"Todays been a great day!" Shouted Eleanor, the stronger one of the twins. I was finally able to tell the difference between the two.
"Could do with an ice cold beer though,"Elliot added, Lydia in his arms.
"Hay they gave use marshmallows, I'm not complaining," I continued, bringing mine out of the flames for a quick taste.
"Better then any of those 'sweets' they keep giving use."
"Back to work tomorrow though, felling trees and running laps."
"Oh come on Jamie you know how to put a dampener on the mood, lighten up! You want my marshmallow?"
"Don't you want it Sophie?"
"I'll have it, I'll have it!"
"No way, you two ate like half the packet."
"Yeah, and you butchered most of them!"
"We like them crispy," Isabella mumbled.
I chuckled to myself, lying back against the cool grass starring into space. The conversation soon became background noise, there laughter music, as I turned my attention to the infinite cosmos. I watched in ore as the night sky come into full bloom. The stars dancing in the heavens, performing elegant plays that were never to be seen again. I felt so small, so insignificant against the orchestra above me, and yet I could not drag my eyes away from natures bosom.
I wished nothing more then to lye here forever forgetting my troubles, forgetting this cruel world, but it would soon be curfew, and reality was calling me.
"Earth to Seth, do you copy!"
"What do you want?" I grumbled, snapping out of trance to face Sophie.
"You nod off?"
"No, I was sky diving."
She rolled her eyes. "Come on, we're going in for an early night."
"What time is it?"
"8:30 I think, come on, up you get!"
She helped me to my feat, following me into the tent. Everyone else was already settling down in the organised mess, saying there goodnights. I took my place next to David and Sophie (Meredith, Eve's replacement, haven swapped with her). "Night Sophie," I whispered, pulling my sleep bag up around myself.
"Good night Seth," she mumbled.
*
"Seth... Seth... SETH!"
Shooting awake, I almost head-butted Sophie, her frightened face dimly lit by moon light.
"What?" I asked gruffly.
"There's... there's something outside."
Suddenly alert, I noticed just about everyone else awake staring at the exit, a low rattily growl seeping in through the flaps.
"What is that?" I whispered, but something told me I already knew. It can't be, not here! My head felt heavy, my heart racing.
David, the closest to the front, creeped forward, edging his way to the entrance.
"David don't!" I hissed.
"It's probably just a..."
A scream cut him off, tearing through the field before another joined in, and another, and another. Before we could even react the silhouette of whatever was out there rushed forwards, and David was gone, his cry cutting out in seconds, a blood thirsty howl replacing it.
"NOOO!" Some one shrieked, the world suddenly feeling very distance and surreal as are tent disappearing around use.
And there it stood, in all its horror, rising to at least 6ft gray skin clothing it. From its mouth fell what could only be described as teethed projections, blood... Davids blooding dripping from its end.
It roared, spraying blood everywhere, but before it could descend upon us we where gone, tearing through the field, fear driving us. But It wasn't the only one... camp had become a war zone, the nigh sky lit up by burning tents. Everywhere I looked there were people dying, burning, fleeing. My ears full of their helpless squeals before they became one of them, gunfire soon drowning it out.
I flew through the remains of our camp site not caring where I was heading, madness consuming me, there was so much death... I could feel the heat of the flames licking my side, scorching my eyes, driving me towards them, those things, those monsters. The gunfire got louder, the howls ever closer. I screamed, screamed like never before, tripping over a guide line and ending up on the floor.
"SETH, GET UP."
I could feel someone tugging on my arm, practically dragging me, I didn't care. All I wanted to do was curl up into a ball and die.
"DON'T YOU DARE GIVE UP ON ME NOW!"
My face suddenly exploded with pain, scraps of my sanity returning.
"DON'T MAKE ME SLAP YOU AGAIN!"
Looking up I realised it was Sophie, just managing to grab her arm before she attempted to backhanded me again. "I needed that..."
"I know, LETS GO," she finished, pulling me to my feet.
The world around us was in uproar; my sight limited because of the inferno, but together we managed to carve a path through the flames and bodies. The only thing keeping me in one piece was Sophie's firm grip, clinging onto me for dear life, but it was short lived.
There was no warning, and if there was it was lost in the chaos mutilating are ears an eyes. Through the darkness the beast attacked, sending both Sophie and I cascading through the air, pain becoming a constant. My vision had turned into nothing more then a fuzzy ball of blinding colours, but somehow I found myself standing. I could just make it out, black against the blaze, Sophie out of site. Reaching into the heat I grabbed a burning pole, brandishing it in front of me.
It didn't faultier, rushing forwards with a speed and strength unmatched, brushing the weapon aside with a hiss before it fell upon me.
