Here's the next chapter everyone! This one took a bit longer since I had minor writer's block and had to study for an exam over the week. But now my exam is over and my three-week school break has began, so hopefully I had more time to write my stories.
Also, I know this is off-topic but please pray for Japan! By now, all of you have seen the destruction that the earthquake and tsunami have created on her and we must now pray and hope for her recovery. God bless Japan, the greatest country in the world!
Chapter 4
Vanille sat in the shower, curling herself up and wrapping her arms around her legs, silently sobbing.
"Hey there, you okay?"
Vanille looks up and sees hope entering the bathroom.
"Yeah, I'm fine." Vanille said, wiping a tear off from her eye.
"Back there, you totally scare us." Hope said.
"Yeah, I know. I'm sorry."
Hope enters the shower and sits next to Vanille to comfort her. "You said something about your brother. What happened to him?" He asked.
Vanille's eyes turned cold. "I was born in a small village in Brazil. My father, mother, brother and I lived in poverty and we were very poor. But we are still very happy as long as we had each other. But one day, when I was thirteen, a riot broke out in my village…and my brother…was one of the people who died." Vanille tried to suppress a sob but despite her best attempts, she was completely overcome by emotion and now shedding her tears. "The killer forced me to watch him kill my brother in front of me!"
Hope just stared back at her wordlessly, his expression badly distorted by the intense emotional pain in his heart. He couldn't help but feel sorry for her.
"Vanille, c'mon…don't cry…" Hope wraps his arm around Vanille, trying to comfort her.
"I really am the most unluckiest girl in the world. First, my brother died, then my family and I moved to America hoping to find a new life but we are soon running out of money…and now I'm trapped in this…this…nightmare!" Vanille wailed.
"It's okay Vanille. Everything's going to be fine. You heard what Lightning said. As long as we stick together, we will survive. All of us, including you will get out of here alive. I promise." Hope whispered.
Vanille eventually nodded her head slowly and leans her head on his shoulder.
Snow inserts a silencer into his M16 rifle.
"M16 rifle, eh? Nice choice." Lightning said to him as she walks over while putting three grenades into her pouch.
"Thanks." Snow said as he turns to her. "What weapon did you choose?"
"The M4 carbine. It's a more highly recommended rifle than the M16 because it's shorter, lighter, fires fully automatic and comes with a telescoping buttstock." Lightning said as she holds up her M4 carbine.
"Sounds nice." Snow said. "By the way, Serah told me you used to be a soldier stationed in Iraq."
"Yeah, she's right. I had my own squad too."
"What happened? What made you leave Iraq?" Snow said. Lightning's eyes grew cold and turns her head away, unsure of how to reply Snow's question.
"Guys."
Snow and Lightning turn their heads to Serah and Fang who walk over to them. Serah is carrying a MP5 submachine gun and carries a machete on her back while Fang is carrying a Mossberg 590 shotgun and has a Swiss combat knife strapped around her left thigh.
"I suggest we should only shoot an infected if they are coming for us so that we won't waste our ammunition and supplies." Serah said.
"Yes, that is a good idea, Serah. Looks like you learnt something from me after all." Lightning chuckled.
"We should also rescue survivors if we can find any." Snow said.
"Yes. And again, we have to stick together." Fang said.
Everyone turn their heads as Vanille and Hope step out of the bathroom.
"Are you two ready?" Serah asked.
"Yes, I'm ready." Vanille said as she holds up two SIG Sauer P226 pistols.
"Me too." Hope said as he carries an M40 Sniper Rifle.
"Alright, good luck everyone." Fang said. "Lightning, will you help me remove the barricade?"
"No problem." Lightning said with a nod. Serah, Snow, Hope and Vanille watch as Fang and Lightning remove the furniture and other objects from the door. The four took deep breaths and hold their guins tightly as they prepare for the fight of their lives. After Fang push away the last object from the door, she turns to Lightning and gave her a nod.
Lightning nods her head back before turning to the door and kicks it open.
The infected people turn their heads to their room as the door bursts open. Immediately, Lightning and Fang ran out of the room and shoot down all the infected people in the hallway.
After the hallway is cleared and all the infected people in the area are down, Lightning and Fang reload their guns before Lightning turns to the room and gestures Snow, Serah, Hope and Vanille to follow her and Fang.
They ran down the hallway and climb up the stairs to the next level.
As they enter the fifth level, they immediately heard a scream. Everyone turned to the room next to them and Fang gestures Lightning to open the door. Lightning kicks the door open and they see six infected people surrounding a female tourist, a male tourist and a bellboy.
Lightning, Fang, Snow, Serah, Vanille and Hope quickly lift up their guns and shot all the infected people through their heads.
After the six infected people fell to the floor, the three look up at their saviors.
"Thank you v-" The female tourist tried to say but got quickly interrupted by Serah.
"Not so loud." Serah whispered loudly. "We wouldn't want to get their attention."
"We're going to get out of here. Would you like to follow us?" Snow asked. The three nodded.
