The smell of the dead had lingered inside the tunnel, I couldn't walk a few steps without nearly throwing up. The tunnel was dimly lit by lamps that were 15 metres apart, the metal that the glass was encased in was rusted like from the cell bars.
Half of my mind was telling me to turn back and make a run for it, but the other was giving me a guilt trip on leaving Hannah behind. I already lost Sam, I wasn't losing Hannah too. Plus there was the boy and Michael, I didn't really know him that well but he had lost everyone. I couldn't leave them to rot away in a cell or die and be thrown into one of those pits. I wouldn't let that happen to him, Michael or Hannah.
The smell began to fade away as I got deeper into the tunnel, the thoughts of leaving had been pushed to the back of my mind now. My main goal was to find Hannah, Michael, the boy and then leave this place.
The tunnel began to break off into separate tunnels, luckily for me there was a rusty map next to one of the first tunnels. I studied the map, it was in fact a mineshaft but someone had crossed out previous names of places and wrote new names next to them. I found the cells and saw which tunnel would take me there.
The map was fairly simple and not hard to follow, I memorized my path and began down the second tunnel on the left which was where the cells were indicated on the map. I was determined to find Hannah and Michael first and then the boy or whichever one I came across first.
The tunnel went on for a while and thankfully I didn't run into anyone. When I got to the door that led to the cells the stench had past and a new one prevailed. It was a combination between blood and sweat, my stomach turned at the revolting smell.
The white rusted door screeched open but it was barely audible.
I close the door just in case someone came and didn't get suspicious. Before entering the hallways of cells I searched around the small open room. Dangling from a hook was one silver key, like the ones they use to use in medieval times. I grabbed they key and held it hard in my chest. I continued into the hallway and as I continued through the hallway the stench became stronger.
I walked past the series of cells, some empty and some filled with sleeping strangers. I tried hard to convince myself not to feel bad for these people, if I let them out it could cause a panic and I might not ever find any of them. But what kind of person would that make me, I had the chance to help people but I didn't. No, I'm not leaving these people. I'll come back once I find my friends and I’ll free them all. Every innocent person here.
"Hannah?" I whispered as I began to be quieter with my steps.
"Eve?" A male voice sounded, I quickly ran to where the voice had come from and I saw Michael sitting on his metal table. I quickly unlocked his cell trying not to make to much noise. He hugged me, I didn't really think we were that close but I guess we were. I hugged him back.
"I thought you were all dead." He said as he pulled away.
My stomach turned at the thought of Sam, he didn't know and now I had to tell him. My eyes began to water, I couldn't do it but I had to too. I had no choice.
"What’s wrong?"
"Sam, she, they took her and, the guy said they.." I couldn't finish my sentence, I didn't know how to tell him. He considered us all friends now and he and Sam got along really well.
"That's impossible, they don't kill the kids." His face was filled with confusion and so was mine.
"But he said they shot her!?" I was suddenly really mad at Michael, it felt as if he was accusing me of lying. "Sorry." I calmed down and I thought of what just happened. I got mad for a stupid reason and then calmed down out of know where. Maybe it was a side effect from the viruses. Come to think of it, ever since I've had the viruses I've felt strange. I haven't eaten since breakfast the day of the outbreak but I’m not hungry.
"I think I know where they keeping the kids, once we get Sam and Hannah. We'll set everyone else free if we can, if not we leave and come back later on. You 3 are my main responsibility." I nodded in agreement as we both walked down the hallway looking in cells and calling out to Hannah, the hallway seemed to go on forever. I didn't understand why Michael was being so big brother on us 3, I guess it's because Hannah saved his life and he bonded with Sam when I was sleeping.
Cell after cell, person after person. We were half way down the cells and I saw him. Laying on his table, staring up at the ceiling. I ran to the cell and his head shot up. A smile spread across his face and he ran to the bars.
"How are you outside?"
"Long story." I quickly unlocked his cell. He gave me a quick hug and shook hands with Michael.
Michael gave me a worried glance and I returned it with a reassuring a smile. Michael continued on and we both followed behind him. It was weird that Michael was acting like a big brother, it's not like he had anything to worry about. The last thing I was thinking of was boys or relationships but it was still nice having an older brother figure. Being an only child you never experience what it's like to have someone look over you the way siblings do, not the way parents do.
We were coming close to the end of the cells when we were men screaming.
"GET THEM!" I heard one yell. We were about to run when a woman burst through the door at the end of the hallway with a child clinging to her. It was Hannah and Sam.