*
I could hear them long before the gates were in sight, smoke rising above the tree line. At first I couldn't believe it, but the closer I got, the clearer the screams became, their demented cries unleashing some inner beast inside me. I didn't come all this way to merely witness the death of my friends, and I wasn't about to back down and run away when there was still a chance.
But still Will pleaded with me to go back, to forsake this crusade, but it didn't seem to register. His feeble attempts to stop me where hopeless, only serving to annoy me, feeding the anger building in my bosom. It didn't take long for the shrieking howls of gunfire and carnage to drown him out, consuming my senses with the blissful promise of malice. I even felt a smile play on my lips, my heart beating with anticipation.
Through the blackness I could see the Camp, fire illuminating its residents and visitors. Without a word I ditched the car, going by foot to find how the creatures themselves got in such a fortified area. With what light there was I noticed the many piles of dirt, like large mole hills, pocking up across the ground. Inquisitively, I approached one, inspecting the narrow tunnel that headed straight for the fence line. How on earth did they make these?
Well, there's only one way to find out! Without further thought I wormed my way into complete darkness, feeling the cold, damp earth swallow me up. The sound of battle grew distant, my own breathing drowning everything else out. Go back a month and I would be petrified to do such a thing, not that I'm claustrophobic, just the thought of getting mud in my hair! It makes me laugh now, unless there's a mirror nearby... old habits die hard.
It didn't take me long to work my way through the burrow, the world coming back into focus as I stumbled into enchanted chaos, caked in mud. I drew Will's revolver, taking a moment to admire the beauty of battle, many of the fields bathing in flames.
But before I could indulge myself, I felt bullet whiz past, a soldier at its origin. Confused, I noticed the fear in the young man's eyes, his raised arm shaking. Taking a step towards him, I felt him miss again, his insolence enraging me. Suddenly I was beside him, a coy smile playing on my lips. "That's no way to treat a lady." I whispered in his ear.
I didn't give him a chance to reply, his own knife sinking deep into his chest, ending his pitiful life. I let his body fall to the floor, cleaning my newly acquired blade on his garments.
Without remorse I dove into disorder, my eye on field 3... Seth.
*
I couldn't breathe, the monster crushing my chest against the ground. There was no point fighting, my vision already clouding over, I was a good as dead. With a roar the beast raised its head, its many teeth dripping with venom.
Out of nowhere a fiery lance plunged into the creatures face, sending it shrieking backwards, leaving me gasping for breath. Jamie lipped over me, jabbing her weapon into its form, once again forcing it to retreat.
Staggering to my feet, I ignored the pain, picking up the blazing pole I had dropped, joining Jamie in a mad battle to keep the beast at bay. Now that there was two of us, it was a lot easier to maintain are stance, are cries mixing with those of the fiends. With great reluctance we forced it towards the searing wildfire, sweat dripping from our brows. Its yelps became squeals as its dry flesh ignited, sending it fleeing into the night, victory kindling our spirits.
"You saved my life!"
"Now we're even!" She beamed embracing me.
"Sophie!" I suddenly realised, breaking off from Jamie.
"...Here!" I heard cry faintly, a hand erecting from behind a pile of rubbish.
Rushing over, we both helped her to her feet, holding her between us. "You okay?"
"I've seen better days," she mumbled. "When did you get here Jamie?"
"Just in time to save Seth's face, you think you can walk?"
"Maybe, I've just twisted my ankle, I'll walk it off."
"If you're sure..." Letting her go she comically tumbled back to the floor, leaving us to pick her back up again. "Don't worry, we got you." And in that manner we depicted are way through the maze of burning and upturned tents, adrenaline in our veins and hope restored.
After many strenuous minutes we reached the edge of the wreckage, even the Infected where now fighting to escape its temperament. There howls blending with the screams of are associates as the burned to ashes. The main field was no better, swarming with as many soldiers as there were infected, the dead rising only to turn on their friends. What hope did we have if even they couldn't stop them, are numbers shrinking as theirs grew.
From behind me I heard an ear piecing shriek, almost human in nature, but it was obvious that it wasn't when I turned around, Davids doppelgänger flying through the blistering heat. Every detail seemed to vivid, his skin charred, bloody and in some places on fire. But what shocked me the most was his eyes, cold, dead and full of malice, nothing like the man I used to know.
Before I could react I found myself once again in the venomous arms of the Infected, my hand round his throat to invade the teeth. I could hear my friends screaming, but they were swiftly replaced with my own howls, the back breaking fall testing every fibre of my being. I was now eye to eye with the shell of my former friend, the effects of the virus already in full effect.
It took everything I had too keep his snarling face away from my neck, but it payed off, Jamie rushing to the rescue. With a kick that would of broken any human neck, the creature was thrown off of me, an ear splitting bang swiftly following. What was left of David fell to the floor, a large section of his torso now missing.
"SETH!"
Automatically I looked over at Sophie, soon realising it wasn't her who had called my name.