and making my way into the main reception. Never before had I felt both imprisoned and free as I did with Tyler around.

I found the key under the counter in a small compartment and ushered the others forward with me. I got into the main play area, keeping low and against the wall as I rounded the corner. I peeked in and it looked safe enough. I raised my axe and went into the room, after one quick look around I walked to the offices kitchen area and jumped up on one of the counters. I groaned with the effort and felt my muscles tug and pull.
I pushed the key in a lock and it clicked open to reveal a mound of baby food. I reached on top of the cabinet and produced a pack of diapers which I chucked towards Tyler as he walked through the door.
"There's everything," I said as I descended fro the counter.
I was about to leave when I thought of Em and her child. I closed my eyes, breathed in, and went to a table before I could change my mind. I emptied half my food onto the table along with a bottle of water. I looked at the group one last time before I left.
"Good luck," I nodded at them and half smiled.

"Remi wait!" Connor called after me and followed me out. "I'm sorry for thinking you were a liar, I can't thank you enough for that... but I can offer you some advice: don't go any further than that hole." I left through the now open door.
"I appreciate the help but I need to get to the school," I said as I kept walking, trying to shake him off my tail.
"No one goes there!"
I stopped all too suddenly and Connor collided into me. I turned on my heel to see him looking at me with wide eyes like I was mad.
"What's wrong with it?" I questioned as Tyler joined us.
"What's going on here?" He asked Connor, it looked like he really wanted me gone. I had an image of him kicking me to the curb himself running through my head.
"Remi wants to go to the school," Connor told him and Tyler just looked at me.
"You want to get yourself killed kid?" He questioned and I shook my head. "The schools a death trap. Full of skeletons," he said and I shook my head roughly.
"No. No that can't be true. Skeletons means something else right? You don't mean zombies?" I questioned, hoping to claw the words out of my ears. If it was true then I may have sent Logan to his death. He nodded slowly and I felt my legs go weak. I leant against the wall. "I have to go there," I whispered
"That's a suicide trip," Tyler hissed. "No one goes to that place and comes out alive."
"But... I sent my friend there." I looked at him pleadingly, my eyes glazed over with tears.
"That's your problem," he replied, his eyes cold and his jaw set firm. I felt the hard edge of the wall dig into me and felt the urge to blend into the wall and disappear from my problems.
"We should help her." Pat appeared at the door.
"Are you nuts?" Tyler shrieked but Pat just stepped forward and Tyler backed off slightly; his jaw clenching.
"No, I just feel the need to help someone who's been helpful towards us," Pat said, her accent not showing through so much as she aimed her words clearly at Tyler.
"Fine... but if anything happens to any of us, it's your fault." Tyler pushed past Pat and I couldn't help but think he was one big kid. The team seemed to be falling apart. I had no idea who the leader was and the "men" of the group looked like they enjoyed messing around and acting tough a bit too much. I knew I wasn't helping. I appeared to be pulling at the thread to make the group fall apart quicker.