The text is now revised by my amazing beta, crazybubbles1693. Huge thanks! :)

The erratic breathing of a running female and the sound of rustling leaves, making a sound in contact with her heavy and slightly clumsy movements, were closely followed by the movements of a couple of men. As tears kept streaking down her cheeks, blurring her vision a little, she tried to force her legs to move even faster, but they caught up to her nonetheless, as if it wasn't even really an effort.

"And just where do you think you're going?", she heard a quiet snarl before she was tackled to the ground and hit in the head, the latter sending her unconscious. Panting slightly, the man who hit her stood up, staring at the girl thoughtfully, rubbing his hand over a small cut he must have gotten on the run. His companions were standing behind him silently as if awaiting his decision.

At the very same time, another person was watching the scene silently with eyes wide open, trying to stay as still as possible while crouching behind a spicebush. She could see the group of men standing in front of the female she just met yesterday, Jenny, but she couldn't quite hear their voices, as they were almost whispering. Her breath was a bit erratic and she tried real hard to keep it quiet just in case. Logically, if she couldn't hear their voices, the possibility they would hear her breathing was as big as her chances of finding an open police station (which, honestly, was non-existent), but she much preferred to risk momentary hypoxia of her knocking heart than get captured, thank you very much.

The girl chewed on her lower lip as her breathing became a bit slower now. She wasn't stupid, and she knew that her chances of saving her new friend were slim. Gulping audibly, she made a decision, which - as she later called it - was the first crack of her humanity.

Counting to ten to steady herself the slightest bit, she put her hands on the fleece to get up as silently as possible and start moving. It was at that exact moment that she heard soft growls and shuffling movements behind her back.

"Fuck", muttering breathlessly, she took out her knife and braced herself, turning around quickly. The ugly face of the biter might have been pretty once, but now it was all just rotten flesh and well, probably her death sentence since she wasn't exactly sure how to take it out soundlessly. Gripping the knife handle more tightly, she moved on her legs, forcing her brain to work quickly. If she hit it in the head, would she be able to stop it from falling loudly on the ground?

It was still a couple of yards ahead of her, shuffling slowly but steadily. Her eyes searched frantically for something, anything that could help her prevent making too much noise. Too busy with her own thoughts, she almost screamed as the head of the biter was shattered to pieces with a stick. Covering her lips with her palm and biting on it involuntarily, she looked, wide-eyed, at the man standing above the now unmoving creature. Her eyes darted to the group of men on her right, and she understood she had been caught.

However, the man standing in front of her simply cleaned his knife on the now unmoving biter's clothes, which, as she noticed with dismay, was attached to a weird form of a makeshift, simple hand prosthesis. He eyed her impassively as she tried to figure out what to do when the piercing scream of the woman who had been captured spread through the woods. Victoria didn't dare to look, her eyes never leaving her ambusher. She licked her lips in a weak attempt to bring some moisture to them and whispered, "Please."

Nothing else could possibly go through her clenched throat and chattering teeth without the risk of catching the attention of the rest of the group the man in front of her was with. She wasn't sure what she was actually asking: to let her go or perhaps make things quick — whatever he planned to do to her. She honestly didn't believe that her begging would be beneficial, but she had to try anyway. The other female was screaming piercingly and Victoria couldn't really tell, whether they were raping or torturing her, but then —what was really the difference?

Staring beggingly at the man in front of her, she couldn't help noticing his solid form and muscles. If the world didn't go to hell, there was a chance she would admire his athletic figure passing him by, but right now —she only thought about the huge advantage it gave him over her small form.

"Go", she suddenly heard a quiet, raspy voice in front of her. She blinked a few times in disbelief, staring at the male as if she overheard him. He snorted impatiently, casting a glance at his companions, who were just a dozen yards away, "Jus' go before I change my mind. An' don' let us catch on your dumb ass, or you'll become my number four. Or five, if that bitch lasts shorter than you."

Victoria nodded, too surprised to even try to mumble thanks or try to figure out what he meant. Fuck, she actually couldn't care less about anything that left his mouth after that short 'go'. She started moving away, slightly bent, doing her best to not make any noise. As if noticing her skills in terms of noiseless movement, or the lack of those to be specific, he started shuffling quite noisily, yet slowly, towards the men who were with him and when he was closer, he announced in a not really hushed tone: "Just 'em biters tryin' to crawl on us, bitch must be on 'er own."

Victoria didn't dare to look back, too scared she might find them chasing her, like hunters chasing the wild game.

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