His senses returned to him, and he found himself in an unfamiliar place. The bed didn't feel the same. The air didn't feel the same. It caused him to panic, and his eyes flew open. He quickly jerked his hand off his face and rose up in bed, eyes adjusting to the natural light from the small window above him. He found himself staring straight into the living-room. "Good-morning." a soft feminine voice said next to him.
He turned his head to see Alison on her knee's on the other side of the bed, hands in a steeple. Her long blonde hair curled and tumbled down around her shoulders and in-front of her baby blue eyes. She smiled softly and bowed her head, closing her eyes and continued her prayer.
That's when it all come back to Elias. The events of last night an yesterday as a whole. He felt a pit in his stomach, and a electricity in his chest. He didn't like this feeling, and didn't know how to shake it either.
Nor did he know what to say to her. He woke up in her bed, and knew she took care of him, that she comforted him through the night. He slid his legs off the side of the bed, seeing most of the clothes he wore yesterday folded neatly on a chair. He felt a wave of something hit him. It was the feeling of disgust. A disgust for the symbol that he'd been cloaked in, and a feeling of disgust for himself.
He wanted to address the issue. Some part of him wanted to apologize and explain what happened. But that disgust just seeped into every pore of his body. He recalled the soul crushing pressure of the depression he's felt, and terror of the panic attacks, and tried to recall a time in his life when he had utter control over himself.
He couldn't.
So he slid off the bed and took a deep breath, staring down at the clothes. Alison looked up at him, seeing the look of hesitation. But also anger. She realized a little more that the disdain Elias felt for himself ran much deeper then she previously thought.
Inside, he felt cold and catatonic. He could feel through the disgust that something had to change. Something within him, perhaps. He felt as if he was rapidly approaching a crossroads. He didn't know where either direction would take him, but he knew he had to choose. Maybe he'd know when it was before him, but for now, he knew nothing other then the shame and disgust for himself.
He turned his head slightly, not quite looking over his shoulder at Alison, but letting her know he was addressing her. "Thank you...for what you did for me last night. My...actions...I-I apologize-."
"Elias, it's okay." She cut him off almost dismissively.
"-for everything." He finished regardless, giving her pause as she sat on her knees and stared at him from across the bed. He let that pause weigh into her for a minuet before he spoke again. "I need some time. Some time away from here, to myself. To think."
She wrinkled her brow, not sure of what to make the situation. "Are you sure that's wise?"
"No." He retorted ever a moment. "But it needs to be done. I'm going to take a copy of that list of places you haven't looted in the wastes. I don't know when I'll be back..."
She somberly stood, concern overwhelming her. "Are you even coming back...?"
He paused then turned to where he was facing neither Alison nor his clothes, instead the door across the room. "I will." he spoke softly. "It's early, I should be back by dusk. I just...I need to think."
Reluctantly, he turned and grabbed the dark button up shirt off the table, slipping it on and buttoning it. While he did so, Alison grabbed the gun belt off the table beside her. He heard it and turned his head, finding her holding it up and looking at him. "Let me help you, Elias. I can come with you, I can help. I won't get in your way."
Elias wrinkled his brow as he finished buttoning the shirt. Reaching over to his left and grabbing the dark pea-coat-like duster off the chair. He slid it on, then reached over and grabbed the hat. He looked into the hat is if gazing into a crystal ball, searching for answers in the darkness. When he found none, he put it on and looked over at Alison. "No," he answered bluntly with a shake of his head. "I'm sorry. The town needs you here, and I need to think without worry."
"But I'm gonna worry about you..." she said with a somber voice that sounded hurt. It made Elias' heart sink. He walked over and reached, out, grabbing his gun belt and laying his other hand on the back of hers. His wounded black eyes looked into hers, and he spoke softly. "I can take care of myself, you don't have to worry." He looked into her eyes and saw that nothing had changed. The worry remained, and her demeanor was the same. "What can I do to put you at ease that I'm coming back?"
She looked at the gun belt for a moment, then at his chest. Elias looked down at himself then back up at her. "Armor." She said nodding her head. "Some kind of armor; leather, metal, something."
Elias gave a nod and looked at the door. "I think I saw a Kevlar vest in the store. Anything else?"
"A gun." She said instantly, as if expecting him to ask. He looked over at gun belt they both held. "Not just those, Elias. I know you're not stupid, you've carried more guns then that in the past. The reason you carry just those, and with limited ammo, is because you're still stuck in the loop of wanting and expecting death."
Wrinkling his brow he turned more towards her and looked deep into her eyes. "That...that's not it."
"Yes, it is." she snapped back just as quick with a matter-of-fact attitude. "You take these risks. Limited ammo, a single set of revolvers that take time to reload, no armor. I know it didn't use to be like this. You stopped caring about your life. If that isn't the way it is, then prove me wrong."
Perhaps she was right. Elias felt empty and cold inside, and it wasn't unusual in any way for Elias to not realize his own actions. He let the demons of his subconscious direct him too much. So after accepting her terms, she let go of the gun belt. He strapped it on, pulling his coat over it and left the house with Alison right behind him.
She followed him into the store, into the armory. He wasted no time strapping on the Kevlar vest, and putting his coat on over it. Grabbing a bandoleer, he was able to load up a hunting-shotgun and put it on his back. He also re-fitted a sheathed Bowie knife into his boot, and stocked up on ammo. He hadn't felt so heavy with gear in a long time. It constrained him a bit.
She saw him off at the gate, helping him saddle the strider and practically demanding he return. Elias acknowledged dismissively then road off to the south. Practically no-one rode south. The further south you went, the worst the conditions and the danger got. Carter went south every time he left, claiming the best runs come from the south and that the men he tracked were most likely in that direction as well.
Elias enjoyed the warm sun and slightly chilled air. The quiet with nothing but the galloping hooves of the strider and the screeching of the cicada's. The occasional caw of a crow and the sweeping shadow of a volture. The shadow's always bothered Elias. His journey's had brought him to hellish terriroties, and he was witness to hellish beings. The ones that flew always bothered him.
The further he got away from the town, and the further the sun rose into the blue sky that was speckled with white clouds, the stronger the silence got. He'd forgotten what it was like to go south, towards The Crypts and the dead-lands. The further out you got, the less you heard. If he were to keep going, he'd find himself completely void of the sound of nature. Even the wind felt dead and heavy. It carried the hint of long decay, no matter in what direction you came from or went.
