Blood-Red Sunrise
The smell of fresh blood in the morning. A lingering scent of death that wafted in on the crisp breeze.
The curtains of the small hut billowed as the wind picked up. Alice rose from her simple bed and shut the window, but the smell was something she could not help but notice. The memories of a nightmare not yet forgotten, stirred by this unusual odour.
"What's wrong?" Karin stumbled into the room, rubbing her eyes. "You look distressed."
Alice was about to respond when a high pitched whine cut her off. It was an alarm. Both girls ran out of their hut and into the open air. Others were piling out into the streets, casting their gazes to the large force outside the gate. It seemed that the entire military had gathered and built up their defences.
"What's going on?" Karin asked fearfully.
Alice couldn't answer. The word got caught on her tongue and refused to roll off.
"It's them!" A soldier roared as he led a small team towards a rear fence. They brushed past Alice and almost knocked Karin to the ground. The people were scurrying about like ants when the hive is sprayed by a hose. It was utter chaos.
Alice climbed up onto the roof of their hut and helped her young companion up beside her. From there they watched as the surging black mass on the horizon marched closer and closer. Tanks and foot-soldiers headed out to meet them. A great battle was looming ahead...But there had been enough battles already.
All Alice wanted to do was rest and try to forget what had happened. The faces of her fallen friends were still too clear in her mind. The scars of battles past still bled. In the back of her mind she knew the nightmare had not ended yet, but she never thought it would be this soon. She was getting thrust into battle already and it had barely been a fortnight.
"We should be safe as long the military hold them off." Alice whispered calmly. Despite her stoic facade, she was squeezing Karin's hand as hard as she could. She was afraid, an emotion she faced so much yet still wasn't accustomed to.
"Open fire!" A soldier's roar drifted over the battlefield and reached those fearfully observing the fighting.
On that command the brilliant glow of combined muzzle flashes created a blinding light. The deafening boom of gunfire was like a sinister song of war. Fires spread around the place and the mass of the undead began to scatter around the frontline. Death was rife, but that was to be expected.
It seemed that the living forces were gaining the upper hand, but that was only on the front flank. The other flanks of the fortified camp were understaffed due to the main force and so the oncoming ghouls soon found an easier way to get at the defenceless meat.
The agonised screams of a small band of soldiers was warning enough for Karin and Alice. The two of them leapt down from the hut and searched for an escape.
The chaotic rush of the other survivors was beyond imagination. In their frenzy to cram into buses and trucks the people were fighting against each other. A small girl was stomped into the dirt as she neared the rear cabin of a large truck. The assailant trod over her and took her place on the vehicle, riding away without the vaguest remorse.
An elderly man was robbed of his cane and then bludgeoned with it, just to prevent him from taking the last seat on a bus.
Karin and Alice both glanced down at each other and shook their heads. There was no way they would even attempt to escape. Even the helipad was a swarming mass of terrified people, the same brutal violence occurring there.
The deep rumble of engines made the earth shake and harsh breezes were swept up by the numerous choppers taking off.
The soldiers still tried to fight for their lives, doing as they were trained to do, but soon the main force was surrounded and their fates were sealed.
Meanwhile, in the camp Alice and Karin were left alone, trapped in a war-zone. A young soldier fell at their feet, savagely lacerated by the unnaturally sharp claws of yet another ghoul. Alice lashed out at the bloodthirsty creature and kicked it into a wall. While it was down she snatched the rifle out of the dead soldier's hands. She put a bullet through the man's head and then shot down the ghoul.
Karin took a pistol out of the soldier's holster and joined Alice, standing side by side in the eye of an undead storm.
"We're doomed aren't we?"
"It sure looks like it." Alice replied. "I guess we'll be seeing your brother in the afterlife now..."
Karin pondered that thought for a moment then shook her head. "Nah! Let's give these guys a taste of Hell. We'll go down fighting...Just like Ichigo..."
Alice shook her head and then asked her spirited little companion, "Ready?"
"Ready!" Karin pointed the barrel at one of the closest of the zombies. She was thrown by the recoil but steadied herself in time to watch the beast go down, the bullet clipping it just below the left eye. A spurt of thick blood sprayed out and the ghoul dropped silently.
Both girls screamed bloody murder as they unleashed their fury against the undead horde. The shambling corpses stopped dead in their tracks, their front lines crumbling to the enemy. They were blind to the suicidal notion of advance and resumed to do so.
The two fierce females seemed to hold their ground for some time but when both needed to reload there was a problem. They frantically rifled through the deceased soldier's pockets in search of ammunition. All the while the zombies shuffled closer and closer.
