You can hear yells and cries around you as you eyes fly open. Your floating down the river on top of some big tire. The water is ice cold, making your lips turn blue. Your jeans are soaked through. Your shaking like your in the arctic. Wow, this is great. But at least you got away from that and close to your sister.
That thought makes you feel around your hips for your radio which is the only warm thing on you- it's heat drawing your hand to it.
They wrap around it seeking heat. It be pathetic to die from hypothermia in an apocalypse or whatever is going on.
The cold wind caresses the back of your head as it sails past your cheeks, the icy feeling nipping at them as it returns to the atmosphere. Your heart emits thunderous beats which almost rock the water beneath; the tire almost tipping.
Your fingertips hold the button as hope holds your nerves high. Please, please Jill. The static twitches in your ear opposing the already building anticipation and the dawning realisation that if she doesn't pick up you may drown. Static.
"Y/n!" Jill pants into the radio. Your muscles temporarily relax against their shaking.
"Jill, your okay. Thank god." You breathe out, your voice cracking at her name. You hadn't realised how much the water made your voice box tense but now it resembled a croaky noise.
"Not for long." She admits, her ominous words making your stomach twist.
"Jill, what happened?" You almost demand- scolding her mentally for her secrecy.
"I don't know. Some weird shits happening, y/n." She almost laughs but you can sense her fear- if she's capable of having any. You squint into the distance- observing the main city street only proving Jill right.
"Your talking about those infected people aren't you?" You say already knowing and dreading the answer.
"Not just that. Let me explain. Brad callled, you heard, he was talking about how I had to leave that moment. I didn't get what he was talking about untill this- this thing broke through the wall. It came after me. Chased me through my apartment, down the stairs and out the whole building. Luckily, I managed to get away and find Brad we walked down the streets and I saw the infected roam them. There were so, so many. Brad and I ran into this building. That's where we are now but we are not safe. They're at the door, can you hear them?" She holds the radio speaker away from her and dreadful, noises creep from the speaker down your spine.
"Jill get the hell out of there!" You attempt to shout as loud as you can before your throat closes up again.
"I'm going to find you. Where are you?" She integrates, a protective tone washes her words. You grimace.
"That's the thing, I'm in a river. Well, on a tire if you want the specifics." You blurt out as a wave of water sends another icy splash over you causing your body to cave into its own warmth.
"What!"
"I'll find you, Jill trust me. Just get somewhere safe." You hear her protests before you even finish you sentence. "Please." You beg. You know how hard this must be for her so you try summon all the strength wishing in you to sound strong so she doesn't notice your facade. In truth, you have no idea if you will make it.
Your cold, tired body couldn't run from infected for long. But your heart is as stubborn as anything so you promise Jill you were find her and close the line before she starts more objections.
"C'mon y/n." Your encourage yourself as you climb further on the tire. Arms already aching sending spikes of pain up your body. But you didn't do all that training for nothing so you persist; untill you perch on the viciously shaking tire. Your boots providing what little grip they can. The long harsh river has slimmed now- much to your fortune- so the green grass is a jumps length away.
One jump, you can do that. Open your lungs to a deep intake of hot air you leap off the tire onto the grass. Your body hitting the grass speckled with raindrops with a thud. The air still chills you but not as much as that bone chilling water did. You wearily crawl up the bank- groaning as you do so. Almost there.
Your fingers reach for the bars of the streets barriers which stood tall and firm almost mocking you. Your fingertips close around the hot metal of the iron bars; a stinging, sharp pain whistling through you.
Your hisses barely make it to your ears over the cacophony they have just been revealed to. This must be what Jill was talking about. Survivors flee the streets. Their footsteps stampeding across the cobblestone almost shaking the bars.
With the new energy produced by the heat you hoist yourself over the bars, a hand clenched to your abs which ache with tension. Your eyes frantically search for the infected like a lost dear for a pack of wolves untill you see the barricade hundreds of them are trying to overcome; their fierce groans echoing through screams.
Run.
With hesitance you start a sprint, your hand going to the radio on you hip again.
"Jill? Where are you? I've made it to the city." Static. You groan and hurry eyes scanning the surroundings.
Fire dances around the streets like performers on a stage, moulding the fleeing survivors paths as they jump around to avoid it. It's the only light available to the city which is engulfed in black. The street lights flicker. Around you cars are parked or abandoned every direction possible, all which have broken windows and dented doors. Still in better condition then your one.
