Just Survive Somehow

Chapter 44 - Insatiable

The warehouse is quiet, the only sound being our feet against the concrete floor as we hurry for the door.

I need to get out of here and back to Ahri as quickly as I can. She could be recovering and nobody is there for her. Or worse, she could be dying and feeling alone as the flu kills her. I pray it's not the latter.

"This is it." Jeremy says as we approach a door in the back of the warehouse.

"Are you coming with me?" I ask him.

"Just... wait here. I've gotta grab something."

I look at him, confused. "What? Jeremy where are you-"

But he's already hurrying away. "Just give me a minute."

Jesus Christ. What was this kid doing? We're losing time!

I wait anxiously next to the door, hoping that Doug and Coraline don't realize that I'm gone or worse, find me.

A few minutes must have passed when I hear something clang in the warehouse.

Please just be Jeremy...

"What do you think you're doing?!" I hear Doug's voice echoing through the building.

Oh god, please don't have Jeremy.

"Stay away from her, dad." I can hear Jeremy's desperate voice say back.

I start moving towards the sound, listening to it get louder as the sound of a slap echoes towards me.

"I told you son, no more slip ups!"

"I didn't slip up, I helped her."

The sound of a fight begins to echo and I hurry towards it.

"Doug, stop it!" Coraline shrieks as she presumably watches her husband and son brawl each other.

Doug is no small guy and Jeremy doesn't look like much but I have a gut feeling he can hold himself for a bit. Please just be long enough for me to get to them...

I search through empty shelves for the source of all the ruckus in the warehouse and eventually, I find it.

Doug has Jeremy pinned against a shelf. His s forearm firmly placed against Jeremy's neck, quickly cutting off his air supply. Jeremy grabs at his father's arm, trying to pry it off of his neck but you can see he's getting weaker with every second. His face slowly losing its color. Doug pulls his other arm back, getting ready to throw his fist into Jeremy's face.

Coraline stands helplessly to the side with her hands covering her mouth as she lets tears stream down her face.

A whole family, emotionally torn apart by the dead walking. Now I was the reason a morally righted teenager was being beaten by his own father.

"I'm right here!" I shout, interrupting the moment and distracting Doug as I stand at the end of the aisle of shelves.

He drops his arm, throwing Jeremy to the floor as if he was a dirty rag. Jeremy quickly begins coughing, reaching for his throat as he tries to gain oxygen again.

"You want me?" I ask, keeping my eyes locked on Doug who is slowly marching towards me. "Come and get me."

I don't hesitate to start running and I can hear the angry stampede of Doug following behind me. The section of the warehouse we'd ventured into was maze-like. Rows upon rows of shelves, most empty but a few still had boxes and other items on them, lined the warehouse.

"Get over you here you bitch!" Doug shouts from behind me.

I throw my left hand up with the middle finger and run faster.