Alice slammed a fresh clip into her rifle and mowed down those closest to her, quickly emptying it again. She cleared a wide enough gap for her to search some more and while she did Karin held up their thin defences. Half her shots went wide or didn't hit vital areas, but she fought on fiercely, determined not to die here.
"Karin, we need to get out of here! We'll climb over the hut and search for some more weapons. Hurry!"
Karin did as told and clambered up the wooden fence and then used it to climb up to the roof. Alice hurled a belt of ammunition to her and then a few spare clips. She reached out to climb the fence but clammy, pale hands reached out for her. She lashed out with her foot, kicking the closest zombie and causing him to collapse back into those behind him, creating a domino effect.
The rest of the ghouls just crawled over their fallen brethren, their minds only accustomed to one thought; hunger. No matter what happened to them or those around them, the insatiable thirst for blood would drive them beyond the impossible.
Alice scrambled up the fence and made her way to the roof of the hut, dragging herself out of the way just as more hands extended to bring her down.
The ghouls moaned soullessly, their vacant eyes staring at everything and nothing at once. Their eroded faces were a sight that even now still instilled fear within Alice's heart. Even after surviving the initial battles, the sight of these humans-turned-beasts repulsed her to the core.
"Alice, let's go!" Karin tugged at her friend's sleeve.
Alice shook her head and removed herself from the hypnotic dance of the dead. Their slow, agonized swaying was oddly fascinating.
The two survivors hopped down on the other side of the thin wooden barrier and searched inside some of the huts. They found little of use. There were small weapons like knives and clubs but nothing they could salvage. They found scraps of food and put them in a travel bag. Alice found some large bottles of water and put them in as well. After searching a whole street they only found food. Weapons and a method of escape were still on the checklist.
"We need weapons. One way or another we are going to have to fight our way out of here..." Alice studied the empty streets as if a weapons cache would be left in plain sight. Unfortunately it was not so obvious.
"What about the barracks?" Karin suggested.
Alice's eyes narrowed and she suddenly lunged at the young girl, only to hug her. "You're a genius!" Alice exclaimed. "Where is it?"
Karin thought for a moment. "Um...If I remember correctly it's down this road, near the town hall."
The two jogged off down the wide road and soon came to a crossroads. Their path was blocked by an upturned truck. Flames lapped away at the skeletal frame of the vehicle. Charred corpses reached out for salvation, their fleshless lips curled up in eternal screams. At least they died as humans...
Alice led her young friend around a backstreet and they manoeuvred around the closely placed huts until they were back on the main road. The town hall was in plain sight now, but so was a large mob of uninvited guests.
"Shit!" Alice ducked behind an abandoned fruit cart and signalled for Karin to do the same. They poked their heads out and observed the undead as they gathered around the large building.
"The barracks is past there...But how will we get there?"
Alice frowned. "Fighting them would be suicide..."
"But there is no other way around..." Karin mumbled.
The two sat there in silence for a whole minute, the only noises were the mournful howls of the dead. They glanced at each other with sombre expressions. They knew full well the only strategy to take. They nodded knowingly and then rose to their feet.
"Alright. We can't fight them, but we can scatter them. If we make a path we can make a run for it. As far as I know, these things can't run." Alice loaded a magazine into her rifle. "Stay close to me and don't try anything silly."
"Understood. Let's just get through them as fast as we can!"
Alice took a deep breath and then dashed forwards. Karin ran alongside her, pushing herself to keep up with Alice's strong sprint. Alice leapt into the air and spun in a half circle before swinging her leg out, performing a flying back kick which knocked down a wide groups of them. Karin hopped over them and followed close behind as Alice used her rifle as a club, crushing skulls and breaking bones. When there was more space she unleashed short bursts of gunfire to further scatter them.
Their path was thin but it was a path nonetheless. Karin whimpered as the road behind them quickly closed back up and the undead surrounded them.
"Keep moving forward!" Alice screamed. "Don't look back! Just focus on getting out of here!"
Karin took a deep breath and charged up behind her friend, shoulder charging a ghoul and knocking him to the ground. She leapt over him but the beast grabbed her ankle and she tripped, falling face first on the ground. She made a short alarmed cry before the wind was knocked out of her.
Alice didn't register it at first but soon noticed the disturbing absence of Karin's fearful panting. She whirled around only to stare death in the face. She gasped and backhanded the hideous ghoul. It remained on its feet so she jammed the butt of the rifle into its nose. The monster's face caved in and dark blood spurted out from its eyes, mouth and nose.
"AAAGH!" Karin's cries came in clear over the moans and groans of the zombies.
