As the Light Dies (91 page)

She stared for a moment letting her eyes adjust, and was just able to make out the edge of a jewellery shop at the end of the corridor that she knew was there. Knowing it was there helped. If she did
n’
t, it could be the edge of any shop, just another set of straight lines.

She took a deep breath and sighed. There was no-one here. That was for sure.

Sarah tugged at her arm and said between sobs
.“
Can we go in please? I do
n’
t like it out here. Can we get Uncle David and the others and go in please
?
”

An
n’
s heart coul
d’
ve cracked right there. She did
n’
t really know what to say. She did
n’
t want to say anything and risk crushing the little gir
l’
s hopes. She just could
n’
t!

“
Stand back Sarah sweetie
,”
she said
.“
No-on
e’
s in, so
I’
m gonna break the glass so we can all get in, ok
.
”

Sarah nodded as Ann moved her a little further back from the doors. Ann kept Sarah facing the doors. She did
n’
t want the little girl to see what was coming for them.

“
Keep your eyes shut tight ok
,”
she said
.“
We do
n’
t want any glass getting in them
.
”

Sarah nodded and squeezed her eyes shut. Then Ann pulled out the socket wrench that Dean had given her back at the leisure centre and started hammering at the reinforced glass.

It was
n’
t the best tool for the job, it was a bit small and too light, but it was better than nothing.

On her fifth all out strike Ann looked up to see what impact she was having. She yelped out with fear and jumped back from the door. There was a face looking back at her!

*****

Gavin slid down the side of the van to the ground to try and grab his torque wrench but he could
n’
t reach it. He tried kicking the infected dog back without getting bitten but it was nearly impossible. The dog was completely wild and lightning fast. His grip on his sword was fading fast as the dog bucked and wriggled, relentlessly forcing itself forwards, oblivious to any pain. It looked terrible! Some of its spine was visible in places, it had missing paws that had been chewed down to the bone and its tail had been hacked or bitten off, leaving some tail-bone exposed, and its whole body was littered with deep bite marks that oozed inky black blood that made everything slippery.

Gavin was running out of options, and he knew it!

He yelled out with rage and fear trying desperately to kick the dog back with one almighty kick.

The dog dodged to the side and Gavin missed. Low on energy he was slow pulling his leg back and the dog bit down hard on his ankle and shook it violently, like a feral dog would shake a rat. Gavin tried to scream but he started choking. He tried to catch his breath but could
n’
t, he tried pulling his ankle free, but it was no use, the dog had him in a death grip! It tugged at his ankle and pulled him away from the side of the van trying to shake his bones out of their sockets and Gavi
n’
s head hit the ground as he lost the support of the van behind him.

The pain was excruciating. As the dog bit down incredibly hard it felt like his ankle was trapped in a vice that had teeth.

Gavin tried to sit up. He wanted to kick the dog with his other leg but every time he tried, he was thrown back again as he was jerked and pulled along the ground by the hideous dog as it tried to shake his ankle a part. Gavin gasped for air as he fell back again, he knew his chances were disappearing fast!

Thrusting himself up, he managed to prop himself up on his elbows. He pulled back with his free leg and kicked with his other, but there was no strength left in him.

He tried again. Still not enough force. Not by far!

The dog did
n’
t even notice his attempts at escape. He tried reaching for the wrench again, thinking it was his only hope now and not being sure where it was he let go of the sword with his left arm and fanned his arm out beside him, searching for it, ready to snatch his arm back and grab a hold of the sword any second if he had to.

He dragged his fingers through the snow like claws desperately searching for the torque wrench as the dog pulled him further along the ground. He was just about to pull his arm back and swap hands when his left arm butted to a stop. Then his hand exploded with crushing pain!

Gavin screeched out with pain and whipped his head around to see what was happening. He nearly swallowed his tongue when he saw an infected woman looking down at him with a vacant but excited expression on her face as she stood on his hand! Bright red blood, someone els
e’
s, smothered her face and neck and her hands and forearms.

Gavi
n’
s first thought was for Dean
.
Had they gotte
n
him
?
Was that his blood
?

She parted her swollen black lips exposing her teeth letting black drool seep through and run out over her bottom lip and down her chin before it dripped on to Gavi
n’
s wrist.

Gavin tried pulling his arm free but it was stuck fast. She started to gurgle and she dropped to her knees and leaned over him....He screamed!

*****

Ann stepped back staring through the chipped glass at the figure, she could
n’
t tell if it was infected or not. It was partly hidden behind the dirty glass.

“
Ann
?”
called Sarah. Ann looked back at her noticing that she still had her eyes shut tight.

Thank God
,
she thought
.“
I
t’
s ok sweetie, hang on a minute ok
.
”

“
Ok
.
”

Ann spun back around but the figure was gone.

Confused she leaned in closer, but saw nothing. The
y’
d completely gone. She started wiping the glass with her sleeve again wanting to see the figure. When she looked inside again, her heart stopped dead before racing at two hundred beats a second. She did
n’
t understand what was happening at first. It was hard to tell but the figur
e
wasn’
t
infected, she could be certain of that.

