A/N:
Francis: This is bullshit! I hate injuries and I hate not killing vampires!
Bill: How about you do us all a favor and shut your colossal whine ass up?
Francis: Make me old man! You guys better leave me some.
Bill: *Picks off multiple commons and a Boomer with a grin just to piss him off.*
Zoey: *Sees Francis gives him an unfriendly glance.* Not his fault you had to go and get hurt. *Kills a Smoker.*
Francis: Not mine either, shit happens!/Louis: *Furiously firing into the horde.* This freak infected WILL PAY for disturbing my beauty rest! *Veins bulge in his eyes and neck in anger.*/ Zoey: Sleeping on the cold hard floor?/Louis: Yes! *Blows a hole in a Spitter's chest.* HA!
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Smoke wafted from guns as bullets flew into the infected. Those who were hit stumbled with large holes in their bodies; and they swiped the space between themselves and their targets until they collapsed, piling over one another. Others flew backwards and crashed in the snow; the survivors reversed if some came too close as they ignored the cold temperatures chilling them. Completely focused on the task at hand.
"Keep an eye out for that special! Try to kill it off before it attracts more!" Bill hollered as he bashed one away and blowing its face off. A couple more rounded one corner and grabbed Keirstan causing her to slip and fall. Taking both with her. She struggled to keep them back as Zoey ran over and kicked them away, one bit into her pant leg; so she shot a round in their heads before they could get her flesh while Keirstan jumped up, and took her snow covered firearm back. Covering her partner by picking off infected charging Zoey from behind. The college student whirled around and assaulted a few emerging from the trees. She stared ahead and squinted her eyes, glancing about, concentrating to find the thing that has been stalking them.
She finally spotted it standing to one side. Barely. It lingered far off in the shadows. Stock still with its head cocked.
"There!" Zoey fired her pistols, "it's over there!" She yelled, from beside her Louis was slammed into the building by another infected; gnashing its teeth dementedly at his face. He grabbed its throat aggressively and regained his footing. He shoved it off him with Amber and Jordan back to back, assisting Ian and Beth with either side. They quickly turned in all directions to keep them away. The analyst slammed the flailing common's face multiple times into the wall, causing a growing stain to show on the surface.
"You hideous bitch! How you like that?!" He shouted while it grew limp. He dropped the corpse and swiftly killed off the sick who jumped from the dark merely feet from him. Bill and Kayla shot down those climbing over and jumping down from the roof, as Amber looked on with Zoey.
"Where is it?!" Amber yelled.
"Out there!" Bullets whizzed into the forest, Amber took some seconds to analyze where to shoot. She aimed and fired beside Zoey, killing off infected before they could lunge in view. Keirstan did the same until one of the girls managed to hit the special. They saw it jerk back a couple of times; a horrid, savage howl ripped from its vocal cords as it staggered. It then ran off with an unnatural speed out of view. Bill saw it go and joined in to shoot after it, when they couldn't any longer he turned away and fired at another common about to jump down from the shelter on Kayla, who was busy murdering those coming from the other way.
They slowed, then stopped coming as Beth, Jordan, and Kayla eliminated the last of the swarm. Their weapons streamed smoke, the silencers searing hot; everyone looked around tensely but were bracing for if anything else was coming. A short time passed. Nothing did fortunately. They didn't see the mysterious special again, only piles of corpses laying all over the forest floor. So quietly the group returned inside. Eying the woods warily.
"Jesus Christ." Francis heard Ian say as the door was barred shut once more. He stretched his neck out trying to see anyone, highly curious from hearing all the noise. "Did you get it?"
Kayla and Beth came wandering in the room as he asked. One of them turned on a lantern; they were tired. Their eyes looked heavy whilst Beth's shoulders drooped; she rested her gun against the wall, he blinked as Beth looked at him. "Good job guys."
Beth held a thumb and pinky up with a deep yawn, as Kayla massaged her eyes soothingly until she paused and slid her fingers down to stare out the window. "My turn for keeping watch." Bill announced.
"Did anyone get it?" Francis asked again, "or at least see it out there?"
"Mm yeah we saw it." Kayla mumbled. "Don't know if we got it though."
"Oh," he quietly replied and settled down again. Beth sat on the edge of the mattress and he rubbed her arm where he laid. "Get back to bed, you look beat. Both of ya. I'm proud of you."
Beth smiled lightly as Kayla closed her eyes where she stood. "Now to return to the land of nightmares!" Louis slurred in joy. Seconds later, they heard him thump on the floor.
