The Fear You Know

3. Miracle

Eli flung himself at the door. Not caring about being silent, he slammed into the wood just as the door was beginning to open, the force of his body trapping the rotting appendage before it could reach through to grab him.

A howl of agony emanated from the other side of the door.

He pulled back slightly, and rammed the door again, punishing the hand between the splintering wood of the door, and the splintering wood of the frame.

The howling continued, trailing off with a gurgle, and the hand quickly withdrew, allowing Eli to slam the door shut.

Behind him, Peter was cemented to the hallway floor, wide eyes frozen in shock.

"Peter! Help me!"

Eli's voice ripped Peter from his stupor, and he rushed forward, grabbing a chair and jamming it under the handle. From the other side they could hear bodies slapping wetly against the splitting wood, and the way it groaned made it clear, it wouldn't last long.

Eli turned, grabbing Peter by the arm, to drag him rapidly down the corridor.

The other man was having trouble keeping up, wheezing along with the distant echo of the outbreak.

Eli kept a tight grip around Peter's wrist, dragging him as he lagged behind.

There was a sharp twisting from inside his bag as Wink slithered up and around one of the straps, "Well this is exciting!"

Eli didn't answer, focusing on his breathing as he raced down the hallway.

Aged doors and rotting wood whipping past them on either side, their only meager light provided by small flames, flickering in the socketed oil l lamps that ran along the ceiling . Behind him, he heard the door pop and then splinter as the hallway was suddenly filled with the sound of wheezing voices.

They made it to the end of the hall and Eli shouldered the door open with a loud bang spilling them out and onto the street with a splash as their feet impacted wet stone.

Peter staggered behind him, chest heaving in great ragged gasps.

Eli's shirt was drenched almost Immediately as foul-smelling water poured from the sky overhead. His boots squelched against the wet ground.

Screams of triumph emanated from the hall behind them as the door splintered and cracked; at the same time he turned to find more of the outbreak racing up towards them from the end of the street. He looked the other direction only to find two more of them approaching through curtains of silver rain.

He gripped tighter to Peter's arm and dragged him forward; towards the opening between two buildings which marked their only escape.

Water splashed below his feet, and drops of filth leapt up to stain his pants and shirt, while other droplets jumped to cling to the skin of his bare forearms.

Behind him Peter was struggling to keep the pace, his feet skidding and scuffing against the cobbles sending up waves of brackish water.

Eli didn't relent, and dragged them both into the next alley on the left. The Outbreak was gaining rapidly, and Peter was only weighting them down. They crashed through a rotting wooden gate and into a courtyard between two buildings. A tree rose in front of them, twisted and bone white clawing towards the sky as the rain continued to lash down from above. Eli's pants and shirt were covered in filth, streaking his arms, and even running down his cheeks. At his side, wink had crawled out from inside the bag and was now wrapped protectively around the satchel.