DESPERATE
FUTURE
MAY
2012
It was a hot sweltering Tuesday
afternoon as I entered the dilapidated general store. With everything that has
been going on, the outbreak, the whole world in turmoil, how was I possibly
sure that it was Tuesday? Why should I even care when there are more important
things to worry about?
Dead bodies. Those were the first
things that I saw. Some were human, torn, battered and some were partially
another creature, their faces resembled nothing of a normal human being and
their bodies were contorted. I couldn't bear looking at them for another
second. Instantly, I started to search for a first aid kit in the wreck of a
store. Time was of the essence, so I had to be swift before those things showed
up again. As I rummaged through the pile of useless things on the counter,
something caught my eye, something pink, something fluffy, something
conspicuously out of place. I pulled it out and held it in my palms, a dirty
plush toy that must have belonged to a little child. I thought to myself,
"Where could she be now? Could she have suffered the same horrible fate as
these poor souls lying on the floor?" I couldn't let my emotions take
control of me. I needed to find that first aid kit.
As I continued my relentless search
for the kit that would mean the life or death of my loved one, I heard a howl,
not of a canine, but of a mutated being. The blood-curdling howl sent shivers
through my spine. "Why can't you leave me alone for once?" I thought.
There were more than one of them and I'm sure they have caught my scent. I
pulled out my pistol from its holster, instantly letting go of the safety latch.
Twelve rounds in the clip, let's just hope that there are less than a dozen of
them.
I saw a backdoor. I hurriedly made
my way through the mess of debilitating, old groceries and I found myself in a
dark alleyway. Those things were there, their elongated shadows loomed
horridly, their distorted faces stared unflinchingly at me. They started to
sprint towards me as I shot one of them twice. It crumpled to the ground,
lifeless. The rest of 'them' stampeded on it to make their way to me, crushing
its bones and pounding its rotten flesh. I ran like a bat out of hell and let
out a few more shots towards them. Two, three, dead. But, there were more,
there was always more.
I ran through the deserted city
streets, passing by defunct vehicles overgrown by the verdant greenery
reclaiming this man-made concrete maze. I spotted a door at the side of a decrepit
building. I ran straight for it and emptied the whole clip of my handgun at
those things. As I entered the darkened building, I slammed the door and found
myself trapped in a pitch-black room. Those things were still out there,
banging on the door. I pulled out my trusty flashlight. I pointed it around the
room, scanning for an escape route.
Out of the blue, something
human-sized pounced at me. In an instant, I was locked in close-quarters
combat. In the dim glow of my flashlight, I could see that this creature was
trying to gnaw at my throat. I held it back with one arm as I desperately
searched for anything that I could use to fend off this thing. "A lead
pipe, perfect. Let's see how you like this." I swung the pipe towards its
head, knocking it away. I got to my feet and beat it into a pulp. It was a mess
of sinews and shattered bones when I was done. Disgusted, I threw away the
pipe. I picked up my flashlight and saw a first aid kit on an unkempt desk.
There was an old door leading out to the haunted halls. God knows whatever was
waiting for me out there. Now, I remember, I had to get back to my loved one,
it's her birthday, this particular Tuesday.
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