Anna Wycoff was perhaps the last person anyone would think to find in the middle of Georgia on a crisp, winter day, running down the street of an abandoned neighborhood that resembled what was probably once a delightful place to live. However, there she was, forcing her way into a two story, cookie-cutter house with a herd of the undead following the scent of her icy sweat, and the sounds of her thumping heart and huffing breathes.
Slamming the door behind her, Anna took the moment to pull her inhaler out of her pocket. She brought it to her lips to soothe the aching in her lungs made worse by the frigid air, but no medicine came out. She cursed, shaking it before trying again – still nothing. Anna looked on the back to find that her puff amount was now at zero.
"Shit." She hissed, tossing the inhaler to the side.
Raising her arms, she clasped her hands behind her head and began to pace, taking long deep breaths. Anna muttered to herself, trying to calm down and come up with a plan of escape, but nothing came to mind. She could feel panic building up in the pit of her stomach, clenching her throat. But, now was not the time to lose her head.
Squaring her shoulders, she stood straight – her arms hanging firm at her sides. She stared hard at the opposite wall, fighting the tears that were building up behind her bottom lids.
"I. Am. Fine." She seethed. Anna clenched her fists, focusing on her nails pushing into her palms. She felt like her head was underwater, and she could feel a few tears escape down her cheek.
Escape. I need to escape. A window shattered behind her, and Anna's eyes snapped to a door that seemed tucked away from where she stood. Forcing her feet forward, she ripped the door open, and dashed out of the house and into the backyard. Without a second thought, Anna ran across the crunching dead grass and jumped onto the fence. The top of the wood panels scratched her palms as she used her momentum to swing her legs over to the other side. She let go too soon, however, and rolled her right ankle on the hard landing.
Biting back a scream of pain, she inhaled sharply through her nose. Anna rose and began jogging around a pool to a metal door that was placed in the ground. Pain seared up her leg, and her hand stung as air hit her palm. She didn't bother glancing down – she didn't have time to care if her palm had been sliced open on the fence. For the first time in what seemed like forever, she felt a bit of hope. Storm shelters provided safety from more than just dangerous weather. A growl came to her attention, and she turned her head in time to be tackled by a corpse.
She gasped as cold, muggy water hit her in the back. Her burning lungs filled with thick liquid. Anna struggled against her attacker blindly, eyes squeezed shut to prevent green and brown water from infecting them.
Is this it? Anna thought to herself, feeling the hard floor of the pool press against her back, her ears popping from the water pressure. Is this how I'm going to die?
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A/N
I was going through the chapters and realized that some of the spacing is off. So, I'll be going through and fixing that for better ease of reading. Please forgive the inconvenience!
Please, go to my profile or follow me on twitter at PandaTurtle333 for more information and updates on the next installment "In Search of Harbor," or just to ask questions, leave comments or concerns and share ideas!
Lots of love!
- PandaTurtle333