Chapter 7"Some Old Friends..."
"We really need to get out of here..."
Looking opposite from the way they came, Claire hoped to find another door on the other side of the catwalk-
-nothing.
She held the gun tightly as she slowly scanned the area on the catwalk in front of her. Marcy shivered at the empty soud Claire's boots made on the the cold, metal platform as she walked to the other side.
"Marcy! Hey! There's some steps leading down to another platform! Maybe there's a door-"
Click...click, click...click...
Marcy was aout to respond when Claire held up a silencing finger.
Click, click...click, click, click...
She knew this sound; in fact, she knew it too well...
"Marcy," Claire began calmly," Marcy, come over here...quickly."
Marcy didn't question the more experienced girl. Toting her laptop and the silvery metal case, she speed-walked in Claire's direction.
BANG!
The platform rattled and shook. Marcy didn't see anything in front of her, but from the look on Claire's face she assumed the problem was behind her. She turned her head to see what Claire apparently already saw when the platform shook again:
A four-legged creature, about the size of a human crouched on all fours, clung to the ground with its massive claws. Its body was just as shimmery as the zombie she had the unfortunate priveledge of meeting in the hall earlier. The exposed tendons and ligaments expanded and contracted when the abomination moved one arm forward, its claws slicing right through the platform. The two most disturbing features, though, were its exposed brain cavity and long, lance-like tounge, which the creature was slowly sticking out as it hissed.
"Marcy! Get away from that thing! Watch out for its tounge!"
She turned towards Claire's voice and started to sprint, but stopped short when she realized what she feared was true- she was surrounded.
"C-claire!!"
She fired off a few shots to distract the unusually large licker. The creature, however, wasn't phased. It lashed out at Marcy with lightening fast reflexes, hitting the computer which she held out in front of her to defend against its claws. The demolished laptop fell to the floor, its exposed wires sparking for a second, with a loud clank. Even in the heat of the moment, Marcy couldn't leave her data behind.
"Marcy! What are you doing!? Get up!"
The younger girl fell to her knees and rumaged wildly through her laptop's remains.
"Marcy!! Come on! Get-"
-and then she realized what Marcy was looking for. The disk that contained not only her data but Umbrella's data, as well, was safely in her hands now. When she stood up, she shoved it in her pocket. The lickers started to increase in their numbers, surrounding Marcy and slowly creeping up on Claire. The younger girl looked across the platform with sad eyes. She placed the silvery case on the floor, put her foot on it, and kicked it, sending ie sliding in Claire's direction.
"Take it."
Claire looked down at the case. Marcy was sacrificing herself so Claire could get out with the anti-virus.
"No..."
"Just go! Take it and save yourself!"
"NO!"
Claire raised her gun knowing a few bullets wouldn't stop them. Her mind was screaming, panicking, and frantically trying to think.
"I need to think! I can't let her die like this!"
The lickers, now ten in number, were closing in on Marcy, who had never looked so calm in all the short time Claire knew her. Claire was running out of time. She looked down.
"The anti-virus."
It was a long-shot, but the only shot they had. Claire opened the case. In all the commotion, one vial broke, but two still remained intact. She took one out and tightly latched the case shut again.
"I hope this works..."
Remembering what Marcy and Leon had said about developing a weapon to fight T-Virus infected organisms was information she silently thanked herself for remembering. She checked her gun- five bullets left. Five chances to get this right.
"Marcy! Cover you face!"
With no hopes left, Marcy obidiently listened to Claire. Taking a deep breath, Claire heaved the vial into the air above the mass of lickers. As the vial hung in mid-air, Claire quickly aimed her gun.
BAM!
Nothing.
BAM!BAM!
And then she heard it- a shattering sound. Little shards of glass fell to the platform like tiny rain droplets confirming what Claire hoped was true.
In one deafening chorus, the lickers hissed and squeeled in pain. Those that were hit with more anti-virus than the others were burning, a noxious smell rising from their smoking flesh.
"Marcy! Come on!"
She knew better than to stand and gawk at the lickers, their flesh bubbling and acidy. Marcy ran, leaping over one of the dilapidated creatures.
"Claire-"
"We have to get out of here, now!"
Both girls scurried down the stairs, carefull not to fall. On the lower platform there was another door.
"Go!"
They raced for the door, trying to ignore the horrifying screams of the injured lickers.
BANG!
Claire nearly fell when one of the creatures fell from the platform above, maybe two feet behind her.
"Don't look back! Keep running!"
Claire didn't even see Marcy open the door. All she remembered was running through it and slamming it closed.
* * * * * *
They were back in the first long, winding hallway again. Claire knew the two bullets she had left wouldn't be enough to kill the crimson zombie that was roaming the halls. On the bright side, though, they could see now that the lights were back on.
"Look!"
Marcy pointed in front of Claire at a tall dark sillouette. It was walking towards them too casually to be a zombie. The mysterious figure, now in full view, was much worse than any zombie or licker.
"Why, hello, Miss Redfield. Oh, and what a suprise! Miss Addison, as well!"
The bleach-blond spiked-up hair, the black clothes, the black shiny sunglasses...
Claire inched back, gun aimed.
"Oh, come now. I'm not like those zombies..."
The sight of him made her sick. Her brother was right; No matter how careful she was, Albert Wesker would find her.
"Well, not entirely like the zombies, anyway."