"Same." Kayla shuffled for the doorway. "I was done before I was conscious. See you tomorrow." With a final wave, she left to return to bed.
"Are you feeling any better?" Beth asked, turning to him. Francis thought about it, then slightly shrugged with a half-squinted eye. She gave him a look, "stay off the leg and you'll heal sooner."
"I know, I know."
She lowered her gaze and went quiet, picking at the comforter with her fingers. "...It's a bit scary knowing there's a new special. At the same time, not knowing what it is."
"I agree." Francis' eyes flooded with concern.
In the next room Bill made another fire, and tossed extra kindle to keep it going for a while longer. Everyone else were back in their sleeping bags, some already passed out. The veteran sighed and looked at the door.
"'We'll be alright'?" Jordan echoed from his spot. Bill gazed at him and propped a hand out. "Hey, we made it through another one. If it shows up again, I'll blow its fucking ass away. I don't care how quick it is."
The younger survivor rested his hands behind his head. "Good to know."
"Night hun." Francis murmured when Beth got up. She turned the lantern off for him and left as well. Soon, it was dark and quiet again. He nestled in the blankets. This time, with all the excitement wearing his body down, he was able to fall asleep much quicker.
...
He was running through the streets. Running for his life. The cold rain and hail poured down in his eyes as he slipped in the icy slush. Water splashed underneath his boots as his heart hammered in his head. Francis didn't know where he was going, all he knew was he was alone. Everyone was gone, from what he saw most of his friends were killed mercilessly. They were overwhelmed in seconds, running out of ammunition and tiring quickly. As he heard their screams dying away while he desperately tried to help them, blowing round after round of bullets, wildly slashing the sick into pieces with his machete and smearing himself with gore, he realized it wasn't enough. He suddenly couldn't hear his teammates anymore.
Francis slowed in his horror. The infected now had their piercing, ill eyes locked on him with hellish soul shredding anger.
Run.
Sometimes, the only thing left one could do was to just run. He had no one to help him. They were all gone.
Even…
No. They got away. His sisters had to have gotten away. He just had to find them. Francis prayed to God his girls and whoever else who may have escaped were alright, they were just separated and had to find each other. He kept telling himself.
Heaving a breath, he turned from the road and scrambled up a porch into a home. He quickly but quietly threw the door shut and bolt locked it with trembling hands. Not that would do much. He then threw curtains hanging off the door across its window. Francis staggered further in the house trying to catch his breath and dropped his machete. It clattered on the hardwood floor as he rested his hands on and leaned over a table. Clenching his eyes shut and muttering incoherently until he lowered on his knees, his heart still beating loudly in his ears.
"Fuck!...God fucking damn it! Why?..." Francis laid his forehead on his hands for some moments, with the images of his group strangled to death, beaten and torn to shreds seared in his mind. He stayed there for a little longer, then he shakily rose and shuffled away. He explored around a bit, finding this was a large home until he paused and rested his head on a doorframe. Lidding his eyes and shivering from the cold and fear. He wanted so badly to go back out there to look for them and anyone else, he couldn't believe they were all dead. It just couldn't be. But he had to wait for the swarm to leave.
Suddenly, Francis heard frantic noises and bumping from a floor above him. He peered his eyes up, the noises died down. Then there was a crash followed by something falling with a heavy thud. He gripped his gun tightly with his orbs still on the ceiling while taking slow, cautious steps for a stairway he passed by. After climbing the flight, Francis raised his weapon, looked both ways and quietly strolled through a hall. Sounds of struggling and wailing increased, so he rushed for where it was coming from, hoping it could be one of his own.
He approached a room, catching glimpses of quick movement before spotting Zoey on the floor, choking on her blood, tears streaming down her face as she cried and pathetically tried to fend off what was on her. The thing smiled wickedly at her, ripping into its victim as Francis stormed inside, pumping his gun. "Hey!"
Zoey cast a glance at him as he fired, he got it in between its shoulder blades. It thrusted forward with a pained cry, but Zoey was no longer moving. Her cold still eyes remained on him as he stared back, his heartbeat and breathing rising again as a new wave of terror and sorrow washed over him. It was quickly replaced with hot white hatred when he glared dangerously and aimed again as the Hunter slowly turned his way.
He was met with a familiar face.
