Zoey peered around outside at the cold grey world. The white frost covered everything in a fresh layer of snow; including the sick who froze to death in the middle of the night. She nodded at Bill who returned the gesture before stepping up as everyone waited from behind them. The whole group woke up sore; sleeping on the ground did not help their conditions. They resumed their trek, snow and ice crunched under footfall.
"Senpai, you can't take it with you." Keirstan stated dryly with hands to hips.
"I ain't leaving this box behind." Kayla sat in said box with her bag while changing batteries from her flashlight. They had found her closed up inside sleeping, according to her it was a pinch warmer. "Well then how do you plan on carrying it around?" Keirstan gestured with her hand, envisioning her old friend inching her way out of the warehouse and down the sidewalk from inside, the infected would probably be confused seeing a cardboard box jerking pass. Not knowing how it was moving.
Jordan ran up and kicked the cardboard hard, resulting a cry of protest from the occupant. "Go you jackass, the box isn't worth it."
"Francis and Beth! Come get your Cat." Keirstan called as they bickered at one another yet again. Both looked over at what was going on, seeing a pair of hands swatting at Beth's partner who grunted and rolled his eyes when he tried to bribe her to come out by stealing her flashlight. Francis simply pushed the box over, "I'm sure you'll find plenty more later on." He assured. The biker slanted his eyes when Kayla started rambling where she laid. "Why are you yelling?"
"I want to be sure you can hear my voice from way up there! You're so tall sometimes I wonder if you can!"
"Loud 'n clear," he reached down to help the older sister up when she refused to rise. She latched onto his arm, Francis instantly lifted her up with ease until she dangled in the air, her legs tucked in. "Holy shit," Keirstan muttered, taken back at his strength.
"Set to go?" They were eye level with each other.
"Not without my box."
Beth sighed and marched over, "move it." She went to punch her sibling and she flailed, dropping to the ground before Beth could hit her soft spot. "Oh hell," Jordan giggled as Francis caught her. "Stop! I hate my stomach being touched." Kayla argued.
"We know."
Bill called over his shoulder to them, "when you children are sure of that, we'll be out here. Take caution it looks slippery."
"Say the same for your bad knee grandpa." Francis retorted back, "wouldn't want ya skatin' and ballerinin' around like that Tank out there."
"You'll be ballerining when I'm through with you."
"That Tank had dreams!" Louis defended. Despite his limp and injuries, he leapt out towards the road spreading his arms apart. "You just got to believe!" He started sliding and dancing around; Amber snickered as she pointed at something from inside the entrance. "'How to not get murdered when stepping outside.'" She read the scribbled message. "'...I don't think there is a way. Just run and pray nothing gets you.'" Amber tensed with a frown at the last part.
Ian shrugged, "we've done good so far."
Louis skated down the road, "we should find new weapons before anything else." Zoey suggested, "there might be a police station or sears around here we could raid." The analyst slammed into a car with a loud, pained grunt.
"Yup." Bill agreed. They passed through the ruined area, some glancing at the eerie vacant buildings. A small group of shaking infected were scavenging through garbage, they whimpered with desperate eyes. One bumped into another, causing it to lash out, the first one growled as it swatted in return. Soon they were attacking each other wildly, making the rest jump back and snarl in agitation. The two began biting into the other's opponent and tear flesh from bone, swallowing it whole eagerly during their fight. Lingering sick sneered at them when they all started turning on each other. Snow swelled around them as they punched, kicked and shoved one another down, the white ground turning red as they brawled and consumed their own meat.
"Oh God," Beth repulsed in a mutter.
Everyone looked on at the sight. Louis, Ian, Keirstan and Amber couldn't help but feel a little sorry for them, although there was nothing they could do. The survivors quickly turned the other way. Leaving the rioting, starving infected behind to kill themselves.
"Do you think they'll become Wendigos?" Ian asked for some humor as he looked back at them from the corners of his eyes, while traveling through another alleyway. Jordan stiffened, glancing at him. "I think that'd be worse than what's already out to kill us." He shivered, "those things are scary."
"So are Skinwalkers." Zoey stated. "What's a...Wendi...Skin…?" Keirstan turned to them with confusion and curiosity in her voice.
