Chapter Five: Rebecca's Nightmare

Rebecca led Chris back to the storeroom. The whole time, she ran the story through her head. Even then, she couldn't get a handle on it. Everything that happened in a day and two nights seemed to span at least a week.

When they returned, Richard still slept peacefully. She watched him for a moment—looking for any deviations from his even breathing. Rebecca turned to find Chris watching her. It was a look like the one her father used to give her when she was stressed—one wanting to reach out to her and tell her that everything was going to be okay, yet stoic nonetheless.

Rebecca began at the very beginning with the helicopter wreckage and her reluctant partnership with the convict, Billy Coen. At times, she had to grip the seat as she relived the horror of the other mansion and the monstrosities created there and finally finished with Dr. Marcus and the involvement with the pharmaceutical giant, Umbrella. Finally, she ended with Billy risking his life to save her from the destruction of the research facility.

When she finished the first part of her story, she took a deep breath. Telling him all that felt like slowly pulling a painful splinter from her hand.

"There is something Marcus said though…" She muttered. "He said that there was a traitor among us…I think he was talking about S.T.A.R.S."

The lines in Chris's face deepened.

"Do you think he was bluffing?" He asked.

"I don't know," Rebecca replied. "It might be…he was a manipulative old—anyway, I don't think so. The way he told me…it was almost like he was pleading with me to believe him. Maybe, it was just the last words of a dying man…"

Rebecca's shoulders sagged beneath the weight of Marcus's words. "Don't be…their puppet…" To think that Enrico or anyone she considered comrades—friends even—was responsible for so much death and chaos was surreal.

"Did he say who it was? Give any hint?" Chris asked.

Rebecca shook her head.

"I think he was about to tell me," she replied. "It was just too late for him."

"We should keep an eye out anyway," Chris said, nodding. "It's better to be prepared for any situation."

"Right."

"So, what happened next? How did Richard get like this?"

Rebecca took another deep breath. It was as if she had risen from a cold lake of memory, able to breathe in the fresh air of the now, only to be pushed under once again. She had to revisit it if only to warn Chris of the dangers of this place and Umbrella.

"After I left the training facility, I came to this mansion where Bravo team was to rendezvous," Rebecca continued. "I found that none of the others were here, and the mansion was unsettlingly quiet. I was exhausted, and before I knew it, I had drifted into a nightmare."

They were all dead. Billy, Enrico, Forrest, Richard. Everyone was dead, their broken and bloodied corpses littering the mansion's foyer. Their blood pained the white tile a glossy crimson. A creature stood over her, its two-foot-long claws piercing through Billy's abdomen. Rebecca could see Billy cough up blood, though he was already in his death spasms. The creature cocked its head and watched passively with its hallow, white eyes. Rebecca yelled out, but it was as though she were speaking underwater. All that came out was a muffled gasp. She raised her gun, aiming it at the monsters engorged heart, and fired. Nothing happened. It was almost as though she were carrying a toy gun.

The monster turned its head toward her, its lip-less face in a perpetual grin. It flung its arm and Billy flew off its claw. Rebecca didn't see where he landed. All she could focus on was the creature. It rounded toward her, and its twitching body took a step forward. She tried firing again and again, but nothing came out of her weapon. She checked the chamber. It was fully loaded. When Rebecca looked back up, the creature was in front of her and raising its clawed hand.

"Rebecca!"

Rebecca opened her eyes. A figure stood in the doorway. She sat up, reaching for her gun, but stopped. She'd recognize that orange vest and crew cut anywhere.

"Richard!"

She stood up, legs still weak from sleep. She wanted to run across the room and embrace him. He, at least, wasn't dead. Rebecca's heart fluttered. There was hope. Though, halfway across the mansion storage room, she halted and straightened herself.

"Are you okay?" Richard asked, taking a step toward her.

"I'm fine," she said. To be completely truthful, she hadn't really had time to get hurt since she'd been to the mansion. She entered, encountered a few staggering zombies while making her way through the house, and then found this storeroom to take a nap in. Still, seeing him, holding her excitement was more than she could bear. "I'm just glad you're here! There was no one when I arrived…I thought that you all might be…like everyone else." She turned away, everything from the night before rushing back, becoming reality once again. "Edward's dead."

