Alone

by Prunty, Mercedes

  “It’s clear”, she told her.

  The two women walked in and softly shut the door behind them, the surgery was cold, damp and crispy. The walls were charred black with soot from the fires, the floor had been carpet but was now a slushy mess as they slowly stepped through. Squelching noises made Monique feel on edge making her heart race, she had been fine at searching the old shopping centre but that had been her and Darren and she had trusted him, she didn’t trust Amanda much.

  They came across the first room which had been a waiting area, a row of twenty or so chairs sat in the middle with a half melted flat screen television mounted to the wall, a large part of the roof and ceiling and caved in blocking the way to the reception desk and possibly where some of the supplies would be.

  “Damn it, there must be a door to get in?” Amanda whispered.

  They both looked around, Monique spotted a door just passed the seating area, “What about that one?”

  “Let’s try it”, she said.

  They walked slowly over the slushy carpet towards the door, suddenly from behind they heard movement, turning on their heels they found nothing.

  “Come on the quicker we get this done the quicker we can leave”, Amanda said her breathing revealing she wasn’t as ready for this as she had let on, Monique could almost taste the panic radiating off her.

  Reaching for the door handle Amanda turned it letting Monique stand ready with her blade, after the count of three she threw open the door and in a sudden rush a creature lunged out knocking Monique to the floor. With the force of the impact the soft, slushy, rotten wood of the floor gave way beneath her. A small scream left her lips as the creature still on top of her fell down with her, she landed with a splash into some extremely cold and smelly stagnant water which flooded her nose and her mouth making her cough and splutter. With panic setting in as she knew the creature was with her she tried to stand up, her feet hit the bottom and she went to stand but the creature thrashed around next to her sending her flying backwards into the water. She tried to swim away a little so she could get away from it but there were boxes and obstacles in the water making that too difficult to do and her visibility from the water and gloom of what was a darkened windowless basement meant she couldn’t see the obstacles until she was upon them. She had to act quickly or she was going to die.

  Lying in wait in the water she bent her legs and kept her feet flat on the floor, she could feel the creature coming for her as its movements rippled the water, waiting for the right second she pushed her legs out and jumped up using her force to send the monster sprawling away. It fell sloshing into the water but before it had a chance to attack her again she buried her blade deep into its chest, blood blossomed out turning the dirty dark water a dirtier and darker shade of gloom. The creature then lay there lifeless, whilst she tried to recapture her breath.

  “You ok?” Amanda’s voice sounded out.

  “Yeah just wet”, Monique said, “Again!” How could it be that she had fallen through another floor and landed into another water filled prison, she was not liking her experiences of life at the moment and she knew that if she never saw another bit of water again she wouldn’t be sorry.

  “Wait there I’ll come down and help you”, she said before her face vanished from the hole she had fallen down.

  Sloshing about as she turned to look around the room she spotted some old storage containers, they were only plastic but they might have something inside that was dry and useful. Quickly checking the rest of the room was ok she then opened one of them, inside the first one was just some cardboard pots people could use to be sick in, that was useless so she threw it into the water. The next box contained some medicines but the names meant nothing to her she was no doctor, deciding to take them anyway as the woman Sarah might know what was useful and what wasn’t she stuffed them into her wet bag. The next box held some syringes and bandages she scooped them up too before she heard a door at the end of the room open. Amanda stood there waiting.

  “Well come on we haven’t got all day”, she snapped impatiently.

  “No don’t worry about me I only fell through a ceiling into shit!” Monique snapped back but Amanda took no notice walking back out of the room and up some stairs.

  As she followed she noticed three creature bodies, fresh ones which had been killed by Amanda’s swift hands. Treading carefully they both ventured back into the reception area and through the door the creature had come from. Inside they found two more creatures but these ones were so past it they could barely move, their mouths cracked and dry from the lack of human food and blood, the nearest one to her had a gangrene rotting nose, using her blade she took them both out before rummaging through the draws and cabinets. They found some more medicines and useful things ramming their bags full of stuff, they then searched the rest of the surgery going to each of the doctor’s rooms and snatching up whatever they found.

  Then they heard the gun shots… Blam…Blam…Blam.

  They froze both grabbing theirs in unison, “Come on the others are in trouble”, Amanda said shouldering her bag and running full pelt through the corridors.

  Monique was a few steps behind as they rushed through the door only to be shot back inside by the gun fire, “Shit it’s them it’s the big guns!”

  Ducking back and rushing to the reception area they heard the men’s laughter as they knew the two women inside would be trapped, they needed a plan and quick.

  “The water”, Monique suggested, “We need to get them down there”.

  Amanda nodded and they both ran down the stairs with their hearts screaming wildly in their chests from the panic of the terror worse than the creatures. They made it back down to the flooded basement within a few heartbeats then in the darkened gloom they both tried to find hiding places that would hide them from view but also give them a view of their attackers. Monique walked through the water as quietly as possible trying not to splash too much, she made it to a fallen metal shelf unit and leant down raising her gun and keeping an eye on the door and the hole above but at the same time making sure she kept out of sight. Amanda had gone nearest the door behind an old medicine cabinet which concealed her with no sight of her presence, with both of them in their hiding places almost shielded by complete shadows all they had to do now was wait for the big guns to come down. Up above them they could hear the door crash open and the lame excuse for men walk along the softened floor boards, their squelching footsteps giving them a good idea of which part of the surgery they were in as they searched all the rooms upstairs.

