Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Ruins

Chapter 2: Captives

Chapter 1: Ruins

Don't wake, sleep till midnight, from summer songs to old oaks, the sky twinkles with the stars of a thousand souls. The whispers of dawn will haunt those who stare into the dead. 

It's been almost a year since the world fell to the sickness. A year since everyone still alive has at least lost more than a few people they cared about. It's been a year of hell. Of nightmares.

Walking down an empty street is as stupid as driving drunk. If you can find the alcohol to get drunk and the car to drive drunk that is. Scanning the street from the tree line watching the few Z's, limp and lumber about looking for flesh to devour. During the day there's less of them which is good for living breathing human beings because we prefer the light. However not all human beings are nice. Which is why I'm standing in the tree line hidden in the bushes with a silenced sniper rifle in my hands the scope level with my left eye. I've lined up the cross hares with a Z close to me who's attention must have been drawn by my scent. I'm not concerned though as I've confirmed it's quiet and clear so I've already started moving. I kept to the tree line as I approached the street and houses from the left side. The grass bent under my black combat boots as I stepped between the houses glancing into the street before walking up the stairs to the front door of a petite little blue house with a collapsed roof. I swear every house has some kind of damage to it. Inside, the roof was in the living room and the path to the kitchen was blocked. "Of cource the one thing I need is in the kitchen," I muttered spotting a canister of oil on the floor half full, the roof hazardously hanging over the doorway. I'd have to crawl under that to get to the oil... 

"Fuck it," I muttered turning back around and stepping back outside I dodge the few Z's jogging down the street further into town. 

St.Louis once the city with the worst crime rates, the city were the Cardinals played, where the Blues played, where the Mizzou tigers played. Now empty and silent. And broken. When the infection started spreading from the east St.Louis and the Mississippi River were the main line of defense as everyone fled West. The military tried to hold the cities along the river defending the bridges so people could get across to safety. The herds of Z's caught up and someone came through the border with a bite. Now the city was in rubble as the military resorted to blowing the city to pieces. That's were I was headed. The last couple of days had been quiet and easy as Illinois was mainly farmland and a whole lot less Z's. However the benefits had their flaws. Farmland equaled open fields equaled no cover which equaled getting shot in the head by a sniper in whatever house was closest. A lot of people had come back to Illinois for that reason as home bases were easy to defend. The western side of the Mississippi River was also in shambles buttt the military was staitioned there specifically in the moutains in California and Neveda. From the chatter I've heard via radios the military is calling anyone who can to get to the mountains. Something big was going down soon and I wanted to get to the moutains before it began. 

I hit the ground in an instant as an explosion worthy of 10 stars went off ahead of me. I scrambled to my feet cursing and run full pelt towards the bridge smoke spewing up from the river. "No no no," I said as I skid to a halt atop a highway overpass. The explosion has been from the bridge the road crumbling into the river. All that remained were the cables above dangling down over the expanse that now existed between the bridge supports. "Fuck!" I snarl furious. Now I have to go to the next bridge over. Pulling my binoculars out I scan the other four bridges spotting movement. Quick precise movement definatly not Z's... not good not good. They were going to blow the other bridges sky high! A snarl and hiss emanate from behind me. Spinning around I yank my foot back as a Z try's to bite my leg. "Explosion must have drawn attention," I mutter twirling my dagger and stabbing it in the head of the dead. Just great... 

 

Z's had already begun to swarm the highway and bridge so I got the hell out of there. Another explosion went off and the sound of the bridge crumbling dampened my hopes. I went north hopping praying the other bridge stays up until I can get across. Dodging Z's as I jogged underneath overpasses through the tall grasses. Trees has started to take root and grow grasses and bushes had overgrown fencing and abandoned structures. The highways were cracked and destroyed in places from bombings and grenades tanks and military vehicles were scattered among the other abandoned vehicles that crowded the highways. I remember the day it began... my parents telling us to pack and hitting the road within an hour of the news. We took the backroads of Vermont fleeing West the radio always on the sound of explosions and gunfire going off in the background as the news reporters informed the nation of the conditions. We traveled for a few days night and day barely every stopping for a break and having to refuel with our own supply of gas. We all thought we'd die to the Z's. It was dark when we hit the deer... 

 

The streets were clear for the most part as I hoofed it for the bridge dodging cars and debris, tank ammo shells or the tank itself. Slowing carefully to a walk as I stepped onto the bridge pulling my 9mm out of its holster and aiming forward keeping low as I moved. It's quiet too quiet and every time I come upon a place that's this quiet, I've been ambushed or attacked out of nowhere. I paused spotting a recently killed Z to my left in front of a car a gunshot to its head. I pursed my lips and kept moving keeping low as I made it half way across the bridge. I stopped about there searching for explosions. I didn't find c-4, tnt, fireworks (those things can be lethal if you know how to use them) or other explosive materials. I let the breath I was holding, out and kept moving across the bridge my head on a swivel eyes searching the ruined skyscrapers ahead of me for snipers while keeping my ears open. I'm at the end of the bridge when it blows up. 

 

 

 

Chapter 2: Captives

 The ringing in my ears is still there when I wake, my head spinning, and the lights above me are so bright and buzzing. Lights. Lights. Fuck! Lights! I jolt fully awake my head pounding, I can feel the blood dripping from my ear, someone gripping my arms as I'm dragged backwards. My legs come into focus as the tile floor continues to move under me. My eyes close shut as I wait for my head to quit pounding my body ready to tense and pivot from who's ever grasp. The direction changes and I'm dragged into a dark room the fluorescent lights disappearing and the door closing. My heads still spinning and I can't seem to focus. The buzzing in my head is killing me. I'm set down gently the sound of shuffling feet behind me. The floor is cold the ceiling paneled and glancing around the room there are desks and posters on the walls. A freaking school?? I groaned sitting up rubbing my temples. I hated schools.