But he wasn't going that far south. He double checked the coordinates on the paper with the digital map on his pipboy, and calculated the location of an old school. Carter had written down beside it "(Chance there might be meds from the nurses office and food from the cafeteria)".
It wasn't horribly far from Prosperous Springs, but it wasn't close either. The striders hooves hit grayed and cracked pavement under the sand, and among the dunes Elias found his location. A large sign was bent but still jetting up into the air. An old school information board, the lettering faded and broken away. Whatever the name of the school was, it was lost now. Nothing but another dead ruin.
Elias slid off the saddle of the strider and tied the reins to the base of the sign. Tight enough the beast wouldn't escape, but loose enough where it could if something were to panic him enough.
The school stood dominant among the dunes, even as they closed in on it and suffocated it. The dune's from the right had slid in and pressed up against the side of the building, some of the sand even sweeping over the roof.
The front entrance was wide open, and nearly pitch black inside of it. A warm gust of air blew out from the building, blowing over Elias as he approached. The air was indeed warm, and it reeked of death. Elias wrinkled his nose and put his hand over it.
He stopped before the door and raised his arm, adjusting the dials on the pip-boy. The light's that encrusted the device suddenly lit up. Elias adjusted the dial until the whole device was practically glowing. It would be some-what unnerving to aim with the illuminated device in-front of his face, but he was a good enough shot that he trusted himself. He reached back and pulled the shotgun off his back, then walked through the front door's of the school.
The once bustling halls that were filled with innocent children, rowdy and angst ridden teens, and stern teachers, now laid decrepit. Ceiling tiles had fallen down, exposing wires and insulation. The walls had many holes in them, and stains of what was most likely dried blood. The tiles below his feet were chipped and cracked. They felt loose even.
The whole of the building felt very heavy, and it gave Elias an uneasy feeling. Right from the moment he entered, he felt as if he wasn't alone. He shined the light of his pip-boy everywhere his arms turned. He cast it over cobwebs that rested inside a broken glass display case that once held the pride of student-athletes and the school-board.
There were three hallways immediately before him. One, that lead up steps and down a wide hallway, and two thinner hallways at his sides. One appeared to have classroom doors lining it, one of them set ajar. The other hall led to a large set of rusted blue metal doors. They stood bent, but chained together. Impassable.
Elias moved the empty duffel bag he had at his side around to his back, so he could properly aim. He turned left, keeping the shotgun gripped and at the ready. There was five classrooms from what he could see, and another hall that turned to the right. He went room to room.
Starting with the first door on his right. He opened it with dismay, as it's rusted hinges creaked and scrapped together. The noise carried much further then he would have liked it to, and it made him cringe. Never-the-less, he pushed it open and revealed a classroom.
It's old chalkboard had several noticeable bullet holes in it, and in yellow chalk someone wrote "NOT SAFE TURN BACK" and underlined it several times. Below the chalkboard the skeletal remains of a murauder laid sprawled out. His bones appeared gnawed on, several ribs broken off and an entire right leg missing. His flesh has been ripped from his bone. Every bit of him that held any substance had been devoured.
Elias put his back against the wall near the door, just in case something was in the room or something had heard the door. He slowly shimmied along the wall until he reached the skeleton, then took a knee beside it. "Male, I think...probably a looter or a bandit." He thought to himself. His bones have been broken, the marrow emptied from them. His flesh torn away and dried blood surround him, all over the floor and walls. If Elias had to guess, there was a gunfight, and it attracted some unwanted attention. Flesh craver's. Scavengers of both the living and the dead.
Elias grabbed up the old faded grey 10mm pistol from near the skeleton. He put it in the bag, and proceeded to search the rest of the room. Dozens of school-desks lined in rows, some overturned and all of them chipped and cracked. No little skeletons though, which was both a pleasant surprise and a greatly worrying concern. Just because they're not in this room doesn't mean they're not here.
No one properly survived the great-war, not even the vault dwellers. 'Duck-and-cover' didn't do shit when the nukes dropped. They filled a child with hope of survival, but instead they were met with a fiery death. Just like the rest of civilization. It was a sad thought, and Elias quickly emptied it from his mind as he left the room.
Into the second one, he found another skeleton. It sat in an office chair, a .32 revolver still clutched in it's dead skeletal hand. The top of it's skull was shattered open, jaw no where to be seen. Someone had obviously been through here to discover this and close the door, as these bones were picked clean as well. And the last time Elias checked, beasts didn't close doors.
Elias took the revolver, put it in the bag, and proceeded to check the rest of the room. As he did so, the feeling of being watched only grew more and more intense. It was making him paranoid, and he constantly checked over his shoulder. He could swear that he could hear shuffling from somewhere in the halls. Scratching movements.
But upon exiting the room, he found the hall empty. It only exceeded in making him more paranoid. He clutched the shotgun tighter, and moved close to the door that was cracked open. The closer he got, the more the fear set in. It was a feeling he didn't feel often, but when he did, it was palpable.
The unease, the distress. It all weighed in on him as he got closer to that ajar door. He clutched the shotgun in one hand, finger resting beside the trigger and ready to blast anything that moved, as his other hand moved out and clutched the aluminum door handle. With a sudden jerk, the door whined open and slammed against the wall. Elias aimed the shotgun into the room, and in doing so, illuminated a startling sight.
Piled about waist high were old and decrepit clothing and shoes. The clothing of children, men and women. No bones, just this pile in the center of the room. It sent a chill rocketing up Elias' spine, and he swallowed hard as he pressed the butt of the shotgun into his shoulder. He could feel his heart thundering inside his chest. Reluctantly, he moved evermore into the room.
This was meticulously done, perhaps taken off of corpses. All the clothing was shredded and bloodied, but as Elias came closer he discovered another detail. The clothes were wet, and there was a faint smell of lighter-fluid around them. He wrinkled his brow, checking around the clothes and indeed finding a open and near empty bottle of lighter-fluid spilled on the ground next to the table. A old and congealing splatter of blood was next to it, and across the old table. But no body.
What happened here? It looked as if someone made a very desperate attempt to either destroy something, or the building it's self. The whole scene made Elias more than uncomfortable. He had racing thoughts that matched his heartbeat, all telling him to leave and never look back. But he had to know. It wasn't simple curiosity, this was a location marked on the towns map, if he didn't find out what was going on someone would come scavenging the place and get hurt or killed. It had to be him. And it had to be now.
