Left to Die

Chapter 5

 

We slowly and carefully walked through the city so we didn’t attract any sort of Infected. I was in the middle of the group, with Seth by my side.

 

All of a sudden, the walkie-talkie on David’s belt went off and he quickly answered it. “David? David, are you there?”

 

“Yes, I’m here Travis.”

 

“Oh thank god we reached you! Listen, we’ve got two choppers going to the biggest building in the city! Get there in one hour or we’re leaving!”

 

“You got it! C’mon, let’s get the others!”

 

After everyone gathered their things, we quickly but carefully headed to the biggest building in the city. It wasn’t exactly the biggest…but it was about 20 stories tall. Seth suddenly paused in his running and looked around, sniffing the area.

 

“Seth, what’s up boy?” I asked him.

 

“C’mon, we gotta move!” Nick said impatiently and I held up a finger.

 

That’s when Seth snarled and shrieked, nudging me forwards with his hand and we then heard the snarls of Common Infected as the horde ran towards us.

 

“Run like hell!!” Zoey screamed and we all began running for our lives.

 

It wasn’t just Common Infected, some Special Infected were running towards us. All of a sudden, a Jockey jumped right onto my back and clawed at my head and shoulders, ripping some of my dark locks. It laughed in my ear, giggling insanely.

 

“Fuck!” I swore and grabbed my sword, trying hard to get it off. “Get this fucking thing off of me!”

 

Seth shrieked and grabbed the Jockey’s legs and yanked him off my back and I yelled out when his claws raked down the back of my left shoulder, through my shirt and immediately blood began to seep. I swung my sword and decapitated the Infected quickly before Seth and I quickly caught up with the others.

 

Coach was falling behind, because of his bad knee. “W-wait!!” he panted, slowing down to catch his breath.

 

“This is not the time to slow down!!” Nick shouted and grabbed Coach’s arm and dragged him along. “Fuck, those things are fast!!”

 

“Hold up!” I reached into my shoulder bag and pulled out a couple grenades. “Bombs away!” I shouted and pulled the pins, throwing them into the horde of the Common Infected. Both of them went off at the same time and blew up most of the horde, limbs, heads and other body parts flying all over the place.

 

“Ugh!” Francis threw an arm away from him that had landed on his shoulder. “Let’s go before more of those fuckers get here!”

 

We quickly moved down the street, heading for the building. We came to it and tried to open it, but the door was locked. “It’s locked!” Rochelle shouted.

 

“Hurry up! They’re coming!” Louis shouted back, pointing to the Infected heading towards us.

 

“Oh for fuck’s sake! Get out of the way!” I shouted and took a couple steps back, then took a full run and threw myself through the glass, breaking it into a million tiny shards and I groaned as I hit the ground painfully.

 

“Great job kid!” Francis said as the others quickly ran past me. Seth growled loud as the Infected got closer to us and once I was up, I grabbed his wrist and we ran-well, he leaped actually- to the elevator.

 

“The power’s out!”

 

“Take the fucking stairs!”

 

We took the stairs and quickly ran up them, 20 stories. The Infected were closing in, the Common Infected mostly. I didn’t see any of the Special Infected though.

 

We were all panting heavily, except for Seth and the Witch, when we finally reached the roof. “Watch out!” Zoey screamed and I looked right ahead of me and saw a Tank’s arm heading right for me.

 

I gasped and suddenly, I was pushed roughly out of the way and I hit the ground as the Tank’s arm connected with something and I heard a shriek and looked up to see Seth thrown over the edge of the building.

 

“Seth!!” I screamed and quickly got up; running towards the edge, but Ellis grabbed my arm and pulled me towards the choppers. “Let go of me!!”

 

“He’s dead Shell!”

 

“I said get off!” I kicked him in the shin and he immediately let go to hold his throbbing shin. I hurried to the edge and was about to look over, just in time to see Seth grab onto the ledge and hurl himself onto solid ground. “Seth!” I exclaimed happily and hugged the Hunter tightly. “Don’t you ever scare me like that! Ever!”

 

Seth growled softly and licked my cheek. I smiled in relief and then Stormy and Jessica called out my name. “Shell!!”

 

Seth and I glanced over to see the choppers taking off. They were away from the buildings now. “Shit!” I swore and we ran to the choppers. Jessica threw the ladder down and as we reached the edge, I stopped completely but Seth leaped and grabbed onto the ladder. “Fuck….” I whispered, glancing down at the long drop down.

 

“Shell, jump!” Stormy shouted.

 

I glanced behind me and saw the Infected closing in. I gasped and quickly took a few steps back before I ran and took a leaping jump. I reached my hand out and fell short, gasping.

 

Then Seth’s clawed hand shot out and grabbed my wrist tightly. I was basically hanging onto him for my life. “Shell, hang on!” Ellis shouted.

 

As we went over the water, I suddenly found myself slipping from Seth’s grasp. I gasped, my eyes wide with fear. “I-I’m slipping!”

 

“Pull her up!”

 

I tried to cling onto Seth’s wrist as tightly as I could, but I was still slipping. My hand slipped down his wrist, through his hand until I was holding onto him by fingers and with one slow move, I completely slipped through his grasp and slowly fell towards the water below.

 

The survivors’ expressions were ones of fear and shock as they watched me plummet to my supposed death. Seth’s jaw moved and he opened his mouth and in a very clear voice, cried out one single word.

 

“Shell!!!”

 

He then used the ladder to hang onto and then leaped down towards me. I reached out for him and just as our fingers brushed, we impacted with the water. I remember struggling to get to the surface and searching for Seth, but I couldn’t see him. The impact from the water made me light-headed and soon I allowed my eyes to close.

 

And darkness fell upon me.

 

………………………………

 

I’m dead….I’ve gone to heaven with the rest of my family…..

