Wanderers,
I'm sorry about the wait on this chapter. However, instead of trying to take the time to explain my absence, I'll just show you a reply I gave to a PM I received.
Thank you so much for your interest in the story! I love getting messages from readers who are so enthralled. That's the whole reason I write, after all.
However, I recently started my full time healthcare job. Nursing is a very demanding and taxing profession and I sometimes struggle to make it into the shower after a day at work, let alone sit down and write a chapter. I know it isn't very fair but I'm trying my best to get adjusted and find a way to make my career and my hobby of writing work. I want you to know that I have every full intention of finishing this story. I love it too much to let it die just because it's hard to find time to write. I know I don't update as often as I used to because I struggle with managing time well and nursing is so stressful, but I am going to make this story happen. I have to find a balance of this story, my other fic, and school/work. I WILL find a way to do it. Please allow me a bit of human flaw, though I know it's hard to wait. Thank you so much for your understanding and support. :)
~ Eliza
That about sums it up. I'm seriously just busy. I have every full intention of writing as often as I can.
Thank you so much for the love and support,
~Eliza
Axel tried to yank his hand free from the biter's grasp but the teeth were lodged in too deeply. He struggled and screamed simultaneously while Sora stared in horror.
The horde would be at the door in a matter of seconds. They would storm the only opening, run them down, and rip their flesh off of their bones while burning them to a crisp. Sora nearly vomited at the thought of dying that way.
He whipped the hatchet out. He knew what had to be done.
"Hold still!" The brunet grabbed hold of Axel's arm above the bite and swallowed down his fear. There was no time for being scared right now. There were two realities in front of him: getting out alive or dying a horribly gruesome death. He wasn't going to let the former happen.
He drew the hatchet above his head and swung down. Axel wasn't facing him when he did it; the red head had no idea what was coming. If Sora hadn't have been standing so close he would have collapsed on the ground, but he fell on the brunet instead.
"Fuck!" Axel roared in agony. His knees buckled as Sora hacked at his hand.
Smash.
Smash.
Smash.
His hand came off in the biter's mouth. Sora quickly kicked the zombie out of the way while Axel fell to the floor, writhing in pain. Once the doors were safely closed the brunet turned his attention to his friend.
Blood. Blood everywhere. How could he be bleeding so much? Did he even have that much blood?
Axel rolled onto his back and clutched his arm close to himself. He couldn't form coherent words or sentences; he shrieked non-stop and barely stopped to breathe. Sora yanked him from under his good arm and pulled him to his feet. He used his shoulder to support the tattooed man and began the slow, tedious, and painful journey up the stairs and out of the basement.
They made it to the top and discovered the door was locked. Axel collapsed on the steps and grit his teeth to try to contain some of his screaming, but eventually his efforts failed and he began hollering once more.
Axel had never pictured himself getting bitten. He had imagined it happening to his friends, to Namine, and to Roxas. His nightmare came true when Namine turned and was put down in front of him. His worst nightmare nearly became a reality when they thought Roxas had been bitten, and when Roxas nearly died.
The red-head didn't spend a lot of time thinking about what would happen if he was bitten. He figured it'd be sad for a few moments. He guessed it would hurt, but he'd either be shot before the real pain could begin, or he'd simply live through the despair and turn. Once he had turned nothing would matter anymore. It wouldn't matter what happened to Riku, or Sora, or Roxas. Once he was a monster he couldn't feel things like love, or emptiness. He'd feel nothing.
He was right about being bitten hurting. He had felt it the second the zombie took his flesh into its mouth. Once the teeth sank in he could feel the instantaneous burning sensation travel into the rest of his hand. It spread to his fingers first. They had coiled and began to twitch. They had felt like they were on fire. He didn't want to know what it felt like once it spread through your entire body. His hand had been terrible enough.
But getting his hand cut off was torture. It was pain beyond explanation of imagination. The burning sensation in his fingers had been nothing compared to the raw, damaged flesh and hacked off bones that were exposed on his wrist. The burning sensation that had been in his hand was gone, sure, and he wouldn't turn. But was it worth it? Was not turning truly worth the monstrous amount of pain he was experiencing? If he had turned he'd have felt that burning sensation for only a few minutes more. He'd have felt it travel up his arm. He'd have felt it hit his chest, his vital organs, and he'd be done. He'd seize. He'd throw up. He'd turn. He'd never have to feel pain again.
He felt as if he'd feel the haunting memory of the hatchet hacking through his flesh forever, though.
"You've got to be fucking kidding me!" Sora kicked against the door and yelled with anger when it wouldn't come undone. He bashed his fists against it and tried a few more unsuccessful kicks before becoming so enraged he threw himself against the locked door. It flew open and he tumbled to the ground, hissing in pain when he slid against the tile. He struggled back to his feet and hoisted the red head out of the stairwell and into the hall.
He knew no one would hear them on this side of the safe-house. There wasn't anyone close to here and he was sure that Seifer would make sure no one would be looking for them. It was up to Sora to get Axel to medical attention, and by the look of the blood trail on the ground he didn't have long before it was useless.
"I'm picking you up." Sora explained to the man screaming on the floor. He grabbed Axel as best he could and hoisted him up into the air. His cries of pain became even more intense as he was jostled around. Sora didn't have the time to be gentle.