Suddenly, the pip-boy on his wrist vibrated, and from behind Elias, the door creaked slightly. He spun on his heels, taking a stand and raising the shotgun at the same time. He only witnessed a shadow against the hallway wall outside disappear. Someone was in the building with him.
He burst from the room into the hallway, aiming the shotgun down to where he saw the shadow. But there was nothing. There were no more rooms in the hallway, only the path that turned down to the right. Elias wasted no time perusing the figure.
Rounding the corner to the next hallway, he saw a unwelcoming sight on each side of the hall. There were at-least five doors that lead into classroom. The shadow-caster could have ducked into any one of them. Elias gripped the gun tighter and reluctantly pushed forward, knowing any moment, any room, could hold an ambush.
The first door was on his left. He observed the lair of undisturbed dust on the doorknob, and knew nothing had entered the room. But to make sure there was nothing of importance inside, he grasped the door handle and opened it up.
Simply peering inside revealed the dust coated room. Cobwebs hung from the ceiling and the corners of the room. The air smelled stagnant. Elias quietly closed the door, then approached the next one, which was on his right. He once again observed nothing had disturbed the dust on the handle, but all the same he twisted and pushed it open. It was more of the same in this room, except the air smelled a little more putrid. Possible from dead rodents who had chewed threw the walls.
Elias moved to the next door on the left. But before he could even grasp the handle, a noise came from the room on his right. He looked over to it, raising the shotgun with one hand and aiming it at the slightly opened door. The light from his pipboy shinned on the door, and yet another clamoring noise came from inside it.
Elias raised his other hand, laying it on the pump of the shotgun, and persistently moved towards it. The clatter came again, sounding like aluminum being buckled upon pressure. Elias knew for certain that there was something in there. He just didn't know what he'd find.
He pressed against the wall next to the door, peering through the crack and hearing more of the noise. It sounded like scraping now, accompanied by the sound of the denting aluminum. He gripped the stock of the shotgun tighter, closing his eyes for a brief second and giving a slow exhale. He wanted to keep his mind focused, he needed it focused. But when he closed his eyes, Alison's image raced through his mind. Her face, her eyes staring into his with that look she gave him. That look of desperation to help. He felt a sudden urgency, and he couldn't for the life of him figure out what for. But, as if he wasn't already, it put him even more on edge.
He dashed forward, slamming his shoulder into the door, causing it to fly open and slam into the wall. He automatically aimed the shotgun, ready to take down whatever was before him. But there was nothing. The room was much more devastated by the elements then any of the others, as the ceiling had collapsed in on it's self. Sand had poured through the hole and coated the floor. What desks were here were tipped over, broken and rusted. It looked like an explosion had gone off in the room with all the debris.
The pip-boy buzzed again, letting Elias know whatever was in the area wasn't gone yet. He gripped the gun tighter, his breath laboring between his lips. It was the only sound in the room for a moment. Up until the ventilation system made a metallic popping sound to Elias' left.
It was then that he noticed it. From the bottom far left side of the room was an air-duct. And protruding from the air-duct was a bloodied and mangled body of a man. His clothes looked similar to the body of the dead Raider Elias had found in one of the rooms. His dead eyes stared widely into the room, mouth open and the one arm that was attached to his body was sprawled out in-front of him. Like he was reaching for something at the time of his death.
Elias wrinkled his brow, analyzing the peculiar sight. He began to wonder if the man had begun to crawl into the vent to get away from something. The thought entered his mind the moment he noticed the faint congealed blood-trail in the sand and on the tile flooring. It led from one side of the room, behind the section of collapsed ceiling, then into the vent where he now rested. It then became clear to Elias...something had dragged him into the vent.
Suddenly the duct popped again, as if a weight was shifting inside of it. And the dead body slid backwards into the vent. With one strong tug, the deceased man was gone out of sight. The sound of his body being drug through the vent, though, that carried on for a while. Seeming to echo through the whole building.
Elias muttered the word 'shit!' in panic under his breath, stumbling backwards towards the wall and aiming the gun at the vent. Anything could have drug that man into the vent. The only silver lining Elias could find was that; at-least it wasn't another fucking Deathclaw. He hoped.
Backing out of the room quickly, something caught his attention to his left. His back pressed against the wall behind him, and he turned his head to look. The sudden sound of shuffling away rang into the air, catching his full attention, as the sound was also accompanied by the sight of a shadow disappearing across the wall. He pressed the butt of his shotgun tight against his shoulder and ran forward, determined to catch who or whatever it was.
The hallway turned to the right and descended down some stairs that were cluttered with litter and debris. The stairs descended three times, leveling out to a small platform twice before evening out into the lower half of the school.
This half was much darker, and smelled more of death and mildew. It gave him an overwhelming sense of dread and panic as he entered into the desolate halls. He felt as if he didn't belong there, down in the darkness with the stench of decay and lingering feelings of being watched. He indeed felt as if no-one belonged down there. But, reguardless, he couldn't shake the feeling of someone being down there with him. And he was determined to find out who.
He recalled his mindset before he rode out that morning. He wanted to escape the feelings of last night, The feelings of fear and panic. To find a fresh mindset today, and to never recall those feelings. The irony of this was palpable, and if he was a man who was swayed from his tormenting fear, he would have found it both miserable and amusing.
"I got your six." a young girls voice suddenly said, causing his eyes to widen. He spun to his right, seeing something he never thought he'd see again. Something that stopped his heart and chilled his blood. A young girl, with long brown hair. Her skin was ghostly pale, and her clothing was ragged and worn. Sun bleached and stone washed. Everything about her, even the look in her eyes and her personality, read 'distressed.' But everything to him just read Jenny.
She looked at him. Straight into his eyes. She had no smile, no expression. No formal emotion what-so-ever. She just stared into his eyes, then nudged her head to the right, signaling for him to lead. "Well?"
He stuttered out a shaky breath, his gun lowering until he let it hang by one hand. He'd missed this. For so long, he had missed this feeling. These moments. Of no matter what decrepit pit they found themselves in, they were side by side. Shoulder to shoulder or back to back. Didn't matter the guns, or the training, or even the situation. It only mattered the company in which they dealt with it all. And Elias felt regret in that moment. Right then in there, he felt the regret of decade swell inside of him.
