Hi guys, been a while hasn't it? Well I told you I'd eventually get back to it, and so I did. Hope I didn't take too long haha. Enjoy
POV: Riley
Was I scared? I couldn't say otherwise. I was thrown over the shoulder of a behemoth being carried away from the only real friends I'd known since the whole world fell to pieces. So yes. I was scared.
I was wondering why they saved me. The smoker pulled me away from certain death had I run underneath the collapsing ceiling. Though at this point I wasn't really sure what fate I preferred. My wrists were red and swelling from the material they had used to bind them, the corners of my lips in no better condition from what felt like a bandana they had tied around my head, gagging me. Did I mention in was blindfolded as well? Yeah, I was scared.
I heard bits and pieces of conversation, but I wasn't really listening. My only thoughts were the last words I'd heard from my friends. Especially Alex.
I'm coming back for you, don'cha worry girl, I'll be back for you!
I had to believe him, I had to hold onto that, and most of all. I had to stay alive.
Suddenly the brutish thing under me set me down. The floor under me was dirt, I could tell that much. Though that didn't sit quite right with me, I was relieved to be back on the ground at the cloth gag was taken out of my mouth and I fought the urge to scream. I knew all it would do was make them put it back on. My blindfold was removed as well.
I was preparing myself to see a bright light when they took my blindfold off but I was greeted by a very dark surrounding. Now that I was thinking about it, my skin began to feel cold and clammy as well. The binds on my wrists stayed in place making me whimper as pain shot up my arm every time I moved my hands. I looked around to find who had removed the two objects from my face and found a lone hunter standing in the darkness. It was Callum, the only male hunter in our group. Sarah was the only huntress. Sydney and Josh being male and female smokers. Then there was Bruce. Bruce was unique. The only humanoid tank we'd ever seen. he was a college football player before the outbreak. He brags that not much about him changed, though I highly doubt it. Callum spoke.
"Nice to see you again, deserter." The words were like venom spilling off his lips.
"I left for a reason. Wanna tell me why you brought me back?" I asked.
"Not really." he smirked, then he walked off, leaving me bound in the darkness.
Oh I wonder where my friends are.
POV-Alexander
It had been 7 hours 23 minutes 40- 41- 42 seconds since I had lost her and counting. I was so stupid, I should have done something, anything to stop them from taking her. There was nothing I could do about that now but get her back, so here I was walking the street, rifle in hand, friends at my side and Laz sniffing out Riley's scent. I didn't let my group know it, but I was scared. Scared for Riley, scared for my friends, scared we wouldn't make it to mercy before it was too late. I felt responsible for the small group of mismatched individuals. If anything happened to them, I would feel completely and utterly in wrong. Just like now. My heart was heavy and my legs even heavier after the hours of walking we'd done. Sarah had been relatively quiet the entire time we'd walked, Laz was silent as always, but Zoe, she was quiet too, uncharacteristic of her. I guess I wasn't the only one who was feeling down.
"Let's stop here for a while." I said, lowering the pack off of my shoulders.
I didn't want to stop but we'd never get to Riley if we couldn't walk. I heard a relieved sigh from Zoe as she too lowered the backpack off of her back. Laz seemed less than worried about stopping. He sat on the curb of the street, leaning back on his arms. Sarah also seemed to be in an infinite loop of energy, her body not seeming to need the rest. I guessed it must have something to do with being a hunter. I looked at the apartment building behind us, the windows boarded up and the doors as well. I looked at Sarah, remembering some of her talents from back when we traveled together.
"Sarah, think you can get that door open?" I asked.
She turned to inspect the shoddily covered door, "Broken or in tact?"
"In tact would be preferred." I said with a smile.
She smiled back before walking to the door. She grabbed the plywood plank covering the entrance and ripped it from the doorframe, nails tinkling to the ground. When she tried the handle on the door it proved to be locked.
She sighed in frustration, "This might be loud."
Laz and Zoe covered their ears as she turned to her left and kicked the door with her right foot. The door's knob busted inwards and the door's lock was ripped from it's hold, the door swinging open with a loud crack and splintering of wood. She dusted her hands and gestured inside.
"Ladies first." she said in a mocking tone.
I smiled a bit as I stepped inside, "You guys stay out here for a bit, I'll check it out first."
I waked in, magnum drawn and looked to my right and left as the foyer opened up into a small kitchen and living room. I kept a keen eye out for any movement as I cleared the two rooms and proceeded up the stairs. When my feet cleared the wood stairs and met carpet once more there were two rooms on either side of the hall. One of the doors opened to reveal a bedroom. I walked to the open door, the first one on my right. I peeked in and saw nothing of interest. I moved across the hall and placed my hand on the knob. As I twisted the knob and felt the door begin to open the door stopped. I shoved the door a bit harder and felt the thing move a bit out of the way. I pushed once more and got the door opened enough for me to slip in through.
I placed my first combat boot through the door and into the bathroom. It was mighty dark in the tiled room, containing a shower and a toilet, a sink and not much else. I reached into my jacket's pocket and pulled out my flashlight, clicking on the light. I skimmed the room with my light and saw specks of blood covering the shower, thickening as I crushed over the sink. I felt my foot step in something wet, and sticky. I pointed my flashlight at the ground and lifted my boot to find the bottom covered in blood, the floor as well. I gulped down my fear and closed the door behind me to get a better look at the room. I heard a thud from behind e and whirled to look at it. On the floor, blocking the door was the body of a young woman, no older than Zoe. The wall beside her was covered in blood and flesh and chunks of bone.
My stomach turned a flip and my gag reflex activated, making me almost puke. I turned my head away for a moment and retched, gagging on the sudden stench that hit my nose. I looked back at the woman, whose black hair was now painted with red, one side of her head having a tremendous hole in it. I looked her over more closely, seeing in her right hand a glock. I saw it now, I saw it replay in my head what happened. This girl was here, alone, maybe bitten maybe just terrified and she had taken her own life. This only went to remind me what kind of world we now lived in. I crouched down in front of her and reached up to her face. I closed her eyelids and closed my own eyes as well, the stench of rotting brain matter overwhelming but not so much that I couldn't pay respects to her. I picked up her limp body and held it in my arms, placing her in the shower. I moved to the sink and washed off my hands and arms of her blood and grabbed a rag. I was glad the water still ran in this part of town, in some it had failed.
I wet the rag and went to work, wiping up blood and re-wetting the rag. I repeated his several times until most of the blood was gone, as much as one rag would get anyways. I tossed the rag into the sink and closed the shower curtain. I exited the room quietly and walked downstairs, back into the street. It had begun to fall dark and I ushered them inside, closing the door.
"What took you so long?" asked Zoe.
"Nothing, just-don't go in the upstairs shower." I said, trying to sound calm.
"Alright, whatever you say."
I placed a small table against the door and walked to the couch in the living room. I heard chatter in the background as I went to lay down, but it all washed over me as I fell asleep immediately after letting my head hit the pillow.
