A grunt left my lips as I jerked my hatchet blade out of the infected's head. My eyes wildly swept across the dozen or more that had just joined the ten or so that was already in sight. Their scattered snapping teeth growing closer to the line of us defending the cabin Carrie and Liam were both still inside of.
My body tensed up as a gunshot rang out to my left. I glanced over to Isaac who apparently decided it was time for guns instead of knives and blades. My hand gravitated to Carrie's pistol as a chorus of shots sounded off around me. It sounded like a war zone.
Aiming with one hand is most certainly harder than with two. Despite that I attempt to steady my shots to not waste the ammo we already don't have. Infected were dropping left and right at our assault.
Kirean and Elijah both appeared calm and collected. While Isaac looked like he was about to shit himself, Jacob fell somewhere in the middle of their expressions. Inside I was going berserk. My heart is thrashing violently against my chest, my breathing is sharp and ragged, and my brain is panicking. Although I don't let any of that show externally.
"We can't stay here," Kieran shouted over the shots.
The infected just kept coming. It seemed like for every one we put down two more would appear through the trees. I knew he was right. We were close to running out of ammo, and there was seemingly no end in sight for this herd. We had been sheltered at the campers, hell even at the farm. I had never seen this many in one spot before.
Gunpowder and the infected's stench were twisting in the air as I tried to control my uneven breaths. The pistol kicked, while I pulled the trigger again, dropping a short female infected with shaggy brown hair.
"We can't all fit in the Jeep," Isaac roared back, pushing a new mag into the bottom of his pistol.
I fired two more shots before my gun clicked. Shit I'm empty, and that was my last mag. "I'm out...we need a plan now," I raised my voice in between the flying bullets.
"Mouse and Liam can both fit in someone's lap," Jacob yelled. He nudged Elijah beside him, speaking something to him.
Elijah jogged behind Kieran and Isaac to me holding his pistol out to me. "Take it, Jacob and I are grabbing Carrie and Liam. It's a fresh mag," I didn't hesitate to snatch the gun, with a nod.
"Keep them off the Jeep," Kieran thundered, before firing another shot taking down an infected that was staggering by the Jeep. We were doing decently at keeping them at a distance, but I didn't know how much longer we could keep it up.
"I'm out," Isaac shouted, pulling his knife from his belt.
Jacob and Elijah busted through the door with Liam hiding behind Elijah and Carrie draped motionless in Jacob's arms. Along with all our supplies on their shoulders. "We need to move," Jacob loudly voiced, pushing past the three of us.
I fired as I made my way towards the Jeep, watching the infected closest to us collapse to the dirt below. Isaac had followed behind Jacob on the driver side while I moved behind Kieran.
Out of the corner of my eye I could see a flash of paleness moving towards us. Before I had time to react, Kieran intercepted the racer gunning for me, bringing them both to the dirt. He grunted, keeping the racer's teeth out of his skin.
I fired the last bullet I had into its head, just as its teeth brushed against his skin. Panic and dread consumed me by Kieran's facial expression, was it just a brush? I couldn't tell it was all happening so quickly. Kieran pushed the infected off of him, before getting to his feet. I was paralyzed in fear, rooted to the dirt below me. I felt the tears welling in my eyes, did he just get bit stopping the racer from attacking me?
Kieran grabbed my hand practically dragging me to the Jeep. He flung the door open, getting in before guiding me into his lap. Jacob cranked the Jeep, as bloody, grimy hands started clawing against the windows. He threw it in reverse, punching the gas. The hands squeaked against the glass as the Jeep flew backwards.
I twisted my head back to Kieran, my tears threatening to fall. "He didn't get me," he placed his left hand against my cheek. A tear slid down my face, as relief swelled inside me. I pressed my forehead against his, smiling like an idiot. I could feel Isaac's sullen glare watching our every move from beside us.
The Jeep whipped to the right, then shot forwards now on a county road. Eliijah hastily pulled the seat belt over himself and Liam who was trembling in his lap. Kieran followed and yanked the seat belt over us. Jacob roughly maneuvered the vehicle around the strangling infected. A collective sigh of relief was exhaled as the infected disappeared into the rear view mirror.
"Isaac, hang Carrie's IV bag on that coat hook," Elijah pointed to the small tan hook above the window Carrie was slouched against. Isaac complied, hesitantly pulling his glare from us.
"What now?" Jacob shyly asked from the driver seat.
"Head south," Kieran directed from behind me.
The Jeep lightly hummed as its tires treaded the gravel below. I relaxed back into Kieran's chest watching the brown and green flashes of woods zip by. Isaac's eyes were glued on Kieran's thumb that was reassuringly rubbing circles on my thigh.
The tires halted abruptly right before hitting the pavement of the highway. Jacob nervously glanced back at us before warily preceding forwards regaining momentum. Cruising down the highway, putting more distance between us and the herd.
I squeezed Kieran's hand as the Jeep fishtailed jerking around an infected, almost wiping out into a wrecked red prius.
Jacob sucked in a couple deep breaths. "Close call huh," Jacob anxiously laughed back at us.
"Jacob," Elijah shouted, his head pointing out the windshield.
Jacob didn't have time to react as the tires thudded against a spike strip sprawled out across the black pavement. The back tires started to harshly fishtail as Jacob began to panic. Kieran's grip around me tightened. I tensed up in anticipation. The tires squealed while the jeep careered off the road. The last I recall before being plunged into darkness was a large oak tree the Jeep was aiming for.
My head was screaming in pain. I could feel something warm running down my forehead. I was laying down in what felt like grass. My eyes fluttered open, but I was unable to force them to stay open for long. The sound of shouting was muffled through my ringing ears. Kieran was knelt over me viciously yelling at someone out of my view which only focused on him. His eyes snapped down to mine before I lost my battle with consciousness again.
YOU ARE READING
Decaying Hearts
Science Fiction*cover made with Dream Ai* It's been eight months since a deadly virus changed the world forever. One that couldn't just let its victims rest in the arms of death, rather it resurrected them making the once normal humans into something much less. So...