He reached out with his free hand, laying it on her cold cheek. She tilted her head lightly, neither leaning into nor away from his touch, but gazing at him curiously. As if he were some spectacle to bare witness too. But there wasn't even a glimmer of emotion in her eyes. They were cold, and dead. Barren of all existence that ever was or ever could have been. She was a muted husk of her former self, and for once...just one singular instance. Elias was happy she wasn't here.
For he realized, it wasn't her eyes he was looking into. It was his own. A mirror image of himself, reflected from within her.
A sudden scream of a name shattered Elias ill-timed trance, causing him to look down the hall into the darkness. He half thought it was some horrid creature, having spotted the light of his pipboy and came to claim it's kill. But it screamed again, and this time he registered it all. "WILLIAM!" a woman screamed in the distance, caused by three quick gunshots from a small caliber hand-gun.
Elias looked back at Jenny, and discovered that she was no-where to be seen. He did a quick and full turn around, checking to see if she had ducked behind him and he had just missed her. But no. She was gone. But not even that, as gone is a way to describe something that has left. He knew deep down that his mind, the darkness, and his impending mental collapse had all summoned the specter. She wasn't even there to begin with.
More gunfire from down the hall, more screaming. Two men shouting. The sounds of struggle. Elias gripped his gun in one hand, and made a fist with the other. His knuckles turned white from the pressure. Swallowing hard, he let out a deep breath. 'This will not end well...' he said to himself in a voice that sounded as broken as the tile flooring he stood on.
He shook his head and exhaled like a man does when he's fighting back the feelings of illness in his stomach. "It never does." he answered himself, swinging the shotgun up and letting his other hand catch it. "It never does..."
"JESUS CHRIST!" One man, Derek, shouted as watched the body of one of the creatures hit the ground inches in-front of him. He desperately attempted to reload the hunting rifle, his hands shaking and bullets fumbling into the chamber. Soon, he just gave up on it, laying it in the bag and grabbing a 10mm sub-machine-gun. The woman next to him, Nikki, had her 9mm raised and was picking them off in succession. But you shoot one, and are lucky enough to kill it, two more take it's place.
Ghouls. And not the normal kind either, not the singular rotters you find easy to kill. A pack of roamers. They were faster then the others, smarter. They had a wolf-pack like mentality, but human like logic. Stalking, ambushing, distracting. Swarming. These were all things that these three scavengers were facing right here and now.
Derek, Nikki and Will were scavengers from Rolinsville. Nikki and William had been married for three months now, and Will would tell you it has been the best three damned months of his life. He's tall, slim, and with short blonde hair that right now had blood all in it. From a scratch on the back of his head, and from the ghouls who charged him.
Nikki was shorter, and slimmer, but was an eagle eye shot. Her brown hair was pulled back in a long braid that stretched down to the middle of her back. She had freckles that dotted her pale skinned face, and dark green eyes. She was a cute little thing, even in this panicked situation. She wore mostly all denim that was splattered in dark blood now, and a cross dangled from around her neck. A wedding gift from her father.
Derek was a friend to both of them, and jealous of their relationship. But was a friend all the same. More stocky then both of them, his shoulders were more broad, his facial features stronger, and his muscles more toned. His black hair was shaved down to bristles, and sweat drenched his tank-top as he continued to swing the machete in his right hand and occasionally raise the 10mm sub-machine-gun to fire off a three rounds.
They'd heard low whispering rumors that his place had been unclaimed. Meaning the cafeteria was stocked with food, and the nurses office with medicine. And perhaps it was, but they wouldn't have known. They hadn't even made it to either location before getting ambushed in the gym they now held their last stand in. They truly doubted any soul had made it to the nurses office, or cafeteria. Perhaps that is why it had stayed stocked for so long.
The gymnasium was dark, the only light came from the muted lamp lights they had carried in with them. Gunfire lit up most of the room, showing how decayed it was. The place seemed set up for a child's play, as their was a stage directly behind him. Wood paneling lined the bottom of it, but it had been chipped and weathered away. Just like the once-polished wood flooring under their feet.
The ghouls they fought; varying in build and skin color, ranging from light grey's to dark slimy browns, poured into the room from all directions. It was impossible to cover them all. From the ceiling, the floor, the walls. They seemed to materialize from every shadowy crack, no matter how big or small.
Derek began to see red from the rage of fighting the ghouls off of him. Swinging of his machete became wider and harder. Bursts from the 10mm SMG became longer and more spread-out. His vision narrowed and became grainy and dark as the blood rushed to his head.
Time seemed a bit slower for him. His heart beat hard and fast inside of his chest, pumping blood rapidly through his veins. He was in a state of adrenaline. In a kill-frenzy. Each swing of the machete connected with one of the ravenous ghouls, hacking off a limb or splitting open a head. The blade felt weightless in his rage-educed outburst. He was determined to live through this. Determined to get Nikki through this.
The situation was grim. The tide of ghouls couldn't be held back, as the creatures appeared to be endless. They had heard of this type of event. The wasters called it a hive. Hundreds of ghouls, a swarm from the crypts, leave home to seek food else-where. The zombified horror's wouldn't stop until the last ghoul dropped, or they got their prey. And the three didn't bring enough ammo for a hive.
William fought wisely, choosing his targets and taking them out with a burst of fire from the assault rifle. His clip was running empty, and the bag of ammo was on the stage behind Nikki. Who was a few feet behind himself. He knew Derek was somewhere around him as he could hear his grunting from swinging the machete. "WE NEED A WAY OUT! NOW!" William shouted over his shoulder at Nikki and where he assumed Derek to be.
Nikki desperately looked around, but found no alternative exit besides the door behind the stage, and the one in-front of them. The one with an ocean of ghouls between them and it. She knew the best option was behind the stage, but they'd seen a map. That door lead further into the school, and she hadn't memorized enough of it to ever recall which way let out. And it would be divine intervention that they chose an exit not blocked with debris or sand. Or an army of ghouls.
"You can do this..." William told himself as he backed up, laying on another three burst shot at a ghoul charging for him with it's arms out-stretched, jaws open and ready to taste warm flesh. The three round burst tore through the creatures head, sending it falling onto it's back. "You're a leader, you can do this..."
He turned to run back to the stage to see Derek, swinging wildly at two ghouls who decided to team up on him. He slashed one's head clear off it's shoulders, the one on his left lost half it's head immediately after. Before William could do or say anything to help Derek, he had swung around in a flurry and a war-cry.
