Authors note: Hey guys i've spent quite alot of time working on this story and i would really like to remind you to please Rate Review. Its greatly appreciated and really encourages me.
It had been months after the infection had broke out, at first it had just affected a few unfortunate families and neighborhoods, then it slowly spread through small towns, and eventually humanities biggest cities even fell to the deadly plague. Hunter preferred not to think about it, finding it hard enough to survive without worrying about the tattered remains of was once civilization.
Gripping his stomach he let out a groan of discomfort as his stomach rumbled loudly, a reminder to him of how long ago his last meal had been. Slowly getting up from his make-shift bed he had made the night before he grabbed his backpack and axe, lazily slinging the bag over his shoulder as he made his way outside.
As Hunter stepped outside into the sunlights bright morning rays he gave an annoyed grunt as he quickly pulled the fabric of his hood over his head, his eyes sensitive to the light. Seeing most zombies were still asleep in their crevices and hiding spots Hunter took advantage, leisurely walking around his old neighborhood, looking for a house he could scavenge from that he hadn't already been to.
Hunter Paused as he got to the end of the street, crouching down into a bush he waited a moment; listening. what was that? Hunter frowned at the ground as he struggled to make it out. it sounded like a faint sobbing, but where it was coming from he wasnt quite sure of. Quickly looking around his surroundings he assumed it was coming from across the street where a single small house sat.
As Hunter slowly crept up on the abandoned house he smiled slightly as the sound of faint sobbing became clearer; after being on his own for so long the thought of finding another survivor relieved him. Poking his head out from behind the bush he was hiding behind he waited until the coast was clear before springing up quickly and running for the door. Grabbing the knob he growled irritably as the door was of-course locked. Sighing he wasn't exactly sure what he had expected and pulled out the long, sharp fire axe he kept stowed away in his backpack. With little effort Hunter managed to hack a small opening into the door. Reaching though it he felt his way around the other side; fumbling around until he heard a small 'click' as the door unlocked
Slowly he opened the door with caution, his axe in hand ready. However when he saw inside he was surprised that it seemed to be secure and silent; asides from a small wailing that echoed throughout the house. Slowly Hunter stepped inside, Putting his axe back into his backpack he instead pulled out his flashlight; the power had failed months ago and the house was covered in an unsettling darkness. pointing the light at shadows that clung to the corners and crevises that the dead could be lurking in Hunter curiously followed the sound of the crying. An eerie chill ran down his spine as he got closer, the sobs coming from the basement door.
Quickly grabbing the knob and swinging the door open Hunter poked his head down the stairs, pausing a moment as he listened closer to the sobs. "Hello?" He called in a harsh whisper. "Someone down here?" He squinted his eyes as he tried to make out what was down there, his flashlight only being able to illuminate so much leaving him with a rough idea of what was concealed in the darkness. Although the fear in his stomach wanted him to turn back the desperate mournful cries drew him closer as he started descending down the stairs. He opened his mouth to say something but found his voice caught in his throat as he drew nearer to the cries.
As he stepped off the last step he looked around cautiously, jumping slightly as he spotted a frail girl in the corner of the room, stepping closer he inspected her better. A pang of pity hit his heart as her face was buried in her knees and she was rocking back and forth, her long platinum blond hair was messy and stained with blood, matching perfectly with her tattered blood stained white dress. "Hello?" He reached out to her, as his fingers brushed against her shoulder it seemed to snap her out of the doleful trance she had been in, her head shot up startled as crystal blue eyes met with rivaling sapphire ones.
As the girls eyes locked with his she suddenly jumped back, pressing herself against the wall she let out a small whimper of fear. Hunter quickly put his hands up defensively, trying to show her he had no intention of harming her, "no, no! I wont hurt you!" He tried reassuring. "Im alive like you, see-" Grabbing the fabric of his blue hoodie he pulled it down, revealing his face.
As the girl got a better view of Hunters face a tint of pink forced its way onto her pale cheeks, making her look like a fragile porcelain doll. Slowly she reached out a hand, her skin brushing against the warm exposed skin of his neck she gently pulled him into a tight embrace, catching him off guard.
Hunter remained motionless for a moment before loosely wrapping a arm around her, doing his best to comfort her. As he felt how fragile she was he wondered how long she had been on her own. Glancing down at her he assumed she hadn't been able to care for herself properly as she looked rather skinny and malnourished.