Shards of glass litter the streets waiting to spike the foot of anything possible. Only smoke and the smell of death meet your nose. Death seems to have coated every part of this city. It's become a living nightmare and now you are trapped in it.
Your vision slurs as the smoke get to you. Your head spins, spinning the world around you as you fall to the floor.
As you catch your breath the worst thing imaginable happens. A dull, twitching body hurls itself onto you sending deafening screams straight into your ear. You panick attempting to wriggle free as it opens it's already bloody jaw. Your frantic fingers search for something, anything to defend yourself. The creature captures you once again pinning you down and staring at you with those same hungry lifeless eyes.
This is it. This is where you die. The creature dives down its jaw miler-meters from your open neck before you stab a shard of glass through its own. Frothy bloods spills but you don't wait a second- you roll out of its grasp and keep sprinting to the survivors feeling your ache drumming through your body.
The zombies gut wrenching cries are right behind you. One trip and you are definitely dead this time. Your running through an alley now and slamming the wire gate behind you to get some time. As you continue escaping a blinding light blankets the area around you just before a helicopters wings comes into your hearing range.
A projected voice calls down to you.
"Get to the parking garage!"
You follow the helicopters ray of light untill it highlights the top of a nearby building. Not too far but certainly not close enough. You keep moving, staring at the upcoming turn of the alley. Your insides twist with dread as your boots slowly click against the grey stone towards the other side of the brick wall- unreadable orange graffiti hurled across it. It's too quiet. You silence your heavy breath- weary that any sound could pick up a nearby zombies ears and send it hurtling toward your warm, full of life body.
No thanks.
Taking your chances you peek around the corner just to feel the little amount of luck you had before disappear in your fingers. A policeman thrown against a wall his insides dripping from a zombie's greedy mouth. Ferocious gorging comes from the creature. It's distorted, ruined hands pinning the officer to the wall.
Maybe you can just slip past it and it won't bother you?
There was nothing to help you in sight, no glass, no knives, no gun. So you have to run and might as well before it spots you. But the alley is thin and dark with no dodging room. No where to hide either. The end of the alley is temporarily covered by radiant flames and random items from the street. So your trapped, again.
It won't be long until it spots you. Until it finishes this man and moves to its next piece of defenceless prey. At least that guy had a gun. The gun! If you manage to dodge the zombie you could grab the officer's gun and escape. You quietly suck in a breath of the rotten air before starting for the gun. Slowly. Slowly and silently you creep keep your outer arm reached ready to clasp around the gun.
You plan to kick it with that forceful kick you've learnt, jump for the gun and run like hell but the plan may change. Just as you get close enough to the smell that it almost makes you physically vomit, the zombies head snaps out of its feeding frenzy and looks right at you, a sense of victory somehow crossing its expression. Well shit.
Your eyes widen but you rely on your training and as it launches you send a kick to its abdomen which knocks it to the floor. It rolls and squirms hands reaching for you.
You wrap your fingers around the hot iron of the handgun and once again hold your coal black boots on its chest. Then the bullet smashes through his face. Grimacing you feel around the officers pockets for ammo and collect what you can before stepping over its body and carrying on.
You feel your body shaking again.
"Jill!" You whisper to the radio, careful not to alert anyone near.
"Y/n! I though you drowned in that river."
"Sorry. I've been a little busy trying not to get eaten." You remark, inspecting the flames.
"The zombies didn't eat the sarcasm out of you?"
"If it did, I wouldn't be here talking right now."
She laughs, you don't know how but she does.
You find a small opening below the sparkling flames and kneel.
"Did you here the helicopter announcement?" You ask Jill preparing yourself to not get lit on fire.
"Yeah, the parking garage. Means your close to us then."
"Us?" You inquire, pausing.
"Me and Brad escaped that thing remember? He's not in too good of a shape right now though." She replies.
"Hey y/n." Brad calls to you through the radio. You greet him back and temporarily close the radio. Here goes nothing.
You snatch the police hat in the floor and cover you head with it, it fits your head well. With a squelch, your hand lands in the puddle as you crawl underneath a wire gate, the flames dancing above you. You frown.
As you swing your legs out a noise cuts through the atmosphere. Or rather noises.