The machete cleaved into William's chest, causing his eyes to go wide. He felt nothing, no pain, no fear, no sorrow. The blade had torn through Will like paper, and cut into his heart. His eyes dilated, and blood rolled down his body, wetting his clothes and turning them a muted red. A bit of it poured from his mouth as his head fell forward. Body going limp and knees buckled, he collapsed, falling off the blade.
Derek, still holding the blood soaked blade, watched his former best-friend fall to the ground. Blood immediately began to pool around William, as Derek looked down at him, The blood lust in his eyes would not cease. He truly felt no remorse or pain for what he had done. There was nothing there but a cold, heartless gaze. "I'm sorry, Will." He thought to himself as he stepped away, watching the ghouls swarm in and tear into him. He was dragged away with a swarm, their hands tearing into his flesh and intestines, blood coating their arms and faces as they devoured hand-fulls of human meat. "You're our way out."
Derek turned and sprinted towards Nikki, who was turned around and oblivious to the whole dealing. She shooting at three ghouls who were running at her from the stage. Derek raised his SMG and emptied the remainder of his clip into them, mowing them down without second thought.
Nikki turned and saw Derek who was hastily gathering their things up. "Come on," he proclaimed in a rushed and desperate tone. "we gotta move!"
Fear swept across her when she saw William was nowhere near him. "Where's Will?" She asked looking around in desperation. She saw the horde gathered in the corner of the room, tearing into something. And right in that moment, she knew...and her heart sank.
"Oh god..." she muttered, raising her hands to cover her mouth as her eyes teared up. "oh god, please no."
Derek looked at the feeding frenzy, and wondered if she knew. Wondered if she'd ever know. "Fuck...FUCK!" He shouted for an act, as if surprised to see the ghouls feeding. He had to make it convincing, or she may get suspicious. So he turned to her, planning to take her by the shoulders and look her in the eye, tell her that he was so sorry and that they had to leave immediately.
He tuned towards her, but before he could even take her shoulders, something hit him. From the left side. A ghoul had ran across the stage and leaped off, grabbing Derek's shirt by the chest and by his arm, pulling him down as it landed. It bit into his shoulder, tearing at flesh and mussel and causing him to howl in agony as blood sprayed on his face and on the ghouls face. He grabbed his machete off the ground as the ghoul pulled it's head back, ripping a large chunk out of his shoulder and neck.
He thrust the blade over his shoulder, stabbing the ghoul through the left eye. The blade sunk into it's skull, killing it instantly. He tried to get to his feet, and Nikki was about to rush and help him, when suddenly he was hit again. This time from the front. He had gotten almost all the way up, slipping on his blood that was pooling on the ground as it ran down his arm, literally coating it in red and dripping rapidly from his finger-tips.
He was hit from the front by two ghouls, one nearly tackling him from the waist, and the other grabbing him by the arm and wounded shoulder. They drug him backwards a bit, slamming him into the wall. He lost his machete upon the initial blow, and was now helpless. He could only scream in pain as they bit into him. One attacking his arm, ripping chunks out of it. And the other biting into his cheek, causing blood to spray on it's face as well as Derek's.
"NO!" Nikki screamed in panic, grabbing up her 9mm once more and taking aim. She got two shots off, killing the one. She swung the gun over, ready to pick off the one that was tearing into Derek's neck. She squeezed the trigger, only to have nothing happen. She looked panicked at her gun for a moment, then realized the receiver was all the way back on it. Out of ammo.
"SHIT!" she screamed in panic as Derek howled in pain. Nikki knew it could already be to late to reload that gun, but she had to try. Just like William had taught her...she didn't want to think about him now. They'd swarmed his corpse in a frenzy, and now Derek would be next.
Derek swung with a left punch, hitting the feral in the face and knocking it's head against the concrete wall he was pressed against. The creature tore off from his neck , ripping skin and muscle with it. Blood gushed out of the wound, and he could feel it running down his arm. The pain was so excruciating that his body felt numb now. Head swirling with pain, dizzy from blood loss. That thing had a mouth-full of his flesh, and was looking to tear into some more.
Suddenly, a shot was fired. The ghoul's brains flew out of it's head in a messy up-hurl of slimy chunks and blood. It splattered the wall next to Derek, causing him to jump back and stumble over the other dead ghoul. He fell flat on his back, bouncing his head on the wooden floor.
A raspy howl from dead ahead of her. She turned her head to see what used to be a woman running towards her, ready to tackle her to the ground and tear into her. She swung the gun towards the ghoul, her body turning with it and arms partially out-stretched. Her heart was beating in her ears, to the point where all the raspy screams and moans couldn't be heard. Just the constant, frantic rhythm of her heart.
Thud-thud, thud-thud, thud-thud, thud-thud.
Cold hands suddenly grabbed her arm. She could feel the cold, leathery flesh on hers. Weight suddenly shoved against her, causing her finger to slam against the trigger and mis-fire the gun. The bullet sped forward and tore threw the shoulder of the charging ghoul. It recoiled to the left with the shot, and fell onto it's back.
Nikki was being pushed to the right. She barely had time to realize what had happened. And by the time she did, events had been set in motion that she could no longer control. She was being torn down with this ghoul, and knew that it'd have the upper hand once down.
But to her complete surprise, as she begun to lose her footing and fall, something else entered her frame of vision. A bloody Derek had managed to see what was happening and get to his feet. He'd charged forward, lowered his shoulder, and slammed it into the ghoul's chest and throat.
The ghoul was torn off of Nikki, who soon after completed her fall to the ground. Hitting said ground knocked her senses around, and the gun from her hand. Derek, however, used his last fragile bit of life saving energy to do something he knew he had no choice in doing. William was in his way, but now Nikki stood in the path of danger. If this was the way it had to be, he had no problem dying to save her life.
He'd managed to grab the machete up off the ground as he charged. So with the blade in hand, he got to his knees and severed the head from the rotten fiends shoulders. Nikki, weary and blurry visioned, looked up from the ground to see Derek get to his feet and start swinging like a mad man. He too was weak, and his sloppy swinging showed that.
It didn't take long for him to find his way to the edge of the horde that was gathered around William's body. But it wasn't by his choice. He too was surrounded, and his weak swinging was doing nothing to stop the feral's. They took turns swiping at him when he missed, clawing into his skin.
