First time writing a L4D fic with my own characters. Just a heads up, the middle part is in first person, mainly describing how my character, Aiden, is feeling at the time. I'm more familiar with the L4D2 characters/locations that I'll probably toss my guys in with them.


A Walk Through Hell: Prologue

Aiden wasn't sure if he should be listening to the news right now. There was something about some kind of infection going around, making people sick. He scoffed lightly, turning off the t.v. with the tip of his toe; the remote was across the room for some reason and he didn't really feel like getting up.

There were more important thing she was worries about at the moment. Like the deadline on a really important 12-page paper that was due in a few days and he hadn't even started. So come hell and high water—more like the infectious disease going around—he was going to get this done.

Little did he know that the infection would soon pay a visit to the city his cozy little apartment was in, Nashville, Tennessee.

Two days later, his little sister—not really little, since they're twins, he was just born 5 seconds before her—was coming to visit from Knoxville. Abigail always made it a big deal since she complained that it was a long drive, which it really wasn't.

This was a perfect time for Aiden to catch a cold.

She sat across from him at his little dining room table, elbows placed against the top of the surface while her hands cupped her face and held it up as she leaned forward some.

"How are you felling?" Aiden looked up at her from whatever he was starting at in front of him. A frown twisted on his face.

"I don't know, I guess it's just a little cold."

"Well you ought to go to the clinic, I know there's one down the street. You're as pale as a ghost.."

"Don't want to. I got meds here. I have better things to do then going to the doctor. Papers don't write themselves you know." If only they did, he mused lightly, just a little bit amused at the idea.

"Aiden, stop being such a stubborn ass! This could be serious! Have you not been watching the news? There's something going around and it's already killed people."

A series of coughs proved him wrong as the small woman gave him a skeptical look. Aiden sighed, hanging his head in defeat.

"Fine, fine. I'll go first thing in the morning. I'm only doing this because you're just as stubborn as me. Not even mum could talk me into it."

Abigail blinked owlishly, "You talked to mum? Just how long have you been sick?"

"A few days, I think? But, Abby, it's not that serious. I'll even take something tonight and try to sleep it off."

"Bloody hell, Aiden. A few days? You definitely need to go tomorrow. If I could get another day off work I would stay and go with you."

Aiden groaned loudly, leaning back in his chair. "You don't need to do that. I'm a big kid, I can do it on my own. You should get going. Don't you have a shift in the morning?"

After stubborn goodbyes and a strained hug, Abigail left with a small smile, but as soon as the door closed she frowns deeply. She wasn't sure Aiden knew just how serious this was.

When morning came, Aiden never made it to the doctor.

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I don't think I've ever woken up to chest pain, but this was ridiculous. There was a searing pain in my chest and it felt like my chest was going to rip apart. I don't remember colds ever being like this, and I should know.

When I was younger, colds were a regular thing for me. Abigail was the one who rarely got them.

A sudden spike of pain made me snap my eyes open. A pitiful groan came from me as he rolled onto my side, curling up and trying to will the stupid cold away. But now I think about it, maybe this was more then a cold. Maybe Abigail was right, that this was more serious then I was taking for granted.

There was a shortness of breathe now, my hands coming up to run them through my hair. This was not good. I don't think I can even stand up without feeling just as sick. This had to be the most miserable day ever.

I sucked in a breathe of air, trying to steady my breathing. Now my eyesight was getting blurry.

I have to call Abby..

Call Abby and go to the hospital, because I doubt the clinic could do anything.

A sudden deep growl startled me as he pulled my throbbing head up, trying to look around for whatever made that sound. I.. don't remember having a dog. I ran a hand down the side of my head and neck, tugging at the collar of my shirt. The growl came again.

The hand paused at my neck, feeling the rumbling in my throat.

.. I was making that sound? No way. I wasn't an animal. Once more the growl came with anger.

Shaking my head I sat up, spitting out curses from the lightheadedness that came. Reaching over to the bedside table, I grabbed my cellphone.

A few coughs came causing me to sputter and lift a hand to cover my mouth. Suddenly my body went rigid, bile rising at the back of my throat as I threw myself to the floor, my stomach emptying its content all over the floor.

Shifting around, I leaned back against the bed, my head inclined back against top of it. The cellphone was still clenched in my hand as he stretched out his limbs, trying to calm himself before he called his sister.

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With a another careful breath, Aiden flipped his phone open, shaky hands lifting the phone this his face to he could see the screen. Finding the number wasn't that hard, seeing as Abby's number was the first one anyways.

He held the phone up to his ear as he listened to the ringing. Eyes closed for a moment as he groaned, another series of coughs racking his form. Finally a voice answered.

"Hello? Aiden? How did the doctor's visit go?" Abby's voice echoed from the phone.

"Abby.." He croaked, not even believing if his voice was going to work right.

"Aiden? What's wrong, I can barely hear you," His sister's voice laced with worry now.

"I feel like crap.. Can't even move.." The corners of his eyes started to sting as he practically whined into the receiver.

"Christ, Aiden. You need to get to a hospital, I'm on my way right now." But as soon as she said that, she heard a loud growling sound and the phone made a crackling sound, like it hit something. "A-Aiden!"


Well that's it for the prologue. The first chapter starts off from right there, but I won't be posting the first chapter until I can get a feel for this.