This is a 10th special chapter, hope you enjoy this!
Chapter 10: Special Guests
After applying a new set of bandages on his injured leg, Sinichi turns to look past the mesh and toward the front window. Dante Leone, sitting on the passenger seat, rubs the back of his neck nervously as Aka drives the ambulance dangerously through the crowd of Them. The ambulance jumps and bounces as the wheels race over the pile of dead bodies. Once the ambulance tipped too far to the side, nearly flipping over, but with Aka's quick reflexes, she manages to avoid flipping it on its side.
There is a metal bridge spanning over fifty meters over a huge river up ahead. To their dismay, it is lifted. The sun is setting, glazing the ocean to their right a hot pink and orange. It is a beautiful sight that made them forget all about the apocalypse for a moment. Once they turn back to the bridge, everything seemed to have been darkened. It is sinister and ominous. Aka and Leone alights the vehicle to scout ahead for a moment. The others soon follow suit, standing side by side, staring up at the raised metallic bridge. It is held up by strange mechanisms and gears the seems to interlock with much complexity. A gust of wind brushes past the iron bridge making it creak loudly. Up on the walkway, a figure approaches over the rail bars. His glasses, it is definitely a guy, shines and reflects over the remaining sunlight that slowly descends down the horizon. With a hard enough look, Tomi could actually make out the boy's face. A high school boy, slightly short and overweight. He has black shoulder length hair with bangs that reaches to the side of his temple. His bangs seem to stretch outwards, obscuring the side of his face. What attracts everyone's attention was the assortment of guns he had with him. He was like a moving gun shop. He greets everyone below with a warm wave and a smile.
"Hello down there!" He drops his hand back down to the rail bars.
"Hello! Could you lower the bridge so we can drive through?" Aka asks with nervousness in her voice.
"Wish I could but I can't. This whole district is out of power. If you can restore the power in the power plant not too far from here, the control box over there," He points to a bulky box that looks like the controls for the bridge, he then continues, "Will work once again." He places a hand above his brow to look at something in the distance. He squints his eyes then points to a building that was almost swallowed in darkness. "I can see the power plant from here. Get there and restore the power. We'll be waiting for you." He informs then proceeds to rest his elbows on the rail bars.
"There are more survivors other than yourself?" Sinichi asks, taking a limp forward.
"Yes, there are." He answers after taking a quick look behind him. "I think it is best if you make haste to the power plant. The streets and alleyways are going to get dark."
"You're right, thanks." Sinichi bows politely. He looks back up at him with a puzzled look. "Um, I didn't quite catch your name."
"It's Kohta, Kohta Hirano." He smirks.
XxX
The sky had already turned black. Tomi stares into the void for a brief moment, but it felt like ages. She felt drifted and disoriented but once she looks away, her senses returns.
"Tomi, are you okay?" Aka asks worriedly.
"I'm fine." She answers.
After turning the next corner, the others are faced with another dead end. Sinichi clicks his tongue with annoyance and feels the wall with his hand.
"This is going no where." His focus suddenly shifts to a metallic ladder that was hidden in the darkness. R.D points his flash light at it, noticing how rusted it has gotten. "I'll take a look from the roof. I'll cover you guys from there. And while I was in the ambulance," He digs into his pocket and reveals a walkie talkie the size of a human palm. "I took these." He pass one to Aka and kept the other for himself. "That way, we can communicate efficiently."
"You're not coming with us?" Leone asks with much confusion.
"Not with my injury. I'll only slow you guys down. Don't worry, I'll use this baby." He taps his Howa 1500. Thanks to Kohta Hirano, he had been given a new scope for his sniper rifle. Though not impressed by how Sinichi has treated his sniper rifle, Sinichi had explained that it was a misunderstanding and he had simply found the rifle in its already current condition, ruined.
Sinichi takes a careful step on the first rung of the rusted ladder and rests his injured leg upon the other. He clambers up, feeling the others watching him carefully in case he falls. If he does fall, R.D would be there to catch him. He made it up without any problem. It is dark and it's hard to see eight feet in front of himself. He carefully takes a step forward, but something manages to hit the tip of his shoe. He takes his phone out and shines a dim light at whatever he had hit. He nearly dropped his phone at what he had seen.
XxX
The others reach a small park after walking up an incline. R.D scans the area with his flash light, noticing several corpses littered on the floor and benches. The stench is so unbearable, it made everyone retch for a moment. It took them a while before they got used to the smell. Aka and Tomi felt disgusted and surely the smell would stick on them. Leone notices something about the corpses. Each and every corpses were riddled with bullets. Pieces of their flesh and cloth from their clothes are strewn all over the floor almost confetti like. A party must have been held here. A party of death. Leone and R.D chuckles at the thought for a brief moment, then proceeds to walk around the corpses, in case they ever decide to get back up and eat their flesh. Aka and Tomi walks around them, but opposite from where R.D and Leone are. The power station is visible up ahead.
"Guys, are you guys there?" Sinichi frantically calls through the walkie talkie.
Aka responds, "Yes, we are here."