 

“Dad, do you think she’s gonna be okay?” A faint and young female voice asked.

 

A sigh. “I don’t know honey. Her fever is very high, too many wounds. I don’t know if she’ll make it through the night.”

 

Seth…………was my last thought before I fell unconscious again.

 

When I came to, I heard birds chirping and felt the warmth of the sun on my stomach. I let out a breath and my hazel eyes slowly fluttered open. The sun was coming through the curtains and I actually smelled food, really good food. I groaned and used my elbows to prop myself up.

 

“Ow…..” I winced when the back of my left shoulder groaned out in pain. I reached behind and felt it, feeling bandages going around my shoulder and around my chest. I sighed and looked around. I was in a very nice bedroom, very clean and organized.

 

Suddenly, the door opened and I saw a woman in her early 50’s come in. “Oh! You’re awake.” She exclaimed and came over to my side, feeling my forehead. “Oh my…your fever is completely gone dearie! We thought we were gonna lose you last night, but it seems you’ve got a strong will to live darling.” She pulled back away from me and checked the bandages around my chest and shoulder.

 

“Where am I?” I asked.

 

“On our farm. My son and husband found you lying on the shore near the river. You must’ve been dragged through it a long time.” The woman replied. “I’m Amy.”

 

“Shell.”

 

“We washed you up pretty good and tended to your wounds.” Amy spoke and pushed the shirt away from my chest and shoulder so she could take the bandages off. “Ashe!” she called and a young teenager around 16 came running in. “Go get me some clean bandages, medicine and some clothes for Shell here.”

 

‘Ashe’ nodded and ran off, quickly coming back with the supplies. Amy changed my bandages and motioned to the scars on my cheek, neck, torso area and arms. “Oh, those were from a Hunter.”

 

“Nasty creatures they are.” Amy commented.

 

The two left so I could get dressed. A pair of green cargo pants, a black tank top and a blue hoodie with shin length black boots. I pulled my hair up into a ponytail and then went out to greet them.

 

They took me downstairs so I could eat and man, was it fucking good. Once I was done, I decided to ask. “Was there….anyone with me when your husband found me?”

 

“No, just yourself darling.” Amy replied. “You did keep saying the name ‘Seth’ while you were unconscious. Was he a friend?”

 

I looked down at my empty plate of food and nodded, feeling tears sting the corners of my eyes. “Yeah….a very good friend…”

 

“I’m sorry darling.” Amy said sympathetically. “If you want, you can talk to my husband and son outside. They know more than we do sweetie.”

 

“Alright. Thanks for the food, it was delicious.” I said politely and then ventured outside. It was a huge farm, with barbed wire all over the place and a huge garden with lots of vegetables.

 

“Ah, so sleeping beauty awakens.” An amused voice spoke and I glanced over to see a young man, around my age, maybe a little older. “Name’s Brock.”

 

“Shell.”

 

We shook hands and then I was introduced to his dad, Hershel. “Well, I’m very thankful that you guys found me and took care of me. What can I do to repay you?”

 

“Oh, don’t worry about it.” Hershel smiled. “We always try to lend a helping hand to anyone who needs help.”

 

I nodded. “So uh….what can I help with?”

 

“You know how to handle a rifle?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“Here.” Hershel handed me a rifle and I took it. “You and Brock can go out hunting. There’s plenty of deer out there to shoot.”

 

“Alright. We’ll be back soon dad.” Brock spoke and then we went through the gates and entered the woods.

 

Brock and I held a conversation as we looked for deer. I learned that Brock and his family had been holding up pretty good since the Green Flu ravaged the United States and that they mostly shot deer and other animals for food. “We try to do our best around here. What with the Infected coming about. We hardly get any here, because we live in the middle of nowhere.”

 

“So you guys sort of live a peaceful life out here, even with the Green Flu.”

 

“Mmhmm.” Brock spoke and then he nudged my arm and I glanced over to see a deer grazing. We crouched down behind a bush and got our rifles ready. “On my count. One….two…..”

 

Before he could say three, there was the familiar shriek of a Hunter and one leaped at the deer and tackled it to the ground, biting into the tender neck with its sharp teeth. “Shit!” Brock swore and immediately stood up, taking a shot at the Hunter.

 

The Hunter shrieked when the bullet hit its hand, imbedding into its flesh. The Hunter turned its gaze to us and then snarled, coming towards us. We both got ready to shoot it when the Hunter stopped and sniffed the air towards me, before growling softly.

 

What shocked us the most was when the Hunter opened its mouth and spoke.

 

“Sheelllll………?”

 

My eyes widened in shock and I dropped my rifle. “Seth!” I cried out and ran towards the Hunter. He leaped and glomped me to the ground, purring happily and nuzzling his face against mine. I laughed as he licked my cheek and I wrapped my arms around him, hugging him tightly. “You’re okay! I knew! I knew you were!”

 

Once our little reunion was done, I heard the click of a rifle and we both glanced over to see Brock pointing the rifle at Seth. “Shell, get away from that Hunter.”

 

Seth bared his teeth, like a dog would when it felt threatened. “Stop.” I said and stood up in front of Seth protectively. “He’s my Hunter. Seth, the one I was talking about while I was unconscious.”

 

“Are you crazy?! That thing is dangerous!”

 

“My friends said the same thing. Brock, he isn’t going to hurt anyone, I promise.” I spoke, noticing Seth had stopped barring his teeth and was now staring at Brock intensely.

 

Brock stared at me for a few moments before he lowered his rifle. “Alright…but we’ll see what dad says. He isn’t too fond of Hunters.”

 

He went to go get the dead deer and Seth purred questionable as he looked up at me. I smiled a little, seeing that he was filthy again. “You need another bath young man.”

 

He growled at that.