"I—I see," Richard said. "It's not much better on my end either…We got attacked by those things and had to split up. The rest of the team are either in hiding or…" Richard looked down, seemingly at his own Beretta, but Rebecca knew the look that crossed his face. It was a worn look, a look uncertain of the future. It was a look Rebecca had found in her own reflection several times since this all began. "We just have to find Enrico. He'll know what to do." Richard snickered, though there was no levity behind it. "What a horrible first assignment, huh?"

"Yeah," Rebecca replied. "It's been a long night."

A silence fell over the two, as though they wanted to say something to one another, yet couldn't find the words. Eventually, Rebecca coughed and continued—

"Maybe we should get going?"

Richard nodded. He turned and opened the door they came from. Rebecca followed, taking one last look at her little refuge, before heading back out into the mansion.

The mansion was silent, as though holding its breath as Rebecca and Richard made their way through the narrow hallways. Rebecca kept glancing ahead, aware of any shadow. She opened a door, and they walked out into the dining room balcony. Richard glanced over the edge of the railing.

"Damn," he muttered. "Just when you think you're making progress, you end up back at the start." He glanced up, noticing Rebecca watching him with a questioning expression. "I walked through that room…before I found you," he continued, pointing down. Rebecca nodded and walked over to the row of windows on the opposite side. She had to press her face against the glass, hands cupped at either side of her face, to look through the glare.

Arkley Forest shifted in the nightly breeze, making it appear as though the trees were alive. The thought sent a shiver down Rebecca's spine. She had seen this virus in action and knew what it was capable of. The full extent of that capability, however, was beyond her. She shuttered to think what it would do to plants. Some dollar theater sci-fi movie popped into her head.

Two men stepped out of the front door and into the night.

"Richard!" Rebecca said. He jogged over, his boots signaling his every step toward her.

She couldn't see very well in the dark, but she could make out that one man towered over his companion. A large bag—not unlike that of a body bag—slung over his shoulder.

Rebecca banged on the window. She wasn't sure why she did it—more out of instinct than anything. Perhaps it was to warn them of what lied in the woods, or perhaps it was to beg them to come back. The shorter of the two turned. Now that he faced her, Rebecca saw that he wore a gray coat and a white crop of hair. The man stood there for a moment, watching the window with his black eyes. After a moment, he turned and followed his companions into the dark forest.

"What the hell are they playing at?" Richard said. "Hey!"

Richard pounded the window, but the duo continued into the night. He sighed and shook his head. Part of Rebecca wanted to run out there and make sure they were alright. Don't be stupid, she thought. She knew what was out there—the zombie dogs and monsters. It would be suicide. Besides, some part had the feeling they knew what was out there. The thought sent a shiver through Rebecca's spine. As she and Richard turned away, a muffled, distant sound made her freeze.

It sounded like the cry of a wounded dog.

They doubled back, knowing that going any further would lead them back to the entrance hall. Rooms and corridors started to blend together. Eventually, Rebecca and Richard came upon a rusted metal door branching off one of the corridors by the storeroom. Rebecca shoved against its weight, and it squeaked as she pushed it open. Cool wind brushed against her face. A low buzz came from the overhead lighting, which—along with the light from the moon, illuminated the balcony overlooking the forest to the left.

Richard walked over to the balcony, looked up into the night, and inhaled deeply.

"It's nice out tonight," he said. "Was starting to feel claustrophobic in there."

"Yeah,' Rebecca said, though she herself hadn't noticed. She walked over to the balcony and leaned against the railing. Shadows darted below. "Sometimes I wonder if this is my life now…I know it's only been a day since this has started but…feels like it's lasted forever."

"Terrible things always do," Richard muttered. Rebecca nodded. As she gazed into the dark forest below, she wondered where Billy was now? Had he reached Raccoon, finding a bus ticket that led to Mexico? Or did something out there get him? Her stomach churned at the thought. Rebecca tried to force it from her mind, yet it didn't but it didn't budge. It was almost as if she were pushing against a bolder with all her might, yet no matter how hard she pushed, it remained firm.

The wind howled through the night, making the trees creak and the leaves rustle. A light shined in her eyes, nearly blinding her. When it passed over, she realized that the light was a searchlight coming from above. It was attached to a helicopter, and that helicopter was landing about a half a mile away.

