This would be my first try at Left 4 Dead. I didn't really plan this out, so we'll just have to wait and see where things go. For the most part, this story will have cognizant Special Infected. However, the Smoker is more or less capable of re-learning his life as a human, which includes the common devices used then. It's a first-person and will not have full-blown 'sessions' between the Hunter and Smoker. Their relationship will be more of an awkward partnership that slowly builds over time. There will not be graphic sex.
Disclaimer: I don't own Left 4 Dead, its characters, and its concepts.
Warnings: Language, violence, gore, homosexuality.
Human Inventions of Varying Usefulness
Chapter 1 "Doorknobs"
With a twitch stuck in the back of my throat, my body quickly shivers with terrible, heaving coughs. I could feel that all too familiar burn work its way down, blooming up through my withered lungs. Damn but did it hurt.
"Smoker!"
I narrow my eye. That's all I ever hear nowadays besides my coughing. It's stupid and annoying. I do have a name. Or at least I did. All I can remember now is this gnawing feeling of always being hungry. Searching around the beaten trail, I traipse through a few bushes and land hard on my knees when I skid across some ice. I cough again.
"Where is the damn thing?" someone yells.
"I can't see through the thicket. It's gettin' too dark out," another one says.
A blaze of sound echoes through the wintry forest, they're shooting with those things again. It's so loud I can barely stand it. A few others fall down, riddled with holes and stuff comes out.
Blood. It's called blood.
Oh, right. I have it in me. If I have it, then those noisy people have it in them, too. I would smile at realizing this, but my mouth protests. It's weird. Some of the others don't have this thing in my mouth; they just look…normal, I think. We're both messed up, but they don't have what I have.
I open my mouth with a gurgling surge rushing from deep inside, and it shoots out like it has a mind of its own. Rippling through the cold night air, it latches onto one of the noisy ones and they start screaming louder, calling for help.
My vision is pretty bad, so I always have to be careful. I don't want them to make my blood come out either. But my hunger is too great, and I start pulling back, dragging the other towards me.
"He-help! It's got me!" it shouts.
I'm getting tired and my eye droops with sleep. The person just got caught in between a pair of trees, and I can't get it free. Before I can blink, something hurts along my…tongue…tongue, that's right. My tongue starts hurting and suddenly falls off. It always does that, and I can't move for a bit from the pain.
While I'm stuck, the bark from the tree next to me suddenly explodes into a million tiny pieces and I cough in surprise.
"There's the zombie bastard! Shoot it, quick!"
I'm feeling something else now. It overpowers my need for food—I'm scared. And I run as fast as my worn legs can take me. Thankfully, the noisy ones can't find me, and the loud banging sounds cease.
I check to see if anything is missing: first my tongue, which grew back. It always does. I sigh as I fall to the cold ground. The tree's roots and…moss…make a decent floor. I close my eye, and the Dark swallows me whole.
"Fuck, I'm bleeding! Does someone have a pack?"
My eye opens sharply with the voice close by. Crouching down, I hear their steps through the fresh snow. The flakes crushed beneath their shoes sound like when I eat.
"Thanks, man that last stop was horrible! Didn't even have too many supplies," said someone.
"I know. My back hurts like hell," another one replies.
I take soft breaths so they don't see me. They keep going, and I can smell them as they creep right past me. They continue making lots of noise when the others get too close, but I know better. But something feels bad.
The air is too cold. It hurts.
That voice again, is it me? But I feel it and it's right. That fire is building up again, and it races out with a shattering heave. It's like I'm going to hack my tongue out. Thankfully, I don't and I quickly hide down behind a blackened bush, the lack of leaves making little difference. The group ahead shouts that name again and start rushing farther away. Maybe they're afraid of me, too.
But I'm hungry.
I creep forward, poised for something to quench this tightness inside. The noisy ones are getting close to another large thing. It has a door, I remember, and windows. It's covered with this red stuff—like blood—and they rush inside with a slam of the door.
A little while later, I shuffle out of hiding to get close to this thing. I think it's called a building. As if I did it a hundred times before, I reach out with my hands and start climbing up the vertical brick and mortar. A few seconds later and I find myself on the plain roof. The treetops are still much higher, towering over me as I look up. But I do get a better view of what's ahead.
The noisy people are down below, walking down a path behind the building. I shoot my tongue out, hoping to catch my breakfast, but the people are too far away. I frown.
"What's takin' so long? I'm startin' ta freeze out 'ere!"
"Just hold your horses, son. I'm almost done."
The noisy ones are crowded around a thing with wheels. I try to get a closer look. It seems that the thing is shining, but only just. It's a dim glow that keeps blinking. It's giving me a headache just staring at it. I look away and accidentally cough.
"Did ya hear that? Sounds like a Smoker. I told you it's followin' us!"
