AN: These fine characters belong to Capcom, not me.

Escaping Affliction

Chapter One: How They Live

The sky was dark, and the air was heavy with melancholy. Gargantuan clouds loomed overhead, rain threatening to spill from the heavens.

Two figures ran in the shadows. The first one was burly, and built with noticeably sturdy looking muscles. His pale yet handsome face was grim with caution, and his sandy mop of hair was tousled from the wind. In his hand he gripped a pistol. One could tell by the look on his face that he knew how to use it.

Closely behind him followed a second figure. This one was more petite. Her skin was just as blanched as her partner's. She was fair haired and quite charming herself, besides the horror stricken expression worn on her face. At the occasional sound of the wind, she clung to her companion.

They had been going for days without food. In their current condition the two wouldn't be able to last much longer. At least the girl wouldn't. Her wiry legs were shaking with fatigue, if not from fear.

"Ashley, you need to rest." The deep voice of the man sounded. He stopped running, deciding he could use a break as well.

His companion, Ashley, shook her head in protest. "Not here," she panted. Her breaths came out ragged. How she kept up with the swiftness and dexterity of her partner, she didn't know.

They moved on, Leon, the male, slowing his pace to ensure that the girl would not fall behind. He needed to find a place for them to stay the night. More importantly, they needed food if they were to survive. He watched Ashley out of the corner of his eye. She was struggling more and more as time wore on.

Working for the U.S. Secret Service, Leon S. Kennedy never knew exactly what kind of work he'd be asked to do, but it was never something as strenuous as this. The man couldn't remember how long it had been since he'd arrived in Spain. That was the least of his worries. After all, his main objective was to see that the President's daughter arrived home safely. That was Ashley. Unfortunately, though, things weren't going as planned. When told that his mission was to rescue the girl from a mysterious cult, he didn't exactly expect to be bombarded by innumerable bloodthirsty zombies.

Ashley Graham fought to keep up with the back of the agent sent to rescue her. Her eyes drooped sleepily, regardless of the knots of fear that were tugging in the pit of her stomach. She knew that without the man she was following, she would have still been locked up in a dark room, waiting for something horrendous to happen. Though she was more than grateful, she was aware that she was nothing more than a burden to him.

They continued walking for some time. The sky grew progressively darker, if that was possible. Clouds of a deep obsidian color billowed menacingly. Ashley's ankle rolled, and almost instantaneously she was on the ground. Her eyes were defeated; she had no will to survive anymore. Water began to spritz from the sky.

"I don't think I can make it, Leon," she murmured weakly.

"Don't say that." He knelt down, offering his arm to help her, despite his annoyance with her attitude.

She threw him a hopeless look. "I don't think I can," she said again.

He clenched his jaw, and his brows furrowed. "So you're going to give up on me, huh?"

"What do you expect me to do? We've been stuck here for who knows how long!"

The rain was cascading hard now, and Ashley's hair hung like curtains around her face. She squinted her eyes to see the man before her through the torrential downpour.

"For Christ's sake! You expect to get out of this hellhole like this?!" She continued her rampage.

"Ashley," Leon said, trying to capture the girl's attention.

"I'm tired, I'm cold, I'm hungry, and I refuse to go anywhere with you!"

"Ashley!" He failed again.

"I wish you'd just let those zombies eat me back there!"

Leon shook her hard by the shoulders in an attempt to shut her up. "Ashley, look." His left arm extended forward, pointing to something.

There, in the distance, stood a shack. It wasn't luxury, and there was the strong possibility of something unpleasant lurking inside, but it was more promising than staying outside in a monsoon.

"That wasn't there before," Ashley muttered, pouting like a three year old.

"Yeah, well, you were too busy biting my head off to notice it."

"Sorry," she said, allowing him to help her to her feet.

"Whatever, let's go."

The two of them walked to the shack, and their senses became sharper as they came closer to it. Leon drew his pistol from its holster and signaled for Ashley to stop. Alone, he slowly approached the loosely closed door, which swung open from the force of the wind. Leon's pulse quickened as he took in the small inside of the shed. It was completely desolate, though a sour odor seemed to pour out of it. He entered with his gun at the ready, just in case. This seemed to be a daily routine for him now. This was, after all, how they lived now. Every day was a mixture of pain, grief, and torment with little breaks in between. Some days there weren't any breaks.

"It's safe," he called out. He holstered his weapon.

Ashley walked in, her eyes wide. "Nothing's here? You're sure?"

He looked at her with sobriety. "Not at the moment."

"Can I sleep?" She was already sitting down against the far wall of the hut.

Leon nodded. "I'll keep watch," he said, though he wanted nothing more than to sleep himself.

She was asleep within moments. Leon watched her for a few moments. There were bags underneath her eyes, and there was no doubt that he had them also. Neither of them had slept soundly since they'd been here. He walked across the room to sit a few feet in front of the girl, his back facing her.

"I'm sorry I yelled earlier," Ashley mumbled, taking the man by surprise. She wasn't asleep after all.

Leon turned his head to look at her. Her eyes were still closed.

"I do trust you."

An oddly deafening silence rang through the room before Leon opened his mouth to reply. "Don't worry about it. Just get some sleep."

She didn't say anything more, and in a few minutes her breathing slowed.

Leon rested his arms across his knees. Rain continued to pummel the roof of the shack. The sound of it was nearly mesmerizing. The girl's words ran through his head. I do trust you. They held no comfort for him. It was the fact that she did trust him that bothered him the most. He believed less and less each day whether he could truly liberate them from this darkness.

AN: Sorry it was a short first chapter. Please let me know what you guys think. Constructive criticism is well appreciated!

-Panino