My feet sustain a dull ache which slowly spreads through my ankle and up the back of my calves and I groan internally with each step, transferring my weight to my toes in a shot of short-lived relief. We've trudged through town after town and now, after three days of disjointed trecking, we're getting into the capital city- Paris. The trees have faded away into buildings, or piles of rubble, and the roads become scattered with cars. Smoke still billows on the horizon far behind us as we tread silently into the city, like a shadow that we left behind. A loud screech flashes through the air and we all freeze in our tracks, my muscles tensing painfully and my head whipping from side to side frantically- trying to source the threat.
I look up the street and see a herd of infected sniffing the air tentatively, I gulp loudly and look at the others, whos faces show the same flicker of terror as mine. The cars block us in and if we dare to move, the infected will surely spot us, I motion for the group to drop to their knees and they huddle around me urgently- our voices hushed and filled with anxiety.
"Everybody find a car and cover yourself in petrol, it will cover your scent," I whisper and they all scamper away, I crawl over to a car and undo the petrol cap. The liquid runs out and I splash it over me, rubbing it into my hair and jacket before doing the same to Ashia who wrinkles her nose up in disgust. I grimace at the foul smell and the turn back to the others, peeking over the bonnet of a car and seeing the infected running towards us.
"Everyone get under a car!" I mumble and wait impatiently as they slide under them, I chuck a load of petrol onto the ground where we were stood and crouch down, crawling towards an SUV. I slowly edge under the low car with Ashia clutched tightly to my chest, until I'm concealed from sight. I turn to Ashia and smile at her, my eyes meeting hers through the gloominess.
"I need you to be quiet for mummy, ok?" I whisper and she stares at my intently, not making a sound. I place a gentle kiss on her forehead and hug her protectively against me, shifting her to my side.
Wait, breathe, repeat. I lower my breathing to a shallow rhythm and wait nervously for the infected to reach us, and eventually, they do. Glass and debris skids across the floor as they scamper into our tiny clearing of vehicles, I take in a sharp breath and bite my lip in anticipation. Growls fill the clearing as the infected stumble over each other with their shrieks like wild animals, the sound holding an uncanny tone.
A tear rolls down Ashia's cheek and I wipe it away with my thumb before smiling at her reassuringly and for the first time, I feel like she's losing her childhood to the apocalypse. She's had to mature so fast to survive, it's not fair. She'll never have the chance to sit and play with dolls, instead, I'll be teaching her how to throw a knife. I press my finger to my lips, motioning for her to remain silent and strain to hear the infected around us.
Suddenly a crunch sounds from above us and the car lowers in a sickening jolt, the infected continue to fight on the car and it lowers again- their shrieks masking any whimpers that escape Ashia's lips. I turn my head to the side and close my eyes, my arms tightening around my daughter's tiny body. I feel the metal base of the car rest on my chest and I flinch at the feeling of suffocation. Claustrophobia swirls around me and snippets of the cave flash over my closed eyelids, my heart rate quickens and I struggle to control my breathing.
One lone shout fills the air and all other noise ceases, a growl filled with both anger and authority. I frown and open my eyes, craning my neck to look up under the car and into the destroyed area. The infected stand shakily, black blood oozing from their decaying mouths and bloodied flesh dangling from their snapping teeth, staring intently at the new zombie.
Another growl rumbles from its throat and the zombies slowly limp away, back in the direction we came from, following our scents back towards the coast. The last infected stands for a moment longer, sniffing the air deeply, before following after them with a grunt of what appears to be irritation.
I wait in silence and look to Josh who's flattened against an adjacent car, he nods back towards the road and I tilt my head back in agreement. Cautiously, I slide out from under the car and stretch my back with a satisfying click, the group surround me and all frown or gape in awe.
"What was that?" Eli asks puzzled and I shake my head in confusion before letting out a low shaky breath, looking up at the group and opening my mouth slowly.
"I-I think that was their leader," I stutter and see Sophie nodding in agreement to my words.
"It's like he owned them, they all listened?" she says in a questioning tone causing everyone else to stare at her. Soph blushes embarrassed and I break the silence quickly, agreeing with her observations.
"They didn't just listen, they replied," I state and see Maria frown in denial.
"So what does that mean?" she says and raises an eyebrow, a smirk tugging at the corner of her grazed cheeks, "they're talking to each other now?".
I nod my head and look into the distance where the infected are disappearing around the corner of the block, staring at them for a while, a frown creasing my forehead in puzzled understanding. I piece together snippets of knowledge from the group's experiences the past few months and before I can stop them, the words are tumbling from my lips.
"It means they're communicating," I whisper, "talking about hunting us down."
YOU ARE READING
Revenge of the Dead
HorrorBOOK TWO I can feel them getting closer. Their screeches haunting me at night, telling me to drop dead. I've never listened to them before. But it's different now. You can't save some people, but I'll fight to the death to save humanity. What's m...
