I turned the rusty wheel on the metal door, it let out a loud squeak. Finally, the door unlocked and I let out a sigh of relief. I carefully carried Jill into the room, trying not to make to much noise. As I looked around, I noticed a bunch of old metal shelves against the walls and an abandoned typewriter on a table. "What's with the typewriters?" I murmured to myself, feeling a chill run down my spine in this empty and eerie room.
With Jill still in my arms, I gently laid her down on the table and examined her injuries. She had taken quite a beating from the crash and the encounter with that creature. I was grateful that nothing seemed to be broken, although she had several scrapes and bruises. Suddenly, a low growl caught my attention and I turned to look around the room, my heart racing. My eyes followed the sound and I looked up at the ceiling, trying to locate the source. As I turned back to Jill, I gently took her hand in mine. "Hey... I'll be right back," I whispered, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze through her fingerless gloves. "I'm sorry for the inconvenience, but it was either this table or the cold, hard ground. I think you'd prefer the table." With a reassuring smile, I let go of her hand and made my way to the other metal door.
I pushed open the metal door with a loud creak, bracing myself for the cold blast of air that greeted me. My heart raced as I cautiously glanced around the dimly lit maintenance halls of the subway. Satisfied that there was no immediate danger, I stepped out into the frigid air and took a deep breath. The sound of my own heartbeat was loud as I scanned the area, on high alert for any potential threats. Thankfully, it seemed that I was alone and safe for the moment.
Taking a deep breath, I cautiously made my way down the dark corridor, my eyes scanning for anything useful. The sound of my shoes echoed through the deserted halls, the squeaking reminding me of the oil I had stepped in earlier. As I approached a flickering light in the distance, my heart raced as I heard the unmistakable sound of low groaning.
Suddenly, my heart dropped as I watched three zombies emerge from a nearby room, their lifeless eyes locking onto me. They must have heard my squeaky shoes and now I was trapped with no weapons to defend myself.
Frantically, I searched for anything that could protect me. My eyes fell upon a broken pipe on the wall. Without hesitation, I rushed over to it and gave it a hard tug. It didn't budge. With the zombies getting closer, I pulled again and again, finally managing to break it off with a loud pop. I could hear the zombies growling as they made their way towards me. Gripping the broken pipe tightly, I took a deep breath and prepared to defend myself against the undead creatures.
I knew I had to make my move now, before the zombies could fully surround me. With all my strength, I swung the broken pipe at the nearest zombie, hitting it square in the head. It stumbled back, but more were already closing in. I swung the pipe again and again, striking the zombies with all my might.
The loud pops of the pipe hitting their decaying bodies echoed through the hall, attracting the zombies back to me. But I didn't care, I had to keep fighting. I couldn't let them get me or Jill. With each hit, I felt a surge of adrenaline, pushing me to keep going.
As the last zombie fell to the ground, I stood there painted and splattered in blood. The loud pops had definitely caught the attention of more zombies, and I needed to keep moving if I wanted to get Jill out of here.
As I made my way through the carnage, stepping over the lifeless bodies of the undead, I couldn't help but wonder how they had ended up underground. But there was no time to dwell on that now. I had to keep going.
Turning the corner, I climbed a small set of stairs and was immediately met by two more zombies. Without hesitation, I swung my trusty metal pipe, taking them down with ease.
As I stood there, catching my breath and wiping sweat from my brow, I spotted a ladder that would lead me back to the safety of the street above. With a sigh of relief, I turned around and jogged back down to get Jill, leaving the dead zombie bodies behind.
When I got back to where Jill was, I opened the metal door and saw that she was still unconscious on the table. I walked over to her and gently lifted her onto my back. "I didn't forget about you," I joked to her while letting out a groan. "I hope you didn't forget about me either." I added as I carrying her over to the ladder.
When we got to the ladder. I carefully, positioned Jill in front of me and wrapped my arm tightly around her waist, determined to not let her slip out of my grasp. With one hand holding onto her and the other gripping the ladder, I began the difficult task of climbing up towards the top. It was a struggle, but I refused to give up.
Finally, with nothing but strength, we reached the top and I let out a sigh of relief. With Jill safely in my arms,
Sweat dripping down my face and my muscles burning, I could see a abandoned cop car just a few feet away. "Almost there," I gasped, determination pushing me to keep going. I needed to get Jill to safety, and this was our only chance. With a final burst of energy, I reached the car and propped her against it. Ignoring the sores on my hands, I smashed the window open and unlocked the door. Gently, I lifted Jill into the back seat, relieved that I can finally take a rest.
As I stood, panting like a dog, I couldn't help but feel relieved that the intense chase was finally over. Leaning against the cop car, I used my arm to wipe the sweat off my face, trying to catch my breath. Just then, I heard soft mumbles coming from inside the car. It was Jill. She must be waking up. I slowly turned my head and looked inside, seeing her twisting and turning. It was clear she was having a nightmare. Without hesitation, I gently tapped on her, trying to wake her up. But when that didn't work, I reached out and shook her softly. Her eyes fluttered open, fear evident in them as she quickly grabbed her pistol and pointed it at my head.
"Woah woah woah woah!" My eyes widened as I put my hands up, trying to show her I was not a threat. "It was just a dream. Calm down. I'm here, okay? This is real." I tried to calm her down gently, but she was still a little shaken up. "I'm not infected if that's-" I was cut off by the sound of her gun clicking as she cocked it back. The word 'infected' triggered her. I bit my lip nervously, afraid that I might say the wrong thing. "It's not my blood and I'm not hurt, if that's what you're worried about. You're safe. Just put the gun down." I said calmly as I gently raised my hand and pulled the gun away from my head.
Jill slowly put the gun down, her breath still shaky and anxious. I watched her intently, not wanting to set her off again. I couldn't blame her for reacting that way; we had just survived the unimaginable. As she pulled away her hand, her blue eyes were now locked on mine, the fear and anxiety still evident in them.
"It's okay, you're safe now. I won't let anything happen to you." I said, my face softening. After I witnessed her intense reaction, I knew that I had to be more delicate in my approach.
Jill took a deep breath and wiped her eyes with the back of her arm, trying to compose herself. Her eyes were now clear, and I could tell she really wanted to say something. With great care, she opened her mouth again and apologized for pointing the gun at me.
"I'm sorry about that, I just got really confused and I guess the adrenaline kicked in." She looked away, feeling embarrassed.
"It's alright, I forgive you," I reassured her, placing a comforting hand on her leg. "Nobody is in the right mindset with everything going on right now." I could see the tension in her shoulders ease as she let out a sigh of relief. "At least I know you can protect yourself pretty well after taking quite a hit to the head," I joked, trying to lighten the mood. We both shared a laugh, grateful for the lighthearted moment amidst all the chaos.
Her blue eyes stay met at mine, and we both sat in silence, looking into each other's eyes. It was comforting; a little moment of peace and relief in this endless nightmare. I couldn't help but feel a sense of peace with her; something I hadn't felt with anyone before.
As the moments passed, our gaze remained locked, and it felt like we were the only two people in the world. But eventually, reality crept back in, and I knew we had to keep moving. "We should probably get a move on," I suggested, breaking the stillness. I moved out of the way so Jill could get out of the cop car.
"Yeah, you're right. We should keep moving." Jill nodded and stepped out of the cop car, stretching to ease the stiffness in my body. I bet it felt good to finally be able to move around.
Suddenly, a low growl echoed in the distance. "That fucker's still alive," Jill muttered, her eyes scanning the area. Without hesitation, we quickened our pace and made our way towards the walking bridge, determined to get away from the danger.