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 Posted: Mon Aug 06, 2007 8:37 am
As quickly as I had entered it, I was pulled from the sea of emotion that had threatened to drown me. What kept happening to me I had no idea, and to be honest I wasn't all that keen on finding out just yet. There were more pressing matters at hand, and as I looked around our rudimentary base it seemed like I was the best candidate to take charge. I sighed, suddenly thinking of Elise. She would know what to do.
A soft whimpering met my ears, barely audible beneath the groaning of our guests outside. I peered about before spotting the girl whom I would later learn to call Mary. She was in quite a state, and who could blame her, she had been through hell. Putting the saw to one side, I hesitantly walked over to where she was starting to arise and bent down to reach her level.
"Hey," he began quietly, not wanting to scare her further, "You alright?"
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Posted: Mon Aug 06, 2007 9:22 am
She tried to get up again, this time managing to get her feet under her but she had to stop once she got into a crouching position, Mary’s heart was racing; something was wrong. Pain shot up her left leg and arm and she fell onto her face, slowly she propped herself up on her elbows before vomiting. She rolled onto her side away from the pale green sick and another bolt of pain shot down her side, this time she screamed.
Her vision tunneled and it was then that she spotted her Angel, “I’m sorry, I’m poorly and now your floor’s dirty.”
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Posted: Mon Aug 06, 2007 9:34 am
"U-Uh... it's okay," I stammered. I'd never really dealt with kids before, and thus had very little experience at this point. "It's not like we have to keep this place clean or anything. It's not ours." I looked down at her large eyes, fraught and blurred with strange emotions, and held out my hand for her to shake. I felt that this little girl could be trusted, and right now she needed all the friends she could get.
"My name's Alex. Alex Starling. Hard to say, I know, but you should hear my sister's name." I chuckled, hoping to give off the impression that I was good-natured. Which I was, don't forget. And still am. "What's your name? And where do you live?"
There was a hard bang against the door, but both the glass and the frame held. Time was running short, but it would be no good dragging an uncooperative child along, even if it was for her own good, so I tried to look unphased.
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Posted: Mon Aug 06, 2007 11:24 am
She knew the not-dead people were starting to get in and she jumped into Alex‘s arms when the slammed into the doors “I - I’m Mary Prince and I live at London Heart General Hospital,” She said in a weak voice, “Can we get away from the dead people now?” She asked quietly up into Alex’s calm face, her vision shrunk to a tiny spot, it was big enough to see Alex’s left eye. The blackness was punctuated by little sparks like those from fireworks.
Voices began to scream in her head, asking her if she’s okay, the lights got bigger and greener and they began to spin around. Mary had passed out, she was fitting; unconscious on the floor, vomiting a little in her mouth and shaking.
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Posted: Mon Aug 06, 2007 1:25 pm
"Damn!" I cursed audibly, turning Mary onto her side and doing my best to hold her still. I hadn't had much practice in the art of first aid, and I didn't expect my comrades to be any better informed. My heart racing, I called out anyway.
"Hey! Little help?!"
Mary didn't appear in a good way, and I found myself selfishly wondering if the disease of hers was infectious. I was stuck at that moment about how she had reported 'living' at the London Heart Hospital, the same one I had heard had that hostage situation. Now, though, I expected it wasn't a terrorist group's doing. However, it did beg the question, did she need some kind of medicine? If she did, it was unlikely it was available here. I panicked, gritting my teeth. Somehow, I had already grown a sense of compassion for my teammates, and at the moment I swore to try my very best to keep them safe. A romantic notion, no doubt born of too many films, but I'm proud of what I felt. Pity it didn't make what was to come any easier.
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Posted: Mon Aug 06, 2007 1:29 pm
"Jesus, man!" Gabriel remarked as he rushed to Alex's side, "Whatcha do to 'er?"
Picking up the pace, he moved back through the aisle to his small abode and grabbed a small bottle from beside the food. A medicine bottle. He didn't know if it'd do any good, but it seemed to work on TV. He came back to Alex, dropping the bottle by his feet.
"Penicillin." he explained, giving Mary's face a quick look. "Might 'elp 'er out a bit. But, bloody 'ell, she looks in a bad way." he stiffled a chuckle. Always look on the bright side and all that.
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Posted: Mon Aug 06, 2007 1:46 pm
"Shut up!" I vaguely remember yelling, "Just shut up! I asked for help, not criticism! If you've nothing else to add, piss off!"
I grabbed at the bottle, tearing off the cap as I hastily read the instructions. Then, tipping three pills onto my palm I gently moved Mary's head onto my knee and tipped them in. My hands were shaking. Hastily wiping a sweaty band of hair from my eyes, I stroked her throat in an attempt to help the pills down. It was a long shot, don't think I wasn't aware of that, but I felt I had to try something.
"C'mon Mary." I whispered, "Don't give up on me."
More sentimental nonsense.