"We really need to get out of here..."
Looking opposite from the way they came, Claire hoped to find another door on the other side of the catwalk-
-nothing.
She held the gun tightly as she slowly scanned the area on the catwalk in front of her. Marcy shivered at the empty soud Claire's boots made on the the cold, metal platform as she walked to the other side.
"Marcy! Hey! There's some steps leading down to another platform! Maybe there's a door-"
Click...click, click...click...
Marcy was aout to respond when Claire held up a silencing finger.
Click, click...click, click, click...
She knew this sound; in fact, she knew it too well...
"Marcy," Claire began calmly," Marcy, come over here...quickly."
Marcy didn't question the more experienced girl. Toting her laptop and the silvery metal case, she speed-walked in Claire's direction.
BANG!
The platform rattled and shook. Marcy didn't see anything in front of her, but from the look on Claire's face she assumed the problem was behind her. She turned her head to see what Claire apparently already saw when the platform shook again:
A four-legged creature, about the size of a human crouched on all fours, clung to the ground with its massive claws. Its body was just as shimmery as the zombie she had the unfortunate priveledge of meeting in the hall earlier. The exposed tendons and ligaments expanded and contracted when the abomination moved one arm forward, its claws slicing right through the platform. The two most disturbing features, though, were its exposed brain cavity and long, lance-like tounge, which the creature was slowly sticking out as it hissed.
"Marcy! Get away from that thing! Watch out for its tounge!"
She turned towards Claire's voice and started to sprint, but stopped short when she realized what she feared was true- she was surrounded.
"C-claire!!"
She fired off a few shots to distract the unusually large licker. The creature, however, wasn't phased. It lashed out at Marcy with lightening fast reflexes, hitting the computer which she held out in front of her to defend against its claws. The demolished laptop fell to the floor, its exposed wires sparking for a second, with a loud clank. Even in the heat of the moment, Marcy couldn't leave her data behind.
"Marcy! What are you doing!? Get up!"
The younger girl fell to her knees and rumaged wildly through her laptop's remains.
"Marcy!! Come on! Get-"
-and then she realized what Marcy was looking for. The disk that contained not only her data but Umbrella's data, as well, was safely in her hands now. When she stood up, she shoved it in her pocket. The lickers started to increase in their numbers, surrounding Marcy and slowly creeping up on Claire. The younger girl looked across the platform with sad eyes. She placed the silvery case on the floor, put her foot on it, and kicked it, sending ie sliding in Claire's direction.
"Take it."
Claire looked down at the case. Marcy was sacrificing herself so Claire could get out with the anti-virus.
"No..."
"Just go! Take it and save yourself!"
"NO!"
Claire raised her gun knowing a few bullets wouldn't stop them. Her mind was screaming, panicking, and frantically trying to think.
"I need to think! I can't let her die like this!"
The lickers, now ten in number, were closing in on Marcy, who had never looked so calm in all the short time Claire knew her. Claire was running out of time. She looked down.
"The anti-virus."
It was a long-shot, but the only shot they had. Claire opened the case. In all the commotion, one vial broke, but two still remained intact. She took one out and tightly latched the case shut again.
"I hope this works..."
Remembering what Marcy and Leon had said about developing a weapon to fight T-Virus infected organisms was information she silently thanked herself for remembering. She checked her gun- five bullets left. Five chances to get this right.
"Marcy! Cover you face!"
With no hopes left, Marcy obidiently listened to Claire. Taking a deep breath, Claire heaved the vial into the air above the mass of lickers. As the vial hung in mid-air, Claire quickly aimed her gun.
BAM!
Nothing.
BAM!BAM!
And then she heard it- a shattering sound. Little shards of glass fell to the platform like tiny rain droplets confirming what Claire hoped was true.
In one deafening chorus, the lickers hissed and squeeled in pain. Those that were hit with more anti-virus than the others were burning, a noxious smell rising from their smoking flesh.
"Marcy! Come on!"
She knew better than to stand and gawk at the lickers, their flesh bubbling and acidy. Marcy ran, leaping over one of the dilapidated creatures.
"Claire-"
"We have to get out of here, now!"
Both girls scurried down the stairs, carefull not to fall. On the lower platform there was another door.
"Go!"
They raced for the door, trying to ignore the horrifying screams of the injured lickers.
BANG!
Claire nearly fell when one of the creatures fell from the platform above, maybe two feet behind her.
"Don't look back! Keep running!"
Claire didn't even see Marcy open the door. All she remembered was running through it and slamming it closed.
* * * * * *
They were back in the first long, winding hallway again. Claire knew the two bullets she had left wouldn't be enough to kill the crimson zombie that was roaming the halls. On the bright side, though, they could see now that the lights were back on.
"Look!"
Marcy pointed in front of Claire at a tall dark sillouette. It was walking towards them too casually to be a zombie. The mysterious figure, now in full view, was much worse than any zombie or licker.
"Why, hello, Miss Redfield. Oh, and what a suprise! Miss Addison, as well!"
The bleach-blond spiked-up hair, the black clothes, the black shiny sunglasses...
Claire inched back, gun aimed.
"Oh, come now. I'm not like those zombies..."
The sight of him made her sick. Her brother was right; No matter how careful she was, Albert Wesker would find her.
"Well, not entirely like the zombies, anyway."