Beyond The Barrier [COMPLETED]

Epilogue

A guttural cry ripped Louie from her dreams. Her eyes shot open as her body tensed. Darkness pushed in on her from all sides. She reached out, searching for Peyton's warmth and strength. But she found only cold air and unyielding stone. Adrenaline coursed through her as she sat up, panic knotting her stomach.

Another inhuman sound pierced the night, sending shivers down Louie's spin. She forced her eyes to adjust to the darkness, searching for any sign of Peyton. Eventually a jagged domed space took form around her. Hunched in the entrance to the cave was Peyton, his body tense with energy. Clouds shifted and shafts of moonlight illuminated the determined scowl on his face. A knife was in his hand and more lay at his feet.

"Peyton," Louie said, her voice choked with relief.

Peyton looked back to her. On whisper treads, he moved to her. With a gentleness that contradicted his appearance, he cupped her face and kissed her. His lips barely inches from her's, he spoke.

"It's about a pack of twenty," he said, his voice low, the warmth of his breath caressing Louie's face. "They haven't discovered our cave. Something has them excited. I fear that there might be others traveling."

He pulled back to look into Louie's eyes.

"If we move now, we can take them from behind. Save whatever encampment they are headed for," he said.

Louie placed her hands over his and nodded.

"Alright," she said. "Let's go."

Peyton kissed her again. A kiss they had shared over the last two months. A kiss that said everything that needed to be said. A promise of love. A goodbye...

Louie gripped Peyton's shirt, leaning into the kiss, pushing away the familiar wave of dread. They pulled apart. For a heart beat of a moment, they looked at each other. Then without saying a word, they turned away and packed up. Louie strapped on her holsters and stuck two knives in.

"Leave the packs?" Louie asked.

Peyton nodded, but lifted a smaller pack, full of medical supplies, over his head. Soundlessly, they stepped out of their cave. Moonlight bathed the world around them in cool, blue light. A few feet pass the entrance lay the edge of a hill. A rocky slope curved down into valley covered with thick bare trees. From their vantage point they could see for miles. For a moment the world looked peaceful with silence draped over them.

A screech shattered the stillness. At once Peyton was moving, Louie just behind him. They hugged the edge of the hill, their footsteps holding the confidence of hours, days, weeks of traveling on unfamiliar terrain. Orange light flickered in the distance and Louie felt her heart pound harder in her chest, picturing the group of unsuspecting travelers. A shriek cut through the night and Peyton paused. He scanned the area beneath them, looking for the pack of Crawlers.

Disfigured forms staggered out from a cluster of trees. Peyton turned to Louie.

"We'll take them from behind," he said. "I'll cut across to the left side. When I give the signal, attack."

Louie nodded and they moved down the hill, cautious of dislodging rocks and breaking branches. A cold night wind whipped around them, stirring their clothes and dragged with it the pungent odor of rotting flesh. Their descent drew no attention. Down in the valley, they crept through the trees, weaving in and out, their movements soundless. The foul smell clogged Louie's nose as they approached the pack of Crawlers. Howls and shrieks filled the night sky, the sound ringing in Louie's ears and raking down her skin.

Peyton reached for Louie's hand and squeezed it once. Their eyes met and Louie nodded. Peyton broke away and moved further left, into the forest. With one last look, Louie turned away and edged closer, a knife gripped in her hand. With practiced movements, she wound her way through the trees, close enough that her arms brushed the rough wood.