RE: Dead Days - Chris Redfield

07: Zombie Land

Night had fallen all too quickly for Jessica. While street lights still glowed above her, she still feared what might be in the dark. Now that she knew the undead were walking among the living (or what was left of them. She had yet to stumble upon another breathing person_, she choose to play on extra caution. The first house she had seen, she pulled off the road and moved toward it. 

Jessica wasn't a fighter and she knew and understood this. She easily accepted her limitations, never once attempting something out of her league. 

But standing in front of that house, the cold crowbar in her hand, she realized just how far out of her league she was now. Her mind screamed for her to forget resting for the night. That there could be two or three of the undead inside. And if there were – she'd stand no chance against them. That voice wanted her to turn back, shoving all of her fears in her face – hundreds that she knew of well. 

But her rational side said different. Keep moving and you won't have the energy to save yourself tomorrow if need be. It whispered in a very small voice, combating that of her fears. Rest now when you have the chance. You may not get it again.

Jessica choose to listen to that voice despite how loudly her fears screamed for her to run. 

Sparring a glance back at her bike, hoping that if she would have to run out the door, she could make it and head back to the highway. She shook that new thought away, not needing that to weigh her down like all the others were trying too. 

Cautiously, she pushed the front door open. Taking the flashlight she had packed, she switched it on and allowed the light to illuminate the front hallway. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she slowly maneuvered her way inside. 

When she finally felt safe enough to walk in, she'd took notice to all of the clutter on the floor. Picture frames, knick knacks, little items littered the flow. Someone must have been out in a rush. She couldn't be sure. 

It was quiet in the house. She moved slowly from one room to the next – upstairs and down. The house seemed all but empty. Jessica still felt incredibly paranoid under her circumstances however. She must have gone through the entire house, up and down, making sure everything was secure and locked. She felt safe enough after the fourth run through and managed to finally sit down. 

Jessica managed to exhale a breath. It felt like she had been holding it all day. She didn't feel lighter after that but at least she felt safer. 

It was at this point she choose to brood over everything she'd witnessed. Everything that she had hoped she could deny was happening. And the cold feeling of loneliness seemed to over take her now, leaving her feeling a little hollow as time ticked by. She knew this was her fear, her hopelessness trying to claw it's way into control. It was an overwhelming feeling that had fallen on her before in her life. One that she never wanted to experience again. 

So she choked on a sob and allowed herself to cry. But she told herself that when the tears stopped, she wouldn’t allow herself to fall back into that place. This would be the one and only time she would fall into those horrible feelings again. 

All of this was a matter of survival now. If she steadied herself and focused on her strenghts rather then her physical and emotional weakness, perhaps she could make it out alive. She had to. Her family was counting on it and she'd be damned if her mother feel into a deeper depression upon her daughter never being found or found dead. 

That was, if her mother and sister were still alive. 

She shook the thoughts from her mind. Focusing on what she had entered the home to do, she took to curling up on a half made bed, after pushing various abandoned items off, and allowed herself the rest she so desperately needed.