I rush as far away from the group as possible, ignoring the sleek ice and snow near the flat path. I dash behind a tree, gasping for air. I never did like running.
"Shit! You just had to shoot THAT of all things!"
I leap back when the Noise gets too loud. But I'm the only one—the others hear it, too. Yet they all lurch at them over the thing making the booming sound. I'm far in the back.
A car alarm.
The…car, it sounds weird to me. It's flashing and suddenly stops after a few seconds, but the others continue their march against the noisy ones. They all fall down soon though. It seems they aren't too smart. At least the Noise has gone.
The group quickly leaves for what they call the Safe House, and I stay away. I'm hungry still and try not to whimper too loud. And that's when I finally notice it. This heavenly smell wafts through the winter air and greets me.
I feel the fire inside scream through me and I quickly reach out for that delicious smell. I come across another one of the others. He is different, too.
He's growling at me.
"What the hell do YOU want?" he screeches.
"I'm hungry," I say. "What's that smell?"
"Huh? It's my dinner. Get lost." The other gets back to his meal and I sigh, tired of the mean one.
I'm getting cold again, and my breath billows out in a great, white cloud as I walk. Circling around the Safe House, I see something glinting in the light. I approach the shimmer and I see a thing. It's a small building, I think. The wood is dry and cracked, but it's hard to break apart. I step back squinting my eye at the sparkle.
It's round and fixed to the door tight, no matter how much I pull it. I try using my tongue, but it's too small and suddenly, I get stuck! I wrench hard, but the cold thing bites at my tongue and it hurts. It hurts so much. I yank back a final time and my wounded tongue follows.
I snarl at the small foe, it glitters back smugly. I lash out and attack the thing for what seems like the rest of the morning. I end up tiring myself out, again.
After coughing myself into sitting down in the snow, I leer at the shiny thing. What is it?
Door…
I know that it's on a door. It shines like fresh blood, but it cuts like the noisy one's sharp thing last night. My tongue doesn't fall off, but I'm seriously getting tired of it.
Doorknob, a doorknob.
Something flickers in my mind and I feel less angry. Twisting my tongue in concentration, I carefully approach the shiny thing called a doorknob. I reach out to touch it again, but this time, with my hand.
It's still cold, but it doesn't bite my worn fingers. I sigh in relief. Then, following what I faintly recall, I tighten my hand. Nothing happens.
"What?" I say aloud, confused.
I let go, curling up against the cold wind that picks up. Some of the snow falls from the graying sky above. Fixing my eye back onto the doorknob, I try again. Something is supposed to happen, I just know. This time, I try to pull it closer to me, and it holds steadfast. Then I push with the same result: nothing.
I scream out with a deafening cough and slam my fist into it.
"OUCH!" I wail. It hurts so, so much.
Clutching my injured hand, I coil back. All shiny things are evil. I must stay far away.
No, no. Again. I can just turn it.
Turn it? My curiosity is piqued once more, and I venture another meeting with the evil doorknob. This time, I do as that voice says and the thing moves!
I smile and continue turning until it stops again. I let go and it snaps back in place. What a strange shiny thing. Then I remember something else. The noisy ones did the same thing before! I can copy them, I think.
For the final time, I turn the doorknob, the cold tickling my hand. Then, I push. And it opens.
I gasp at the whole door. It opens just for me! I'm so...so…happy. Yes, happy. I walk into the smaller room, away from the snow and cold and vicious winds. The inside is darker, but definitely less cold.
Once I'm inside, I notice some light pouring through the cracked window. It let's me see everything inside the small building. And what I see pleases me. It's full of good smells. It's not exactly like before with the mean one and it definitely doesn't smell like the noisy ones. But it makes my insides burn with hunger and I rush at whatever smells good.
The thing won't obey me like the door. So I kill and break it into a million pieces on the ground, feasting on the insides. I laugh with glee. I can eat again! The other things don't move. They must be too scared of me.
But as I eat, my head starts to hurt. The thing isn't dead, I think. I just opened it.
It's a wooden crate. It was unlocked.
Oh, a crate. I'm glad I understand now, and I cough in agreement. But suddenly, I hear a low growl and I turn to see the mean one again. I narrow my eye. What does he want? He must want to take my food!
"Go away! This is mine," I yell, but I end up coughing.
"Hmph, why should I? I just happened to see…what is that?" he sneers in disgust.
I just now notice I'm covered in this dark red thing. I think it's a part of the insides I ate.
"I don't know. But it tastes good. Much better than that other thing you were eating before," I say. The mean one clamors in anger. Clearly I am winning. What I'm winning at, I sure don't know. But I'm winning, and that's all that matters.
But my smirk leaves me when he gets closer. He sniffs the air and crouches down. I realize too late as he pounces and slams me into the back of the room, the crates tumbling down into a pile.
