As the Light Dies

by M. D. Woodham

  Gradually Dean moved further up the fiberglass tube pushing Sam along in front of him pulling Ann behind him. Gavin climbed in behind her after he and Keith had a moment of, you go first,no you go, before Gavin jumped in seeing no point in wasting any more time, then once in he turned and helped Keith in.

  Dean felt a little safer having them all hidden inside the fiberglass tube but he didn’t plan on staying here for long. Above them a swarm of infected people rampaged tearing the Relaxation Suite apart looking for them, then only seconds after Keith climbed in to the flume, the front doors gave in as the frames buckled and the locks popped, letting dozens more of them in. Their combined noise in the large open space of the leisure centre was tremendously loud, and the sound from the horde up in the Relaxation Suite travelled down the flume from above them making it sound like they were actually coming down the flume after them.

  The thought sent a shiver down Dean’s spine.

  Keith turned and managed to peek out the end of the flume. He watched as the changing village was pulled to pieces. Lockers were pushed over and cubicle doors were pulled off their hinges. He couldn’t believe what he was looking at. All of them were badly discoloured and nearly all of them had horrendous and painful looking wounds.

  “What’s the plan?”said Ann looking up at Dean, she was still breathing rapidly and her face was as white as a sheet.

  “I want to break through!”

  “Huh! Break through!”she said.

  “Yea, I wanna break through the fiberglass and climb out!”

  Ann looked at him wide eyed and a shimmer of hope passed over her pale face.

  “Oh!Ok,”she said understanding him at once. Sam growled behind him then looking up the flume, he tried to climb further up but went nowhere, his claws simply slid over the smooth fiberglass.

  “Shush boy we’re ok,”said Dean stroking him,“don’t make any noise and we’ll be ok, just stay still boy.”

  It worked and Sam relaxed and let himself lean back resting fully against Dean stopping him from sliding back down. Dean looked up the flume and felt that shiver again; his imagination showed him shadows coming down the flume towards them.“Ok,”he said taking a hold of his monkey wrench and he told Ann to cover her eyes and he primed himself and waited for a loud noise. He didn’t have to wait long. There was an enormous crash as the horde pulled something over within the leisure centre somewhere and Dean rammed the wrench against the roof of the flume as hard as he could and as luck would have it on his first attempt he chipped a tiny shard off the fiberglass.

  “Yes,” he chirped, then he primed himself again, ready to take the next shot.

  Keith nearly fell back out of the flume when he heard Dean.“What the hell?”he said looking up towards them and Gavin filled him in.

  An eruption of infected calls gave Dean the chance to get in two good hits, covering himself and Ann with dust from the fiberglass. Ann was beginning to feel hopeful, she could see that Dean was making an impact. He was making progress. More noise erupted somewhere.“The barricade’s starting to give way,”said Keith looking out.

  Dean heard him and nodded. He saw this as his chance to make some headway. He waited, listening until the reception furniture really starting to fall and then he lashed out with the wrench, chipping away more fiberglass. He listened to the ruckus the infected were making hoping it was loud enough to hide the noise he was making and he lashed out again, and again, then again and finally he broke through and the head of the wrench smashed through the fiberglass.

  “Shush!”said Keith flashing a glance up at Dean with fearful eyes.“They’re all starting to look this way, they must have heard something.”

  Dean stopped biting his bottom lip, he looked up at the hole that he’d managed to make as icy cold air started to pour in. All of them waited for an update from Keith hoping with all their might that however many figures were looking their way soon lost interest and carried on with their rampage. Then before Keith dared to look back out again there was a loud splash as if something heavy had fallen in to the water, each of them flinched and Sam threatened to start barking again but Dean managed to keep him quiet–Just.

  They all looked down at Keith waiting for an update as he peered out.

  “They’ve thrown one of the wooden tables from the Relaxation Suite in,”he said and just as he finished speaking the long rectangular window that looked from the main office and over the ramp that lead up from reception exploded outwards as a desk flew through it complete with computer monitor.