"Good news. This rooftop was used as refuge!" He exclaims excitedly. Through the walkie, Aka could have sworn she heard pages flipping on the other end. "I have found a book containing a list of radio stations and evacuation locations. There's a map here too." Aka could hear Sinichi unfolding the map. There are buildings circled with a red marker." There is a short pause as Sinichi matches the evacuation locations with the circles on the map. "Only a few evacuation locations are still available and it is on the other side of that raised bridge."
"Noted. We'll get the power back as soon as we can." Leone chimes in, responding with full confidence.
"Good luck." Two beeps cuts the communication off. Aka tightly grips the walkie in one hand while holding her katana in the other. A strong gust of wind blows through the trees and past the gaps of the benches. Several canned drinks fall to the floor, emitting a loud, metallic clang. It rolls toward the survivors, filling them with dread. There's silence for a moment. The calm before the storm.
A loud screech echoes into the sky and it seems to fall down onto them like tons of weight. They hear something. Footsteps, lots of footsteps rushing up the incline that reaches the park. Way off at the entrance, the survivors see dark figures. They're running with an incredible speed and they seem to be running toward them.
"Guys, run run! It's Them! Run!" Sinichi screams over the walkie talkie. It beeps harshly in Aka's hand. They got the info, but their legs seem to be stuck in place with horror. They quickly take a few steps back, staring into a hundred furious eyes. "RUN!" Sinichi screams one last time and fires a few shots that takes some of the closest one down. The bullet that whizzed from the rooftop shakes their terrors off, temporarily. They quickly spin away and dashed for the power station, not looking back.
They still have ways to go but dashing quickly shortens the distance. Leone's panting rapidly, trying to keep up with the others. He could hear their growls behind him and the nails that scratches the tip of his back. Without a moment of hesitation, he points the shotgun behind him, past his shoulder, and pulls the trigger. Loud screams of pain deafens him and it dazed him for a brief moment. He's breathing heavily now, running slower with every passing moment. He stops to take a breath, then peeks back. He wished he hadn't done it.
There were about hundreds of Them running down the small slope that leads to the pathway he's at. All of them, running and screeching like crows in a corn field. He turns back to find the survivors all waiting for him, breathing heavily.
"Let's go Leone!" Tomi gestures frantically. Leone nods tiredly and jogs to them.
"What the hell? Why are they running?" Leone questions through rapid, harsh breaths.
"Guys, keep running! I can't get them all you know!" Sinichi yells through the walkie.
"Shut up! We know!" Aka snaps back furiously.
Without a moment to waste, the others continue their way to the power plant with only a few kilometres left.
The gate and guard booth are in sight, and so are the runners that are catching up behind them. The gate is opened and all that is left is to close it. Leone is the last one to run through. They quickly shut the gate, forcing it close. It slams against the end and locks itself. A mechanical beep assures this. The runners reach to the metallic gate, slamming their hands on it and trying to break it down. The survivors takes several steps back, afraid the gate won't hold.
It did hold, however, the runners had other plans in mind. They clamber up the gate and over it.
"Hooleee sh- Quickly into the power station!" R.D orders with his finger pointed to the front doors. They dart towards the building with Leone giving it all his got. His breathing starts to get difficult and he start to run with a slouch. One of the runner catches up to him and proceeds to jump on top of him. Leone shuts his eyes and awaits his death. A faint bang, off in the distance, was all that he had heard. Nothing else came.
"Leone! Hurry up! Sinichi will cover us from the rooftop!" Aka said.
He turns back to the rooftop but it's barely visible from here. He couldn't even see Sinichi.
I owe you one... He thought and a thin smile stretches across his face. The door finally opens after Tomi had broken the lock. Everyone quickly enters and shuts the door behind them. Using a plank that was conveniently placed beside it, they barred the door. They are safe, but only for now.
XxX
Sinichi looks through the scope and fires off his last round. A splat of blood emitting out from its head gave him the feeling of satisfaction.
"Take that you stupid wanker." He softly imitates an Australian accent. He looks through the scope once again, looking around at the wandering runners. One manages to catch his attention. "What the?" He knows he is imagining it but something tells him he is not. It is too real to be surreal. He gulps, then breaths softly against the barrel of his rifle. Through the scope, one of the runner seems to be looking right at him, into the scope. He rests the dot of his scope slightly above his target, taking gravity into consideration. He then squeezes the trigger, but only a dry click was all that he had heard. He is empty and there are no more clips for him. He sees the runner opening its mouth into what seems like a scream. It then runs away from the power plant with the other runners following behind the first.
"Did it... see me?"
The screeches got louder and more deafening, but they were still kilometres away. Sinichi's heart starts to beat wildly and cold sweat starts to run down the side of his face. He pulls away from the edge of the roof, frantically looking for a place to hide.
Yes, yes it did!
Highschool of the Dead. Surviving Z-Day.
I'm not too sure if that was a cliffhanger ending, but mind you, I won't end all endings with a cliffhanger. It feels like I'm not giving the characters any break from their hardships and yes, I do think characters are the same as breathing, living human beings. I do hope you have enjoyed this chapter! Thanks for reading!
Next time on Surviving Z-Day!
"Freeze!"
"I'm simply looking for something to entertain me."
"Now let us see how much you bleed."
"You've been, THUNDER STRUCK!"
"Sinichi, what happened? Sinichi? SINICHI!"