Finally, S.T.A.R.S brought back-up! She glanced at Richard, and Richard turned to her. He looked so youthful with that big smile and the shine in his eyes. His gaze flickered over Rebecca's shoulders. Suddenly, his face fell.

Everything that happened next was a blur—a loud crash came from behind her, Richard grabbed Rebecca and tossed her to the side, and something green lurched forward. Richard screamed as the thing grabbed him within its jaws, lifting him up. It was a massive snake, at least forty feet long and as large around as a car tire. It's glossy, green scales shined in the dim porch lights. Richard brought his fist down on the snake's head. The snake shook its head to and fro, and Richard's body snapped back and forth as though he were a ragdoll.

Rebecca fired two shots into its sides. Richard dropped from the snake's maw. It arched back, it's six-inch fangs retracting back into its skull. It raised its massive and clambered back onto the roof. Despite its size, it made little noise as it slithered across the shingles.

Blood gushed from two holes in his chest, each almost the size of a dime. Rebecca's mind raced. Panic lurked in the back of her mind, ready to pounce and consume her at any moment. Come on, focus, she thought. She took a deep breath and unzipped the pouch at her hip.

"It burns," Richard said through clenched teeth.

"I know," Rebecca said, trying to keep her voice even as she pulled out a bundle of bandages. "But I'm going to have to take off your shirt."

Richard nodded. He lifted his arms, but the strain of it contorted his face into a deep grimace. Every few minutes, a gasp escaped his lips. Rebecca's hands scrambled over his body, wrenching off his equipment, vest, and finally his shirt and undershirt. The whole process took no more than a minute, but it felt like ten.

Trails of blackened veins traveled from the puncture points in his shoulder and side. The wounds themselves seemed swollen, pus and blood oozing around the edges. Rebecca swallowed hard. Richard was poisoned. She no type of anti-venom. Nevertheless, she drew out the cleansing wipes.

"This might hurt a little," she said, ripping the packaging open. It would stop the bleeding, but wouldn't do crap to stop the poison. As she worked, Richard's breathing became shallower. She needed to get him somewhere safe.

At least, for the time he had left.

Don't think that, she told herself. There must be something—the storeroom. Hadn't there been medicines and serums there? She couldn't remember what, exactly, had been in there. It was a long shot, but it was better than nothing.

"I'm going to need you to help me, Richard," she said. "Help me get you to the storage room where you found me. Do you think you can do that?" For a moment, she thought she had spoken too fast, but finally, Richard tightened his lip and nodded. She taped the bandages to his wounds. They were already stained crimson. She grabbed his arm and slung it around her shoulders.

"On three we are going to lift," she said. "One…two…three!"

Rebecca's shoulder groaned under Richard's weight. Sweat dotted Richard's forehead as he fought against his burning body.

"We're almost there," Rebecca told him as they staggered forward. "You're doing great."

There were a couple of times she thought Richard was going to tumble over, only to right himself at the last minute. Images of Edward leaping through the train window, torn and beaten, filled her mind.

Then she had to shoot him between the eyes.

Not again, she thought. Never again.

"We made it, and I was able to find some anti-venom here and stitched Richard up," Rebecca said. "He's drifted in and out of sleep, but he's been stable."

Chris nodded. Giant snakes, the living dead, evil corporations. All of these things seemed straight out of a B-movie. Still, from what Chris had already seen that night, it was hard to deny, even though it made no logical sense.

"He's not going to turn into one of those things, is he?" Chris asked.

"I don't think so," Rebecca said, turning to him. "If he was going to do it, he would have done it already."

Again, Chris nodded.

"Good, you keep an eye on him," He said, and then turned toward the door.

"Where are you going?" Rebecca asked.

"I'm going to secure the area," Chris said. "Try to see if I can find anyone else."

He glanced over his shoulder. Rebecca watched him, her brow furrowed with worry. Her mouth hung slightly open, as though she wanted to say something.

"Don't worry," he said. "I'll be back soon. Don't open this door for anyone until I get back, and take care of him."

Rebecca nodded and gave him a thumbs-up.

"Just be careful," she said.

"I will," Chris said.

Once again, he opened the door and returned to this world of survival horror.