"Perfect. More fucking zombies and barely any ammo. Just my luck." You mumble to yourself- complaining is probably one of the things keeping you alive right now.
You stand and dust yourself off before checking for zombies. Clear so far. So you continue walking down the alley which thankfully had no zombie-jumping-corners. Your warmer now and dryer at least. You curse yourself for wearing a tank top, your shoulders are the main thing freezing you with each step.
Your boots clip the surface beneath you. The air is still as it has been for the past twenty minutes but you can almost sense the zombie before it lunges at you this time. With one headshot you knock it to the floor. You smile knowing Jill couldn't beat that.
It's dark blood runs the street. You approach its body, feeling around its jacket and pockets. Ammo and a set of keys. You cock your head- probably best to keep them anyway. From the looks of him, he was a nurse? He's wearing scrubs so he's definitely in the medical area. Shut up, your wasting time.
You watch as rain starts to fall from those thunderous, vengeful clouds above your head.
~
You pant and rest your hands on your thighs as you rest for the minute spared for you. You made it to the elevator finally. After zombies and fires and hypothermia, your finally about to be saved. Just have to get up to the parking garage.
And as you look up your victory swiftly dies as you see the only way to the elevator is through a tiny, crawl-able space due to the infected throwing themselves on the gate. The iron creaking beneath them.
"Are you fucking kidding me? I can't do this all day." You groan almost at them, as if they would just leave. But no, their pupils shrink at the sight of you and they become even more agitated. You get back on your very blackened and dirty hands and knees and crawl with your elbows, flat on your stomach, towards the exit.
Your breath hitches in your sore throat. A hole rips itself out in front of you and a bloody hand claws at you. It manages to latch onto your throat,it's nails making stinging cuts on it. You hiss. You hand reaches for you gun before its able to pull you back outside the gate with it and you try to aim but with your shaking hands it's difficult.
Eventually, you land a blow powerful enough to shock it and practically hurl yourself to the other side. Sliding on your back to face the zombies. It snarls at you, drool covering its detached chin. You heavy breaths turn to gasps as you stare at it. That was too close. Way closer to death then the last time. You could practically replay the split second you could've if missed and became one of them.
Your quieter now, so you stand and carry on walking. Some glass must have got in your boots as you can feel sharp pains every time your heel connects with the sole. So you limp to the stairs. The old light sign is hanging by a few wires above you. Dents and cracks are imprinted on everything. Cold wind pushes flames towards you as if you are some sort of magnet.
You reach the stairs. They are dotted with blood, making the putrid stench of death noticeable to you as you suck in a breath. But first, you scan the elevator area- making sure no threats are too close. Clear.
You fingertips reach for the green button. It's light lit up the surroundings with its lonely glow and the up symbol flashed. You wait for it and wrap your arms around your waist. With the heating fire now gone you feel the biting cold back. Your body shuts down if it's too cold and that definitely cannot happen.
With a sudden ding that scares the life out of you and spooks the zombies behind, the elevator reaches your level. The silver doors rattle before getting stuck. You sigh and squeeze through, turning your body to the side. Your nose brushes against the side of the door. As your boot steps foot into the elevator, a noticeable vibration rattles through the whole of it, indicating it's likely to fall. The wires must have been cut loose in an attempt to escape or something.
You note it's shakiness before entering the elevator. You stand for a moment. It holds well enough. So you turn to the control panel behind you. The parking garage is on the very top of this building, you can hear the spluttering of the helicopter waiting for you. You press the top level button and warms under your touch.
Suddenly, a zombie thrusts through the closing doors moments from shutting. Bloody hands clawing at you and it's torso wriggling almost entirely through the already weak doors. Inhuman cries come from it's throat. It's eyes wild and vicious, so white you can barely see the pupil. You jump back and act fast before it's trapped in there with you, sending a forceful kick straight to its face. As the kick lands, the zombie grabs your leg and brings it to its jaws. With no support from your glass-injured remaining leg you fall to the floor; the zombie now having full control of you. Your hands search for your gun on the floor as the zombies jaws start to close around your leg.
Before it could bite, you pull the trigger. The bullet sends it flying backwards and you waste no time getting up and slamming the elevator doors as you hear more groans and screams. You swear under your breath and examine your leg. Luckily, the only thing on it is the crimson coloured drool the zombie painted it with. God, your lucky it wasn't a bite. You've lost count of which zombie encounters have been the most deadly at this point.
