I force Piper, my Staffy, into the small hole in the wall. I follow shortly, and hold my breath, as the city of Nutgrove marches past, their minds blank.
Piper begins to whine, nudging my arm with her wet nose.
"Just wait a little Piper, once they go past we can get back home."
She stares at me with a hint of sadness in her eyes. She whines even more, headbutting my arm this time. All of her whining had begun to attract close Black Angels. They crowd around the hole, reaching in at us, groping without thought.
There must be another way to get out of here. We have to get back home and pack up. The horde's move from city to towns, and the towns to the cities. They just wander from place to place. Whether there being a meal or just noise. They always want something, and they're not afraid to take it.
Ever since the bullets began being shot, there was nothing but panic.
The military and the local police stations blocked off the towns and tried to Quarantine them. But there was always someone who got in, undetected.
But that was more than twelve months ago. Time flies when you don't know it.
The Black Angels give up quickly, Piper stopped whining, and they couldn't find anything worth the trouble. They shuffle back to join the Nutgrove march. Piper nudges me again, this time pushing my head away with her snout.
"Let's go home."
I move past Piper, and quickly scan the minuscule room, searching for anything useful. Once an old shop. Shelves, scattered boxes, some trolleys here and there, the pay counter. Back when things were better.
One door, facing the march, as well as a few windows. A tiny window however, sits behind the counter, the glass dusty. Probably just enough room for me to fit, if I take off my bag.
I jog over, Piper prancing over behind me, and slide off my bag. I open the window, and peer out, watching the Black Angels walk right past. I push my bag out, my hand firmly grasping the strap. I stare out at the march and let the bag fall to the ground. The muffled sound of metal against metal makes enough noise for a whole chunk of the group to break off, and head over.
"The tins! Get ready to run, Piper!"
She softly barks in reply. I've grown used to her signals. I bend over and pick her up, letting her jump out of the window. I watch her slide one strap over her head, and drag the bag behind the building. All I have on me is my knife, and my silenced pistol, with barely any bullets. I can't risk it, not now.
The sound of glass smashing and rotting wood crumbling snaps me out of thought. I spin my head around and watch as the front windows and door break apart, letting the chunk of Black Angels inside.
I jump up and poke my head out of the window, my right arm out too, pushing against the wall. The shocking realization hits me right then.
I'm stuck.
I push and push, not giving up, I can't abandon Piper now.
I push and push, the small window trying to keep me in place.
I feel a cold bony hand wrap around my ankle, as the unnerving moans from behind chill me to the bone. I struggle, kicking and thrashing my legs around. I feel the grip loosen and the dry ground meet with my face.
I'm free.
I rub my face, dusting off any dirt that remains. I look up and stare into the gaping eye socket of a Black Angel. I push him back, staggering him. I grip the handle of the pistol, and shoot it in the head. A woman stumbles over to me, falling to the ground then crawling. I aim, and shoot her in the head. I hurriedly stand, and watch as more and more of the Nutgrove march breaks away, following the ones before them.
"I'm going to lead them back to home!"
I run around the back of the building, and watch Piper fight off a Black Angel. She bits at her legs, stumbling her, then repeating, keeping her at bay. I pull my knife out, and twirl it in my hand.
I breath out.
I throw the knife, launching it at the Black Angel's head.
Her head jerks back, as the knife lodges itself into place.
The Black Angel falls to the ground, freed.
Piper looks at me over her shoulder, then to the Black Angels walking around the corner.
I scoop up my bag, and slide it onto my shoulders.
I quickly pet Piper on the head, and take the knife back.
I begin to run, expecting Piper to follow me.
She just stands there, watching the Black Angels get closer, closer.
"Piper!"
That seems to be enough to snap her out of trance.
She begins to run to me, but trips, and falls to the ground.
"Piper!"
I run back to her, as she whimpers in pain.
She broke her leg.