Every drop of blood he had drained. His eyes widened and his mouth slacked ajar as his gun dropped from his hold. Kayla, or what looked like Kayla, sneered at him. Her lip curled up revealing bloodied pointed teeth. Her skin a light grey now, the hood of her black hoodie over her head. Red stained, sharp talons tore through the skin of her finger tips. Face and neck smeared with blood, bruises and cuts. Her eyes...the whites were a odd greyish color, whilst her irises were also deep black.
"Kay…" he whimpered and backed a couple of steps away, holding his hands slightly out when this demonic-like version of his sister rose. She stood over Zoey's corpse staring at him with dark bitterness.
He tried again holding back tears. "...Kayla…" his voice trembled the name horribly.
The Huntress perked lightly, tilting her head and now hinted curiosity in her gaze. A rumbling came from her throat as she watched him gesture to himself. Could she recognize him?
"Kayla it's me...it's me! Your brother! Please, please can you hear me? Can you recognize my voice? It's me, Kayla please it's…"
The rumbling subsided as he pleaded, and she snarled at him again. Alarm filled him as she released a vicious scream. He ran back down the corridor forgetting his firearm entirely. He heard her crash into something from behind and hiss as she charged after him.
Words spluttered from him unconsciously as he ran, skidding to a stop and stampeded down the steps. Almost falling over himself. At the bottom Francis gazed around hurriedly, the house now looked like a maze. He took off for the left, when he heard another voice yelling for him. "Francis!"
Louis.
He stopped again and turned around. Louis rushed around a corner, his eyes wild with fright and heaving. He gripped on the frame tightly with both hands, "dude we got to get the f!-" He was cut off when Kayla rushed up, leaped at him with claws outstretched and latched on his back. Biting into his neck and bringing him down. Louis howled in agony as the Huntress began to gut him. "Help me! Help me Francis HELP ME PLEASE!"
He froze staring in absolute terror at his friend being savagely slaughtered in front of him. He snapped out of it, however by the time he did it was too late to try to stop her. She looked up, chuffing as he ran off again, and dragged a claw across the floor leaving a mark on the surface.
"I'm sorry Louis, I'm-m so, so sorry…" Francis grabbed a baseball bat hanging out of a closet as he ran, when another figure slowly shuffled into view by the end of the room. He slowed, holding the bat close. It wiped at its eyes with a trembling, long clawed hand and sniffled before looking his way. Again, he felt his heart stop as his world crashed down.
Beth watched him with sad filmy eyes. She looked blind, but she was staring right at him. Another shriek erupted from their sister far off as his knees buckled and he shook his head. His grip loosened on the melee, but didn't drop it. "No...God please no...no!..." He choked in an anguished moan, while he bowed his head as tears leaked from Francis' eyes.
Beth watched him with grief, her skin was also a light grey. She was missing her glasses. Her torn clothes revealing slashes and cuts across her body with blood and bruises also smearing her face and shoulders. A gauze hung loosely around her neck and left hand. The claws ripped through her tips as well, mutilating her fingers. She wore her hair in a loose ponytail, strains of her bangs hung in her face.
Her own tears fell down her cheeks. "Frannie..."
He looked at her in incredulous distraught, then backed away when she started to walk towards him. She remembered him, at least. Something caught his eye behind her. When he looked, he saw a body partially in view from where she came. It looked like Jordan. He wasn't sure, but it did. He pursed his lips and returned his gaze on her; reversing away quicker. This caused more tears to form in her eyes, she didn't have to look at what he saw.
"I'm-I'm sorry." She squeaked, sniffling again. "I…"
He shook unable to speak. The sounds of something being torn up sent a chill down his spine.
"Do you...still love us Francis?..." Beth looked up at him with hope. His mouth quivered, followed by another whimper. He ran off back down the hall as she called out his name again.
Francis hurried in a bathroom and locked it. Then barricaded it with what he could before collapsing with his back against a tub. The bat clattered by his side. He trembled badly with a heavy, devastating onslaught of loss, despair and heartbreak overwhelming him. He continued staring at the door as more tears fell down his face.
"...I can't kill them…"
Beth had quietly followed after him, although not in a frenzied chase. But shuffled where he had gone. She approached the door, stared at it and knocked. "Francis?"
He raised his head from his hands to look at the entrance for a short time. Then rested his forehead against his palms again as she clawed the wood, crying for her brother.