"Give me some. Now!" I hold back a gaging cough; his breath smells terrible.
"It's over there in the crates!"
"What the hell is a crate?"
"Those square things over there," I point out. "Now, get off me."
Annoyed, he gives a throaty growl, but complies after shoving me once more into the wall. After sliding down, I watch as the mean one creeps towards the crates apprehensively. He sniffs the air, clearly drawn towards the food inside.
He crouches down like before and stamps down, crashing into the wooden containers. He quickly gnaws and swipes at the boxes to no avail.
"Ugh, how do I eat it? Show me," the mean one says, throwing me a crate.
"Fine," I say. "Just open it here."
I open the latch just like the last one, and the foodstuffs come rolling out. Now that I'm full, I look closer at the strange food. It doesn't bleed when I bite into it, and it doesn't scream either. It's weird.
"About time," he mutters and tears into it.
He must have been very hungry. Yet, I definitely remember him eating before. What a selfish bitch. I heard one of the noisy ones say this a lot, so I'll just borrow it.
"Get me more."
"Why should I?"
The next moment later and I'm pinned against the wall, again. I sigh, coughing quietly, and push him away to open another crate for him. Definitely a bitch.
This continues for two more crates, and by that time, he's too tired to chase after me when I run away. After a minute of semi-sprinting, I start to heave and I sit to rest. My legs hurt, but at least I'm far away from the mean one. I sigh in relief and make sure to backtrack so I don't lose sight of the Safe House. The noisy ones smell too good.
I spend the rest of the day searching out better hiding spots. Along the way, I notice some extra-stealthy holes and notches—even a fallen tree to top it all off! Afterwards, I walk back to the Safe House. The noisy ones always said the strangest things.
"…did you get baking soda into MY gun?" growled someone.
"I dunno. I was jus' riflin' through the cupboards and found some of this 'ere powder. I didn' think nothin' wrong with it, so I jus' thought about leavin' it alone. But then your gun was all crusted and shit, so I—accordin' ta my resources—used the stuff ta clean it out good!"
I'm startled by this loud crashing sound that came from inside, and I try to peek though the open window. One of them is trying to run away, laughing a bit. I smile at them. They're so funny.
Now, on a normal basis, I would try to reel in one of them for a little bite. But since I'm full, I just don't feel like it. At least I get to watch them run around a little.
The sun starts to set, and the air gets a lot colder. It's so cold, I don't think I can stay outside this time. So, I head towards that building farther down, hoping that that bitch wasn't still hiding there. When I reenter my little Safe House, I close the door, bathing the room in darkness. At least I can still smell my way around. Apparently, the mean one had taken some of the crates away, leaving me with a few left.
"Bitch."
"What was that? Who're YOU calling a bitch?"
A sharp pair of claws quickly grab my shirt and I'm thrown across the darkened room. Aching all over, I fall into a fit of coughing, trying to desperately find something to grab onto so I can stand back up. My side hurts now.
"I knew you'd be back. After you left, I tried to open the rest, but they won't budge. Fix it now," he says.
"Why can't you just leave me alone? Aren't you full?"
He grabs me again and hauls me up. I think I'm scared because I can't move. His glinted eyes drill into my single quivering one. He smiles.
"Those'd be the appetizers. If you don't get them open, I'll just tear you apart."
"Wh-why would you do that?"
He doesn't answer me, and just sends me off to open up the rest. When I try to pry them open, they all stay shut. The bitch starts at me again, but I hold him off, saying it'll be just a little while longer. Of course, I'm beginning to worry. It just stays shut. Maybe I'm just doing it wrong.
It's not the same kind of crate.
It isn't? Checking the other boxes that had food, I noticed that they were slightly larger. The crates that didn't open are definitely smaller. I tell this to him.
I expected to get tousled again, or maybe worse, but he doesn't even yell. The mean one just stalks off deeper into the small building leaving me alone in the nightly dark. I didn't know what to expect, but at least I was okay now.
I stifle a slight cough and find my own corner to hole myself up in. The wintry winds can't reach me and the snow is kept out. I won't freeze tonight, but I just can't stop thinking about what'll happen tomorrow. The bitch probably won't leave me alone now even if I tried to run away again. He'd catch me for sure.
"What's your name?"
I open my eye and sit up straighter when I heard his words.
"I can't remember mine. What's yours?"
"Jack. Call me Jack."
"Okay," I say. I test the name out. "Jack."
It's a lot better than bitch, but I won't tell him that. Besides this, I can't find anything else to say. The silence is a little unwelcoming and I turn away. In a moment, the Dark takes me again. So I fall asleep, dreaming of good smells, doorknobs and the other one named Jack.
Yeah, it's a nice name.