Chapter 3: Fear Can´t Kill You. But...
The hissing seemed to be coming from inside the walls. I could see a large gap in one of the walls near the ceiling. I could hear the hissing better if I faced the gap. I wasn´t ready to climb any of the crates scattered around the room to get a better look in the hole. I would usually let Kenneth have those honors, but I was alone in the room, and I´m sure Rebecca wouldn´t sub for Ken.
Gritting my teeth, I climbed a shelf that was against the wall. I looked down into the dark crawl space. I saw a faint green glow not far away. It looked like two eyes staring back at me. They were eyes! I gasped in surprise and saw that the hole seemed like it was moving. I was frozen with fear. The eyes began to rise and move back. I jumped down just in time to avoid the huge thing lunging toward me.
When I hit the floor, my foot got caught in a broken floor board, causing me to fall to the ground. My automatic fell out of reach. When I turned to free my foot, I saw the thing that tried to attack me, sitting still. Its long, scaly body was as thick as the trunk of an oak tree. It lifted its green body, revealing its light underside. When it reared its head back and opened its mouth to flash its long fangs, I recognized it was some kind of snake.
I watched as the fangs of the giant snake completely stretched out, almost to the length of my arm. Its tongue slithered in its mouth. Again, I froze. I finally snapped into it as the thing lunged for me. I reached out for my shotgun, but I wasn´t fast enough. The snake drove its fangs into my arm. The pain of my skin being pierced was followed by a quick flow of liquid into my arm. It must have been poison.
"Richard, what´s going on up there?" Rebecca shouted. I could hear her coming up the stairs and stopping at the doorway. "Oh my God! Richard!"
"The gun!" I shouted in agony. Rebecca ran for my shotgun which just out of my reach. The snake let go of me, preparing to attack her. The only thought that rushed into my head was that I hoped this girl could use a gun. Rebecca had already picked it up off the floor. She took aim and shot.
The snake let out some kind of roar as the shell hit near the head. The creature then retreated back into its hiding spot. Rebecca helped me up and we left the attic, closing the door behind us. I could barely walk, so Rebecca practically had to drag me into the next hall. She closed the door behind us and laid me and my gun down against the door.
"Richard, are you okay?"
"I think I´m poisoned," I said, feeling a sharp pain run up my side.
"Damn it! I don´t have any serum," Rebecca replied. I was ready to faint, but I remembered that Kenneth had told us he had found a medical room over the radio.
"The medical room. Kenneth said...he found a medical room." I could feel the poison moving through my body, slowly.
"Of course!" Rebecca exclaimed. "Richard, hang in there I´ll be right back." Rebecca ran around the corner and opened the door. The next thing I heard was her screaming, and the moaning of the zombie that we had left in that room.
"Rebecca..." I tried to call to her. The poison had continued to spread. Unable to get up and help Rebecca, I passed out.
I woke up to the sound of gun shots. I didn´t know how long I was out, but I could still feel the poison in my system. The firing stopped and I heard the door around the corner being unlocked, then opened. With all my remaining strength, I stood up and walked down the hall. Halfway to the corner my head started throbbing and I stumbled, falling into the wall and onto the floor.
"Richard!" someone shouted. At first I was delirious from the poison, but then I recognized the voice.
"Jill," I called back weakly. She came running over and knelt down next to me.
"Richard, what happened?" She was calm, but sounded upset. Then, she noticed the snake bite. "You´re wounded!" I didn´t want her to see me like this. She didn´t need it on her hands. I tried to bear the pain and stay calm.
"This whole place is a killing zone," I told her. "There are monsters..."
"Richard that doesn´t matter right now," she interrupted. "Wh...what did this to you?"
"A b-big s-snake," I replied, realizing I sounded a little crazy. Jill just stared at me with a look of panic on her face. "It h-had to be p-poisonous," I stammered.
"Poisonous?!" she asked. I didn´t know if it was the poison affecting my eyes, but it looked like she was shaking.
"Th-there´s a m-medical r-room. I d-don´t know where it is..." My head started to pound.
"Don´t worry. I´ll go see what I can find," Jill said in a hurry as she stood up and ran for the door. Before she left she turned around. "You´re gonna make it," she said warmly, then left.
