Chapter 5: There's no turning back
I woke up and checked my phone- 10:06pm. I had slept for about a good eight hours though my eyes were still so heavy. My phone was also at 87% battery, surprisingly it hasn't drained a lot yet.
I propped my head up and looked around. Taylor was on the left of me fast asleep and the family of four was a couple metres away from my right who were also asleep. Wait a second... if everyone's sleeping, who was keeping watch?
This is bad. This IS bad. How long was no one keeping watch for? Who was the moron that fell asleep while it was their turn to keep watch!? Those zombies could've possibly broke through that door and caught up to us and ate our brains out just beca- I stopped myself for a second. Take a deep breath. I'm just being ridiculous and overthinking this. The most important thing is that we're all alright and still together.
I turned to my left to face Taylor. He had the most adorable sleeping face ever. He has such rosy cheeks at the moment and he just... looks so perfect. I could stare at him for what seems to be as long as forever but I decided to wake him up anyways.
I nudged him while I called out his name. "Taylor." I had to nudge him a couple more times before he started to wake.
"Oh, hey Kristen. Is it morning yet?"
"Not exactly... I mean, it's around 10:00pm right now. We all slept at, like, 2:00pm, remember?"
"I believe you. At this point, I don't think anyone but you is keeping track of the time."
I'm guessing that's a good thing.
Taylor started rumbling through his pockets and then he pulled out the small flashlight he got back at the desk of the reception area. He turned it on so that we could see better in this dark tunnel.
I just remebered that Taylor didn't have breakfast this morning. He must be hungry. I was a little too.
"Want some cookies?"
"Gosh, yes. I'm starving. I totally forgot that I got these from the desk too," he mumbled while crunching on the cookie he stuffed in his mouth.
"Can ya keep it down please?" said an annoyed Caroline while she tossed and turned until her back was facing us.
Taylor and I gave each other a glance and seconds later, we started laughing hysterically.
"SHUT UP I'M TRYING TO SLEEP!" She sounded as if she could kill.
We just couldn't help our laughter. There was something in the tone of her voice that made us keep laughing. Well, I guess it's also because everything's always funnier with your best friend.
Our laughter died down in a few minutes and it was dead silent in the tunnel.
Taylor went back sound asleep and the family of four were also. To be honest, it was quite creepy being awake all alone.
I switched off the flashlight Taylor had turned on earlier to conserve its battery. I also put the cookies we didn't finish back in my bag.
I leaned back against the wall and fiddled with my fingers... what if we don't survive this? I couldn't clearly grasp what had happened to New York City. Had the zombies made it out of New York and into other states? Oh, how I wish this was all a joke. Or even better, I wish it was for filming a movie. The storyline would make for such an intriguing movie and I'd watch...
...
PLING!
...
WHAT WAS THAT! I jolted up to catch my breath. I had drifted off earlier and that was a horrifying sound to wake up to.
PLING! PLING!
The sounds were echoing through the tunnel. Was there someone else in here?!
I was going to wake up Taylor and the rest of them but they were all still asleep and probably didn't even hear the sounds.
The only explanation for the sounds I came up with were from the large metal pipes leaning against the wall near the door we entered earlier to get to this tunnel. I remembered sitting down beside them trying to catch my breath. Well, they sure made a loud sound considering how far we walked.
THUMP. THUMP.
What the heck was that?!
THUMP. THUMP. THUMP.
I counted at least 20 more repeated thumps, then silence.
Oh no... could these be the same 'thumps' we heard from the zombies when we were standing at the door earlier today? These. Sounded. Like. The. Exact. Same. Thumps! I prayed that I was wrong but... there was no doubt these sounds were coming from them! Why have they started pounding again?!
PLINGGGG CLANGGGGGGG!
Sounded as if another pipe had fallen on top of another one which created the most piercing sound that screeched and clawed in my ears.
The thumps were back, louder and quicker than ever. Are they attracted to sounds..?
Everyone was wide awake now.
"Pipes had fallen earlier and the zombies had started thumping on the door again! They stopped after that but then another pipe had fallen just now and they're at it again! I suspect that they're attracted to loud sounds. They only start pounding when the pipes fell!!" I told them all with a very worried tone in my voice.
"We definitely should keep heading forwards to find that sewage cover," said John.
"Now that we've all got enough sleep, let's just keep going and hope for the best," Caroline chipped in. Sleep? I've been listening to those horrific sounds for the past half hour it seems.
I grabbed my bag. "Yeah, we should just-"
BOOM! SMASH!
Oh shit. Had the door fallen? I just wanted to huddle up in a corner and pretend this all was over.
I said what first came to my mind. "Whatever you guys do, don't make loud noises!!" I pleaded to everyone. I didn't want to die today!