"They're both Native American creatures. Skinwalkers are witches who wear the skins of animals and are able to shapeshift into any living creature. Including people. Wendigos are spirits who possess people that've eaten human flesh and make them into cannibals. Some sightings I've heard describe them as looking like Deer. But that's false, they're seeing something else. If you know the Supermassive game Until Dawn, that's what a real Wendigo actually looks like."
"Fucking awesome game too." Kayla mused.
"Do you think they're real? Be honest." Keirstan inquired.
Zoey spread her hands out a little. "Haven't seen one and hoping not to. But I think there's too many stories for them not to exist. So…"
"I think so. Indians don't lie or make things up." Kayla added.
"Dorks." Francis smirked, earning himself a look from Zoey. "Don't be calling us dorks, you're open-minded with everything too. Remember the infected are 'vampires.'" She blackmailed. He blinked, "mm…" turning away, the biker glanced up and spotted a snow covered logo hanging above on another warehouse once out in a second opening. He mouthed the title and sighed before a scowl spread across his face. "I drove for Hersch once. Until some guy laughed at my little brown shorts, and I beat 'im to death."
Beth instantly tried to hold back the snicker trying to escape from her when she saw Amber eye him in extreme astonishment. He walked ahead, she watched him go. "Did he really?..." She asked, looking at Beth with slight fear. She pursed her lips and shook her head, "no" she waved it off. Amber relaxed.
"Close though."
Another frightened look.
"He sent the guy to the hospital in critical condition. They got in an argument in the man's doorway until he started mocking his uniform and...yeah. He's alright n-uh, not sure now."
An open frown stretched down Amber's features, making Beth laugh into her shoulder.
Bill looked around at the scattered structures and spotted a tractor supply in the distance. "There," he nudged with his head, "we could probably find something in this place."
Hurrying over to the large store, the survivors spotted infected running towards the battered double doors from inside. As they pried them open, they were decapitated or had their throats cut as the group went by and started their hunt for new weapons.
"Where do you think there could be a gun store around here?" Ian asked, Zoey looked back outside.
"Once we're done here we'll-"
Zoey pointed at something in the distance, "hey, I was right! There's a police station just down there." She gazed at her comrades as they looked back, "there's your answer."
"Alright, why don't we split up and we'll meet halfway. Those who need new guns can head over there, those who need new melees will stay here." Bill planned out.
The veteran, Amber, Zoey and Ian headed back out with the others venturing further inside the building, quickly spreading apart in threes.
"Wait, Ian needs a new weapon here, why is he going with them?" Francis watched them leave.
"Amber." Beth answered.
"Oh."
Soon after Keirstan was scanning her eyes around as she walked down a rotting, dusty aisle. There was already someone crashing around from a few lanes away, making her cringe and glare in the direction.
"Jesus Christ guys," she glanced at the remaining items hung up on hooks from either side. Her features lightened upon finding some cricket bats. Picking one up and brushing a thing layer of dust off, Keirstan looked it over before making some practice swings, followed by a couple downward strikes.
As she left the aisle there was a strange whooping sound. She witnessed Jordan come swaying out from an opposite lane, swinging a sledgehammer about and hitting everything around him while laughing a Wilford Warfstache laugh.
"Jordan, what the hell are you thinking? Stop making noise!" Louis scowled as he marched up to him, "we don't know what's in here."
"Says the one who was yelling and dancing around outside."
Louis went to say something but stopped while Keirstan side glanced him. "He's got you there."
Jordan nodded as the analyst suppressed a sigh and he continued swinging about. "But seriously, you should stop because…" Keirstan's voice trailed off when all heard the faint sound of a door squeak open. Coughing and desperate gagging sounded while something else knocked items over from a shelf out of sight. Gurgling wafted from the murky corridor as Francis and the sisters approached the three from behind. Everyone stared ahead when a Boomer waddled into view.
"Good job," Louis whispered sarcastically, holding a thumb up while the six quietly backed away, the Boomer looked around in confusion. It appeared thinner than what they were used to seeing from all the vomiting. It held its stomach as its face contorted in pain and dry heaved, while the coughing was heard from behind them now. "Shit...what are we gonna do?" Kayla whispered.
