Still Alive

CH5: Maggie & David

Maggie and David feel a different kind of chill crawl up their spine as they are enveloped in even greater darkness. Inside the house, everything is still. Everything is quiet. So quiet that they can hear their heart beating in their ears.

The kitchen appears untouched. They move slowly through it, keeping their steps light. Maggie spots a large kitchen knife sitting in a wooden block on the counter and doesn't think twice about taking it.

Past the kitchen is a narrow hallway with a door on either side of it.

Cautiously opening the doors, they discover a small bathroom and laundry room. Nothing unusual so far.

Following the hallway leads them to the living room and front door.

To their relief, the living room is also clear.

Maggie turns her light off for a moment as she approaches the front door. She checks and sees that it is locked before moving to the windows to close the curtains.

When she shines her light on the floor again, she sees something.

On the soft cream-colored carpet of the living room is a spot of red.

David sees it and shines his light on the carpet as well. He finds a few more specks leading to a different direction and traces them with his flashlight.

The trail goes from the carpet to the hardwood floor, leading to stairs situated in the far-right corner of the room.

David and Maggie exchange looks.

As if reading each other's minds, the boy pockets his flashlight and holds onto his newly found axe with both hands as Maggie lights their way.

They follow the trail of blood and quietly go up the stairs together.

Stepping onto the second floor, the trail appears to end in a large puddle in the middle of the narrow hallway.

On the walls are pictures of the past occupants: a man, his wife, and their son. One or two of their frames have found their way to the floor. Several other decorations are also in disarray.

There are only two doors on the left side of the hall.

The first one is open.

The pair slowly approach the first room. They try to listen for any sound, any sign of life (or otherwise); however, just like before, everything is still, everything is quiet.

But just as Maggie pushes the door further in, the silence is broken by the sound of crunching glass behind her.

Startled, Maggie whips around and shines the light at David.

David has stepped on a picture frame.

She lets out a sigh of relief, but it is short-lived.

The bloodcurdling look on David's face makes her turn right back around and what happens next happens in a flash.

Before her mind can even process the snarl, Maggie finds herself suddenly pushed to the ground, wrestling against a female infected who had rushed out of the room. Her knife and flashlight fly from her hands and slide down the hall, leaving them half submerged in darkness.

As the infected tries to snap at her face, Maggie pushes its head back with her free hand. In their proximity, all Maggie can see now is its manic and bloodshot eyes, the veined and blotchy skin of its face, and its gaping, foaming, beastly mouth. Maggie pushes with all her might and feels her thumb sinking into its eyeball and blood and saliva dripping onto her cheek as the infected continues to force itself on her.