Infection

Chapter 28 - Inferno

I shot awake, fighting for breath as I felt a hand clamp hard around my mouth, smothering me.

"Shhh, don't make a sound," the voice of Will whispered calmly in my ear, before releasing his hold on my face and moving away.

Letting my eyes adjust to the moonlight, I managed to make out the silhouettes of the others, the fire a smouldering heap of ashes. Confused, I slipped out from under my blanket, tiptoeing over to the large shape of Knuckles, elbowing him. He merely raised his hand to silence me, continuing to stare sharply out into the night. I craned my neck, attempted to see through the barricade, but it seemed Knuckles had taken the only spot. I had no idea what was going on.

Giving up I plonked myself, crossed legged, next to knuckles rubbing the sleep from my limbs, impatiently waiting for something to happen. I didn't understand what the whole fuss was about, was it infected? And where had Will got to. I let my eyes close, resting my head against Knuckles arm, my mind drifting to Seth.

"Oh..."

Abruptly I was ripped off the floor and into the arms of Knuckles, the world lighting up behind us with a deafening boom.

The explosion taw through the front of the building, causing it to ignite, flames hungrily eating at the wooden floorboards. I watched in horror as bits of flaming debris sped past, narrowly missing Knuckles back, singeing my eyebrows before I managed to tuck my head in tight. Within seconds we were out into the cold night, the distant sound of gunfire reaching my ears, through the constant ringing.

I felt Knuckles gently place me on the floor, slightly away from the house, before disappearing round the front of the building, leaving me fighting for breath. Staggering to my feet I blindly stumbled forwards after him, disorientated, black dots blotting my vision. What even was that, was someone trying to kill us? Clinging on to the edge of the hall, I balanced myself out before poking my head round into the battleground.

It definitely wasn't infected. I could see both Will and Knuckles by the light of the burning vehicle, taking pot shots at someone down the road, too far for me to see. Bullets pinged back in response, barely missing their targets.

I heard a gentle growl suddenly resonated behind me, drawing my attention to the monsters emerging into my short field of vision. The flames leaping up behind me, rapidly consuming the building and burning my back.

I hesitated, stepping closer to the furnace, not knowing which direction to flee, my heart racing a hundred miles an hour. The infected continued to stalk me playfully, watching me like you would a freshly backed cake, ever getting closer. I could feel the sweat dripping down my back now, the heat almost unbearable, burning my hair. My hand brushed the hilt of my pistol... the pistol! Drawing it out its sheath I aimed and fired, resulting in... nothing. "Oh."

For some reason I laughed, feeling the fear swell up inside me, working its way into my mind before brimming over.

"I really hate Infected." I giggled.

I bottled, like an athlete from its starting mark, I sprang forward through the grasps of those creatures, their nails ripping at my new jacket.

It didn't take them long to catch up, angered at how they had been cheated out of an easy meal, their breath heavy and stale. I tried ignoring them, concentrated on trying to get the pistol to work and not tripping on the curb when it hit me... I hadn't cocked it, I'm such and idiot. Fixing my mistake I felt a round click into the chamber, priming the weapon. But my nervous only seeming to increase tenfold, I could barely see where I was going let alone where 'they' where.

A cold hand suddenly grabbed me pulling me round in front of its dead face, blood dripping from its snarling mouth. Without thinking I rammed the pistol against its chest mashing the trigger with a cry, filling its body with lead before it faulted and fell down heavy on me.

I could almost taste its breath as it gnashed it teeth at my shoulder, paralysed but still alive. Fortunately I managed to grab what hair was left on its scalp and yank its face away from me with grim determination, my gun hand trapped between us.

Left with little choice I slowly twisted the weapon so that it was pointing towards its head, squishing my eyes shut before I pulled the trigger.

I felt the bullet wiz past, blood exploding all over my face as it's head fell limply to my chest dead.

I lay there catching my breath through my nose, covered in sweat and blood. Last nights soup almost working its way up from the smell. I didn't dare open my mouth though, from fear of getting infected. I may of killed it doesn't mean it can't still infect me.

I waited for the night to fall silent before I worked my way out from under the body, throwing it off of me. As far as I was aware there was no other infected in the area so without hesitating I began the jog back towards the pillar of black smoke. Only praying that they where still there.

*

I reached the clearing in good time, slowing to a walk when I spotted the black silhouettes against the inferno.

"Where's the other two?" I asked stopping next to them.

"...dead...what happened to you?"

"Dead?" I faulted.

"Rick went up with the building... Carlos the bandits, thought you where dead too" I could hear the emotion in Will voice.

"So what now."

"Now we run," he sighed, eyeing the burning car before turning round and jogging into the night.