  “It’s clear”, she heard one man shout from what she guessed as the room behind the reception desk.

  “Clear”, came another from the doctor’s rooms.

  “Yeah this is clear”, said another which was a little too close to the hole for Monique’s liking as she held her breath in the hope that would stop them spotting her.

  The last voice sounded raspy and full of putrid rancidness, like a chain smoker with a chainsaw embedded in their throat, it sounded truly evil “Well check the basement, check everywhere they ain’t leaving. They got shit loads’a supplies and we could use some more women. You get me?” his laugh was so twisted it made Monique’s skin crawl, there was no way she was letting any of these guys get her, she would rather kill herself which she might if she had no other choice.

  She slunk down low her face just barely visible in the water, she let the water cover her mouth and she just breathed through her nose. She couldn’t see Amanda now but knew she would be lying in wait to take down a couple of these bastards. Then the door opened and the first one of four men entered, she kept very still and waiting watching as two more came in behind him. The last one didn’t enter with the others and Monique guessed him to be the one that was barking orders, in fact he didn’t seem to be near them but that didn’t matter because hopefully once these guys had been dealt with then between them both they could take down the last one left with no problem. She hoped.

  The f
irst guy was short, stocky and had muscles on top of muscles, he had a long greying beard and a cap hat. She had to make sure to kill him with her gun, he looked too strong to take on hand to hand. Barely moving at all she twisted her body to take aim, hidden behind the metal shelf unit she had a perfect view. Holding her pistol steady she aimed carefully and BANG! The room lit up momentarily as the shot rang out and blasted the grey haired guy in the back of the head, he fell dead immediately and crashed into the water.

  “Over there, Over there”, one said to the other and she ducked down as a shower of bullets smashed and ripped into the wall behind her. She took to a small swim swimming away from the spray of metal that was trying to rip her apart.

  Thanks to the gloom down here and the rampage of metal as they blasted the water they didn’t notice her swim away and hide somewhere else, she raised herself slowly at the other end of the room behind a row of plastic boxes which bobbed happily in the water. She lifted her gun to take aim again but Amanda beat her to it blasting off another guy’s head, brain matter, tissue and blood sprayed out from where he had been standing before he collapsed. The third bloke looked around and spotted Monique, she smiled and raised her gun and click! The gun had jammed, maybe from the water?

  In a panic she fumbled for her blade but he reached her first and punched her round the face, she went flying again into the water her blade sinking into the murky darkness. He stood above her with his hands around her throat keeping her under the surface to drown her, she kicked and thrashed about trying to make him stop, then she saw it the flash of a bang and his head exploding above the water, then it rained all over the water. She just about pushed his dead weight body before she was being pulled up from the water.

  Amanda held onto her arm, “You alright?”

  Monique nodded, “Yeah thanks”.

  “Don’t thank me yet there is still one around somewhere”, she said looking up.

  Monique nodded, “Let’s go get him”. She then jumped into the water reaching for her blade before joining Amanda at the stairs. Together they walked up slowly, Amanda went first as her gun was still working, she used it to turn corners and aim just in case he came charging out. They reached the top and looked out over the reception and three of the doctor’s rooms, he could be anywhere. Monique turned slowly and stepped out pointing into the reception area, suddenly from one of the rooms he ran out smacking her round the head almost knocking her unconscious before grabbing Amanda and pushing her up against the wall, “Well, well, well! Long-time no see missy”, the rancid voice indeed belonged to him. He licked his lips at her like he was hungry, “Now what to do with you first?”

  “Let me go”, Amanda snapped at him a hint of fear in her voice.

  “Oh I’ll let you go, once I’ve finished with ya. Something to tell the boss ya, he’ll like that”, he grinned showing gunky brown teeth, his face was slim with pointed like features, grease plastered his hair to his head and he couldn’t have showered since this whole thing started, the smell was horrendous the creatures which had leaked excretions smelled better than this guy. He put his hand round her throat and licked his lips then he leant in putting his mouth on hers, she screamed into his making him chuckled with laughter.

  Monique’s eyes fluttered as she came round, she hadn’t been completely unconscious but near enough, she could hear Amanda squealing which made her eyes open wider. The gross man had his mouth on hers and she was freaking out. Knowing her gun didn’t work she clenched her blade tightly and prayed that this would work, standing slowly as not to disturb him she then charged at him stabbing the blade right through his lower arm. He howled in pain and tried to turn to smash her in the mouth with his fist but with her blade still in the other arm as he turned it ripped open a wider gash sending him crazy. Without hesitating Monique jabbed him in the throat and let out a small kick to his groin sending him sprawling back making her blade slide out of the wound with a wet hiss, wobbling unsteadily as the floor boards strutted out unevenly he stumbled trying to lash out and grab her to stop his fall but missing her by a hairs width he then crashed down into the water below.

