They Walk (5 page)

He’s hitting at Adam who is biting into a girl’s hip, and she’s yelling and trying to tear him off her. His hits don’t register though, and I can tell by the intensity of her screams that he only latches on tighter. Just as Gabe pulls him off her, I’m sighing in relief when something slams into Matt. I have just enough time to turn to see what it was, when they fall to the ground. From the strength of them falling, my hand slipped from his, and I stumble onto the ground on my side. It’s a guy our age, but half his throat is missing. As he snaps and growls at Matt, it comes out as a hiss. Rolling onto my back, I see the guy straddling him, and Matt’s trying to shove him off. It feels like time stops suddenly, but I know that’s not true. I have trouble focusing and all I can see is Matt, and I don’t know how to help him.

Before I can decide to get up, I feel a scratching on my ankle. Looking down at my feet, there is a young blond girl trying to crawl up my legs. She’s missing an arm, and one of her legs is bent at an unnatural angle. I know she’s one of those things now, from the way her mouth is silently snapping at me and her eyes aren’t even focused. It’s like she’s running on instinct, and right now, it’s to kill me. I shuffle backwards with a yelp, and kick out with my feet. It doesn’t shake her off though, her hand grips my calf and I can feel her nails through my jeans.

Pulling back one of my legs, I kick out at her face and she only stops for a second still gripping me. She pulls herself up my legs, and her head is now near my feet. As her mouth gets closer to me, I thrash my legs fiercely and scream for help. Knowing no one is coming for me, I try to roll onto my stomach, hoping for leverage to pull myself away. Just as I feel the pressure of her teeth into my sneakers, I hear a crunch and the weight of her is gone from my legs.

I flip back onto my back, expecting something worse than the girl.

It’s Gabe.

He had kicked her in the face, and she has fallen onto her back. Her nose is a bloody mess, but it only stunned her for a moment. She’s already trying to roll back to me, ignoring Gabe and focusing on the one on the ground in her reach. Gabe is faster than her though, and he kicks her again. When she falls back this time, he lifts he foot and smashes it into her face. When I hear her skull crunching under his foot, I look away. Now successfully rolling onto my stomach, I can pull myself to my feet. As I steady myself, something grabs my arm. I spin around with a yell, and try to pull myself free. I barley have a second to realize its Gabe, when he’s pulling me towards the house.

His hands are warm and slick with sweat.

I can feel the tightness in grip, and I know he’s just has frightened as I am.

My feet stumble along, and I look around for Matt praying he’s alright. I glance back to where we were, and see Matt, who is now leaning on Dan. He has blood on him, but I can’t tell from where I am how bad he’s hurt. Dan is swinging the fire poker at the guy that was attacking Matt, and knocks him to the ground. I almost stop and turn to go to them, but Gabe’s grip on my hand keeps me from moving away. I have to take my eyes off Matt, so I don’t trip and we’re dodging around fallen friends, and I can’t stop the tears as I see the state they are in.

Everywhere there are limbs missing from bodies, and then I see who they were once attached too. They are now chasing they’re friends and biting into them. There is so much blood on the ground that the grass is slick with it, and we have a hard time staying on our feet.

As Gabe finally reaches the porch steps, I see that the door is open and Brian and Claire are standing there. I’m surprised to see them holding knifes that are already dripping blood. I’m so relieved to see Claire that I can hardly catch my breath. Behind them, I see Maria who is dragging in an unconscious Austin inside. I can’t help feeling surprised and a little guilty. I should have made Matt stay to help and not tried to make a run for it. I don’t have time to think any further though, because some more of those things are running at us.

Gabe is suddenly swinging us around so that I face the steps, and he pushes at me.

“
Go!” he yells in my face.

I stumble on them, but quickly rush up, not even glancing behind me. I can feel him close behind, and hope that it’s him and not something else. Reaching the deck, I throw myself toward the door, and only now do I look behind me. Dan has gotten to us and is lugging a limp Matt with him. He tosses the fire poker to Gabe, who has a blood soaked guy almost to him. He catches it in one hand with ease, and brings it around so that it snags the guy in the head. He knocked him to the ground, but he quickly brings the poker down so that it smashes into is face. The guy stills his movements and Gabe turns back around and looks right at me. I haven’t moved from my spot near the door, even though everyone is rushing inside. But I can’t take my eyes off of Gabe.