My eyes grow wide, as I stare at her back leg.
A tiny piece of white showing.
Her bone has broken off.
I scoop her up into my arms, and lift her over my head.
I run, faster than I've ever run before.
I'd aim and shoot any Black Angel that got in the way.
Those damned Black Angels came to cleanse the earth, ward off all evil. A new world would begin after five years, and the truly worthy humans who survived, will rebuild the world.
Piper should be one of those worthy.
Would be.
Have I got enough medicine to treat her? How in the hell do I treat a broken bone? I've never broken a bone, so how am I to know?
I slow down once I see the front fence.
Spikes poke out from the gaps between the wood.
Blood spilled everywhere across the road, as well as the fence.
I hop over the gate, and run inside the house.
The house that kept us safe for more than three months. It was the only one clean enough to just move in to, unlike the other places we slept.
Loud footsteps beat the pavement behind me, following me.
Damn! Has that group found us?
I lock the door, and quickly take Piper into a small bedroom. I lay her down on the bed, her mouth open, her tongue out, panting like she ran a marathon.
"I'm not gonna let you leave, Piper. You deserve to be apart of the new world."
I empty the contents of the bag onto the bed beside her, dropping the pistol and the knife as well. I open a tin of dog food with the knife, and tip it out in front of her mouth.
She slowly takes a piece, then another.
She's distracted.
I jog into the bathroom, connected to the bedroom, and ransack the cupboards and drawers, looking for anything to save her life.
The people from outside hit the door, demanding to open the door, or they'll break it down.
Tears run down my cheeks.
Piper's life is on the line.
I punch the mirror, the shards clattering with the sink, and shards poking out of my hand.
Fury is taking over.
"OPEN THIS DOOR NOW!"
I ignore them. They'll get what they want soon anyway.
I jog back to Piper, tears streaming down my face.
I kneel beside her.
"Baby, you have to understand."
She looks into my eyes. She's listening.
"I've tried to protect you, and you've protected me. I can never pay that back. I gave you almost all of my food, each time we found something, anything! We slept in the same bed together. I took care of you."
Piper's eyes drift away from mine, and look around the room, as if she's only just realised she's back at home.
She lets out a slow, pained whimper.
"I know baby, but you'll be in peace soon enough."
I hear the front door break, and the heavy footsteps clapping with the wooden floorboard.
"It's okay, you're okay."
Tears roll down my face.
My breathing trips over itself.
Can I really do this?
I breathe out.
I pull the gun off the bed.
The footsteps down the hall get faster.
They've found me.
"It's okay baby, I won't let anything else bad happen to you anymore..."
I hold the gun to Piper's head, and cry.
I close my eyes.
"NO, STOP!"
BLAM.
I open my eyes a crack.
The only thing I can hear is my choked breathing, my crying, and the slow steps behind me.
I feel a hand on my shoulder.
I drop the gun.
I look into Piper's glassy eyes.
"It's okay baby, you're safe now."
"Why'd you shoot the poor thing?"
I grab the gun.
I jump to my feet, waving the gun around at the four men in front of me.
They raise their hands up, surrendering.
"You can do whatever you want to me. But as long as Piper's at peace, I don't care anymore. Beat me like you did before, I don't care."
The men look sympathetic.
One of them takes a step towards me.
I move the gun to him, and he stops.
"Get away from me. None of you heartless creatures care what you do to innocent, surviving people! You beat them, then leave them for dead. I know you're act, and I've fallen for it too many times."
I drop the gun, and fall to the ground.
"Piper's at peace now. Piper's at peace now. Piper's at peace now."
I reach for the gun, and hold it in my hands.
I stare at it, unsure.
"We have plenty of medicine back at base, if we'd have gotten here sooner, we could've saved her."
"Well, you're too late."
I hold the muzzle to the side of my head, and breathe out slowly.
"NO, STOP!"
BLAM.
I'll see you soon, Piper.