  Monique grabbed Amanda’s hand which was shaking heavily, she pulled her away from the wall and towards the exit. Shoving the door open they flew out into the fresh air the sight that greeted them was like from a horror film, the two blokes that had come with them had been shot to pieces. Amanda seemed to snap out of her panic and raced forward grabbing both the guy’s bags before jumping in the truck and locking the doors. Monique quick on her heel was already belting up and sitting quietly as Amanda started the engine and wheel spun as she pelted the pedal to the metal. Racing away just in time as the man came running out of the surgery, he shot the truck a few times but as he had been hurt his shots went wild just denting the paint work. As he vanished out of site Amanda turned taking the truck off the main road which the bloke might follow them on and took to a small park which had become over grown and should hide them from his sight, she parked the truck behind some trees and tall bushes before unlocking the doors. She jumped out running to a patch of long grass which had been flattened and she fluffed it back up and held it up so as to hide their tracks, which had been quick thinking as a few seconds later a four by four came charging down the road and flew right past them and down the road and out of their sight. Breathing a sigh of relief she climbed back into the truck and waited for a while.

  “You ok?” Monique asked her.

  Amanda didn’t answer.

  “Hey look I won’t say anything if you don’t want to the others to know but I’d like to know if you’re ok?” she pressed.

  Suddenly sobs cried out from Amanda making Monique feel awkward, the super bitch had feelings? Shaking herself mentally and getting over the fact that the super kick ass bitch was human after all she stroked her back for a few minutes as that seemed like the best thing to do.

  “He…he…” she started but stopped.

  “It’s ok he didn’t do anything to you ok, we stopped it”, Monique said.

  Amanda nodded, “Yeah…that bastard didn’t do nothing”, but the words were filled with venom.

  “Did he know you?” Monique asked her.

  Amanda turned to face her but her face had softened, “I might as well tell you because if I don’t Stacie will anyway”.

  “Tell me what? What has Stacie got to do with this?” she asked.

  “Yes that guy he knew me, his name is Hugh. Before me and Callum set up the camp we were…well we were with them, the big guns!” she admitted.

  “Wait what?” Monique said with venom now in her voice, “You were with them like on their side or had you been captured by them?”

  “Look it wasn’t what we wanted it wasn’t by choice. They found us wondering the streets, they attacked us but we fought hard against them but there was too many they over powered us. But they didn’t kill us, they gave us a life line either we worked with them or against them. If it was against we were as good as dead, if we worked with them then we had their protection and they could provide shelter and food. They liked our fighting skills, said it would come in handy”, she paused for a moment, “They wanted to go scavenging it was the first time they wanted us out with them but they made it clear do as your told or you die! So we went, turned up at this old farm house in Kent, a little old woman came out to greet us and the boss shot her point blank in the head, dead in an instant”, she coughed a little as the memory chocked her, small sobs echoed out as she tried to tell Monique the rest, “Then they all went in guns blazing killing them all, other than a few but Callum remembered the two young girls, they ran upstairs to hide but only one got away ,the other got taken by the boss, she…she became his like a trophy of sorts. We never knew what happened to the other, till we saw Stacie, then we knew she made it”.

  “You killed Stacie’s dad and helped get her sister kidnapped?” Monique asked flabbergasted.

  Amanda nodded, “Yes”.

  “And Stacie found out and that
’s why she got hurt back at the camp?”

  Amanda nodded again, “She went to shoot Callum as she overheard us arguing over what happened but my mechanic Gavin got to her first with a spanner, knocking her out. We didn’t want to hurt her, in fact Callum wanted to go with her to the big guns to help her like a sort of mercy mission to repent for all the wrong that he’s done”.

  “And that’s how he knew you”, Monique said, “That sicko back there because you had been a part of them!”

  She nodded, “He took a liking to me when we in the group, I was this no nonsense chick who would eat men for breakfast. But him he was creepy and slimy I never took a second look at him, I mean who in their right mind would?” She shuddered, “He… You know, once before back at their camp but Callum came back after a supply run and found us he beat him to a pulp but that guy found it funny, it didn’t bother him in the slightest. He should be dead! I still remember him clawing at me, making my skin crawl”.

  Monique’s stomach clenched at the thought, “He raped you?”

  She hissed at the word but nodded, “Callum tried to kill him for it but the big boss locked him away, said it was his male right to a woman”.

  “Then what happened?”

  “We left, one night Callum broke out and attracted some creatures to the camp and let them run riot. In all the commotion we snuck out taking who ever we could with us”.

  “That was you guys?”

  “I’m sorry?” Amanda asked.

  “Me and my friend Darren had been caught by them too, I remember it though, you hadn’t been with them for long when the creatures came, that’s why I didn’t recognise you”, she whispered, “That was how we also escaped in all that commotion”.

  She nodded.

  “Then that mean’s Stacie sister arrived there after you guys, so I would have seen her even if it was only for a couple of days”.