How can he be so unfathomable?

I’m so terrified I could just die, but he’s being so brave.

He looks away though, and it feels like a spell has been broken. I guiltily focus my attention to Matt, who is almost near me with Dan. I rush to them, and take some of his weight off of Dan.

I rest his arm on my shoulder, and help him inside.

Chapter Nine

As I pull Matt inside, I can’t help to worry as he’s so limp in my arms. His breathing is shallow, and he’s slick with blood. Reaching the inside foyer, Dan drops Matts arm and leaves us to go back out to the porch. Walking towards the living room, I peak behind me to the door. Claire comes back inside and is dragging a dark haired boy with a bleeding leg, with the help of Brian. Gripping Matt closer I try to walk us faster, as to make room for the others. His breath catches as we stumble along, and I know he must be in pain. Just as I turn to go to the living room. A goofy looking blonde guy comes running over to us and helps me haul Matt over to the couch.

Everyone in the room is in a frenzy, but different from the one earlier in the night. The couch is already holding a barely conscious Austin, and with help I sit Matt up beside him. His head lulls to the side and his eye’s flutter open before closing again. I look up to the guy that helped me, and he’s standing at the edge of the couch and looking nervous. I remember his name then, it’s Sam. He’s been in some of my classes, and is always awkwardly sitting in the back away from everyone else.

“
Thank you Sam.” I say as I try to offer a small smile. But my cheeks feel too tight to move properly, and I can feel the dried tears.

Sam shrugs, but does give me a slight smile in return, and then he turns then and leaves back in the direction of the door. I can still hear some of the others yelling outside, and I have to force myself to stay calm. I really hope no one else is too badly hurt. I focus my attention back to Matt, who’s now slouched down low on the couch. Worried I kneel down in front of him, and place my palm on his cheek. He’s cool to the touch, but I can feel him moving as he breathes. I sigh in relief, and take in his appearance. His clothes are drenched in blood, and I can’t really tell where he’s hurt.

Standing up, I look around the room for something to clean him up with.

Gazing around the room, I finally see what’s going on, and not just blurry shadows of movement. Beside Matt is Austin, he’s not awake, but I can see that he has a pretty big chunk missing from his right shoulder. The blood is just oozing from it, but he doesn’t seem to notice. Near him, is his friend Alex. He’s tearing at a towel, and is pushing it into his friends shoulder.

I see a bite mark on his hand that is bleeding lightly, but he doesn’t seem overly concerned.

On the other side on the room, I see the girl that Gabe was helping earlier. She’s sitting on a lounger, and the girl Emily is beside her. She’s holding an already blood soaked towel into the other girls hip. Sitting on the floor next to them is the dark haired boy, who Claire and Brian just sat down. In one hand he’s holding onto his thigh and in the other he holding the sitting girls hand.

Coming from the kitchen I see Maria, she is running into the room gripping a bundle of multicolored towels. I’ve never seen her so determined before this isn’t the same frightened girl I saw when Matt and I left.

Seeing me, she rushes over and tosses the bundle on the coffee table before handing me one.

“
Start wiping some of the blood off.” She begins as she backs away towards the kitchen again. “I’ll get some water so we can get him cleaned better.”

I don’t even have time to reply, she’s already disappeared out of the room. Shakily, I kneel in front of Matt again. As I’m about to lift the towel, I hear the front door slammed shut. I jump in surprise and start to worry that one of those things may have gotten inside. Behind me, Brian rushes out of the room and in the direction of the foyer.

He leaves a nervous looking Claire behind.

Gently, I rub the towel along Matt’s arm and glance back at Claire. We share a look for a moment, and I can’t describe the feeling of comfort I get from just a look. It’s good to know that even if things are out of control and no one knows why, that I’m not alone. I can tell she’s thinking the same thing, and then she turns back and offers help to Emily. They are trying to keep the girl still so they can clean her up.

