Cyrus pulled out his knife and slashed the man's hand mere inches from his face. A hiss escaped from the creature's mouth as he recoiled. Cyrus went to grab Jonah by the arm but was knocked off his feet when the man flung his wounded hand, hitting him in the face.
Cyrus struggled to his knees. He could no longer open his right eye more than half way and the pain was unbelievable. His brain was scattered. Any focus he had mere seconds ago had left him as the snowy landscape surrounding him seemed to spin. Dizziness was starting to set in so he placed a hand on the cold ground to steady himself.
The sound of Jonah struggling brought him back to reality. He looked up to see Jonah hanging in the air with the man's hands around his neck, Jonah clawing at his arms. Cyrus picked up his knife, got to his feet, and ran straight for the man and tackled him. Jonah fell to the ground and began to cough and gasp for air.
Sitting on top of him, the man struggled as Cyrus pinned him down. Cyrus raised the knife above his head and quickly buried it in the man's forehead.
Cyrus was breathing heavily now. He stared at the man's face. He looked like a normal, middle-aged man. Completely ordinary except for his extremely pale skin.
"He's newly turned." Cyrus said between deep breaths. He looked over at Jonah who was still coughing, hunched over on the ground and holding his throat. He quickly got up and ran over to him. "Are you ok?" Cyrus asked.
Jonah looked up and removed his hands from his neck. Deep purple bruises covered it almost entirely. "Where did he come from?" he choked.
Cyrus looked around. "I don't know."
"I've never… seen one do that… before. Go from one place… to the next that quickly."
"What does that mean? Did it teleport or something?"
Jonah shook his head. "No…" he said and coughed a few more times. Then he looked at Cyrus, realization dawning in his eyes. "Cyrus, we have to go. I think there's another one out there."
"Bex, I'm starting to get scared."
"It's ok, Andi. Just stay put."
Bex was standing by the door, her ear pressed against it. Cyrus and Andi were still huddled beneath the table. Now there was no sound outside. Nothing. Just complete and total silence. Cyrus didn't even hear the neighbors anymore.
POP!
Cyrus felt Andi jump at the sudden noise. "That was closer than the last ones," she said, panic seeping into her voice.
Bex raised a finger to her lips and shushed. Suddenly, they heard the thud of several pairs of boots outside the door. The sound grew louder as the footsteps approached until it grew silent again.
BOOM BOOM.
They were knocking on the neighbor's door. Cyrus heard it open and-
POP!
Another thud as something hit the floor.
"Check the apartment for other inhabitants. They could be infected, too."
"What did he mean, 'too'?" Andi asked as Bex rushed over to the table. "Did infected get inside the zone?"
Cyrus saw a look on Bex's face he had never seen before- fear. "Guys, we have to go. Get up." Cyrus did as he was told but Andi didn't move. "Andi, get up! Let's go! Please!"
Andi wrapped her arms around the leg of the table. "No, they're shooting people out there. We're safe in here."
Bex knelt in front of her sister. "Andi, I am your mother and you will do as I say. Do you hear me?"
"Mother?" Cyrus asked.
Bex ignored the question. She held out her hand, "Andi, come on."
Andi hesitated a moment before she took her mother's hand. They ran to Bex's room. The shades were all pulled making the room dark and cool. Bex ripped open one of them revealing a semi-large balcony. Quietly, she unlocked the door and slid it open.
BOOM BOOM.
All three stopped moving and looked toward the door to the bedroom. Someone was outside their apartment now.
They heard a voice say, "Open up!"
Bex quickly turned to Cyrus and Andi. "Outside. Now."
BOOM BOOM.
Cyrus crossed onto the balcony followed by Andi and Bex. The air was cold as day turned to night. Bex ran over to the railing where there were the first few rungs of a ladder. "We have to climb down."
"What?" Andi exclaimed. "And go where? No!"
Bex grabbed Andi by the shoulders. "Andi, you have to trust me. Please."
Cyrus walked over to the railing. The street below was deserted and quiet. Everything was quiet. He looked at Andi. "It'll be ok," he promised. He held out his hand.
Andi hesitated a moment and then took it.
They crossed the street into the alley and hid behind a dumpster.
"Stay right here," Bex said. She got up quietly and moved to the other end of the alley. She peered around the corner and turned back to give Cyrus and Andi the all-clear. They got up to move when suddenly a man appeared behind Bex and grabbed her by the arm. He was wearing a white hazmat suit that covered every inch of him. On his back was a large rifle. Cyrus grabbed Andi and pulled her back down behind the dumpster.
"You shouldn't be out here," the man said.
"What's going on?" Bex asked. "Let go of me!" She struggled but the man's grip was firm.
"Test her." Behind the first man, a second appeared. He held some kind of device in his hand that he held up to Bex's forehead. A moment passed before it lit up. "Put her in the van."
"What?" Bex began to struggle. "What are you doing?! Let me go!"
The second man hit her on the side of the head with a baton and she went limp. He picked her up and started walking away.
"Bex!" Andi cried and started running. Cyrus reached for her but she was too far.
The two men turned.
"Let her go!"
The first man raised his gun. Cyrus turned as a single gunshot rang out into the night.
They were running so fast Cyrus thought his heart would explode. Jonah's hand was still firmly in his as they dodged tree after tree.
Cyrus stopped when he felt Jonah tug. "I need to stop," Jonah said between heavy breaths.
Cyrus looked around. The snow was falling so heavily he could only see a couple dozen feet ahead of them. Anything beyond was a white fog. He looked back at Jonah. "How's your neck?"
Jonah's hand moved to touch his wound. "It hurts when I breath but other than that…"
Cyrus placed a hand on the boy's back. He wanted to say something reassuring but nothing came to him.
"Do you think we lost him?"
"I don't know," Cyrus replied. "Come on, let's at least walk." He started moving but when Jonah didn't follow he stopped. "What?"
He looked defeated. "Do you even know where we are?" Cyrus was silent. "How long until we reach another place to stay? An hour? Four?"
"I don't know…," was all Cyrus could say.
"We're gonna freeze out here."
Cyrus walked over to Jonah and pulled him into a close embrace. "I'm not going to let that happen, ok?"
Jonah wrapped his arms around Cyrus as well. "Promise?"
"Promise."
Jonah suddenly let go. "What's that?"
Cyrus turned. "What? What is it?"
Jonah pointed. "That! Something's… glowing!"
He was right. Through the fog, Cyrus could see an orange light pulsing in the distance.
It was a fire.
Fire means people.
And people mean danger.