"RUN!" She said as she raced passed us, we ran with them and Michael grabbed Sam from Hannah who was struggling to hold her as we ran through the rows of cells. The boy was ahead and held the door open for everyone, I was last to run through the door and it didn't take long for the boy to catch up with me. I figured he was a fast runner but he kept at my pace, I heard the voices from behind us yelling to catch us but I didn't look back. I focused forward and the path ahead.
We were coming to the intersection of tunnels where the map was, "Go Right!" I screamed and without questioning they all turned right. We burst through the exit and the smell of dead bodies hit me. I didn't even realize the smell until we were outside metres away from the decaying bodies.
Hannah threw up but Michael grabbed her arm and pulled her towards the forest, I had already been here and was expecting this. I wasn't use to it, just prepared. The boy grabbed my arm and pulled me towards where Michael had left. We continued to run through the bush, not stopping for anything.
After a while we began to slow our pace but that was mainly because the adrenaline was wearing off and fatigue was getting us all. Hannah stopped and fell against a tree. She sat on the ground catching her breath and Michael continued to walk with Sam still cradled soundly in his arms.
I stopped near Hannah, the boy behind me. "Where are you going?" He yelled out after Michael.
"We can't stay here, too dangerous." He yelled back still walking.
"Come on man, we've been running for ages." Michael stopped and stared back at us. His gaze shifted between all of us and then to Hannah who was on the ground still catching her breath, oblivious to the whole situation. He jogged back and rested Sam next to Hannah who was sucking on her thumb. She leached onto Hannah.
"1 minute." He said and took a seat next to Sam.
I went over to a tree opposite of them and sunk down to the ground. The fatigue didn't fully hit me till I stopped moving, which was the same with the boy and Michael who were panting uncontrollably. It didn't occur to me that I didn't even know this boys name but I was so eager to rescue him.
"What’s your name?" He stared at me in disbelief, his head fell against the tree as he began to chuckle.
"Mason." He said as he began to control his breathing.
"We should go." Michael was getting up now and he lifted Sam up, who nestled into his shoulder.
Without argument we all got up and followed Michael once again but we didn't run this time, more of a fast paced walk. Hannah walked behind Michael and I was at the back with Mason. Nobody talked, we just kept walking and walking until Michael stopped.
"Do you hear that?" He said.
I focused and could hear the faint sound of a car and then a car horn sounded. Without hesitation we both started running to car, as we broke out of the frost we were greeted with a car that had been abandoned. The driving seat was wide open but nobody was in sight. Michael went straight for the driver seat and it looked as if he was attempting to turn the car on. As the car sprung to life so did Michael's face and everyone else's, except Hannah.
"How much fuel?" Michaels face filled with anger and punched the dashboard violently setting off the car alarm. I looked at Hannah whose eyes were fixated on something behind me, I immediately shot around to see someone charging at me but before they got me Mason tackled them to the ground. I backed up to where Sam and Hannah were standing and watched as Mason desperately fought off the vicious human being. I stood there motionless watching him struggle.
Michael ripped the person off of him and beat him furiously in the head with a crowbar, i'm assuming he found in the car. Blood splattered all over his face and shirt with malicious filled eyes. We all watched him violently beat the person until there was nothing left but a mush made of flesh, blood and brains. He walked over to Mason and held out his hand, Mason was hesitant but accepted it.
I turned to see Sam was staring wide eyed at the mangled body lying dead on the road.
"You okay, Sam?" Her eyes hot up at me and she nodded before she disappeared behind Hannah.
"What now?" Michael words were followed with silence and unsteady glances to each other.
"We follow the road but on the side so we don't draw attention to ourselves." Hannah's voice was scarcely different and seemed distant. I knew the old Hannah was gone and this new one had pulled up permanent residence, I guess I just had to get use to the fact that nothing will ever be the same.
"If we head in one direction were bound to come across some town or someone still alive." The words 'still alive' lingered in my head and nearly made me throw up but I contained myself.
Nobody said anything, just nodded in agreement. Michael walked off the road and we followed behind him. We decided to go towards the way the car was facing, we figured that person might of been going that way for something.
We stayed a few metres away from the road, barely visible amongst the shrub but we could see the road relatively good. I didn't know where we were going but I had this feeling that there was no safety, that we are abandoned and there is no hope.
Where do we go if there is no safety? Keep running, what kind of life is that? I couldn't escape the feeling that we were walking into a dead end, I hated this feeling but it was consuming me.
The constant feeling of worried was intoxicating, maybe it was just my paranoia or the virus the doctor gave me.
Or maybe I'm just legitimately losing my mind..