The Plague

Ch.7

I MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE FORGOTTEN TO START WRITING THIS UNTIL NOW.

CRAP.

SORRY.

THANKS FOR THE PEN I'LL TRY TO WRITE FAST

(Why the heck does it take me 2-3 hours to write and edit a chapter come on)

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Mitch's POV

Adam and I sprint even faster into the cover of the trees. Long shadows start falling across our path from the setting sun, only reminding us of our time limit. Quirren tightens her grip on my shoulders as we run deep into the shade.

Adam sprints a few feet ahead of me, easily covering the ground with no child on his shoulders. I, however, begin to pant.

"Mitch?" He asks, stopping suddenly. "Give me Quirren for a while." He suggests, holding out his hands. I nod breathlessly and she eagerly clambers onto his back.

"Don't like the dark," She muttered, burying her face in his hair.

"No- crap." Adam said quietly. I glare at him, before asking, "What?"

"She's a light sorcerer. They thrive in daylight or just light in general. Darkness isn't too good for them."

It takes me a moment to process what he's saying. "So if we find the rest of the team when it's dark like this.."

He finishes the sentence. "Quirren might not be able to wake them up unless there's light."

I sigh. "Guess we better find them, then. Do you think they'll be around yet?"

Adam shrugs, careful not to jostle Quirren. "If they are, they're probably at the town."

I grin triumphantly. "To the town, then!"

When we get to the town, however, our faces fall. The town was not there, burned to ashes. I turn to Adam before he can even open his mouth.

"Don't you dare swear again. Just explain." I growl.

"It's us... we're stuck here. So time moves regularly. The town won't keep burning over and over again because it already happened once and we witnessed it."

I frown and shake my head. "So where would the team be, then?"

Adam nudges Quirren gently, and she looks up.

"Do you know if our friends are here?" He asks.

She cocks her head. "Your friends?"

I nod. "Yeah, our friends. Can you see them like how you saw Adam?" I ask.

She twists around, looking back into the woods. Then she pokes Adam's head. "Are they bright?"

I shrug. "Bright?"

She nods. "People! Fast people! Running. They're very, very bright. Like he was. I can see them." She giggled, and Adam grinned.

"Nice job, kiddo. Point us in the right direction and you can give our friends a hug?" He asked tentatively. She nodded and pointed across the clearing.

I look at Adam and shrug before taking off in a sprint again. He follows me into the underbrush, occasionally muttering what sounds like a hushed curse.

Ten minutes later, I decide that Quirren is going to have an incredibly dirty mind when she is older and let her ride on my shoulders. Adam takes the front again, following her directions.

He suddenly freezes and I nearly run into him. Lowering himself into a crouch, he signals for me to be quiet and creeps behind a tree. I crouch down as well, waiting anxiously for his return.

There's no sounds, nothing to show that someone else was here.

What could have spooked him? I think.

Waiting in the clearing with Quirren was horrible. Listening only to our ragged breathing and the occasional moan... wait... moan?

I stand up suddenly and spin in a circle.

Oh, nether, Adam.

I gather Quirren into my arms and pull her against my chest. She looks at me, wide-eyed, but I quickly shush her.

Zombies. The slow ones. Zombies.

They were everywhere in the woods, completely surrounding the clearing we're in. As I take note of all of them, I realize Adam had gone straight towards the largest group of them.

Quirren stiffens in my arms as there is a moan particularly close to us, and I squeeze my eyes shut.

Notch, I hope Adam had a plan. Oh, please, please, please.

My eyes open a fraction and I almost cry out. Zombies are starting to make their way into the clearing, moving closer and closer to where we are huddled against a tree with each step.

A zombie brushes against my leg, and I curl up in a ball around Quirren. Please, please, please, don't see us, please..

Then there's a curse from above us. A very, very familiar curse,

Two hands reach out of the tree, and I shove Quirren up into them. She disappears with a squeak, and I freeze.

Several of the zombies had looked over at the slight nose. A few were inching closer, as if trying to see if there was anything worth checking out.

A cannibalistic roar sounds from the tree and a large, brown, furry thing explodes from the leaves. I scream and jump up, just in time to see the creature land in front of me and growl again. It turns around and winks at me before roaring and launching itself at the nearest zombie.

A hand grabs my hood and yanks, effectively choking me and getting me up the tree at the same time. Up in the tree, Adam leans against one of the branches, staring down into the clearing. Quirren is giggling as Adam holds a hand over her eyes.

"Adam?" I whisper. He shakes his head. "She does not need to see what is happening down there. Just hold on, he'll be back in a minute."

A few seconds later the tree wobbles slightly and the tip of a furry brown paw appears in our cluster of branches. Then a furry face, grinning madly with blood matted in its fur.

"Hey, biggums. Long time no see!"

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It only took me an hour, sorry if it's less than my usual quality.

Anyway, there's someone else! *gasp*

Who could it be?

(totally not obvious)

Anyway, have a pen, bloxie. By the way, I think we may require another pen soon. We have been writing an awful lot with this one and I fear it may go dry.

Happy reading.

Fallout.