Gently Hunter pulled back from her tight embrace, the girl watched him curiously as he took off his bag and began scuffling through it. A wide smile spread across her lips as Hunter slipped a twinky from out the bag; he had been saving it for a special occasion but decided this to be important enough. "Are you hungry?" He asked holding the small dessert out to her. Hunter blinked in surprise as the girl didnt hesitate, quickly snatching the sweet treat out of his hands she quickly tore off the wrapper; engulfing the whole thing into her mouth in one bite, followed by a satisfied '"Mmm~"'.
A Smile tugged at the corners of Hunters mouth as he watched her, a small growl coming from his stomach, reminding him of what he had initially come for in the first place. Slipping his backpack back on he looked over the girl, who looked at him expectantly; hoping he'd offer to share more of his food with her. "I dont have anymore." he broke to her gently, making the small smile she had fade from her face. "But we can find more." He reassured her, her crystal eyes beamed up at him again excitedly. "Come on, lets get out of this basement, it's nice outside." he only half lied; it was nicer when the undead weren't wandering the streets.
Delicately taking the girls hand into his own she stared up at him a moment before slowly nodding, allowing him to lead her upstairs. As they came into the hall she saw just like the basement the rest of the house was also swallowed in an endless sea of darkness. Small rays of sun light managed their way into the house through small tears in the curtains that hung over the windows. Their main source of light came from the small flashlight Hunter was carrying, illuminating any shadows as he guided her out of the house.
The girl squinted her eyes painfully as warm sunlight poured onto her pale face, Hunter feeling the same once again pulled his hood back over his head, his eyes more accustom to the dark. A few undead took notice of the pair as they attempted to cross the street, stopping momentarily Hunter pulled out his axe; quickly ending the suffering of a few dead who had wandered to close. Grabbing the girl Hunter quickly led her into the safey of another abandoned home, as to not stir the attention of the infected.
Clicking on his flashlight Hunter proceeded into the house, the girl following close behind as he led them into the kitchen. As he began to tear through the cabinets looking for anything edible, the girl watched him silently; awkwardly fumbling with the fabric of her dress. Slipping off his bag Hunter proceeded to load his bag with some canned goods he managed to find, although there werent any twinkies it would have to do.
"Thank you." A sweet fragile voice spoke, breaking the eerie silence that had been hovering in the air. her voice had a slight rasp to it, as if it had been a long time since using it. Hunter turned to look at her, surprised she had talked. "y-you save me." she acknowledged warmly, flashing him a bright smile. Hunter was grateful the shadows of his hood concealed most of his face, he didnt want her to see the blush that burned his cheeks.
"No problem." He assured her, slipping the last of the cans into his bag he zipped it back up and slung it over his shoulder. "Alright, we're all clear here." he turned to her, smirking slightly as he held out a stale snickers bar, candy was scarce and was considered a rare find. Grinning the girl gleeful took the sweet snack, unwrapping it she hesitated, instead looking up at Hunter.
"Whats your name?" she asked curiously making hunter blush; embarrassed that he had forgotten to introduce himself.
"Hunter." He answered simply, opening his mouth again he was about to ask the same, the girl cutting him short.
"Im Leia." She smiled at him with kind eyes, Hunter found the innocence in them to be comforting. Satisfied Leia unwrapped the rest of the candy bar, savoring the taste as the sugar made her mouth water.
A Sudden boom cut through the silence of the room. Several gun shots echoed throughout the streets, followed by a loud smash; a bullet shattered the window of an old car; setting the alarm off.
"Hide!" Hunter quickly commanded as the obnoxious beeping of the alarm had alerted the horde. Grabbing her by the hand he pulled her with him as they made a dash for it down the hallway, coming to a sudden halt Hunter whipped open a closet door, shoving Leia inside he looked her steadily in the eyes. "Dont come out until i get you, i'll be rite back." he reassured, not waiting to hear a protest he quickly shut the door. Grasping the handle of the fire axe tightly, a rushing mixture of adrenaline and panic rose into his stomach as he heard the growls and snarls of the undead approaching.
Running to the end of the hallway Hunter came to an abrupt stop as he was met by the undead, who lunged at him hungrily with the intention to kill. Quickly lifting the fire axe Hunter promptly swung it, severing several limbs and a few heads, he didnt hesitate before swinging again. As wave after wave of zombies came at him, Hunter met them head on, obliterating there skulls with his now blood covered axe.
