Chapter 5 – Through the dark
Ben was unaware how long he was out of consciousness. Using his arms to get himself up in a sitting position, he coughed out some of the dust that was stuck in his throat. Pain was coursing through his legs, one of which was stuck in the rubble. He couldn't see anything around himself, it was pitch black. Grateful for his backpack still on his back, he turned on the flashlight strapped on the left shoulder pad, illuminating what was in front of him. A foul stench filled his nostrils. Almost everything around him was wet to the touch. He fell in some kind of a sewer, which explained the stench. Placing both of his hands below the right knee, he gripped the skin and pulled, hoping to free it from the rubble. Luckily, the foot wasn't stuck too deep or hurt too much. He only had to stretch for a minute, and pain slowly went away. Back on his feet, he turned himself around to get a better view of where he was. Looking up, he realized he fell down deep. A small circle of dim light was visible on top, just barely.
"Jesse!" he called out, but no one answered. Cursing to himself, he looked around himself yet again. He could go in only one direction, forward. He was in the area where three tunnels intersected. Out of three tunnels, two were collapsed, forbidding a passage to anyone. After checking if everything was in its place, weapons, ammo, and supplies, Ben walked forward, the only way he could go. The darkness of the tunnels and the silence were sending shivers down his spine. An occasional drip of water was echoing in the tunnel. He walked slowly and cautiously, holding a pistol in his left all the time, ready to fire whenever need arises.
Ben was alone, Jesse and Khan were not there with him, but he was not defenseless. He couldn't know how long or where the tunnel was stretching, but he had to take his chances. At a certain part, tunnel became flooded in some point in the past, water reaching almost up to Ben's knees. Having his feet soaked in the smelly water wasn't pleasant, Ben shivered when he stepped in it. Water splashed as he made slow progress through the tunnel. The stench that filled his nostrils made him feel nauseous.
Where the hell does this lead? he thought after spending too much time walking in the water that was getting deeper and deeper, soaking him well over his knees. He could feel the weeds in the water, making for a slippery surface that required of him to walk with more caution, thus prolonging his journey in the tunnel. He almost exclaimed when the tunnel began spreading, revealing a wide, tall chamber. If he could guess, Ben would call it a control room of some sort. Stepping in deeper water, he proceeded towards the middle of the chamber using the flashlight to see what's around him. Most of the chamber was flooded, just like the tunnel. He saw stairs by the wall that led to a platform above him. Chamber itself was decorated by a dozen rusty pipes of different sizes that spread in different directions, some of them reaching all the way to the top, while some of them went back into the water. Carefully, Ben stepped on the submerged first step. Trying not to slip, he walked over the second one, then the third and so on until he was halfway up.
Click. Click. Click.
Before he was even aware, Ben held a knife in his right, frozen in place. The mere thought of that ghastly form of the infected made his heart pump harder. One, two, and three, he resumed the climb until he reached the very top of the stairs, and a door revealed itself before him. There were no windows, he couldn't see what was inside, but he could hear.
Click. Click. Click.
Clicker was inside the room, for who knows how long. Ben's left hand reached for the knob, twisted it and pushed. The door opened, revealing yet another dark interior. Flashlight revealed a humanoid creature standing in the middle of the room. In place of human head was being a fungus that destroyed the face of the human it infected, rendering the Clicker completely blind. Whereas other infected can be quite easy to kill in close-up fights, one shouldn't make that mistake with Clickers. This form of infected could tear a human apart easily with their enhanced strength, granted by the fungus. They lost their vision, but in exchange for that, they have better hearing. Intending to kill the infected, Ben was forced to tread lightly. Khan wasn't here to help him now like he did when they killed those three Clickers back in Jackson.
Closing his eyes, Ben took a deep breath to calm himself, and, on the tip of his toes, walked towards the Clicker holding his knife high up. The infected flinched and kicked around, unstable from the fungus. This creature was once a human, whose humanity and mind were completely eliminated by the virus. There was no reason to show them mercy or pity them. All that remained was the monster that killed everything in its way.