  “Jesus Christ!” hissed Gavin and Dean quickly thrust at the fiberglass making good use of the noise to cover chipping even more away.“What the hell was that?”said Ann looking back at Keith and just as he was opening his mouth to tell her and the others what had happened, he saw their barricade really start to tumble as the group of infected people on the other side finally overwhelmed the doors and started to force their way through. The piled-up pieces of reception fell like stacking bricks as the doors beneath were forced open, and Keith saw the first infected figure venture through, leading the rest as it pushed through their tumbling barricade. It was Brian!

  Nothing was holding them back now!

  Further up the flume Dean managed to push his hand through the hole he’d made. He tried using his hands to break away the edges but it was still too strong, so he adjusted the jaws of the wrench and hooked the grips around the jagged edge and started levering the handle back and forwards. It worked, the edge started snapping away easily, filling him and Ann with confidence. He worked quickly snapping off bite size pieces one after the other working quickly, steadily opening up the side of the flume.

  “That’s brilliant,”said Ann,“keep going, don’t stop,”she pleaded and soon enough the hole was big enough to fit his head through. He tried looking out but he couldn’t get far enough to see the ground, everything else was just like looking at a wall of ash. He dropped back down and continued snapping off bite size chunks as fast as he could.

  The main doors started to succumb to their onslaught and they started to crack, to Keith it sounded like a popping sound. He turned around to tell Gavin and before he even had time to blink he was under water. He slipped and fell head first in to the run off pool with an almighty splash!

  “SHIT!” yelped Gavin spinning around realising what had happened. Ann let out a gasp and slipped herself as she lost her grip. She bumped in to Gavin and nearly pushed him in, but

  Dean was quick and he reached out and grabbed her just in time stopping her from sliding any further and pushing his brother in to the pool with Keith.

  Every single infected person in the building roared at the top of their lungs when they heard the splash, and when they saw Keith splashing around in the water they all started racing towards him! Sam started barking ferociously deafening everyone in the flume. Dean tried to quiet him while he looked down at Gavin wide eyed! Gavin looked back.“Keep going,”he said,“I’ll get him.”

  Dean nodded and sprung in to action smashing the fiberglass away as fast as he could. There was no need to worry about making any noise now.

  Ann climbed back up beside him and started stabbing at the edges of the hole with her pole trying to hurry things while Gavin slid down to the mouth of the flume and reached out for Keith as he tried to swim back to the flume kicking and thrashing frantically but going nowhere. He was panicking and his rucksack full of gear wasn’t helping.

  “C’mon man, c’mon, stop panicking and focus. Look at me and focus, you can stand on the bottom, you can walk!”pleaded Gavin but it wasn’t working.

  Keith was in a full on panic and he thrashed and kicked like a drowning rat and went nowhere. Gavin saw infected figures rushing towards them from all sides!

  “HURRY!” he screamed as the mottled figures closed in. They banged in to things, knocking some things out of their way and bounced off others that wouldn’t be moved. Some tripped and others climbed over obstacles that lay in their way but not one of them made
any effort to avoid any of the obstacles, their tunnel vision was locked onto Keith and that was all there was to it. They even trampled the ones that fell down if they weren’t up fast enough. Others climbed over the Relaxation Suite’s banister and simply fell the twenty five feet to the bottom, some landed in the pool if they were lucky, but most landed on the hard tiled floor snapping bones that gave way with a loud crack and yet they still continued onwards, walking if they couldn’t run or crawling, dragging themselves along if they couldn’t walk. They were relentless.

  Gavin brushed fingertips with Keith leaning out of the flume as far as he dared.

  “C’mon,” he pleaded,“just another inch and I’ll have you.”

  Then suddenly a flash of black passed Gavin’s eyes followed by an almighty splash behind Keith, one of the infected had fallen in to the pool from the balcony above.

  “Oh, fuck!” Keith gasped desperately reaching for Gavin, kicking his legs furiously as several more figures followed creating large waves as they crashed in to the pool behind Keith and initially they proved to be a life saver. The waves created by the falling bodies carried Keith forwards towards Gavin’s waiting hands.