Your hand goes to your radio.
"I'm in the lift." You state, too panicked for greetings. You hear her side click in.
"Good, we are coming up the stairs on the rear part of the building. We've lost that thing for now." She reports. Brads panting is clear throug the radio.
"You alright Brad?"
A sarcastic chuckle comes from Brad. "Yeah, I'm just peachy."
"Same here. These zombies are fucking crazy. Almost got bitten just then." You reply.
Jill kicks in. "I'd rather that then getting our heads squashed by that thing. Have you seen it, y/n?"
"Nope. What's it look like?" You inquire, dread showing in your voice.
"Huge and face covered in flesh. Holes for eyes and an ugly mouth."
"Sounds like your ex, Jill."
"Funny." She almost scolds. You can hear her muffled laugh though.
The elevator dings and the doors start to creak open.
"Jill, I'm here." You say with relief seeing the helicopter flash it's light at you.
"We're almost there. Meet you at the helicopter." She says before clicking off.
You jog out the elevator and start across the parking lot. Waving your arms at the helicopter in the sky. Relief flows through you. Your going home and getting away from this hell hole.
The helicopter skims over you and another voice projects out.
"Miss, please wait. We are going to do another round for survivors."
Your arms fall back to their sides. You'll be lucky if you won't be zombie or that monster food by the time they come back. Around you is dark apart from street lamps positioned at the corners of the lot. Cars are parked or rather thrown across the area, all mostly abandoned. You walk up and down the white parking lines trying to pass time and calm yourself.
"Y/n!" A familiar voice cries out. Your spirit heighten just at the sound of your sisters voice. A smile covers your face as you spin around to find Jill and a half-dead looking Brad jogging towards you.
Jill's muscle toned arms are open and she flashes you her casual smile. She's wearing a blue tank and trousers, by her chest are guns and she's got pockets full of items. Brad wears his usual concerned expression across his greened face; his jacket splattered with blood.
"Jill!" You crash into her as she pulls you into a very sisterly hug. Her chin rests above your head.
"Thank god. I thought you weren't going to make it." She whispers pulling back to inspect you for any wounds.
"You'd thank a god for all this?" You jest again. She tips her head disappointingly but still smiles.
"Are you injured or bitten?" She interrogates, her police background shining through her words and questions.
"I'm fine. A little scratched up but not as bad as you two. Are you guys okay?" You ask looking at Jill's bleeding but banded arm and Brad's limp. Jill shrugs you off and pulls a face as she looks around; he short brown hair rustles in the breeze.
"Where's the helicopter? She asks walking to the edge of the roof. You huff.
"Searching for more survivors."
"Then we'll wait."
~
The helicopters sound awakens you from your trance as you sit up from the roof and turn to face it. Jill and Brads conversation stops immediately. They talked about Brads 'wound', they used code when they talked about it and they were very careful to make sure you couldn't hear. What are they hiding? Jill beckons over to you as the helicopter lowers just above the ground. No other survivors found then. You jog over hissing at you pain in your foot, Jill's eyes fly to you.
"You better not have lied to me." She warns coming next to you.
"I didn't. I'm fine, it's just something in my shoe." You reassure her.
A man crouches down from the side of the helicopter and reaches out a hand to you. With a slow breath you take it and position yourself in the helicopter, your body finally relaxing and realising the nerves that have built up inside you for the past hour. All that happened in an hour. You almost died 4 times in one hour.
You adjust yourself into a seat and clip in. You run a hand through your hair; your mother used to do that to soothe you and it's always stuck with you. You turn and throw a half smile at Brad who clipped himself in the seat opposite you- he awkwardly smiles back, his mouth forming at white line. Then you turn to Jill who's about to take the man's had.
But before she could the helicopter shakes and strains against something. Panicked shouts and yells from the pilot now run around your head.
"Evacuate!" He screams before the smashing of glass slices your ear drums and a strangled noises come from the front section of the helicopter. You hurriedly unbuckle your seat belt and get up from the seat. Using the handle bars on the roof to hold steady you look around to the pilots section. Your heart plummets again as you see what's shaking the helicopter.
It's back.
This part may be a bit too long but whatever :)
Please ignore any spelling mistakes I'll check them tomorrow I just needed to get this out the drafts x have a great day/night !