Axel's feet dragged on the ground as Sora moved as quickly as he could through the safe-house. He made it to the door of the exchange and burst through, quickly looking around for anyone to help. The entire kitchen area was empty and no one sat at any of the tables.
"Help!" Sora began screaming as loud as he could over Axel's tortured cries. He was hoping that someone in one of the rooms near the exchange would hear him and be able to help carry the red-head. He was just too large for Sora to keep moving on his own.
The brunet's knees gave out underneath him. He and Axel tumbled to the ground without anything to stop their fall. Axel rolled a few feet and let out another anguished yelp of pain while holding the bloodied, hacked off part of his hand. He was losing so much blood, but Sora didn't have the strength to take him any further.
Sora landed on his back. Hard.
He cried out as lightning bolts of pain shot through his spine and seared throughout his body. He closed his eyes and clenched his jaw, trying to ignore the pain so he could get back up again and find help. He was incapable of moving, though. He lay helpless on the ground while Axel bled out next to him.
Riku looked at the cowboy suspiciously. He could sense the shift in the air while Irvine eyed the Silveret up and down as well. They were at a stale-mate, completely enthralled in each other's glance. The air between them could have been cut through it seemed so thick.
"I'm not going to fold." Riku finally stated after a long silence. Irvine sighed and lowered his cards from his face.
"If you're not going to fold then this game is going to go on forever, because neither am I." He shook his head and smirked at the Silveret.
"Then I guess we're going to be here all night, huh?" Riku returned the grin and placed his cards down on the table. "I'm thirsty, though. Want to head to the exchange with me to get a drink?"
"You're just trying to distract me so you can switch your cards, you dirty cheater!" Irvine pretended to be outraged and threw his hands on the table in disbelief. Riku rolled his eyes and smiled.
"Damn, Irvine, you caught me in the act. I'm trying to rig this completely harmless poker game because there's just soooo much at stake right now." Riku pointed to the table to make note of the fact that they were playing for stale pretzels that were past their expiration date.
"Hey, man, those look delicious and you know it." The two men made their way out of Irvine's room and into the hall. Luckily, his room was the closest one to the exchange, so they didn't have too far to travel.
They made it halfway there when they heard the screaming. Riku's eyes went wide as he tried to strain his ears to hear the noise better. Where is it coming from? He thought wildly as he turned from side to side, trying to figure out which way to go.
"I think it's coming from the exchange!" Riku blurted out before starting to take off in that direction. Irvine grabbed his arm, though,and stopped him in his tracks.
"Maybe we should tell the Boss, or get someone else to check it out…" He looked at the offending hallway with worry on his face. Riku stared at him in astonishment.
"Someone could need our help!" He tried to wiggle free of Irvine's grasp, but the Cowboy held on in fear.
"Or, someone broke in to the safe-house and is murdering everyone and if we run in there we're next." Kinneas explained.
Riku took a moment to look the older man over. He was most definitely taller than Riku, but Riku had more muscle. He wasn't small by any means, though, and could easily take the Silveret in a fight if he wanted to. He had displayed his abilities before when he fought Axel after trying to shoot Roxas. He wasn't weak.
"We're going to see if they need help." Riku stated matter-of-factly before hearing another set of screaming start. His eyes focused on Irvine's face before he took off in a full on sprint toward the exchange.
"Riku, Riku wait up!" Irvine called out after him as he trailed behind. The Silveret made no effort to let him catch up, though.
"Sora?" He called out in front of him, having recognized the scream as his ex-lovers. What's happening? Riku couldn't help but feel panic crawl into his throat as he ran. What was wrong? Who was hurting Sora?
The two men skidded into the exchange and looked around for the source of the screaming. They could hear it echoing everywhere. Off of the walls, the floor, the long tables, and the archways that separated the kitchen and the dining area. Where are they? Riku whirled around with no luck.
"Riku!" He heard Sora call his name in the midst of a particularly long and agonized scream from someone else. Who else is screaming?
The Silveret moved deeper into the Exchange and continued searching. Why couldn't he find them? He was looking everywhere. Where else could he search?
The floor. He had nearly missed the pair on the floor behind an archway's support system. They had been hidden from view at the entrance of the Exchange, but now they were in plain sight. Riku felt his skin go cold and clammy as he looked at the two men on the ground.
Sora's face was screwed up in pain as he lay motionless on the ground. He had his eyes clamped shut and his teeth were biting his bottom lip to keep from crying out.
Axel, on the other hand, was making no effort to be quiet. He held what was left of his wrist and shrieked in agony as blood poured out around him. Riku quickly made note of the size of the blood puddle. It was too big. He was dying.
He wasted no time in hollering for Irvine. The Cowboy went pale on the sight and backed away from the two men, but Riku forced him to help carry Axel to the medical wing. They had the red-head hoisted in the air, yelling in pain, when the Silveret turned his head to look at Sora.
"I'm coming back for you." He said with urgency. They began to carry Axel away, but Riku couldn't tear his eyes off of the man he loved. "I promise, I'm coming back to get you!" He cried out as they left the brunet writhing in agony on the floor.