  “GOTCHA!” said Gavin as he clasped hands with Keith, and he pulled him towards him. Keith was coughing badly from breathing in pool water in his panic.

  Gavin tried to pull Keith up in to the mouth of the flume but he was much heavier now he was soaking wet.

  “KICK!” yelled Gavin,“KICK YOUR LEGS!”

  The small pool was a chaotic mess of waves and splashes as more bodies fell in to the pool and the ones already in the pool thrashed around like they’d never seen water before while all the time they were turning the pool water black with their weeping wounds. They didn’t seem to be able to swim and every time one of them tried standing up it was knocked off its feet again by the waves, but as the numbers grew they were able to push off each other to move towards Keith and as more and more entered the pool they were able to move much closer. Keith started kicking as Gavin asked, and only just in time. He felt his booted feet hit against something behind him! He kicked again, and hit something again!

  He’d kicked the closest figure square in the forehead before it managed to grab him and then with the second kick he broke its wrist as it tried reaching for him. The contact that he felt sent his panic to a new level and he kicked and thrashed blindly and faster than ever before. His body took over and his nerves got the better of him. He couldn’t stop himself!

  Gavin was really struggling to get him up and in to the flume because of the kicking and thrashing combined with the extra weight from his wet gear. Dean and Ann saw the struggle going on and Dean asked Ann to slide back down to help because he wouldn’t be able to get passed her. Ann didn’t hesitate, she slid back down behind Gavin and reached around him and grabbed the first thing she touched that turned out to be a loop on Keith’s rucksack and she helped pull him up.

  Dean bashed away at the hole until it was big enough to climb through and he stood up and looked out. He could see the ground now and guessed that their jump was roughly ten feet or so, he knew they’d be ok to jump because their fall would be broken by the thick shrubbery that he knew was planted under the water flumes and dead or not it was something and the thick blanket of dirty snow would help as well. He looked for any infected people nearby and couldn’t see any, they were all too preoccupied getting in to the leisure centre and getting to Keith. Ann crept back up the flume, she reached out and grabbed on to Dean’s leg to pull herself up.

  “He’s in. Go!”she said.

  Dean nodded,“I’ll catch Sam,”he said and then he dropped out of sight.

  Sam whined and clawed at the sides of the flume wanting to see where Dean had gone. Ann gathered him up in her arms telling him it was ok and she stood up through the hole. She saw Dean standing below with open arms, he nodded at her and she let go. She held her breath as she watched Sam drop through the air letting out a whimper as he fell and Dean caught him easily and let him down on to the ground as Sam repeatedly tried to lick him even though he had the gas mask muzzle on. Dean patted him searching the area again and then looked up to Ann and he gestured to her with his hands where to try and land.

  It looked like a long way down, now thatshe was about to jump. Dean looked small and far away. She looked back in to the flume and saw Gavin shuffling towards her soaking wet and panting.

  “GO!” he said and she did. She slid over the edge with her eyes fixed on Dean and fell!

  She was on the ground in less than a second with Dean holding her around her waist helping to steady her as she landed on the soft ground. She looked at Dean relieved and breathed in deeply.“Thanks,”she said.

  Dean nodded and pulled her clear looking up ready for Gavin who was already sliding off the edge. Before Ann had even taken two steps away from Dean Gavin was down and lying on the ground. He’d pushed off before Dean was ready and he’d landed heavily.

  As Dean helped Gavin back up he blurted,“They’re in the flume! They’re in the fucking flume. They just don’t fucking stop!”

  They all looked up.

  There was no sign of Keith!

  “SHIT!”Gavin cursed.“KEITH! KEITH C’MON!” he yelled. Dean looked around searching their perimeter worried that Gavin’s shouting would draw unwanted attention to them.

