They Will Run You Down

Thirty-Two: Hey Little One

After breaking through the double pane glass door, the remaining group entered wearily from the balcony and into the abandoned apartment suite.

Being that they were of more sound mind in that moment, Taylor and John took the liberty of making sure there were no Screamers hiding away in any of the bedrooms or bathroom of the space. When they insured the apartment was clear, they returned back out into the main living space to find Edvin on the ripped, floral patterned sofa with his head in his hands, and Robby on the floor with his back against the wall. Harley stood in the kitchen looking through cupboards and drawers for anything useful.

The group could hear muffled shrieks and light stomping above their heads, but it was of little concern to them right then, given that the Screamers were obviously trapped somewhere on the upper level.

John listened at the door of the apartment out into the hallway to make sure no infected were roaming there. After all was deemed safe, he padded over to Harley in the kitchen, "Doing alright?" He asked quietly.

Harley was crouched down and looking through one of the bottom cupboards. She avoided his gaze, "Yep. You?" She replied stoically.

"Have to be, I suppose," John said as he leaned up against the counter and crossed his arms.

Straightening up, Harley handed John two unopened packs of double A alkaline batteries, "You're starting to get it," she stated with a hardened expression.

"We'd better keep moving, guys," Taylor insisted as he tightened the straps on his backpack.

It was quiet amongst the group for a long moment as they struggled to digest what still needed to be done. It seemed a nearly impossible task to just keep going after losing another member of their group.

Harley was the first to move toward the door of the apartment, followed by John and then Taylor. It was just as Edvin reluctantly stood from the sofa that Robby spoke, breaking the silence.

"You guys are on your own from here"

Everyone turned back to look at Robby still sitting on the floor with his head hung low.

"What do you mean?" Edvin questioned on behalf of himself and everyone.

Without looking up, Robby twisted his left arm outward, exposing a bloody gash on the inside of his wrist. It was clear then that Robby's encounter with the Screamer only moments ago hadn't left him unscathed.

Suddenly it felt as if all the air had been sucked out of the room.

"Robby. . . No," Edvin uttered in disbelief as he placed his hands on his head.

Harley pushed past John and Taylor, walking over to Robby and kneeling down to his level. She grabbed his arm to look at the wound.

Knowing more than she cared to, Harley scanned the flesh around the bite to see how discolored the veins were. This would tell her whether or not they could attempt to amputate before the virus entered Robby's blood stream and moved throughout his extremities.

Seeing long, blackened tendrils under his skin creeping outward and upward from the bitten flesh, Harley lowered Robby's arm and looked him in the eyes.

She tried her best not to feel guilty or responsible for the mounting death toll of her group, but had it not been for her arrival in Wudinna or her immunity, this stupid, pointless mission to Sydney would've never happened and Robby, Perez and Foss would have remained safely enclosed within the tall walls of the town they called home.

"It's okay," Robby began, "We knew this could happen"

Everyone dragged their feet back into the living room, their hearts heavy.