"This," Francis gently pushed the two back and motioned the others to move further away until they were at a safe distance. Although the Boomer wasn't as bloated, these fucks were full of surprises. Louis and Keirstan were pointing their firearms at the special while it walked further in sight as Francis made some careful steps forward, reaching out for a stuffed puppy teddy. His eyes flicked from the item to the threat until he grasped it. The coughing was closer now; the biker placed the toy against the end of his barrel and held it in place against a glass display case.
Beth turned around right as a Smoker manifested from behind them. In a silent panic she went to warn her partners when Jordan rushed passed them. "I got it don't worry."
Francis closed one eye, murmuring to himself waiting for the Boomer to stand in perfect line. The Smoker hissed from behind, Keirstan and Louis glanced back and forth at the two scenes. Jordan was Wilford Warfstache laughing again, bashing the Smoker's tongue away and raising the hammer high.
"Thank you," Francis said before he fired. There wasn't much noise as the bullet shot through the plushie, the only sound being the glass shattering onto the floor. The Boomer staggered backwards when its stomach blew open. Intestines spilled onto the floor, vomit and fluid splattered everything nearby before it dropped. He rested his shotgun on his shoulder, turning to his younger survivors. "Problem solved."
"Nice one."
The Smoker hastily backed up, clawing at the survivor when Jordan brought the sledgehammer down hard on its head with a sickening crack. Caving it in deeply and breaking its neck. The special continued to stagger around clumsily, it twitched and grabbed the air before falling to the side. Where it laid, the body curled inwards shaking before going still.
"Maybe I'll keep the hammer." He grinned.
"Nah dude," Beth disagreed as Kayla rummaged through knives in the glass. "You should grab another axe, it'll become too heavy to carry eventually."
"Ah, fine." He dropped it on the body and headed into another asile.
Kayla compared her knife to another, holding the two blades next to each other. Satisfied the new weapons were an exact match, she debated on taking a black one or one of the same color. She went with the same color and sheathed both before following Francis and Beth.
The biker observed different machetes and took one in his hold. Flipping it over in his hand, he glanced to the side when Beth called to him. "What?"
Smiling, she held up a small pocket knife to him. He slouched his shoulders, "what can I do with that thing?"
"You'd be surprised," she joked. He shook his head dismissively. "Alright, I'm all set." He announced as they walked off to regroup with the others, Jordan had found a new axe and hatchet for Ian. "Let's head out for the others."
Once maneuvering through messy walkways and fallen obstacles, then grabbing the last of small snacks and little water supplies stocked where the cash registers were, the six squeezed through the double doors. Only to be hit by a cold gust that whipped pieces of ice into their eyes at once. Everyone cried out at the feeling shielding their faces, until Francis took the lead before he looked around. "Where's the?-Oh." He walked ahead for the station, the girls close to him for some protection from the wind. Louis and Jordan trudged behind, occasionally looking back to see if they were being stalked. The doors were pulled open, and they just about bumped into the rest of their group, startling both sides.
"Fu…" Bill mouthed the rest of the curse as he turned away. He held some papers in his hand as Zoey motioned for them to come in. "I think we found where the army may be stationed at." She stated with pride.
They stared at her, half doubtful, half taken back. "Wait, really?" Francis mused.
Soon, a map of U.S military outposts was spread across a desk. Illuminated by flashlights, many of the circles have been crossed off with red X's. Next to it was a map of CEDA showing how far the infection spread. It had crept into Canada, wiped out all of the east coast and had traveled into the west. Every place was crossed out as being far too gone to be saved. It didn't look good, no one knew how long it's been since this was updated. It was most likely so much worse now.
The only good sign being a mark circling a place far down south.
"New Orleans?" Keirstan guessed.
"New Orleans. This map tells us where the military is, where they've been and where they're going." Bill traced his finger around the map as everyone encircled the desk. "Once we get to them, that's where we'll be heading. Right now they're in Riverside." He stood tall and fished out a new packet of cigarettes, lit one and stuck it between his lips. "And we'll finally be rid of this fucking nightmare."
"Finally," Louis breathed a sigh of relief. He eyed the cancer stick, "I saw you run out in the subway."
Bill motioned with his eyes over at a second desk, flashing a light on the body of a frozen dead sheriff slouched in a chair. "Gave me a generous donation."
"Well we ain't walkin' to Riverside." Francis punched his arms in the air to stretch them, "unless you want to freeze."
