Warning: Character death, mild gore/violence

It was so quiet in the room, as neither Hunter nor I wanted to say anything, and Cyrus was at the other side of the room, having found a working laptop. The screen cast the only light in the room, as the sky was overcast that night. We were in an old library, because apparently our situation wasn't enough like a horror movie already. I was sat on a hard wooden chair, unable to get comfortable. Hunter was looking through the books on the shelves, holding them very close to his face as he tried to read.

Cyrus sighed as he shut the laptop, since it had presumably run out of battery. He got up and walked over to where Hunter was, looking over his shoulder. Hunter hadn't noticed, and he jumped when Cyrus pointed to something on the book.

"Don't do that!" Hunter angrily shoved the book back into its place on the shelf, and Cyrus just laughed, stopping when he had to cough.

"It was pretty funny, wasn't it Rose?" Cyrus asked me. I nodded eagerly, not wanting to disagree with him. "See? Now cheer up, you're startin' to get on my nerves."

"Sorry, sorry," Hunter replied, shaking his head. He stayed looking at the shelf, running his finger up and down the spines of books.

"What're you sorry for? I ain't really angry with you." Cyrus frowned.

"I know, I'm sorry." Hunter clenched his fist as he realised he'd apologised again. Cyrus hit him lightly on the back of the head, and then wandered off again. Hunter came over to me, and sat down on the floor next to the chair. I joined him, crossing my legs.

"I'm worried about him," I whispered, leaning forward.

"Me too. But what can we do?" He turned his head to the side, not looking at me.

I tried to think, as I chewed my lip. "I don't know," I said eventually.

"Rose, I've been thinking, maybe... maybe it'd be better if you weren't with us."

"What?"

"I don't know what's wrong with Cyrus, but I just don't want you to get hurt. And you'd have a better chance of being rescued. Remember when we met those other survivors? They would've taken you with them if it weren't for us. You could be safe by now," he said, his voice getting quieter.

"But I am safe with you. I couldn't survive out there by myself. I need you both." I tried to take hold of his hand, but he pulled it away.

"You don't need us, we're only going to put you in more danger." He lifted his head up, but still not quite meeting my eyes. I shook my head, and stood up, not wanting to talk about it anymore. We were so close, and if there was even a miniscule chance of them getting helped as well, I was sure as hell going to take it.

The night seems to last forever, as Hunter isn't talking to either of us, and I don't know what to say to Cyrus. After what must've been hours, I announce to both of them that I'm going to sleep, and I go to the part of the library that has carpet. The carpet was scratchy, but it's marginally better than the wooden floor which had already given me a splinter.

It surprised me how quickly I fell asleep, but I kept forgetting just how exhausted I was. I wake up several times, because of some noise outside. It started raining at some point, and there was at least one instance of thunder. After that, I nearly managed to settle into sleeping properly, but then I was awoken by something else.

The noise isn't outside this time, it's inside. Footsteps, growing closer and closer to me. Heavy breathing, wheezing, though I could barely hear them above the sound of my own heartbeat. I slowly sat upright, looking around the room nervously. I opened my mouth to call out, but my throat dried and I couldn't even let out a squeak.

Then there was a shout, and a scream, my scream, as something wrapped around my waist and started pulling me. I struggled, kicking my legs out, but then my arms were pinned to my side. Then another set of footsteps, running towards me. The thing around my waist is severed, and I fall to the floor. I catch my breath, and then look at it. It's a tongue.

"Rose, are you okay?" Hunter rushed to my side, trying to help me up. He was trembling almost as much as I was. I turned around, and saw Cyrus walking up to both of us. He pushed Hunter out of the way, and slashed at my face, cutting my cheek with his claws.

Hunter was up again quickly, and he tackled Cyrus to the ground, pinning him down. Cyrus tried to attack him, and resisted when Hunter attempted to restrain him. Hunter fought back, and I couldn't watch any longer. I covered my eyes, but I couldn't cover my ears. I heard everything, the shouting, the screaming. Hunter was trying to speak to Cyrus, but it was useless. He wasn't listening.

The noises soon stopped, and I peered through the gaps in my fingers. Hunter was still on top of Cyrus, breathing heavily. Cyrus wasn't moving. I slowly removed my hands from my face, and crawled towards them.

"Hunter?" I said gently, hovering my hand above his shoulder. He held his hands up and looked at them, and I gasped. His hands were covered in blood. Cyrus' blood. I gingerly grabbed Cyrus' arm, and tried to find a pulse. I couldn't.

Hunter stood up, looking at Cyrus' body. His breathing began to quicken, and he bolted out of the library, and ran down the street. I followed him, unable to catch up, and he ignored me when I called his name. Then he suddenly stopped in the middle of the road, and I nearly collided with him. He dropped to his knees, and stared ahead blankly.

I knelt down in front of him, and though I couldn't see most of his face, I could still see the tears running down his cheeks. I forgot how horrific he looked, and how scared I was, and I wrapped my arms around him. He cried into my shoulder, and I wasn't sure if I was crying, or if it was just the rain beating down on us.

"I'm sorry, Hunter, I'm so sorry," I whispered into his ear. He cried harder, and I squeezed him tighter.

So, hey, it turns out I'm still around. I will finish this story one day. It doesn't have much longer to go, so perhaps before the month ends? I'll try.

Hope you enjoyed, thanks for reading, and constructive criticism is always welcome.