The Undead Series-Deceased

Chapter 7

The smell of the dead had lingered inside the tunnel, I couldn't walk a few steps without nearly throwing up. The tunnel was dimly lit by lamps that were 15 metres apart, the metal that the glass was encased in was rusted like from the cell bars.

Half of my mind was telling me to turn back and make a run for it, but the other was giving me a guilt trip on leaving Hannah behind. I already lost Sam, I wasn't losing Hannah too. Plus there was the boy and Michael, I didn't really know him that well but he had lost everyone. I couldn't leave them to rot away in a cell or die and be thrown into one of those pits. I wouldn't let that happen to him, Michael or Hannah.

The smell began to fade away as I got deeper into the tunnel, the thoughts of leaving had been pushed to the back of my mind now. My main goal was to find Hannah, Michael, the boy and then leave this place.

The tunnel began to break off into separate tunnels, luckily for me there was a rusty map next to one of the first tunnels. I studied the map, it was in fact a mineshaft but someone had crossed out previous names of places and wrote new names next to them. I found the cells and saw which tunnel would take me there.

The map was fairly simple and not hard to follow, I memorized my path and began down the second tunnel on the left which was where the cells were indicated on the map. I was determined to find Hannah and Michael first and then the boy or whichever one I came across first.

The tunnel went on for a while and thankfully I didn't run into anyone. When I got to the door that led to the cells the stench had past and a new one prevailed. It was a combination between blood and sweat, my stomach turned at the revolting smell. 

The white rusted door screeched open but it was barely audible.

I close the door just in case someone came and didn't get suspicious. Before entering the hallways of cells I searched around the small open room. Dangling from a hook was one silver key, like the ones they use to use in medieval times. I grabbed they key and held it hard in my chest. I continued into the hallway and as I continued through the hallway the stench became stronger.

I walked past the series of cells, some empty and some filled with sleeping strangers. I tried hard to convince myself not to feel bad for these people, if I let them out it could cause a panic and I might not ever find any of them. But what kind of person would that make me, I had the chance to help people but I didn't. No, I'm not leaving these people. I'll come back once I find my friends and I’ll free them all. Every innocent person here.

"Hannah?" I whispered as I began to be quieter with my steps.

"Eve?" A male voice sounded, I quickly ran to where the voice had come from and I saw Michael sitting on his metal table. I quickly unlocked his cell trying not to make to much noise. He hugged me, I didn't really think we were that close but I guess we were. I hugged him back.

"I thought you were all dead." He said as he pulled away.

My stomach turned at the thought of Sam, he didn't know and now I had to tell him. My eyes began to water, I couldn't do it but I had to too. I had no choice.

"What’s wrong?"

"Sam, she, they took her and, the guy said they.." I couldn't finish my sentence, I didn't know how to tell him. He considered us all friends now and he and Sam got along really well.

"That's impossible, they don't kill the kids." His face was filled with confusion and so was mine.

"But he said they shot her!?" I was suddenly really mad at Michael, it felt as if he was accusing me of lying. "Sorry." I calmed down and I thought of what just happened. I got mad for a stupid reason and then calmed down out of know where. Maybe it was a side effect from the viruses. Come to think of it, ever since I've had the viruses I've felt strange. I haven't eaten since breakfast the day of the outbreak but I’m not hungry.