As there was a small pause in the madness Hunter managed to scuffle his way out of the small hallway, the bodies of the undead piling up and tripping him, quickly scrambling to his feet again he managed his way outside, where there were less obstacles to get in his way. He hadn't noticed it but a small smirk pulled at the corners of his lips as more undead crawled out of their hiding spots, daring to challenge him.
He wasnt afraid, not of them; the zombies were nothing besides small obstacles that simply got in his way. However being outside made him vulnerable as now the special infected had honed in on him as well.
unexpectedly Hunters eyes widened in fear as he was caught by the throat, a smoker behind him began strangling him by tightening his grip; cutting off Hunters supply of fresh oxygen. The color began to drain from his face as he struggled to breath, without thinking he clumsily swung his axe, getting lucky and severing the smokers tongue Hunter collapsed onto the ground. As fresh oxygen found its way into his lungs hunter slipped into a small fit of coughs and wheezes as he struggled to catch his breath.
As the battle cry of another special infected echoed throughout the deserted streets Hunter forced himself to his feet, getting up to quickly he found his head spinning, ignoring it to the best of his abilities he managed to stagger into a nearby shed. Hastily closing the doors behind him Hunters body gave out on him as he collapsed onto the ground, being consumed by darkness as consciousness slipped away from him.
As Hunters eyes groggily blinked open he slowly sat up, surveying his surroundings. As he looked around the tool shed a sudden realization dawned on him as the previous events came flowing back to his memory. "How long have i been out for?" Hunter thought out-loud. Quickly getting up he opened the door of the tool shed, peeking outside he saw it was late-noon; The sky glowed a fiery hue of vibrant orange.
Grabbing his axe Hunter exited the small shed, dodging a few wandering zombies he skillfully made his way back into the house he had left Leia at. Wasting no time Hunter swung open the closet door he had hid her in, his worst fears realized as he scanned the empty space; She was gone.
"Leia?!" Hunter called though the house, a sudden panic rising into the pit of his stomach. Where was she? Was she safe? Without hesitation Hunter ran out the house, intent on searching every building on the block if he had to. hunter suddenly halted in the middle of the street as a faint familiar cry caught his attention. Whipping his head around he realized it to be coming from a broken-down abandoned house, approaching with caution Hunter made his way into the house, the door surprisingly unlocked.
As the small cry echoed through out the house hunter looked around wearily, trying to pinpoint it's location. "Leia?" He whispered harshly, not wanting to alert any undead that might be around. Realizing the small cry was coming from somewhere upstairs he slowly ascended up the old wooden staircase, the steps creaking eerily as he moved slowly towards the sound.
As he reached the top the crying became unnervingly close, glancing at one of the bedroom doors he slowly made his way over to it, nearly tip-toeing as he did. "Leia? Is that you?" He called out again in a hushed whisper, slowly reaching out he turned the door knob, gently pushing the door open he stepped inside, clicking on his flashlight he quickly examined the room. Seeing a small girl cowering in the corner of the room Hunter quickly rushed over. Her back was to him, but still a smiled found a way onto his face as he saw her familiar platinum blond hair. "stop crying, everythings ok." his voice was soft and comforting. "I'm here, i'll protect you." he tried reassuring her, resting a hand on her shoulder to comfort her.
As hunter touched the girl she let out a startled snarl, whipping her head around to look at who dared disturbed her. Hunters heart dropped into his stomach, quickly realizing it wasn't Leia.
As Hunters eyes locked with the witches crimson red orbs he saw hatred mixed with anguish reflect in them as his own widened in fear. A blood curdling scream cut through the silent air as the witch started her onslaught of slashes. Her long bloodied fingernails clawed at his eye-sockets, painfully gorging out his eyes. The piercing screams of horror soon faded as Hunters body began to shut down on him, shortly going into shock a moment before painfully dying.
As Hunters body went limp underneath her the witch paused, finally stopping her onslaught of violence she looked down at the bloody mangled mess beneath her, suddenly realizing what she had done fresh tears stung the corners of the creatures eyes as she quickly retreated back into the safety of the shadows.
As Hunters body laid motionless on the wooden floor a soft gray began to conceal the plush color of his skin. Slowly the virus inched it's way through his body, infecting every muscle and cell as it coursed through his veins. finally when the virus had taken over completely a spark ignited deep within Hunters subconscious, a feral instinct now engraved into his being.