He'd growl and howl in pain when they did. But soon they got tired of batting their food around like a cat with a mouse. Soon they all moved in on him at once, hands grabbing hold of his flesh and pulling. Pushing. Tearing their way down. He screamed so loud as they tore into him. He screamed like something you'd hear echo out of the bowls of hell. And soon after, as chunks of flesh were pulled and bit off his body, his screams were silenced. A ghoul tore into his throat with it's teeth, and another grabbed his jaw and pulled it clean off of his skull. Nothing but the sounds of choking on blood.
Nothing he could do. By the time Elias had gotten to the door, the screaming suddenly ceased. He saw the swarm, the hive, of ghouls that had massed around two bodies. Maybe three, he thought hopelessly.
But he quickly surveyed the room and spotted something. A woman, lying collapsed on the ground with her gun not far from her hand and a legless ghoul crawling it's way towards her. It's stubs trailed dark blood behind it as it pulled it's way up to her. It reached out with a raspy groan, fingers mere centimeters away from her nose.
It was like a dream to her. Or a waking nightmare. Like when you sleep light enough that the events happening right at that moment infect the dream. For her, it was seeing William in the beautiful sunlight. Seeing him smile and look away, a dimple in his cheek.
But suddenly, her peaceful memory of a dream was shattered. The raspy groan echoed into it, then a thunderous shot filled the room. It was like a cannon had gone off indoors. Elias had fired the shotgun, blowing the ghouls back open and killing it instantly.
Her eyes slowly fluttered open to see a man in black running for her. She was sure that it was death, coming to collect her soul for whatever afterlife awaited her. But to her sheer surprise, the man reached down with one hand and grabbed the collar of her shirt, pulling her up to her rear and waking her from the daze. "GET UP!" he demanded to her, screaming over the gnawing and devouring of the ferals. "GRAB YOUR GUN, AND FOLLOW ME!"
Her head was still spinning, but she knew this was her once and only chance. She dashed forward an swiped the gun off of the floor. Looking back she saw the tall broad man in black grabbing their duffel bag up and putting it around his shoulder with another one. He looked to her and nudged his head towards his left-her right-and sprinted that way. His shotgun in both hands.
She scurried forward and quickly ran after him. He raised a leg and kicked open a locked metal door, the proceeding bang being about as loud as the gunshot. He pressed his back to it and held it open, allowing her to sprint through the doorway. He made sure the door slammed closed behind her, and raced to catch up.
They were now in a dark concrete hallway that had pipes lining the wall. A maintenance hallway most likely, which would explain why they were running down steps every few feet. She slowed, allowing Elias to catch up and soon after lead the way. The light on his pipboy illuminating the walls around them and moving erratically with each movement of his arm. "What's your name?" He asked glancing back to her.
"Nikki." She replied in a broken whimper, the full effect of what had just happened dawning on her. She slowed to a near stop, tears that formed in her eyes sliding down her dirty cheeks. Elias glance back then stopped as well, seeing her paused in the hallway. He turned around and approached her, reaching out and grabbing her arm. He walked forward, pulling her with him. "I know it hurts," Elias said, looking around the corner into a storage closet, but finding only broken shelves and a skeleton who laid on the ground with a bottle of open anti-freeze next to him. "but we have to keep moving, Nikki. Can you do that for me?"
She sniffled and reached up, using her sleeve to wipe away tears. She pushed the dark thoughts out of her mind, then nodded in agreement. "Yeah..." she whispered in a breathy tone "I can do that."
"Okay, have you been here before?" Elias asked, quickly glancing back at her. She shook her head no and swallowed hard. "These maintenance tunnels are probably going to lead us to a boiler room. Or at the very least a utility room that may have a small window for us to climb out of. But I'm going to need you to stay on. My. Ass. You got that?"
She once again nodded her head in agreement, glancing over her shoulder to see if their were any of the feral's behind them. She saw only the discomforting sight of darkness. She turned back to Elias who immediately said "Come on, let's move." and picked up the pace.
"I've got a Strider outside." Elias said to her as they ran down the seemingly never ending dark hallway. "We're going to get it to it and book it back to Providence Spring. You can stay there for as long as you want to, and then I can take you home."
She swallowed hard, pushing down her emotions to silently say "I don't have a home anymore..."
He glanced back at her, then kept his eyes on the darkness ahead. "Then I'll find you a place to stay with us. I'll help you though this because I know what it's like to lose everything and everyone."
The sincerity in his voice connected with her, and she knew that even if he was a stranger he knew the pain. Perhaps even more then she did. But maybe he could teach her to cope. Maybe this was god cushioning the blow life had dealt her. It was all to raw for her to tell right now. All she knew is, they had to make it out.
Suddenly the hallway opened up into a large rectangular room. The entire right side of the room was lined with boilers and other pre-war devices Elias couldn't recall the name of. He internally hoped that this was indeed the halfway mark for their exit. He could hear Nikki sniffle behind him, causing him to quickly glance back and say "You're gonna be just fine."
He turned his head around to face forward, but as soon as he did so he faced eye to eye with a feral who's arm was raised back for a swing at him. Elias gasped and raised the shotgun, blocking the blow with it. But it knocked him back into Nikki, pushing her to the side as the Feral lunged forward, arms outstretched. Elias shoved the gun forward, catching the ghoul under the arm arms with it and holding it back.
It's jaws were snapping, and hands trying to tear at Elias' face and throat, along with it's full body-weight pushing into him. Elias pulled his head back away from the creatures hands, and grunted in discomfort from the position. "NIKKI!" He shouted, looking back for her.
He looked back to see she already had her gun raised, one eye closed and was aiming down the sights at the feral. She got it's head lined up, took a deep breath, and squeezed. The gunshot was loud and echoing, and the bullet tore the top right side of the ghouls head off. It flew backwards onto the ground in a shower of blood and brain.
Elias stumbled backwards, staring at the dead ghoul. Neither one of them saw a pair of rotten hands reach out from under one of the machines. They had no way of knowing there was an open vent behind those machines. But the ferals knew. They knew exactly where Elias and Nikki were.
The hands latched onto Nikki's ankles and pulled back, causing her to let out a momentary and quick scream before she slammed into the concrete ground. No doubt breaking a few ribs. Elias looked back to see the now bloody faced girl in a daze. She looked at Elias in panic and managed a small scream and she was pulled back.
"No, NO!" he shouted and lunged for her, diving to the ground and grabbing her hands as she was pulled under the machines. Elias slammed into one of them and growled in pain as he pulled her forward as hard as he could. "HOLD ON! JUST HOLD ON!"