"You were knocked out by the blast," a male voice maybe a 17 year old, said softly behind me the sound of a bag being dropped behind me and the sound of a slide being cocked back. I swallow turning my head my eyes meet the barrel hole of a Glock 19 before rising to the eyes of a boy about my age. He had bright green eyes and white hair atop a handsome face that would make any school girl fall over themselves. Me? Nah the only thing I saw was a scarred boy pointing a gun trying to seem dangerous and serious.

"Mind pointing that elsewhere?" I demanded. He cocked an eyebrow trying to act tough. It wasn't working and he knew that based on how I was staring him down unconcerned about the gun in my face. I turned my body around slowly to face him sitting cross legged his eyes on me cautiously keeping his hands steady. He may be scarred but he wasn't showing much of it nor letting it affect him. Dosnt matter, he'd have to be fast to avoid this. I lunged my hand grabbing the slide of the gun pushing down and away from my chest and lunging up my other arm against his throat. His eyes were wide with surprise his hands struggling to get his gun out of my grip. My eyes narrowed twisting the gun out of his hands and onto the ground my knee coming up slamming into his gut. He gasped keeling over as I let go of him his knees to his chest as he gasped for air wheezing.

"Your not very smart," I said quietly as he struggled to sit up reaching for a weapon. He stopped dead when he heard my gun cock back. He swallowed and held his hands up in surrender. 

"Alright alright," he said quietly his chest heaving. He eyed me while I studied him from the other end of the gun. He had a few bruises on his exposed arms, a few scratches and cuts here and there most bandaged up, he had a gunshot wound or a knife wound to one of his legs the black khakis damp around the white and red bandages. He wore a short sleeve shirt that hugged his skin tightly showing off his muscular chest. His arms and legs were no different the black back bag heavy and full of whatever he had collected or stashed. He seemed well honed and quick but I got the jump on him. I wince as sudden pinpricks of pain lance through my head. 

"I don't understand. I checked for explosives... where did they put them? Under the bridge?" I said once the pain had left. He was chewing on his lip nervous. We both looked up as the sound of someone opening a door nearby echoed under the our door. I looked back at him before approaching and checking down the hall through the window. Three people wearing bullet proof vests, geared to the teeth and searching the rooms with care were making their way towards us. I glanced back to my mystery savior and walked over grabbing my  bag that he had dropped next to his own. 

"Friends of yours?" I asked pulling my bag over my shoulder and pulling a homemade smoke bomb from my bag. He shook his head paling still holding his stomach.

"I don't have friends. I've been on my own," he said grimacing slightly a sad look on his face told me he had lost those he had been traveling with. 

"Well then grab your stuff and stay quiet follow me closly unless you want to meet them and find out whether they are interested in being friends. Or putting a bullet through your brain," I said as I went to the door and pulled my mask up to my face tossing him a spare one. He caught it paling as he put it on, nodding. I inhaled cursing my luck and quietly opening the door a crack. The lights would be an issue making the smoke useless so I pulled my silenced pistol out and aimed for the wires that connected them together firing a single round. The popping sound of the wires getting a hole blown threw them drew the three figures attention as the lights went out. I pulled the smoke grenades pin and tossed it as our mysterious "friends" the smoke starts to spread in curls and wisps causing them to cough. Panicking to recover from it 

"I can't see!"

"*cough* Where are *cough* they?" 

"Get to the doorways!" 
I stepped into the hall and backed down it carefully my gun aimed towards the fading shadows of the other survivors while the boy follows quickly. Whoever was down the hall heard us start moving and followed. The one on the right side of the hall appeared and he stumbled backwards when he saw me my foot already coming up and meeting his chin. He fell backwards with a grunt as I pushed the boy down the ajacent hall and towards an exit. 

"Come on move!" I barked at him as he ran the door coming into view. He slammed into it forcing the school doors open. Out in the open was bad. This was worse. It was a playground with skyscrapers all the way around. If these guys had friends anywhere in those buildings we were fucked. 

"There get to the fence," I said quietly closing the doors and barring them shut just in time as the three men rammed the door to try and force it open. They gave up after the second attempt and the lead guy stared at me. His expression wasn't angry though he was frustrated I could tell. He had more of a contemplating look on his face like he was studying me. I saluted them before following after mystery boy hopping the fence and keeping low as I moved down the street. I hadn't asked his name yet knew nothing about him and couldn't ask at the moment. 

Once we managed to get out of the main city area mystery boy took charge and lead the way to a hidden hide out. The entire way was excruciatingly nerve racking for me keeping an eye out for people and undead. Keeping low and unseen was hard since the open street was the clearest way through since most alley ways were crowded with undead. Mystery boys hide out was further into the out skirts of St. Louis away from the river. An old neighborhood 

Impressum

Texte: Ghostwolf
Bildmaterialien: Goodfon.com
Cover: Goodfon.com
Korrektorat: Ghostwolf
Satz: Ghostwolf
Tag der Veröffentlichung: 14.04.2022

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This book is dedicated to those who find strength in survival and honor. Together is better and two heads are better than one.