…
Francis was bellowing in his sleep, screaming in absolute terror. Thrashing and throwing the comforters on the floor until he woke up. In a panicked hurry, not completely aware he returned to reality, grabbed his shotgun as voices and lights erupted. He pointed the weapon in the direction right as figures ran inside and the firearm discharged with a loud bang. The bullet flew pass barely missing them and leaving a hole in the stone hard wall. Raining plaster and chips of concrete down on a shocked Bill, Kayla, Louis and Beth who stopped just in time and they all stared at him wide-eyed. The large man held his weapon tightly, visibly shivering in his bed until he realized what he almost caused. His fearful expression fell and softened in one of humiliation. He too stared at them and shifted his sight on the hole; which deepened the embarrassment and made him react in an upheaval of stressed consternation.
"Oh shit...shit I'm sorry guys I'm so sorry..."
"What in God's name is going on now?!" Keirstan demanded in cranky annoyance. "Is everything alright?"
Lanterns moved about as Bill ran his hands down his face. "Everything's fine." He answered, returning his gaze on the biker who was rubbing his temples. The girls moved over and remained close to calm him as he murmured and babbled apologies.
"What the hell dude are you ok?" Louis agonized.
"Ye...yeah I'm fine I'm...just had a bad dream..." He didn't look at them.
"Yeah?" Kayla snorted, brushing debris out of her hair. "Bad enough for ya to wake up shootin' at the walls?"
Beth rolled her eyes at the retort then cautiously pulled the gun away, switching the safety on as he laid back lidding his eyes. "Are you sure you're ok Francis?" Kayla watched him in worry. He cracked his eyes open again, then widened them a little seeing all four looking at him the same way. He nodded, sighing. "I'm fine. It...was a bad dream as I said…" his eyes slid away uneasily, thinking of what it was about.
"Go...back to gettin' some shut-eye. I didn't mean to scare everybody. Or that..." He cast another glance at the hole, a troubled look sprawled on his face now.
"You don't need anything?"
"No."
"Ok…" Beth replied quietly, hesitant to leave his side. As Kayla was; but he assisted once more he was alright. With a little more ushering they began exiting the room. Turning off the lights and leaving the gun by the doorway. He pulled the blankets back over his body then shifted on his side and stared at the wall. Hesitant himself in falling back asleep, concerned with having that nightmare again. That is, if he could drift off.
Louis exhaled quietly, then found everyone staring at them with tense concern, especially after hearing the gunshot. He gave them a reassuring look. "Discharge. All's good, nothing to worry about."
Zoey arched a brow doubtfully with a quizzical face. "Really, there's nothing to worry over?"
"It's fine Zoe, a nightmare scared him awake."
The words took her by surprise a little. She didn't judge though. After all, it was what they were living in. She wished she could say that's what this whole thing is. A terrible dream.
"I'm gonna try to get some sleep at some point tonight." Ian threw himself back down into his sleeping bag, snuggling close to Amber. "Can we?" She asked hopefully, as everything that had happened in the recent hours flashed through her head. "What a fucking night."
"I just hope nothing heard any of that."
"No, we should be fine. Shelters like these are usually soundproof. But," Bill looked outside. I'll be up for a little longer anyhow. Especially for the lookout for that special."
Zoey almost immediately passed out, with everyone taking a few more minutes. Beth curled up next to Jordan who rested an arm over her and buried his face in the crook of her neck, sighing deeply. They were most likely going to sleep until late morning or early afternoon.
Bill glanced around at the heaps on the floor, keeping his flashlight low. He shined it where Francis was, being careful not to disturb him. His back was to the old man who wasn't aware he was the only other one awake. He kept his gaze down, feeling his eyes growing heavier every minute. He didn't have nightmares very often. But this one was certainly the worst. Eventually, his eyes closed as he quietly exhaled through his nose.
He would always love them. And he wouldn't be able to handle the situation well if it did happen. Especially knowing he'd failed them.
But the more he thought about it, his girls getting sick…he would have to do it...
As much as he didn't want to, he would have to. So they didn't suffer.
And he would suffer horribly with it for the rest of his life. That he'd failed to protect both. That he would have to end them.
In all honesty, if he got infected, he'd kill himself so he couldn't hurt them. As hard as that would be for the sisters. To live on without him. His heart started to hurt and his chest tightened terribly at the thoughts. Francis stiffened feeling his eyes burn and water from under their lids. It was an overwhelming fear of the worst thing imaginable.
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A/N:
Louis: *Collapses face down in sleeping bag.*/Zoey: Same my dude.
Francis: After all that none of ya didn't shoot down the thing?
Bill: Next time we'll bait it. You'd be perfect.
Francis:...
Louis and Zoey: *Laughing smugly.*