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHH! THE MONSTERS ARE COMING TO RUIN THE MAGICAL LAND OF RAINBOWS AND UNICORNS!!!!" Julie and Casey screamed at the top of their lungs. WAS THIS SOME KIND OF JOKE?! THE ZOMBIES DEFINITELY HEARD THAT AND ARE GONNA START CHASING US AFTER THAT SCREAM THEY MADE.
John and Caroline started shushing them. There was a huge moment of silence but what came after were rushing sounds and hundreds of foot stops again and again.
"RUN! RUN! RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!" I screamed.
Taylor grabbed my hand and we ran like there was no tomorrow. He turned on the flashlight so we can see what was up ahead. We were so damn screwed. Who knows how long it takes to get to that sewage cover?! We hadn't even reached the sewage water yet.
The family was right behind us and the hundred of foot stomps were catching up.
"LOOK, LOOK! UP AHEAD!" Taylor said while he pointed. It was where the sewage water starts flowing! This was a good sign though it cuts right through the middle of the tunnel leaving only a small pathway on the side for us to run on.
We all scurried over to the pathway on the side and kept running. Be careful not to fall, Be careful not to slip into or it's over. The gap that contained the sewage water had to be at least 5 metres deep.
"There it is! Up ahead! The ladder to the sewage cover!" Taylor yelled. A chill of excitement ran over me. Maybe we weren't going to die today.
Taylor and I made it to the ladder and he started climbing up the first step just as we heard a scream and then a splash.
I glanced over and I saw Caroline splashing her hands everywhere haphazardly. Oh my God. Caroline was floating on the sewage water halfway of how deep the gap was and it was impossible to reach her.
"HELP ME! HELP ME!" she said as she was choking on the water.
John was trying to reach her lying down with his hand out but it was no use.
The footsteps were terribly close now. They were getting louder by the second.
"There's nothing we can do! I'm so sorry, Caroline but we have to go or we're all going to die!" I said.
Julie and Casey were standing there crying. John was devastated. Caroline was going to drown any second. I felt so bad for everyone but it just wasn't possible to save her.
Taylor shouted, "C'mon, John! We have go! Bring your kids! I'm sorry, Caroline!"
Black shadows were running towards us from the tunnel. Oh crap. We had to leave NOW.
We waited to see if they were coming but John turned his head from Caroline and shot us an icy glare. He was about 10 metres away from us. He got up from the lying position he was in.
"YOU TWO AIN'T GOING ANYWHERE. THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT AND YOU DIE WITH CAROLINE," he shouted furiously at us.
"Start climbing, Kristen!" Taylor yelled at me as he started climbing. What the hell?! Is he going to kill us when this wasn't even our fault?!
"GET YOUR ASSES BACK DOWN HERE!" John screamed as he started running after us.
I climbed as fast as my legs and arms could move. I can't believe he's turning his back on us! As if the zombies weren't a big enough problem, now John is an even worse problem than the zombies.
Taylor popped open the sewage cover and climbed out. He held out his hands to grab and pull me out too. All I saw was moonlight outside but I couldn't wait to get out of this stinky sewage dump away from this psychotic family.
I grabbed Taylor's hands and just as I was halfway out from the cover, I felt a hand grip onto my ankle.
"BITCH, YOU'RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE." John hollered.
"TAYLOR!" I screamed. Both him and John started pulling with all their might.
Taylor pulled me until my whole body except my foot that John was grabbing on to was out of the sewer. Taylor then took the sewage lid and smacked the side of it against John's hand.
He yelped while he released his grip from my ankle. He tried climbing out and grabbing my foot again but Taylor smacked him on the head which caused him to lose his balance.
John missed a step on the ladder and he fell on his back onto the cold cement floor. He must've broken his spine along with other bones with a fall that high.
Through the sewage hole we came through, I heard Julie and Casey screaming while John's last words to us were, "YOU FUCKS. I HOPE YOU GUYS DIE-" and there was a huge wave of black figures that ran across them. Splashes and stomps and screeches and screams filled the whole tunnel.
"TAYLOR. Shut the lid!"
He did as I told him. "What just happened..? John completely lost his mind," Taylor whispered.
"It's like we were the enemies to him."
"I feel so bad for all of them though. I mean, we could've maybe done something?"
"There wasn't any time to stop and think. Whatever, don't worry about it. It wasn't our fault. We had to protect ourselves too."
"I feel so bad for Julie and Casey though. They didn't even get a goodbye from their parents."
"Well, you know what they say, there's no turning back."
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Heyyy guyssss! I'm so sorry I haven't updated in so long. Just haven't had time. But I definitely wrote a lot this chapter. (:
As usual, please vote for my story and comment!! If you have any questions or suggestions, don't be afraid to message me!
Sorry if I was cruel this chapter with the characters, and sorry about all the profanity. 😂
And ONE LAST THING,
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR 1K READS! I WAS SO HAPPY YESTERDAY WHEN I SAW IT! It's not a lot but I appreciate it! Xx hope to upload a new chapter soon! (I might work on my other story for a bit too)