  “KEITH!” Gavin yelled again looking up but still not getting any answer. They all looked up praying Keith would pop up any second while all they could hear were the morbid gurgles from the infected and they were loud; the flume was acting like a speaker funnelling all the calls towards the hole. Then they saw Keith’s shadow through the tinted fiberglass just beside the hole. Close but not close enough. He was kicking the infected back as they advanced reaching up towards him. Their shadows were thick and dark because there were so many of them working their way up the flume. Their combined shadow ran all the way back down the length of the flume.

  “Oh God!” Ann muttered and then they heard him over the infected gurgles. He was panting heavily, badly out of breath and still coughing as he brought up more pool water. Suddenly his hand gripped around the edge of the hole and he started pulling himself out.

  “YES! C’MON KEITH!” yelled Gavin punching at the air as Keith rose up.

  But he only got so far!

  He got as far as getting his head and one shoulder out through the hole but then he stopped! He shifted and jerked around like he was trying to free himself, and even though half of his face was hidden behind dust masks that sat awkwardly over his chin, the others on the ground could see the terror on his face. The looming shadow of infected people moved closer working its way up the flume like a snake!

  “I’M STUCK!”he yelled,“I’M FUCKING STUCK!”

  “LOOSE THE BAG!”yelled Gavin,“LOOSE YOUR FUCKING BAG!”

  Dean stood beside Gavin ready to catch Keith expecting him to literally fall out of the flume any second. Keith bobbed and ducked and kicked but it was no use he was still caught somehow.

  “KEITH! LET GO OF THE BAG!”yelled Dean,“JUST SLIP IT OFF. QUICKLY!”

  The darkness in the flume pushed closer and from the ground the others could see arms reaching out from the infected shadowy snake towards Keith. The sound of the infected people squeezing up the flume was loud and sounded awkward. Ann hated it. The sound of their unnatural calls coupled with their fists and feet sliding, slapping and kicking against the fiberglass and each other unnerved her. They were trying to reach Keith no matter what. Nothing else mattered to them!

  “FOR FUCK SAKE KEITH,JUMP!” yelled Gavin through gritted teeth looking up at him. Sam spun around in circles bouncing up and down on his rear legs looking up at the flume barking.

  Then Ann screamed so loud that it hurt Dean’s ears.“KEEEEEITH JUUUMP!”

  Sam howled with her and both brothers looked at Ann thinking for a split second that she’d seen infected coming for them through the fog of black snow. Ann wasn’t looking in to the ash t
hough, she was looking straight up, straight passed Keith. Dean and Gavin glanced at each other then looked up. At first they couldn’t see anything. Then they both gasped! A thick shadow moved down the flume towards Keith from the top. One or more of the infected had climbed in to the top of the flume and were coming down from the top.

  The brothers looked at Keith as he struggled to get free and kicked reaching hands away at the same time. They both screamed together,“FUCKING JUUUMP!”

  But he couldn’t. He was caught somewhere!

  Black fingertips some of them just fleshy stubs brushed over his stomach, pinching his jacket searching for something to grab on to. He couldn’t take his eyes off them. He batted them away like he was batting a wasp with his bare hands and not wanting to touch them. He managed to wriggle his right arm free of the rucksack’s sling and he reached all the way out.

  Yes,he thought,I’ve done it, I’m going to do it, I’m gonna make it. And then he realised that the others already safe on the ground were in a state of extreme panic. He knew by the way they were acting that he was running out of time. He grabbed the edge of the broken fiberglass flume and pulled hard about to throw himself out when suddenly something pinched him from behind just above his right hip. Excruciating pain shot through him. He reached around at his side in agony and his hand touched one of them! Horrified he yelled out pulling his hand away and struggled to look!

  He saw a mottled bald head pulling away from him with a piece of him in its mouth!

  It had bitten him and it had opened up his side pulling and tugging at him like a wild animal and now he was bleeding badly! Overcome by shock and consumed with pain Keith watched as another infected person pushed up between the others and reached out for him. There was nothing he could do. He was trapped! He felt inquisitive fingers prodding and searching him, then he screamed louder than he thought he ever could as the figure found what it wanted and thrust its greedy mauled hands deep inside him through the wound!