He stopped a yard away from the flinching infected that turned itself around for a reason Ben couldn't comprehend. Clicker's behavior could not be explained. Gripping the handle of the knife hard, Ben attacked, stabbing Clicker's head from below, piercing the brain and killing it instantly. The Clicker collapsed, dead and motionless, painting Ben's knife with blood that dripped down on his fist. Despite being one of the most dangerous types of the infected, Ben was already experienced in handling them. He didn't feel the thrill and adrenaline like before. Using his jeans to wipe off the blood from the knife, he sheathed the blade and looked around the room. He could see a desk, few cabinets, blackboard and a computer that has since long been turned off. Cabinets contained only useless stuff, as well as the desk. There was another door in the room on the opposite side. Walking through it, Ben found himself in another tunnel though this one resembled a corridor more than a tunnel. Still, it was shrouded in darkness with the only source of light being Ben's flashlight. It turned out to be a true maze. Corridors intersected with each other, robbing Ben of orientation. More than once, he found himself going back to the flooded chamber. It didn't help that all of them looked the same. They were unusually neat, at least until he found an exit, the door that led to another chamber. Ben found himself standing on a metal fenced platform with a wide chamber below him. The neighboring chamber itself was a true mess. It wasn't flooded, yet it contained tables and desks that were turned over, a ceiling in one corner has collapsed at some point in the past, skeletons lied on the floor. One thing caught Ben's attention. Part of the ceiling that collapsed revealed the light, although a very dim one. If I could only reach over there, perhaps I could get back to the surface, thought crossed his mind which sounded like a plan. On his way downstairs, he heard a noise, more like a moan. Infected didn't give him a chance to react when it jumped on Ben, pinning him on the ground. It screamed at Ben, moaned at him, croaked all while trying to take a big chomp out of Ben's arm. Infected was strong and was almost able to overpower Ben who used his legs to push the it back. Stalker quickly recovered though, and lunged at Ben again. Unlucky for it, Ben already had a pistol in his hand, pulling the trigger to fire a bullet that pierced right through Stalker's shoulder. Second bullet went straight to the head, knocking the infected on its back.
Ben didn't have time to relax when he heard footsteps on the stairs, coming for him. More infected were on the way, croaking and screaming at him. After a mere moment, he found himself back on his feet ready to stand his ground. He lighted the path for three of them that charged at him, ready to devour him. Holding his pistol straight in front of his head, he pulled the trigger once, twice, thrice, killing the first one right with a headshot. The second one survived a bullet to the mouth only to be finished off by a bullet that went in its cheek. The third one was too close to Ben and was already swinging its claws at him. Ben ducked, dodging the attack, and jumped aside. Stalker was quick to recover, attacking again, swinging its arms in an uncoordinated manner. Its claw swished right in front of Ben's face, who countered its attacks by tackling the Stalker to the ground. In futile attempts to free itself, Stalker croaked and hit Ben on his shoulders and chest. He didn't feel a bit, and raised his fist high in the air, pushing it down all the way until it reached Stalker's face. The first punch was followed by another, and by the time he was finished, Ben wasn't aware how long it took him to kill the monster with his bare fists. The skin on his knuckles was torn, and his breath was heavy.
Standing up, Ben took a moment to calm down and looked at dead Stalkers, whom he considered the worst form of the infected. Clickers were the strongest, and most dangerous, but once used to them, it was easy to sneak up on them and kill them with a clean, precise stab to the head. Stalkers, on the other hand, sneaked up on you. They would attack you, then run away, strike, then retreat. Those three attacked him all at once just because they were more numerous. Nevertheless, tough bastards.
After checking himself for bites, Ben sighed in relief when he discovered none, and headed down the stairs, until he reached the corner where the ceiling collapsed. He could see a light at the top, but no way to reach it. Thus, he took a stroll around the chamber, trying to find something that he could use to climb, but to no avail. There were no ladders, nor anything else he could use to climb. He'd have to try his luck by going further into the maze through the door on the opposite side of the chamber. The further he went into this maze, the more of a mess it was.
The silence that conquered the sewers up to this point was no more. Ben could clearly hear the noises of the infected, dozen of them at least in the corridor in front of him that stretched a good length. Just like the last chamber, this corridor wasn't flooded, yet it contained something much more dangerous than that, a fungus that has grown over the walls and ceilings, releasing spores in the air. Anticipating the situation, Ben had his mask at the ready, putting it on his head almost immediately when his light reached the spores. Amplifying his hearing sense, he tried to pinpoint the location of the infected. On his way through the corridor there were two rooms on each side of the wall.
Click. Click. Click. Click. Click.
His ears picked up the clicking from multiple sources, hairs on his hand raised as cold sweat damped his forehead. Croaking voices of Stalkers could be heard around the corner. Atop of it all, spores made everything a little harder to see. Sneaking through the corridor, Ben almost bumped into a monstrosity because spores limited his vision. Right in the middle of the corridor stood a true tank of the infected, bigger and stronger than all the others combined. One can recognize a Clicker by clicking and fungus that has grown over its head. A Bloater on the other hand has fungi grown all over its body, acting as an effective armor. It was the last and final stage of the Cordyceps infection of humans, which develops after years of infection. Because of their thick armor, Bloaters could withstand the gunfire long enough to find and trap any human. It should be mentioned that they could use the deformed patches on their skin as spore bombs that they'd throw around almost indefinitely.