I wipe some more of the blood off of Matt, and it’s so thick on him, that only a thin layer comes off. He stirs a little bit as I apply more pressure to the towel. Maria is suddenly leaning over my shoulder, making me jump in alarm. She hands me a damp cloth, and sets a bowl of water beside me. She’s holding another bowl, and brings it over to the girl in the chair. With the wet cloth I rub at Matt’s arms, and the blood comes of easily.

Once one arm is clean, I start on the other. I begin with his hand and work my way up. On his forearm, the blood is still flowing. I clear the skin some, and see the cause of all the blood. A big bite was taken out of the outside of his arm just above the elbow. It’s so deep, that I can see the bone of his arm. That’s when the smell hits me. It’s a combination of metal and hamburger and it tickles the back of my throat and teases my gag reflex. I notice then, that the room is filled with the smell, and I almost can’t stand it.

But Matt moans, and stirs a little and makes me remember the task at hand.

Breathing through my mouth, I try to ignore the smell. I gingerly wipe away the blood around the bite. Satisfied that it’s as clean as it’s going to get, as the bite is still bleeding, I reach for a clean towel behind me. It’s a small hand towel, so I easily wrap it around his arm. Pressing down as hard as I can, I tie it off. Leaning back on my heels, I rinse the wet rag in the already dark water. I raise myself up and am reaching for Matt’s cheek, when I see the other’s from the porch make their way into the room.

It’s Gabe, Brian and Dan, and I notice that they look very grim.

I strain to see if anyone is behind them, but they are the only ones that walk into the room. I wonder about Sam, and hope his nervousness didn’t get him killed. I can hear the noises outside more clearly now, and the cries of our friends are slowly becoming softer. Replacing them is the sound of moans, skin tearing, and rapid feet shuffling along the ground. I feel as if a weight is falling onto my shoulders, and I feel guilty that I didn’t do anything to help more.

Everyone in the room’s attention goes to the guys walking in the entrance at the same time. We are all in stunned silence. They’re hands are covered in blood, and are all breathing heavily. Gabe still has the fire poker, and it’s dripping blood and some strips of something I don’t want to think about, onto the carpet. Beside him is Brian, who is holding a knife that is equally covered in dripping things. Then there is my brother Dan, and I’m so happy that he’s alright.

I’m not the only one either.

I hear Maria gasp in surprise, near the kitchen. She drops the blankets she was carrying and runs to Dan. Lifting his arms to catch her to him, he drops a dripping golf club onto the floor. I’m wondering where he got that, when Sam comes running in behind them, and nearly bumps into Dan and Maria.

He stops before hitting them though, and protects something in his arms.

“
Hey, look what I found.” He says as he holds up a metal baseball bat. “This’ll help right?”

He looks between the guys, and they only nod at him. He must sense the unease in their posture, because he lowers the bat and glances behind him toward the closed front door. Looking defeated he makes his way into the room, and sits on the floor near me. The noises outside dwindle to just those of the things running about, no longer are there cries of pain or alarm.

I look around the room then and try to figure how many made it. Five of us are hurt, Matt included, and pretty badly at that. That leaves eight of us that are unharmed, myself included. So that makes thirteen of us that are safe inside. I cringe at that, just earlier tonight, there was at least over eighty people partying. I have no idea if anyone made it away with they’re cars, and even worse if they turned into the things outside. Suddenly I feel trapped, and have an awful feeling that we might be stuck here.

If those things are still outside, I don’t have the slightest idea what we can do.

Chapter Ten

“
What the hell happened out there?” Dan says.

We’ve been huddled in the living room for the last hour, too afraid to move around the house too much. The sounds of the things outside is making everyone that’s awake nervous, they just recently began shuffling into the windows in groups. We have the shades closed, and it’s too dark out to see how many of them there are. No one seemed to want to turn on the flood lights outside to check, I know I sure didn’t.