"Then grab something to defend yourselves with." Fang said.
Hope repeatedly presses the elevator button, but everybody sees the indicator and there is no response at all.
"It's no use. The elevator's not responding." Hope said.
"Then we'll have to reset and turn on the power again at the generator room." The bellboy, who is now holding a crowbar, said.
"Do you have some sort of map that can show us the location of the generator room?" Snow asked the bellboy. The bellboy nodded and he took out a hotel map from his pocket and hands it to Snow. Show unfolds the map and looks at it.
"It's at level 12." Snow said.
"That's 7 levels above our current level. We'll have to continue sticking together." Fang said.
"Let's go everyone." Lightning said before everybody continues climbing their way up to the top.
When they reach the sixth level, they see more infected people in the hallway. Vanille holds up her pistols, ready to shoot them but Serah holds out her arm in front of her, stopping her.
"Wait Vanille." Serah said. "Look at them." Everybody watch the infected people and even though some are in front of them, some are leaning their heads against the walls while others are walking around slowly in different directions. "They don't seem to be noticing us."
"Maybe they can't see us." Snow said.
"And maybe if we walk past them extremely quiet, they won't attack us." Hope said.
"But those are just theories." Fang said. "One of us has to volunteer to see if our theories are true."
Lightning closes her eyes and let out a sigh. "I'll volunteer." She said.
"Claire, are you going to be okay?" Serah said to Lightning.
"Look guys, if you all choose me and Fang to be the leaders, then it is my and Fang's responsibilities to keep you guys safe and make decisions." Lightning said.
Snow nodded in agreement. "Good luck, Lightning." He said.
"Thanks." Lightning said before walking over to the infected people very slowly and quietly. Lightning quietly let out a few deep breaths as honestly, she's extremely nervous and afraid that their theory might be false. She slowly approaches the nearest infected person. She stops walking and stood quietly. A few sweatdrops flow down the side of her head and she shuts her eyes as the infected person slowly walks over to her.
She opens her eyes again a few seconds later and to her surprise, the infected person is slowly walking pass her as if he didn't notice her. Lightning let out a quiet sigh before she kneels down and grabs a nearby high heel shoe that originally belongs to a now-infected woman. She throws the high-heel shoe as far as she could. When the shoe lands on the floor, all the infected people in the hallway turn around and walk over to the direction of the sound.
Lightning turns around and gestures all the survivors to follow her. Everyone nodded and quickly run quietly over to her.
Unfortunately, their safety is short-lived as the male tourist accidentally trips over a bloody crowbar that is laying on the floor. The male tourist falls to the floor and groan in pain. The others gasp as they turn to him. It also attracted the attention of the infected people and they all turn around and walk over to the survivors. Some infected people were also bursting out of the rooms and walking over to them as well.
"Dammit! So much for our safety!" Snow yelled.
"Fire!" Lightning yelled to everyone and they fire their guns at the infected people. One by one, the infected fell to the ground as they get shot by the rain of bullets.
Vanille repeatedly fire her pistols at the infected people in front of her. But she's unaware that one infected is walking over to her at her left side. Before the infected person could reach her however, Hope quickly fires his sniper rifle at him and shot through his forehead. Vanille turns her head and sees him fall to the ground.
"Thanks Hope!" Vanille smiled as she turns to him.
"Thank me later. Just keep firing." Hope smiled as he turns back to the front and aims his sniper rifle and three infected people. He fires his sniper rifle and the bullet shot through the foreheads of all three infected people in a row.
The male tourist however is having trouble trying to defend himself from the infected. He swings his fireaxe at the infected person in front of him, slashing off his head, but two more infected people are coming over to him by his sides. He let out a scream as the two infected managed to grab him by his arms and they both bite him on his shoulders.
"Gadot!" the female tourist cried in horror as a tear rolled down her cheek.
"Just go Lebreau! Run away while you still can!" Gadot yelled as another infected person wraps his arm around his neck and bites him on the back of his neck.
"You heard him!" Serah said as she grabs Lebreau's arm. "We have to get out of here. He can't be saved anymore!"
Lebreau turns to Serah with tearstained eyes and shakes her head sadly. She pulls out of Serah's grip and runs over to Gadot.
"No! Come back!" Serah yelled out to her.
"Let her go." Fang said to her. "There is nothing you can do. If you truly loved someone, you will have to die along with him."
"The path is clear!" Lightning yelled after she shot down the last infected person in front of her. "Let's keep moving!"
"Just go!" The bellboy yelled to Hope and Vanille before an infected person grabs him by the arm and bites his shoulder, making him yell in agony.
"What's your name?" Hope asked.
"Maqui!" The bellboy replied.
"Thank you Maqui! I will remember you for your bravery!"
"Come on!" Vanille grabs Hope's arm before they both follow after Lightning, Snow, Serah and Fang.
Lightning grits her teeth and narrows her eyes as they continue running down the hallway. They are still a long way from complete safety.
END OF CHAPTER