The Bloater stood tall and wide in front of Ben, almost wide as the whole corridor. On Ben's left and right were two doors, each leading to a different room, each room infested with the Clickers. What choice do I have? he thought, deciding to go to a room to his left, on the tip of his toes. He was quiet enough not to be noticed by the Bloater that stood in the corridor, firm and steady. The room Ben walked inside had two Clickers that flinched and clicked around each other, making for an unpleasant combination. Best he could do was to somehow distract them, but how? Clickers and the Bloater were blind, but Stalkers were not. He couldn't just sneak past the infected, especially when he didn't know the location of the Stalkers. I am in a shitty situation, Ben thought and closed his eyes. The problem was that he was basically surrounded by the infected on all sides. Even bigger problem was that there was only one way forward, and that was right through the infected.
The clicking and croaking was driving him crazy, but he had to remain calm if he was to survive. With his back turned to the wall, he made a side step after step, trying to avoid the two Clickers in the room. His right shoulder hit something he couldn't see, producing a silent thud. Clicking in the room intensified, and monsters flinched towards Ben, who inhaled a deep breath and pressed his back against the wall as hard as he could while Clickers approached him. He held his breath when the Bloater walked through the door, so wide it barely passed through the frame. They could hear him enhale the air, especially if they close up on him.
Two Clickers and the Bloater cornered him, searching for him, looking for prey. Ben's face was red and swollen from holding his breath, but he held it, on and on. He felt as if something was crawling on his skin when a Clicker got in his face. His heart threatened to burst when the infected clicked and clicked and clicked right below his nose.
Go away, go away, go away, please go away, he begged in his mind but Clicker couldn't hear. Could the infected smell him? He didn't know, but they turned around in the flinching motion to walk away after failing to find him, leaving Ben, who was still pressed against the wall, remaining in the position for a while until the infected made a few steps of distance. Unable to hold any longer, he released the air, almost all at once. After composing himself, Ben looked up, seeing something that resembled a vent in the corner above him. Below it was a desk he could use to climb up, but there was still a problem of removing the vent screen without alarming the infected. Two Clickers in the room would notice, alerting others at the same time which would be a death of him. Ben even considered trying to kill them, but the Clickers stood so close to each other he couldn't afford to risk it. If those were ordinary infected, he might've tried, but since those were the Clickers.. Examining the room one more time, Ben was unable to see anything that he could use when an idea crossed his mind. He took off his backpack, unzipping it slowly, taking out a bottle of water. Turning himself towards the door, illuminating the frame, he threw the bottle right through it as hard as he could. Plastic hitting the wall echoed through the corridor, that a mere moment after erupted in the chaos of screams, croaks and clicks. When two Clickers rushed outside the room, he knew he didn't have much time to open the vent screen before they discovered him. Jumping up on the desk which allowed him to reach up to the screen, Ben stuck his fingers between the metal slashes and pulled, hoping that the screws were rusty enough to allow him to take the screen off. The infected that he baited into the corridor mindlessly searched for him. He didn't have much time. The muscles on his arms tightened as he pulled as hard as he could. Just as the infected have calmed down a bit, he took the screen off with a loud breaking sound, alarming them again, and almost falling off the desk. Just one quick look over his shoulder allowed him to see them swarming in through the door, but as the infected rushed in, so did Ben get up to the ventilation system, crawling through the tight, narrow ventilation system, where infected couldn't chase him.
Not allowing himself to stop, he crawled forward, the only direction he could go. The position he found himself in was quite uncomfortable, and the narrow vent wasn't helpful at all. Just take me out of here, a plea crossed his mind while he crawled like an insect, trying to be as quiet as possible. Hearing muffled moans from below meant that the Bloater roamed around. Perhaps it heard Ben crawling through the vent. Moaning turned louder, starting to resemble something of a grunt. Ben suddenly felt the pull of gravity when the tunnel he crawled through opened and tilted down followed by loud creaks of the metal. Ben slid down the slippery surface of the vent, falling right back into the corridor, raising a small cloud of dust, echoing in the dull sound. Adrenaline rush gave him enough strength to get on his feet and run as fast as he could with dozen a of the infected on his back. Clickers, Stalkers, and the Bloater all rushed at him, to tear him apart and eat him alive. He couldn't afford to stop, all of the infected were after him.