Inside she saw two men struggling with one of the vending machines. They were pulling it away from the wall. They were joined by a young woman, a teenager with bright pink hair. She came out of the toilets holding a box. She looked at Ann and waved, Ann waved back and the teenager started shaking the box up and down as she waved it across the floor. Then she started walking towards the doors, towards Ann. Ann tried to think what on earth they were all doing when the men dropped the vending machine to the ground with a crash and started turning it around so that it was long ways down the corridor. Suddenly Ann understood what they were going to do.

Gavin screamed out behind her, causing her and Sarah to look round.

Sarah screamed when she saw what was happening and ran to Ann. She grabbed hold of her for dear life and buried her face in her side shaking uncontrollably and crying.

Ann saw Gavin on the ground struggling badly. She saw the infected dog tugging at his ankle and a heavy set infected woman in a torn up floral dress kneeling by his head swinging both of her meaty arms through the air, slapping at Gavi
n’
s free arm as he fought her off as best he could.

Ann desperately wanted to go to him, but she dare
n’
t leave Sarah alone, she just could
n’
t.

More figures emerged from the ash near Gavin, his screaming was attracting them.

Ann looked up, searching for the others and she saw them as they appeared through the ash on the other side of the abandoned cars. They were running fast.

Smoke was flowing from the barrel of Davi
d’
s shotgun as he attempted to reload on the run, and Dea
n’
s sword was black from its sharp tip, all the way down to the handle.

“HELP GAVIN!”
she screamed.

Loud banging from behind her grabbed her attention.

She turned to see the girl with the pink hair was up against the glass door. She was waving madly at Ann, shooing her back away from the doors. She wanted her to back up. Fast!

*****

Gavin fought back against the infected woman as best he could with only one free arm. She was bloated and heavy as she kneeled on his arm swiping and slapping at him, stinging his face and neck with her puffy hands. He yelled out in frustration and anger as he fought against her. He actually tried to use the infected dog to pull him away from the woman, pushing against her chunky knees between blocking her mindless blows. It was
n’
t enough. She weighed him down and held him in place like an anchor. He was
n’
t going anywhere!

The woman shuffled closer and wedged his head between her meaty thighs, and now that sh
e’
d knocked his dust mask out of the way she slapped her floppy overblown fingers against his lips.

Her blows were fast and heavy. Gravity was on her side, and for Gavin it felt like it was actually pulling her chunky arms down against him!

Gavi
n’
s free and kicking leg lay still on the ground. The muscles were exhausted, filled with lactic acid. He was losing the fight. He felt like h
e’
d already lost. Snot flew from his nostrils with his frantic breathing as he tried not to open his mouth. He tried to clamp it shut against the woma
n’
s wandering fingers. But he could
n’
t get enough air in to his lungs purely by breathing through his snot filled nostrils. He felt like he was suffocating. He opened his mouth and gasped, sucking in as much polluted air as he possibly could and the woma
n’
s infected finger tips tapped against his teeth and brushed against his tongue.

He turned his head to the side and snapped his mouth shut in disgust.

His stomach flipped over threatening to erupt and spew vomit up his throat. He tried to roll away but it was useless, he was pinned to the spot. He was stuck there staring up passed the woma
n’
s thick discoloured thighs that sandwiched his head waiting for her next swipe.

He saw her rubbery fingers coming in close again and squeezed his eyes shut and clamped his mouth closed. She pinched at the side of his face, then pulled at one of his ears and then at his hair and then his nose. She pulled hard!

He screamed through gritted teeth as she tried her best to tear an ear off, and then his nose. The pain was unreal. Then she turned his head to the side pinning it against the frozen ground with both hands and she leaned on him with all her weight. He was sure he could feel his skull flex under the strain. His eyes and ears hurt from inside!

Waiting to hear the first crack he opened his eyes trying to see Ann and Sarah, hoping not to see them, hoping that the
y’
gotten inside and he saw another figure rushing towards him through the ash. He closed his eyes. It was over!

He closed his eyes again hoping that h
e’
d black out quickly with the pain, or that David if he was still alive would put him out of his misery with a blast from his gun. With his eyes squeezed shut, certain that the dog had torn his foot to shreds now and was gnawing at the remaining stump, he felt the woma
n’
s hands pulling hard at the skin around his upturned cheek and ear.

She leaned in close. Her mouth was wide. Black dribble ran on to the side of Gavi
n’
s face. He could feel her close, could feel her puffy mottled lips against his ear. Here it comes he thought!

Suddenly the ferocious tugging, and the pain in his leg eased. He felt something brush over his thigh. He thought the dog was coming for his throat. He ground his teeth together trying to tuck his chin in to his chest as tightly as he could.

His mind scrambled with images. Snapshots of memories flashed in front of his closed eyes, fond memories, and not so fond ones. Ones that were only hours old, then images flashed up of what might be about to happen to him. He pushed his head against the ground in desperation, trying to put as much distance as he could between the side of his face and the woma
n’
s plump lips, waiting to feel the do
g’
s snout nosing under his flexed chin to get at his throat.