"I'M SLIPPING!" She screamed half in pain as the ghouls clawed at her ankles and calf's. She looked into Elias' eyes with panic, hearing the raspy howling of the pack as they charged down the hallway for him. She knew, right at that moment she knew. She was already dead.
Her life was taken from her the moment she lost William, and she knew that too. They'd married young, but had a life awaiting them. A life that would never be. But now, there'd be no fear of the wasteland and it's horrors. She'd be with him, and her brother and uncle in heaven. That's what her parents had taught her, and that's what she honestly truly believed.
There was no saving her, no matter how hard this kind-hearted stranger tried. She could see just as much fear in his eyes, but determination as he pulled as hard as he could. She let go with one hand and reached up to her neck, grasping a golden cross and chain, and tearing it off of her neck. She slapped it into his hand and gripped it one last time. It was a deceleration in all things. To find peace. To find love. To learn to live with it. To never forget her name and face.
It dawned on Elias. Just mere seconds before he felt her torn from his hands, and saw her pulled into the darkness. The cross dangled from the golden chain that was intertwined with his fingers, and he laid there staring motionless and shocked into the darkness. She was gone...
The howling and the screaming and stampeding of the ghouls became apparent for the first time, and Elias snapped back into it. He pushed himself up and stuffed the cross into his pocket, grabbing back up the shotgun and the duffel bag's, skipping backwards-occasionally glancing back to see if anything was behind him- and aiming the gun straight ahead.
He fired once, the flash of the gun lighting up the dark halls and illuminating a few ghouls that were pouring towards him. The shadows of many more on the wall. He fired again, this time a few more were in the flash, and he even saw one falling.
He fired again, now their numbers in the twenties and more pouring into view. And again, this time in the forties as they pushed into one another to try to get to him. They were close now. Too close.
He rapid fired the shotgun, one shot after another until he'd fired five in a row. Each shot flashing, showing a growing horde before him and blood spraying as a few fell. He pulled the trigger again, only to have it dry fire. Now he had no choice.
Turning on his boot heels, he spun around and ran into the darkness, the horde climbing over their dead to chase after him. He held onto the shotgun, gripping it and running faster, like it was going to save him. He didn't know how long these damned tunnels were, but he knew they eventually had to end.
And sure enough, a moment of running through the darkness, Elias heard the low hum of a generator running on an old fusion core. He ran through the doorway of the utility room in which the generator was sitting in the corner of the room. Broken down metal shelves were rowed to his right.
In an act of desperation, he grabbed one of the shelves and pulled it towards him, then pushed it towards the door. The edge of it slammed into the doorway, blocking off the entrance. He could hear that the ghouls were in hot pursuit.
There was no time to waste, and he knew it. He thought about it seconds before turning around and running to the elevator, hitting the dirty button that light up green. He heard the hum of the elevator descending to the basement.
Turning the shotgun over, Elias fished in his pockets and pulled out a handful of shells. His hands were shaking as he loaded them into the gun. The sound of the screaming ghouls grew louder, overwhelming the sound of the elevator. They'd slam into that shelf blocking the way and flood into the room. A grenade wouldn't be able to clear them all.
Elias pumped the shotgun, then loaded the last shell into it. He turned it back over, then pressed the stock to his shoulder and took aim. Breathing heavy and fast, his vision was focused on the doorway in-front of him.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity of waiting, the humming Elevator stopped. He looked to his right as the doors squealed open, and saw a frightening sight. One that made his eyes widen in horror.
The elevator that had descended was filled with half eaten corpses and gnawed bones. And in the middle, with it's back turned to Elias, crouched a feral. Holding a rotten arm in it's bony hands and tearing the flesh from it with it's rotten teeth.
The screaming, the piercing howling of those ghouls finally reached a peak as they came around the corner. They were now in view in the dim light, and Elias knew it was time to go. He charged right, nearly slipping on the rotten flesh of mutilated bodies. The feral turned it's head, face half melted and bloody, slimy meat hanging from it's mouth. Elias raised his boot and kicked the ghoul square in the face, knocking it against the wall and down.
He quickly hit the button on the elevator, sending it on a path upwards. As the doors closed, he could hear the ghouls slam into the shelf and send it sliding across the floor. They no doubt clamored over one another, pilling into the room until it was filled.
The ghoul in the elevator with him quickly climbed to it's legs, then lunged forward. Elias kicked forward again, kicking it's soft stomach and knocking it back against the wall again. The elevator shook with the commotion, causing Elias to fear it would fall and send him back to the bowels of hell.
Elias dashed forward before the Ghoul could recover, and bashed it in the head with the side of the shotgun's stock. It fell to the ground on it's stomach and face, but wasn't out yet. Elias now had a vendetta against these freaks, and wanted to make this one personal.
He lowered the gun and raised his leg, reaching into his boot and pulling out the Bowie knife. He then brought his knee down onto the feral's lower back, pinning it against the dead bodies. Dropping the gun and letting the straps of the duffel bags fall from his shoulder and down his arm, he pressed his other hand against the back of the ghouls head, shoving it's face down into the rotten bodies.
With a furious scream he viciously plunged the knife down into the ghouls back. Twisted. Then ripped it out. Dark blood sprayed against his arm and the wall upon the tear out. He stabbed down again, then again, over and over until he was tearing chunks out of it's back with the exit of the knife. The blood splattered his face, he could feel it. It wasn't even warm anymore. A luke-warm at best. But he kept stabbing, and stabbing. The bile essence bubbling up from the cavity in the feral's back.
He was breathing heavy and through his teeth. A raged look on his face, a snarl and a gleam of hate in his eye. The haze of pain and anger cleared, and he found himself staring down at the mutilated corpse of the ghoul. His hand covered in dark blood. Face, chest and arm splattered with it. His temper calmed, and he slid the blade out of the ghouls back, then back into the sheath in his boot.
The elevator buzzed, then the doors slipped open, revealing a emotionless looking Elias. Traumatized in a way. The bags were back on his shoulder, and the shotgun back in his hands. He raised it and carefully moved forward.
The more he moved forward, the more he saw. And the more he saw, the more his nightmare was realized. The hallway was black, and along the floor and each wall was filth. Grime. Bodies, rotting and decayed. Broken bones. Feral shit. It was a trench of nightmares that Elias knew all too well.
