Broken Silence

Walking Down a Lonely Path

The first ten minutes aren't bad. Only a few flesh eaters notice me because I try to stay hidden. Ill climb up trees, dive in bushes, jump some fences, all the while my rib cage stings. When I fell from the window, i think I cracked a rib. Or maybe a fracture. Or maybe I'm just imagining the pain. Whatever it is though, it's definitely a bump in the road.

I make a sharp turn down an alley way. I can see city hall up ahead, and the television was one hundred percent accurate. There are flesh eaters everywhere. Hundreds of them, way more than on my street. They all block my route to the city hall. Great.

I scan the area for an alternative entrance. The windows are boarded, the doors are barricaded from the outside and probably the inside as well. A weak, half broken chain link fence was quickly thrown up around the perimeter of the building. It doesn't seem to do much, seeing that the flesh eaters have been crawling over it and ripping it apart.

From my vantage point, I see no possible way in. But there has to be, somewhere. Otherwise they wouldn't be able to get food. Or water. Unless they have water. I haven't had a good shower in...well since these flesh eaters came. If they have clean running water, I will do anything to get in. Even if it means climbing the side of the building. Wait...

I shift the duffle bag to my other shoulder and look up. The sky is still pitch black, but the full moon gives me enough light that I can see pretty much everything.

The alleyway that I'm huddled in gives me enough coverage so that the flesh eaters can't see me. A big brick building is right beside city hall. I think it's an office building. If I can get onto the roof of it, I should be able to jump onto city hall.

Right above me is a smashed in window. I grasp the edge of it, slicing my fingers on the sharp glass. Ignoring the pain, I pull myself up and toss the bag inside. The room around me is covered with dust and crumpled papers. The air is thick and musty, and it smells of blood and decay. There's a door across from me, covered in scratches. A dead body sits in front of it.

I quietly pull out a knife from my bag and walk over to the body. It's a man in a business suit. His hair is black and his face is pale. His eyes have been gouged out and thin trails of blood trickle from the sides. It looks as if he is crying blood.

I cringe and step closer, kneeling down in front of him. I poke him gently with the tip of my knife, checking is he's flesh eater. Sure enough, a deep growl erupts from his rotting throat and he brings up a thin, gnarled arm and slashes it at my face weakly. I jam my knife into his brain and he falls silent.

A shiver runs down my spine as I stand up. I grab my duffle bag and slowly creak open the mangled door.

In the hallway, all is silent. But there are deep holes in the walls and blood splatters on the tiled floors. I walk carefully down the corridor until I reach the end.

A claustrophobic staircase leads up the next level. I climb the stairs, wary that a flesh eater could pop up from anywhere.

Once I reach the top, I'm greeted with a locked door. No matter how hard I push, it doesn't budge.

I don't want to kick it, in fear of attracting a monster, but that's the only way. So I bring my foot back and smash it into the wood. It doesn't do much, but it makes a dent. I stab my knife into the dent and open up a hole. I snake my arm through the splintering opening and grab the doorknob on the other side. After some twisting and turning, the door unlocks and swings open.

And i was right. Three flesh eaters are hobbling at an alarming speed towards me. Two women and a little girl. Both women are missing a leg, leaning against each other for support. The little girl looks almost normal, however. Minus the fact that her skin is peeling from her face and blood drips from her mouth.