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Posted: Mon Aug 06, 2007 1:54 pm
He stepped back from the scene, honestly hurt by Alex's words. He was trying, dammit, not his fault Alex couldn't see it. Taking the pipe from where he had dropped it, he walked over to Jenny, hoping to find someoine who would tolerate his presence. Leaning back against an aisle, he turned to face her.
"Who's he kidding, eh? We'd be better off leaving her here and running."
It didn't feel right to insult the illustrious leader behind his back, but Gabriel needed to let off steam somehow. This was the best way he knew. He pressed the back of his head against the surface behind him, staring up at the dark bulbs of the shop. Dead, like everything else in this stupid village. For the first time since the morning, Gabriel started to grow anxious.
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Posted: Wed Aug 08, 2007 3:36 am
Involuntarily, Mary swallowed the pills and, whether they had helped or not she stopped shaking , slowly she opened her eyes and everything was a little bit different; the clinically white shopping centre was a dull grey to her, Alex’s face was fuzzy and indistinct but she could feel his body warmth nearby and she was so cold.
Her skin was sallow and rapidly loosing heat, her once beautiful hazel eyes were dull and her pupil had shrunk to a pin-p***k, her face had contorted itself into a glazed expression of misery, all thought had left her. She was now one of the undead.
The little bold girl reached out with her hands contorted into claws towards the man who had once helped her.
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Posted: Wed Aug 08, 2007 3:49 am
“She lost faith,” Jenny said knowledgably with a sad smile, “This is a time of trial by fire, she was young but faith is for everyone, indiscriminate of age and so if the punishment.” She moved towards him, still smiling, fear began to blossom in his eyes so she moved to rest her hand on his arm saying, “You have faith in Her or you wouldn’t be alive, do not doubt, do not be afraid, She will protect you.”
The look of the twisted logic of the fanatical was mainly hidden from her face but if was clear in her eyes. She had decided that this was the best way, those who had doubted Her and Jenny were now dead, whether these men knew it or not they must have some faith and now she sort to appeal to that faith, to save them from the pain of death and doubt. If they renounced the Goddess, though, they were in for big trouble, Jenny might have to deliver them to the hands of justice herself and was excited by the idea of doing Her work in such real circumstances.
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Posted: Wed Aug 08, 2007 5:12 am
"Right, right." Gabriel replied, pretending to understand, "Like natural selection, then. Only the strong survive." He shrugged, "Nice to know we're the strong ones, if only for now."
He looked solemnly over at Alex and his small charge. "Hope he'll catch on to that soon." he said quietly, adding, He's a liability to us otherwise, in his mind. Mary's small, pale hand was now reaching up to Alex's face, a pitiable gesture that caused Gabriel to look away. He wasn't sentimental, he was cold and logical. He shouldn't let such things take control of him.
He forced himself to look again, intent on growing used to seeing the dying, so that it would not affect him so later. Because this was definately not the last time they would have to watch someone die. And when they were dead, they'd have to-
His eyes grew wide. "Alex!" he called out, "Something's wrong."
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Posted: Wed Aug 08, 2007 5:18 am
I remember the scene well, that look of lifelessness in her eyes as she reached up towards me. I felt tears welling up, but payed them no heed. She needed a strong friend now, to see her through. He reachd out with his free right hand and held hers tenderly.
"It's okay." I remember repeating over and over, "It's okay."
Whether it was Gabriel's cry or the shattering of the glass doors that did it, I was suddenly aware of the tightness that Mary held my hand, the strength with which she pulled it, as if trying to wrench it from its socket. The eyes, the mouth, the skin, none of it was right. I tugged at my hand, but it was stuck fast. The tears subsided, and panic rose within me.
"U-uh..." I stammered, not quite sure how to react, "Help..."
The first of the zombies at the door reached the barricade, and tried to force themselves over it.
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Posted: Wed Aug 08, 2007 6:20 am
Mary’s cold hand gripped Alex’s face tight, digging her nails into his skin didn’t draw blood but left little half-moon indents on his cheek, she started to pull his head towards hers. The hunger inside her was the only think that controlled her actions; her mind was dead and gone, only animal instincts remained. She was going to bite.
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Posted: Wed Aug 08, 2007 6:26 am
Suddenly the Goddess was back in her mind -This one is to be saved. Destroy the girl.- Jenny didn’t hesitate, there was too much at stake, she left Gabriel and ran towards Alex grabbing a long knife on the way. Over and over in her head she could hear the sound the knife would make when it hit the flesh, she could see the monster Mary’s head falling off of her shoulders and rolling around on the mice clean floors. With a deranged grin, Jenny swung her knife at Mary’s neck.
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Posted: Wed Aug 08, 2007 6:34 am
The knife connected and severed the skin like a hot knife through butter, blood burst from her neck like a fountain, showering the fetid blood all over the pristine supermarket shelves, Jenny and Alex. The knife hit the cartilage of Mary’s spine and grated through it sending the horrible sound echoing through the place, the rest of the neck was no trouble and the zombie‘s, Mary‘s, head crashed to the floor and she was truly dead.
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