Ian poked him after Jordan handed him his new hatchet, "we saw a sign about a truck depot not far from here. That's where we decided to go."
Francis nodded, Amber folded up the maps and placed them in a bag.
"Let's find that truck stop."
As they began to head back outside, Francis paused hearing a commotion behind him. He looked to find Amber, Keirstan and Beth pulling Kayla, who would not let go of a box across the floor.
"Nnooo! Too much has happened! I deserve the comfort of a box!"
"You're not carrying that everywhere!" Beth exclaimed.
"Senpai, for the love of God!" Keirstan grunted.
"Boxes are good for the soul!"
"Release it!" Amber yelled.
Francis watched them struggle and argue over one another in silence.
Eventually, the battle ended and they caught up with the rest. Finding infected running at the team as bullets and crimson flew all around. The biker absorbed what was happening as they took action, jogging ahead with them and positioning their weapons.
"ZOEY! Just pretend they're all helicopter pilots!" Francis yelled, cutting down a few from one side.
Beth dropped to her knees next to him as she, her sister and some others burst into laughter. He grinned while she took some moments to stand and help with the defense. Zoey was yelling something back at him, but he couldn't hear what clearly. "Speak up darling!"
"Nothing, it wasn't important!" She turned to run for an infected who jumped over a vehicle and sprinted towards her, blowing a hole in its neck as the others were taken care of. The last one fell in a pool of blood, everyone took a look around themselves for anything else while leaving the area, "which way to the depot again?" Ian called.
"Uh…" Bill twirled a hand in the air as he walked, trying to remember what the sign said. Then directed to the north. "...This way, I believe."
The team traversed through the streets, killing sick standing in or charging out of storage units and weaved through abandoned vehicles. They were a little surprised they haven't seen or heard any specials, probably smart enough to find some sort of shelter. Although the wind began to die down drastically much to their luck sometime later. They hopped down on a ups truck onto another road, steering clear of a burning semi hanging over the edge.
"~Deck the halls with boughs of holly...~" Kayla sang as she went.
"Why Christmas carols?" Beth judged.
"~'Tis the season to be jolly…~"
"I thought you were all Halloween." Francis reminded.
"~Now we slay and paint the roads red, oh ho ho, ho ho ho, ho ho…~"
Francis smiled a little, "that's better."
Beth gestured at them oddly when crossing under a freeway. Then Zoey hollered out. "Hey, isn't that the Whitney County bridge?" Everyone looked to see a dark outline of said bridge, which was partially engulfed in a snowy mist. "It is," Louis nodded. "Maybe we can try crossing it and see where it takes us. It could possibly lead straight to the depot."
"Let's try to sneak our way back up over here." Francis suggested, motioning to a small hill.
They scurried over and hunkered down. The old, strange groans and gibberish noises from dangers wafted all over as the survivors crawled upwards, taking extra caution in case something bursted out from the frosted bushes. Reaching the top and peering over the ledge, everybody spotted a large M35 truck parked nearby, armed with a minigun and howitzer. Louis giggled quietly through his teeth; a crazed, excited look in his wide eyes as he stared at the large weapon sitting in the trunk. "Oh God not again." Ian closed his eyes.
Bill was the first to carefully rise as he strained his eyes and hearing. He moved forward, gun at the ready. Pausing, the veteran held still for a moment before giving a hesitant signal it was ok. The group moved over to the truck, it wasn't long when Jordan looked ahead and threw his arm out. "Ah come on, there's a barricade." He announced with frustration.
"What?"
At the base of the bridge, there was indeed a large black blockade.
Francis stared at it and sighed in irritation.
"They must've used it to protect civilians from the infected." Amber put her hands on her hips, "burning it down somehow will get us pass it."
Keirstan gestured to several gas cans randomly laying around the truck, "how about these. This looks more than enough to do the job."
"Are you sure? That barricade looks pretty sturdy." Came the next question as Kayla looked at the howitzer. Tilting her head while they discussed, she cast a glance at the blockade before swatting a hand down on the trigger. A loud boom startled her and the others as her eyes followed a propellent flying across the land and exploded against the obstacle. Fire immediately overwhelmed it, consuming everything in its hungry hot flames.
"I'm so sorry!" Kayla hollered as the screams of frightened infected shrilled around them. "No you're not!" Ian shot down. They all quickly clambered into the back of the truck and stood back to back as the sick sprinted through foliage and climbed over containers to get to them.
