-1Her heart pounded in her chest as her feet pounded likewise against the iron walkway, ragged breaths being torn from her dry throat, harsh calls of "Sherry!" barely loud enough to echo. She stopped once again, gun hanging loosely in her limp hand, ponytail swinging wildly as her head turned, calling again and again, pausing, hearing no reply. She needed to rest, to pause, to get back her breath from the stinking sewer air, but she could afford to, she needed to find the little girl and get her out of here, away from the monsters roaming freely around, ready to prey on unprotected people.
She didn't have the energy to run any further, barely managing a slow jog, switching to a walk, muscles aching and crying out for rest, for food, for water, for sleep even, but she forced herself onwards, one hand almost glued to the wall for guidance.
Five minutes…please, let her be safe…for five minutes… She stopped, leaning against the wall, barely holding back tears of exhaustion. All she wanted…was to save Sherry. To get her away from his horrible place. To meet up with Leon again…
She prised her aching body away from the dirty wall moments later, another small stain on her pink bottoms, the top with the missing child. The thin black body suit wasn't enough to keep her warm, however, not in this empty place. Moving on once more, she managed to get up a faster pace, not as needing of a break.
Soon enough, barely a minute after her break, she stopped, hearing footsteps round the corner to her right, fast, too fast to be a carrier. They slowed then stopped, like her own had.
Her heart fluttered painfully. Was it a friend? Foe? She didn't dare take the chance, her loose grip on her lifeline weapon tightened and she brought it up, leaning against the wall, attempting to slow her loud, obvious breathing. She counted to three in her head.
One…Two…THREE!
She swung out into the side corridor, gun aiming directly in front of her -
She didn't know what she had expected, perhaps Sherry, perhaps Leon…perhaps even a monster.
Certainly not this…