"Karin!" Alice thrust her elbow into a zombie's jaw and then drove her knee into it's sternum, cracking ribs with the force. She rolled under the legs of a few hungry ghouls and then swung her legs in a sweeping motion, knocking them all flat on their backs. They writhed about like turtles and she bolted past them until she was at Karin's side.
The terrified girl was kicking frantically at the snapping jaws of a legless ghoul. She crawled backwards, only to find herself in the arms of a zombie behind her. She shrieked as its flaky-skinned arms wrapped around her and locked her into a deadly bear hug. The stale breath passed over the nape of her neck and she broke down into a fit of hysterical tears.
The ghoul spread its jaws open wide and its teeth hovered over her bare neck, anticipating the taste of fresh meat. Thankfully the meal was interrupted as Alice smashed her heel through the top of its skull, making pulp out of its brain. It flopped back worthlessly and Karin was released fro his grip.
The two had a brief reunion while the ghouls were re-gaining their ground. Karin clung to Alice and sobbed. Alice kept one arm around her companion and the other holding the rifle, firing controlled bursts to keep the horde back.
They slowly progressed, eventually returning to the previous spot before the split. Alice pushed on, doing all the work while Karin tried to remain as calm as she could. They eventually reached a fence where a loose paling stood out. Alice jogged over to it and lifted the large piece of timber. She tapped Karin on the shoulder and whispered in her ear.
"I'll go ahead and knock them down. Run after me and don't stop. Even if I fall just keep going okay. I'll look after myself. Just get to the barracks and survive, no matter what!"
Karin smiled weakly. "That's...That's something Ichigo would say..."
The two of them shared smiles before facing the oncoming enemy. With a mighty roar, Alice charged, using the paling as a battering ram, slamming it into the ghouls, aiming for their vital points. Karin bolted after her and kept pace with her friend. They made it to the fringe of the crowd when the paling snapped in half.
For a moment it seemed like a disaster, but Karin managed to take out her pistol and fired wildly into the thin wall of ghouls, making enough room for them to barge out into the open.
They made it past the group and began weaving around the stragglers. They picked off a few who came too close but refrained from wasting ammunition, instead using their weapons as clubs.
It was a short trip to the barracks and it was relatively deserted when they got there. Only a scattered bunch of ghouls wandered around outside but they were easily dispatched. Alice and Karin ran inside and locked the door behind them.
Inside they found a stockpile of weapons as well as other military equipment...Including a parked military vehicle. The armoured car was in perfect condition and one door hung open. The driver was slumped over in his seat. A gun was in one hand, a family photograph in the other.
"Did he..." Karin whimpered.
"Yes. Even for a soldier, this past month has been a true nightmare. For some it is too much to bear. But we won't succumb. We will fight on until the very end! We will survive to see the dawn of a new day, I swear it! For Ichigo's sake...for everyone's sake, we will survive!"
Karin nodded sombrely and stepped back while Alice dumped the corpse behind an ammunition crate. They then packed weapons and ammo in the back cabin of the car. When they were fully packed Alice hopped into the driver's seat and d up the engine.
"Open the door! Let's get the hell out of here!"
Karin did as instructed and pushed the garage door open. She then ran back to the car and slid into the passenger's seat.
The car lurched forward with a sudden surge of power. Alice almost lost control before they even cleared the garage but she soon got the hang of the vehicle and they sped through the streets until they found the broken down gates of the town. They were in ruins now. A car had crashed into the gate and caused one half to fall down. The other swung open and bent awkwardly.
They drove over the battle-zone, passing dying soldiers who waited for death to claim them before the ghouls picked them off.
Empty tanks and jeeps remained frozen in their tracks, their drivers' dead or worse. Undead soldiers mixed in amongst their former enemies, now joining their accursed ranks.
Their home had become a living hell. It was fully apparent now, there was no safe haven. There was no paradise. There was no escape...
All that awaited them was death. They could only run from it for so long. It was inevitable. The best they could do was find somewhere nice and cosy to wait for the zombies to surround them and claim their lives like everyone else.
"So...Where to now?" Alice inquired.
"I want to go back home." Karin whispered.
"Home? You mean Karakura?" Karin nodded. "Why? That place is fully over-run!"
"I know we're doomed. No matter where we run we'll be found by those things. I just want to go back home...That way I can die alongside my friends...And my family." Karin stared down at the floor.
"Hmm, you're right. Everywhere is plagued with the undead...We can't escape them, we might as well hole up somewhere comfy and wait for the final storm..." Alice turned the car onto a wide road and studied the rusted sign which barely stood up by the side of the road. It read: 'Welcome to Karakura Town.'
Alice couldn't help but think to herself:
Welcome...To Hell...
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