Shadows of a Dying Light

Chapter 24

"Wake up..."

Pitch black was all he could see.

"Wake up."

He couldn't explain why he suddenly grew furious.

"WAKE UP."

He bared his teeth, beginning to growl low.

"WAKE UP!!!"

He let out a booming yell that drowned out all other sounds.

—————

Crane shot up from his bed, yelling loudly as his sweaty and flustered face was wrinkled up. His mouth was wide open as he gripped his head.

The sound of the man's screams alerted Troy, Savvy, and Michael. Troy peeked down into the small room Savvy tended to use. She quickly climbed down, before she attempted to speak with Kyle.

"Hey, Crane!" Troy tried to yell over the man's screams. "Crane! Snap out of it! Crane!"

She shook him slightly hard, speaking at the same time too. It did not take long before he finally calmed down, his bloodshot, glowing eyes finally opening.

He looked at Troy, sighing deeply in relief.

"I made it...!" Breathed Crane, a weak smile on his face. "I finally made it to you."

"Crane, I don't know what the hell you're talking about, but you need to explain a lot of stuff!" Troy exclaimed, stepping back a bit.

"About what?"

"About you!" She yelled, pointing fearfully. "Why are you like this? When did you become like this? How did this even happen and how are you even thinking straight still?!"

"Okay, Troy, I'll explain! Just let me get my shit together!"

He grunted, sitting upright to properly look at Troy. She cringed a little, staring hard at the seemingly terrifying sight in front of her.

"This all started when I was at the Countryside..."

—————

Brecken was sprawled onto the couch in his room, his chest rising and falling slowly as he looked out the open door to the balcony. It was another crisp morning. Fog blanketed the horizon, a phenomenon occurring more often, now that the days were slowly becoming colder. He knew that wouldn't stop the infected at all. All it would create was a reason for them to continue hiding away in places even their best people wouldn't be able to reach anymore.

Well, anyone else but Crane...

That man almost seemed to be indestructible, surviving infected of all types, people of different levels of sanity, and even things that seemed to defy all of the ideas and concepts already set in stone by them. Brecken wasn't exactly sure how the hell Crane was so damn sturdy and resilient, but he also didn't want to complain either. He was really the only reason why anyone was still alive in Harran.

Finally feeling ready to get up, Brecken lifted the top half of his body up, before turning his body so that his feet were touching the hard wood floor. He stood to his full height, stretching his arms and giving out a relieved groan. He grabbed his boots, then walked to his small closet to grab a pair of long, white socks.

He quickly discarded his sweaty shirt, as well as his dirtied pants. He picked out another pair of the two articles of clothes that were the same as the previous pairs.

"Same yellow shirt and same brown pants..." He muttered boringly, putting on the pants first. He put the shirt on afterwards, before he closed his closet and began to put his socks on. After that, he slipped into his boots.