Fuck, fuck, fuck, his brain babbled repeatedly as Ben ran for his life. The door at the end of the corridor opened when he kicked it in, revealing yet another corridor that separated in two directions. Taking the left turn, Ben resumed his escape, not daring to look back, but he felt the infected getting closer and closer. Another door, another corridor, then another door which led to a room with a collapsed wall he used to cross in another room, and another corridor. All of it was one big mess. Infected were right at his back, and Ben knew he couldn't last much longer at this pace. The machete he brought from home finally found its use when Ben used it to cut off the arms that gripped his pants, backpack, and hoodie. By the time he reached the end of yet another corridor, he found himself running up the stairs, jumping three steps at the time. When he reached the top, he pushed the knob with his right, but it was stuck. The door wasn't locked, it was blocked by something. Infected were closing in on him, he had nowhere else to go. He pushed the door as hard as he could, barely moving it. He rammed at it with his shoulder, one time, then one more, until the door opened just as much to let him through. After squeezing through the small gap, and getting to the other side just in time to escape with his life, a bomb of spores exploded in front of the door, some passed through the gap in the door. Wasting no time, Ben pushed back the desk that blocked the door, closing it completely, giving himself a small advantage in time.
The door wouldn't hold for long however, the infected would break in a matter of time. Knowing he had to stay on the move, Ben progressed through the building.I'm on my way out, he sighed of relief when he noticed the tall windows letting in the light from the outside. This room resembled a lobby of some sort, providing a space out of which one or more other rooms or corridors lead. Typical lobbies were entrances to the buildings, that meant Ben was close to the exit. The light that sneaked through the windows was dim, and Ben could even see the traces of the orange sky. A day was coming to a close. Infected banged on the door, cracking it. Another spore bomb exploded, letting the spores in through small cracks on the wooden surface.
Main door that led outside, as Ben presumed, has been blocked by rubble and a barricade. Lobby was mostly collapsed, holes were visible on many walls, floors, and ceilings. Spotting a tight gap in the wall, Ben ran towards it just as the Bloater charged right through the door that separated Ben and the infected, completely destroying it. Tearing a patch of deformed skin from its body, it hurled the projectile in Ben's direction. The bomb exploded next to Ben in the cloud of spores, missing him just barely. Knowing he had no reasons to stay, he squeezed through the gap to the light of the outside world. The streets of Seattle were overgrown and destroyed, dozens of cars left alone by their dead owners. His ears picked up the noise from the building he escaped from, a noise of infected trying to get out. The setting sun was touching the tall buildings in distance.
After removing himself from the street, he entered a small store on the edge of another street few blocks away. When he was done checking in for the infected, Ben sat down behind the counter, leaned on the wall, and took a deep breath. His mask was in the backpack, undamaged, his weapons ready to be used at any given moment. Realization of what he'd gone through sent a shiver down his spine. A bite of meat gave him back some energy he'd lost. Sip of water would do good to wash it down, but he lost his bottle back in the sewers.
I need to find a place to stay the night, he thought, looking through the window by the door. Something seemed off about the light outside. Peeking through the window, he saw the sun going above the tall buildings in the distance. The sun is rising, Ben widened his eyes after realization. How long was he down in the sewer? Was I out cold the whole night?
That realization horrified him. He walked out, back to the street, and looked around himself. He decided to climb somewhere high to scope his surroundings, having no idea where he was. Map wasn't helpful in his position. The spot he was looking for was atop the workshop he found soon afterwards. The building itself was not very tall, but it rose above the others. He stood on top as the sun rose in the east, watching the endless mass of water in the distance at the edge of the ruined city. Where now?
"Put your hands where I can see them!" someone ordered from behind "Turn around slowly."
For a second, Ben considered jumping from the building, but the fall was deadly. "I said turn around!"
And Ben turned around, his hands high in the air. He saw three men in front of him, two of which held their guns pointed at him. They wore clothes with WLF patches. The Washington Liberation Front, he realized trying to hide his surprise and fear by masking his face with emotionless mask. Two of them closed in on Ben. They had him cornered, robbing him of any opportunity he to get himself out of there alive.
A tall man in the middle, with his black hair tied in a bun walked past them, towards the edge. Come closer, I'll wipe that smug smile off your face, Ben thought, struck by a strange combination of anger and fear.
"You're one of the trespassers." he said in a striking, Hispanic accent, standing close enough, but still in a safe distance away from Ben, who remained quiet "My man, Marco..." manbun explained, pointing to an older soldier behind him "..saw you yesterday with another trespasser and a dog. You killed those men in the school."
Ben smirked at the mention of the dog.
"Something's funny, you stupid shit?" Marco asked angrily, walking past Manny, pressing the barrel of his pistol against Ben's cheek "Let me kill him, Manny. Let me kill this motherfucker."
Manny, the man with a manbun, shook his head "No. Take him to the FOB."
Ben didn't notice the third soldier swinging his pistol, hitting Ben in the head to send him to the world of darkness.
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