"No I'm not!"
They jumped towards the truck only to be kicked back and killed off. Amber, Louis, Beth Keirstan and Jordan swung at them with their melee weapons, breaking necks and cutting heads off as Francis placed a boot on the edge of the cabin and hacked his machete into the frontal lobes of others climbing onto the hood.
"Mine! Mine, mine, mine, mine!" Louis chanted as he charged for the minigun all of a sudden. "Shut up! You sound like those Seagulls from Finding Nemo! I wanna try it!" Zoey protested, shoving back a common before shooting it and pushed against the analyst. The pair argued and twisted the gun side to side, releasing a shower of bullets as they yelled at one another. Bill rolled his eyes and shook his head while Ian howled, taking his hatchet and slamming the blade deep into another's chest. He hacked a second's windpipe open and slashed a third's face apart before kicking it away.
More emerged from where the fire was burning, however they were caught in the inferno as bullets whizzed passed their shrilling, pained forms. They tried running for their targets, their melting eyes locked on the survivors' bodies; some fell to their knees and reached out screaming in fury and agony. Some were still able to run for the truck only for their suffering to end when they either succumbed to the element or were blasted or hacked apart.
Snow from above melted and began to splash down on the barricade, revealing how much has been burned away. "Come on...just a bit more," Bill muttered before he turned away and took care of ones climbing over a container from behind them.
"Can I try?!" Keirstan called from behind Zoey and Louis, who were still trying to overpower one another for the mounted weapon.
"No!" Both yelled in unison.
Taken aback for just a second, her brow raised and she pursed her lips. "Well that's too bad!" She jumped on top of them and joined the brawl. Increasing their shouts and retorts.
Francis shot off three more bullets before reloading, the truck shook beneath everyone due to so much going on. Throwing them off balance. He looked ahead as Kayla slashed a couple with her pair of knives beside him; Beth stabbing her katana through another. Beside her Amber knelt down on one knee, jaw set as she aimed into the tall bushes and fired with precise accuracy. Crimson and fluid streamed upwards from what they couldn't see, they could hear the corpses rolling back down the hill.
"Awesome hun! You're getting better with that gun!" Ian shouted, shooting in the opposite direction from her.
She nodded with a grin, "I know I am!"
Francis held a hand over his eyes after shooting through the back window into one trying to climb up it. "The barricade's down! We can get across!" He yelled and pointed. He tugged at Beth to get her to follow as all jumped from the truck. All but Zoey, Keirstan and Louis, who stopped fighting for the gun and now stood yelling at one another. "Will you three move along?" Bill grunted. He slammed the butt of his gun into an infected's head and shoved it back down the hill.
Jordan pushed the trio from the trunk, they slipped and staggered in the snow before composing themselves as he leapt down after them. "Next time, I'll be in charge of the mounted gun." He stated, pointing to himself.
"Bite me turbo, I'm gonna fire the next one." Keirstan shot back.
"Yeah, we'll see."
"Nope, It'll be me." Zoey said.
Louis protested against them while they made their way over to the bridge. A charred infected choked where it laid as they passed it, black, crumbling fingers stretched for them. Only to be ignored.
"Look how foggy it is…great." Amber cast her eyes around, feeling hesitant to move on. Up ahead, a thick mist had engulfed everything. Much like they had seen from below, only now it was more intimidating. The outlines of abandoned vehicles, including buses sat eerily in place; barely peeking out from the fog. It impaired what they could see beyond that. Masking what was waiting for them on the bridge.
"Just stay together and we'll be alright." Bill advised, flicking his flashlight on. He went first.
Francis exhaled while observing the mist. "Guys stay close to me. I don't want you-"
"Yeeeee!" Beth squealed. Her and Kayla shoved passed between him and Zoey after their comrades.
"...To wander off." He sighed through his nose and glanced to the side.
"One challenge after another," Zoey chirped. They started towards the bridge.
"No kidding. They've always been up for one."
The college student smiled, gazing down. "They've learned through you, remember?"
He looked at her and rolled his eyes. But couldn't hide the ghost of a smile of his own spread across his face. "Damn right they have."
With that, the two followed the group onto the creaking bridge. The fog consuming them completely.