Title: Sobbing in the Dark
Plot Summary: She lost her loved ones to the damned infected…she never stopped crying since.
Rating: M
Genre: Horror, Tragedy
Currently listening to: "Rabies" from the Left 4 Dead soundtrack
Hiding. Waiting. Praying. Linda did not know how much longer she could take it. She had locked herself up in her dark bathroom for God knows how long, unable to eat, drink, or even move. Occasionally, she would hear the infected right outside suddenly howl and stampede towards an unfortunate victim. What the hell was this virus turning people into?! Where the hell did this virus even start?! Linda knew that the door would not stand for long and even prayed that the infected would just break in and finish her. She would rather burn in hell than to continue living in this nightmarish reality.
So then she began to sob. As much as she could to let her trapped affliction free. As loudly as she could to let the monsters outside hear her, get to her, and tear her apart.
No response. Not even an alert grunt. No howls or banging on the door. Was she not loud enough? She sobbed even harder as she began to remember a painful memory…
Linda nervously paced back and forth their small apartment, rocking her sleeping baby in her arms. Her husband, Paul, had gone to the nearby mart to fetch some extra food and supplies. She had pleaded him not to go. It's been almost an hour since he left. She began to feel dread.
There was a sudden banging on the door and Linda slapped a hand on her mouth to prevent herself from screaming.
"Linda! Let me in! HURRY!" a familiar voice called.
Linda quickly put her baby in the crib and opened the door, where Paul tumbled in, contents spilling from his torn plastic bag.
His left sleeve was bloodied. Wounded…Paul was wounded.
"Jesus," Paul panted as he barricaded the door with some furniture. "They were all running at me just before I could enter the building. Had to divert them and wait till they lost me."
"Paul…" Linda said, trembling. "Your arm…"
He looked over and saw the bloody stain growing on his black hoodie sleeve. His heart sank. He hastily began to remove the barricade.
"Linda, you know how much I love you but we don't have time for tearful goodbyes and last promises. Get me the fuck out of here now."
"No, wait…what are you doing?!" Linda asked.
"I've been infected, Linda! Now lock me out before I turn! I can't hurt you or our daughter!"
"You're going out there to die? Where those—those things are?! Leaving us?!"
"Don't argue with me, Linda! We don't have time!" Paul snapped as he just finished removing the barricade.
"I won't let you do this!" Linda said as she grabbed her husband's arm. "If you're going to turn…then I'd like to turn too!"
Paul looked at her as if she just confessed in committing an unforgivable crime.
"Don't say insane shit like that! I can't—"
Paul began to cough and hack. He shoved Linda away and bent over in pain, clutching at his chest. Linda froze as she stared at her husband dying, giving birth to a monster.
"Linda…" Paul slowly said, his voice growing deeper and less human. "HIDE!!!"
His painful grunts became hungry snarls. Linda watched in horror as she watched her husband's skin turn grey and his fingers grow into claws. Paul's head suddenly shot up at her, growling, deranged.
Stupid bitch! A voice screamed in her mind. That's not Paul! That's a monster! Move your dumb ass and get the fuck out of there NOW!
Linda raced to the crib and held her baby just as she heard the infected shriek like a raged wild animal. She ran like hell into her room, not daring to look back. She had locked the door but the monster outside was trying to get in, clawing at the door. Oh dear God, the door wasn't going to hold, would it? Linda clutched her baby closer. The child was still sleeping, unaware of the nightmare she was in. Poor thing.
The door finally broke down, and the infected pounced at the terrified mother and daughter. Linda shut her eyes, waiting for pain and death to come. She wasn't going to give a damn. She would be able to see her husband again. She fell to the floor from the force and felt claws slash her chest but that was it…
The infected had just missed…but had gotten her baby instead. Linda watched with her mouth agape as she watched the monster rip apart her child, blood and flesh flying in all directions. The baby and the infected were shrieking: the baby, in pain and terror; the infected, in sick ecstasy.
Linda yanked open her drawer and pulled out a pair of scissors. The infected backed away from the bloody pile of what was left of its victim and turned to Linda.
"Don't you dare!" she warned, holding up her scissors.
The monster didn't comply. It pounced at her like a hunter animal at its prey. Linda yelled as she sent a swinging punch and the infected tumbled back but soon got back to its fours and leapt again.
"OH GOD!!! CAN'T YOU JUST FUCKING STOP?!" she screamed, swinging her scissors blindly in the air.
The infected leaped at her again just as Linda gave one more swing and stabbed the scissors deep into its neck. With a yelp, the infected toppled to the floor. Everything was quiet. Linda stared into space, tears flowing down her cheeks, as she stumbled into the bathroom.
A noise brought Linda back to her senses. She stopped crying and looked up. Gunshots? Was she hearing gunshots? She soon heard footsteps coming closer then stop right in front of her door. Oh thank God, there were survivors out there! She was saved!
The door opened and Linda's euphoria crumbled when she saw dark creatures standing at the doorway. These weren't people—oh dear God—these weren't people. Their eerie bright glowing eyes shone and the creatures snarled and grinned, revealing canine teeth.
"Oh my God! What are they?!" Linda cried.
They are monsters… A voice spoke in her head.
Linda's frightened look faded away as realization took over her. Her eyes grew wider not with fear but with raged insanity. She steadily came to her feet, snarling and growling, warning the abominable intruders not to come any closer.
The voice continued to speak, further provoking her:
They are monsters. They will kill you if you don't strike first. They killed your baby. They killed your family. They killed all the goddamn people you loved out there. Kill the monsters! Kill them! KILL THEM! Feel the new strength within you! Rip their flesh! Spill their blood! Listen to them SCREAM!!!
Linda shrieked as she charged at them. With one swing, she managed to incapacitate one to the floor. The rest ran off in retreat. She glared down at the pathetic abomination that was now looking up at her in alarm. Linda howled in triumph and began to hack into her victim just as her husband did.
YES! SLASH THEM! MORE! MORE! RIP THEM!!! SPLATTER THEIR BLOOD! TEAR INTO THEIR FLESH! MAKE THEM CRY! MAKE THEM SCREAM! MAKE THEM BEG FOR DEATH TO TAKE THEM! DO NOT STOP UNTIL THEY ARE FINISHED!
The creature's screams ceased just as Linda came back to her conscious. She gasped and looked from her bloody hands to the dead creature on the floor. The walls were sprayed with blood and flesh.
Oh..dear God, what have I done?! she asked herself in horror.
She ran off, sobbing and shrieking, covering her head with her gigantic claw-like hands.
"My God, that thing completely ripped apart Neville!"
"Jesus Christ, what the hell was that thing?"
"A fuckin' zombie-bitch psychopath, that's what…"
"Did you see those eyes? And her hands?!"
"Son of a bitch, what the hell is this infection turning people into?"
"The next time we run into one of those crying things, just turn those goddamn flashlights off!"
WE ARE THE REAL MONSTERS.