He wanted to gag at the smell, but knew if anything were in this hallway they'd hear it. He just kept the gun raised and steadily moved down the hall, cautious as ever. The first classroom was on his left, and he slowly made his way towards it. The door was open and the filth poured inside. The ghouls had been in every inch of this place, he was sure.
He cautiously peered into the classroom, his heart sinking just a little further as his eyes beheld a sight he was honestly surprised he hadn't seen earlier A classroom of little skeletons. Some under their desks, some just lying on the floor, some still sitting at their desks or laid across them. He wondered if they were the original students, or if some poor colony had set up here once. It would explain the ghouls. But then again, where there's a lot of bodies, there will be a lot of feral's. The Crypt's were a testament to that.
His stomach turned, and he moved away from the classroom. Worked his way up to the next one, on the right. Then peered into it as well. He find only more of the same, a room filled with filth and small skeleton's. This one even had an adult skeleton sitting at the teacher's table.
Each room was the same picture as the last, a sad reminder of a future lost to the past. Much like himself. He found himself becoming desperate, wanting out of this nightmare. But it felt never ending to him at the same time. But upon realizing the hallway leading to the main-hall was empty, his emotions caught up with him.
He stopped near some lockers, his heart suddenly racing and catching in his throat. He swallowed hard and let the shotgun hang by one hand. He reached up with his free hand and took off his hat, turning to his right and leaning against the lockers with his arm. The feeling of failure seeping into his very soul, causing him anguish that he wish he could say he never knew.
That girl suffered before she died, in more ways then just physically. She lost her man, then her best friend. She had a taste of what Elias had been subjected to, and then had her life robbed from her. And Elias was too slow to stop it. He closed his eyes tight and gripped the hat in his hand.
He'd failed another.
This pain was fresh and had energy to it. Energy that made him lash out, and slam his fist into the locker. The bang echoed through the hall, interrupting the seemingly calm silence that had engulfed the upper floor.
He wished he knew silence, but he didn't. Inside his head and chest was nothing but screaming and fire. It burned inside of him, and he wanted to claw open his chest to extinguish the flame. But he'd have to do that when he was back in Prosperous. For now, he had the ride back to deal with.
The sun was setting, and Alison found herself staring out the window in the kitchen at it. Like it would hold some truth, some hidden fact that was veiled to her eyes. But she only found the bloody orange sky making her feel more uncomfortable. It didn't feel like it was sunny outside. But instead like it was dark, and cloudy. Like there was a type of misery to the day that she couldn't escape.
She wasn't one to care so easily. The people in her life were there for a reason. New-comers didn't belong or stay, and she made that known to them. This was her town and it followed her rules, sure. But the people she couldn't control; Carter, Vince, Doc Whethers, and Sam, she loved them. And loathed them for making her feel that.
More people to worry about was a burden. Elias coming into her life...she felt as if it should be taken as a burden. A man with such a heavy heart, threatening to be the straw that broke the camels back. A bad omen, carried in by rogue winds, here to stir up and cause trouble. Seemed liked with each step he took, the world around him was engulfed in flames and madness.
But yet, even actively trying to despise him as she was now, something stirred within her. Something turbulent. It made her heart race, and her thoughts scattered. She hated it, and loved it. She needed to think clearly, to lead this town to succession. But her broken heart swooned.
The door opened, and her head raised. Screen door hinges cracking over the sound of the soft music which played in the back-ground. She was standing at the kitchen sink, still staring out the window. Waiting to hear the sound of footsteps, to tell who it was.
Heavy boot, with a slight metallic ting to them. She smiled, her heart now surely racing. The door closed and latched into place, then a few more steps into the house. She spun around with a smirk, expecting to see Elias staring in at her. But she found something else entirely.
Even on his dark clothes, she could still see the blood. Her charming smile instantly faded when she saw the man in black standing in the doorway, turned to his side and head bowed. Two bags hung from his shoulder, and his fist clenched something tightly in it.
"E-Elias...?" she spoke softly, taking a careful step forward and tilting her head to try to see his face. She saw it was dirt covered, sweat glistened on his brow and blood splattered on his neck and cheeks. He turned his head ever so slightly towards her, then back to the bedroom.
His shaking fist opened, and from it a bloody cross dangled down. The chain wrapped around his wrist and woven between his fingers. His blode ran down it from having gripped it so hard. And after that, his tense broad shoulders slumped, causing the two bags to fall from them and crash to the floor.
Her fingertips brushed gently across the back of his hand. An action that would normally chill him, but did nothing this time. She moved in-front of him and spoke softly as she reached up and laid her hand on his bristle covered cheek. "Hey, let me look at you..." his head gently raised, her hand staying in place and sliding down his cheek until it rested on his jaw.
His eyes were dark and puffy, making his paled skin all the more noticeable. There was dirt smudged on his cheeks and forehead, and small droplets of blood on his jaw, cheeks and neck. But clear trails had been cut through the dirt and grime, leading down from his eyes. His still watery eyes. "Elias..." she said softly to get his attention, causing him to look at her. "what happened...?"
A flash of the girl reaching out for him as she was drug into the darkness went through his mind. His brow slowly and gently wrinkled, and he frowned slightly with it as Alison watched a tear slide from his eye. "I...I couldn't save her...she was in my hands but they had her legs...she put this cross in my hand-." he clutched the chain tight, causing Alison to glance down at it then back up into his eyes "-and they took her...they tore her from my...my..."
Alison reached up, knocking his hat off and wrapping her arms around his neck. She pulled his head down to her shoulder, one hand resting on his neck and the other sliding up through his hair. She nestled his head into her neck and gently petted his hair, as he slid his arms around her and sobbed out, clutching her tight. "Shhh, shhh...I've got you...it's alright." she whispered to him.
"I had her..." he breathlessly whispered against the soft skin of her neck, his eyes closing tight as emotional pain racked his body. "I could of...I could of saved her..."
"No..." Alison lightly but surely spoke. "you did all you could, Elias. You did all you could. But the moment she stepped foot in that building, she was gone...it's not your fault."
"I had her...she looked me in the eyes...she trusted me...and then she was gone. Her...her name was Nikki..."
Alison held him tighter, closing her eyes and laying the side of her face against his head. He trembled slightly in her arms. She could feel it resonate through her. She could feel his silent sobs of breath come out onto her skin.
She held him in her arms, and comforted him the best she could. The best that a broken hearted woman could comfort a broken hearted man.