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Shelter [004

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AUTHORS NOTE: Ok I lied :P Yeah I know I said I wont be posting again for another few days, but I've been studying and doing homework like a mad man and decided to take a short 2h break you know. I's awl goood :D. So yeah, here is the result of my version of 'relaxing'! Enjoy!

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As two days passed from sun up to sun down, not once had Scarlet nor Doyle seen an Infected. For a matter of fact, they hadn't seen a thing at all. Not one single living thing. From birds to dogs, cats, animals in general... none what so ever. Although the two were rather quite happy that nothing had come upon their path to Cambridge, there was something erie about the strange death-silence and... aloneness. Yes, it was as if someone had turned off all sound in the world, leaving nothing but the quick and heavy scrape of boots hitting dark hot pavement. So hot. The midday's sun gave no mercy on the two survivors as it beat down upon their backs causing their already stress filled journey to intensify ten-fold. As the sun began to set each night, the two would stop and sit, finding a safe and sheltered spot to lay and possibly try and sleep. In truth, it was indeed very hard seeing as how that small nagging voice in the back of each's head would repeatedly say in the bliss of slumber... 'Infected, infected, infected... run!' Sleep, although the first on their minds, was really actually the farthest and most buried, making each dead weight on their feet. True Doyle was born and molded with countless hours of training to stay alert and awake in situations like such, but this? This was different. This was insane! He was trained to fight men, not monsters.

Scarlet's legs suddenly buckled underneath her and she collapsed slightly. Quickly, Doyle cough her, wrapping both arms around her waist and hoisting her up back into a standing position. Her arms snapped around his neck and she hopped up and down on her good leg.

"Ow, ow, shit." she said drawing her breath in and slowly letting go of Doyle.

"I need to sit down-ow, ow."

Obliging, he set her down onto the road, sliding his hands away. Scarlet ripped off the day old bandage and groaned, revealing the patch of torn and cut skin, bloody and stiff from drying out. Doyle quickly turned his head.

"God damn it..." he mumbled under his breath.

It had been the third time they had stopped that day all due to Scarlet's - in his say - minor injury.

"Bandage." she commanded.

Reaching into his pocket, the soldier threw her one. It landed in her hands. She tore the packet open and began to wrap it around the wound tightly.

"You can look again." she finally said.

Doyle returned his gaze to the woman and looked down to her leg and she said, "Dehydration and lack of nourishment. My leg isn't helping me any and you should be feeling it's affects too about now."

She was indeed right. There were a few times when walking that Doyle felt dizzy or that the ground were to suddenly slip our from underneath him.

He felt sick just thinking about it, so she snapped back in anger, "Well maybe if you would have just been paying damn attention when we were back in that alley way, you wouldn't have gotten fucking shot." he motioned to her leg then turned facing down the long road and grunting, "Hell, we would have made it to the camp two fucking days ago-"

"Well excuse me Doyle," it had been the first time she had said him name, "I am extremely sorry for not having a fucking ESP! If only he'd had aimed a little higher and killed me, you'd be dinging with all your army buddies right about now! For that, I am truly sorry."

He couldn't help but note the thick sarcasm dripping form each word she spoke. It wasn't their first fight. No. In the past days, the two were constantly at each other necks arguing and cussing, making their journey a living hell.

"Well," he fought back, "Your damn lucky I even brought you with me! Hell, I should have left you there to die. You'd be nothing without me! You'd have never gotten this far!"

"Oh? Is that true now? So why did you even bother bringing me then eh?"

Doyle opened his mouth to say something, but closed it, saying nothing and running a stressed and angry hand through his hair roughly. This was too much. All he could think of was finally reaching the U.S. base and never having to see the raven haired woman ever again. Scarlet on the other hand, was all eyes for those two children. Even know she wondered if they had gotten to the stadium in time and made it to the chopper in one piece. Doyle was nothing but a thorn in her side and soon enough, a thorn that would be gone forever.

Doyle, turning to face her, readied his retort and was about to yell when instead, something else came out, "Shh." he said.

Scarlet cocked her head to the side and gawked as if he was crazy.

"Pardon me?" she said angered.

"No just shut up for one second-"

"What do you-"

"Just be quiet!" he cut her off placing a finger on his lips and motioning his free hand as if to silence her.

Obliging, she stayed silent and in wonder, gazed in the direction his eyes fixed upon. For a long moment the two stood/sat as still as stone. Not one movement came from either, not even the light rise and fall of their chests for each had stopped breathing. Silence. Then there came a sound. Distant at first as it grew into castrophany so immense it could be heard from far away in space.

There down the road, not three kilometers away, running, screaming, clawing, bloody; Infected.

"Oh fuck... fuck!" Doyle yelled then grabbed Scarlet's arm dragging her up.

"Run!" he screamed, "Run!"

Like Infected themselves, they ran for their lives panting and pushing as hard as they could, trying to get away from 'them', as they gained on the two quickly. Suddenly it hit Doyle. If they stayed on course, it would be a sure first class ticket to death because no matter how fast they ran or how far they got, they'd find them. Not just that, but the infected had the upper hand. They had nothing and it was that there that made them so strong. Not a consciousness, not feeling, not tiered, not scared not anything. Nothing but rage. Nothing but the thick anger coursing through their veins and urging them on until they themselves die.

Quickly, Doyle made a sharp turn off through a broken rail and down into the thick grass patches leading off toward what looked to be a small town. Scarlet, seeming to forget all about her wound now gushing blood from the sheer pressure of the sprint, ran along side of him, having no trouble keeping up. Looking back she saw the massive pack of infected coming closer with every step, beating down upon the pavement like drums. They were now nothing but one kilometer away and gaining. Fast.

The patches of green grass ruffled violently around the two as they cut like blades thorough the patches of green, sweat sliding down form their foreheads they flying off their face. They came to large green bushes of trees and going through them they came to a house. A shrill scream echoed behind them. Doyle pulled his gun and shot, hitting an Infected square in the forehead. It toppled over and impaled itself upon a broken tree limb. Blood splattered everywhere. Suddenly someone called out...

"Over here!" the voice said, "Over here!"

Scarlet spun toward the house and there, laid her eyes upon God himself. An elder man stood in the doorway of a home and waved his arms wildly motioning the two to come.

"There!" she pointed and ran.

Doyle, seeing the man too for the first time, ran after her.

Time seemed to slow at that moment. They ran and ran. Things moved by slowly, passing the two and disappearing behind them in a could of smoke. They were finally at the door and... time shot back. They flew through the doorway and scrambled to their feet. Scarlet backed herself up against a wall and Doyle got up onto his knees, gun at the ready. The large wooden door swung shut and five heavy beams were slid into place, a loud 'thunk' echoing through the house each time one was dropped. Everyone was quiet. They could hear the screaming Infected run past the house and down the street, until nothing was heard. Silence... again.

Slowly then, their savior turned and smiled, "Welcome," he started, "Welcome to Shelter."

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AUTHORS OTHER NOTE: Just thought I'd give a shout out to Ethan56 for pointing out my small mistake in ch. 3 witch I shall address now... I said that Doyle was a marine, but he's actually U.S. army and for that I am truly sorry. AS yallz can see, I changed it up in this chapter and mentioned it a few times.

I'd also like to acknowledge one sentence that I used in the story witch was originally from and taken from the song, Fire Coming Out Of A Monkey's Head by the Gorillaz!

The first to find it will get to be the first to read the next chapter! Better get crackin!