Path of the Dead - Working Title

CHAPTER TWENTY

The "Clowns" were hunting. Ever since they found those people who had been following them, they continued their hunt to find more of those soldiers. Even though they didn't put up much of a fight, they somehow found them to be...fun.

Jackal walked casually around, not caring about anything that was around him. He looked to his left as a zombie came up and tried to bite him. He stopped and took a single step back, causing the zombie to knock itself off-balance as its left leg snapped and it fell to the ground. He kicked it repeatedly until he heard something close by that caught his attention, "Mouth...can you finish this?"

Mouth was close by so he walked up and quickly crushed it skull. He gave a chuckle and a sinister grin, "You know, these things aren't so bad: Stupid, slow. Such fragile little things...you almost start to feel bad for them as you crush their skull beneath your feet."

Jackal gave a loud cackle as he continued down the street to where he heard the noise. He stopped and leaned over a ledge that used to hold a window that went to a small bakery, and found a young couple quivery, holding each other as they hid up against the wall, "Why hello there."

The couple looked up and saw him and screamed as they tried to get away, but they were caught by the hair and were dragged out of the broken window and fell to the ground. One tried to break out of their capture's grip, but all it led to was their left leg getting broken at the knee cap.

Jackal yanked them up to their feet, "Hey Mouth, why concern yourself with 'feeling sorry' for the zombies? Because these two are about to feel what those undead fuckers can't: A good heaping dose of a "Jason Todd' if you get what I mean."

Mouth looked up and saw who Jackal was referring to through his beanie. He didn't give a maniacal laughter, but the smile that crawled upon his face sent shivers and chills down even Jackals spine.

Jackal, himself, got a strong sinister feeling about Mouth and he loved it, "Yes...YES! This is why I've allowed you to live, Mouth!!!"

The couple began to grow in fear and their faces were showing it. They tried squirming away from Mouth, but ultimately went towards Jackal.

Jackal noticed this and smiled, "What's wrong? I though you wanted to get away from me? Did you have a change of heart?" Ha gave a low chuckle, and crouched down to the couple, "Have you danced with a Devil in the pale moon light? If you haven't then..." His chuckle was a bit louder, as he pointed at Mouth, "He'll put a smile on your face." While they were distracted by Mouth, he was about to break the other's leg, but was stopped.

"No, there's no need for that. I can't enjoy the thrill of the hunt if they can't fight back, much less run."

Jackal frowned, "Well...I'll give you this one, "Indicating the girl whose leg wasn't broken, "And I'll this one. I broke it, so I have to buy it." He released the girl and spoke in her ear, soft enough for only her to hear, "He's quick but with little patience. The moment I move, he'll give you three minutes to run. When he catches you, he will kill you. Now...run." He took a step back, allowing her to run away.

Before the girl turned around and got a good start on her run, she felt death surround her and then she felt the back of her skull begin to splinter and felt as something connected with the back of her skull.

Mouth was hoping up and down, waiting for Jackal to step back to allow him to hunt.

I hope she fights. I can see it in her eyes that she wants to run, but I hope she doesn't.

He watched as Jackal took his step back and watched as she immediately turn and ran and immediately lost the thrill and grew annoyed, bored and rather pissed all at once.

Why do they always run away?

He closed the distance ferociously and swung his bladed bat and cleaved the top half of her head off.

Jackal smiled, "Or was it three seconds. I can't remember, the sense of time seems to elude me when it comes to this." He gave a quick laugh and looked at the one still in his grip, "And here I thought she was going to make it. Well, either way, she was the lucky one: Her death was quick. Yours...not so much. He grabbed the man by the throat with his other hand, "I'm going to be indoors if you need me. However....I wouldn't recommend it." He kicked open the door that led into the building that the couple were originally hiding in, "Now...what made you hide in here...you know, I don't even know your name, but you like a 'Charles' to me."

Mouth shook his head and looked at Fate and Neko, "Let's continue on. We know how he gets when he names his 'Toy'. He'll catch up when he's done."

They continued on their search right as "Charles" begin to scream from Jackal as he started to torture him.

Wade left the group, but left the Springfield and the python: They were going to need it more than he was. HE could feel himself slipping, slowly fading, but he wasn't going to go down without a fight. AS he kept walking, he started losing feeling in his arms and through his left foot. After a couple of minutes of walking, he lost coordination in his legs and tripped over nothing. He laid on the ground, feeling his life slowly ebbing away out of existence.

HE HAS BEEN INFECTED FOR TEN HOURS AND FIFTY-FIVE MINUTES.

He slowly began to stand back up, but then he forgot why he was even on the ground to begin with. He looked around and only vaguely remembered where he was.

Where am I? And...and why do I feel like shit?

Again, he tripped over nothing and as he fell, he cracked his skull against a dumpster. Blood dripped from his head and his consciousness was fading faster than ever. As his vision went and mind went black, a thought crept into his mind: He remembered a name.

Jeremy Davis.

Wade vaguely remembered a school, seeing messages along the walls, written in blood, and most of them felt like they were directed towards him. But as his vison was nearly black, the last thing he saw was Jeremy approaching him from an alleyway.

Jeremy was smiling, exposing his flesh filled teeth and hollowed eyes, "Well Wade, welcome to the family."

As he spoke, four others who looked similar to Jeremy appeared behind him.

"I'll...kill..." Before he could finish, even after his hearing was long gone, not hearing anything that was said, Wade fell in a deep, final coma.

HE HAS BEEN INFECTED FOR ELEVEN HOURS.

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