As the Light Dies

by M. D. Woodham

  Sarah stood beside Gavin holding his hand wondering why they were making so much noise, nothing made sense anymore. Sam stood rock steady beside her and that reassured her, made her feel safe.

  Gavin looked down at her.“C’mon Sarah,”he said.“Make some noise.”

  Then he carried on yelling.

  Completely confused and after a few long seconds Sarah took a deep breath and started to scream. And for the next few minutes, Gavin wished he hadn’t persuaded her. She was so high pitched, she was splitting his head in two. Below them dozens and dozens of infected figures started to move in their direction following their screams and shouts.

  I hope to God this is what Dean wants, thought Gavin, barely taking a breath between yells.

  *****

  Andy peeked around the back of the delivery van he hid behind with Collin and watched as the scattering of infected people that had passed them by without seeing them started to make their way back passed them, towards the roundabout. Towards the others and all the noise that they were making.

  “What the hell are they doing?”whispered Collin.

  “Drawing them away from us,”said Andy,“they’re giving us some space.”

  Just across from Andy and Collin crouching behind the car Dean had noticed, Ann and Leann watched as well.

  “I hope to God they’ve got a plan,”said Leann,“poor Sarah will be going out of her little mind.”

  “Dean will”said Ann,“he wouldn’t put others at risk if he didn’t think they’d get away with it.”

  “God, I hope it works!”said Leann.

  Ann just nodded and silently prayed for Dean and Gavin and Sarah and Sam.

  Andy watched the last figure pass them by as it followed the noise. The entire crowd were following Dean now. He glanced over to the women and they saw him. He nodded at them and then nodded in the direction they were headed. They both nodded back.

  “Let’s go,”he said to Collin, and off they went.

  The four of them silently worked their way along the road weaving through the traffic staying low and looking in all directions at once.

  When Leann was close enough to Andy she asked,“What do you think they’re doing?”hoping he might have an idea to what exactly the others were doing.

  “They’re drawing them away from us. I saw Dean looking back. He must’ve seen we were stuck, because that’s when he started shouting and yelling. They’re giving us a second chance. So let’s not waste it, c’mon!”

  They carried on along the road until they came to a break in the fence on their left indicating the start of the little path that lead up to Raigmore Estate through black trees and undergrowth.

  They left the road behind and huddled together just along the path amongst the dead shrubbery trying to watch the two brothers and Sarah and Sam, hoping with all their being that Dean’s plan whatever it was, worked.

  “Dean’s a good man,”said Andy straining to see.“He knows what he’s doing.”

  “Why are they still making all that noise though? We’re free,”said Leann.

  Andy shook his head and said,“Maybe they didn’t see us run for it, maybe they’re just trying to make sure.”

  But somehow he thought that there was more to the plan than they knew.

  They hunched down and watched in silence reduced to catching glimpses through the ash and snow using the lightning. Without it all they could see was the horde moving in their direction. They could hear them though. They heard them all loud and clear, especially Sarah. Gavin and Sarah stood on the road next to the crash barrier looking down the bank at Dean yelling and screaming and even kicking the barrier. It was working.

  The horde rushed towards them, moving as one again as they all followed the noise, drifting like an oil slick pulled by the tide.

  Dean told Gavin to hold position as long as he could, drawing the infected towards them, and then on his command back out of view and run like the wind. Dean stopped a few metres short of the barrier on the steep bank and looked back at the infected wave.Brilliant, he thought.

  He slid off his rucksack and rummaged through it as the front row of the infected horde reached the bottom of the embankment and started climbing up the slippery bank towards him.

  “OK! RUN!” he yelled, and Gavin and Sarah turned without hesitation and ran with Sam bounding along right beside Sarah.

  Adrenalin coursed through Dean’s veins, his whole body seemed to throb as it pounded through him. More and more infected came in to clear view now.

  “HEY! HEY! I’M UP HERE!”he yelled keeping their attention then he climbed up and over the barrier.

  “UP HERE! I’M UP HERE YOU SICK FUCKS!”

  The gurgles roared as the infected climbed the bank. They were slipping and falling all over the place on the steep snow covered bank, and the ones that fell were trampled in to the ground like before, but in this instance they were actually giving the ones behind more traction, aiding their climb.

  The embankment was actually working in the horde’s favour. Row after row fell letting the row behind gain a little more ground, it was like watching a giant human ladder at work.

  Dean slapped his sword against the side of a truck he was kneeling by as he watched them.

  He didn’t like the way they were storming up the embankment, they were scaling it much faster than he’d thought. He hoped his actions so far had given Andy and the others the chance they needed to make a break for it. He looked in their general direction just in case he saw something, but he couldn’t. He rummaged through his rucksack again still unable to find what he was looking for. He was getting worried. He knew the infected would make it up the bank far quicker than he’d hoped. He didn’t have time for delays. He knew that if he couldn’t find what he needed soon he’d have to abandon his plan and make a break for it himself, and his plan would be ruined.

  I just hope I drew them away from the others, he thought, as he searched, certain he’d packed it back at the mountaineering shop knowing they’d definitely need it at some point if they wanted to cook or even try and keep warm.

  The gurgles were loud, they were coming for him!“Shit! shit! shit!” he cursed.

  Row by row the infected climbed over each other forming a human caterpillar, moving closer and closer to the top of the bank.

  Dean dropped his bag cursing it and grabbed his wrench. He adjusted it to size and used it to unscrew a cap on the side of the truck that he prayed would do what he hoped it would.

  “HERE I AM! C’MON! I’M HERE!” he screeched keeping their attention as he went back to searching his bag as the cap started doing exactly what he’d hoped it would.

  It was spewing gallons and gallons of fuel out from the fuel tanker.

  As he searched he was trying to think what else he could do if he couldn’t find what he was looking for.“Where the fuck is it,” he said aloud. It just wasn’t there, his plan was ruined.

  The infected calls were close. Too close!

  He lost his nerve and stood up deciding to make a run for it when the first infected person made it over the top of the embankment. It was a man and he was the size of a gorilla. He leapt clean over the crash barrier and landed on top of Dean sending his rucksack and his sword flying as he knocked him to the ground.

  Andy and the others looked on in astonishment as lightning fed them snapshots of what was happening.

  “Dean’s sacrificing himself,”said Collin.

  “No,”said Andy,“there’s a plan here. I’m sure of it. It’s just getting a bit risky that’s all!

  “THAT’S ALL!” said Leann.

  “Yea, he’ll manage to pull it off, he always does,”said Ann with a shaky voice.

  Dean lay pinned to the ground face up. He looked up at the infected man as he opened his blackened mouth wide! Everything inside was black, the walls of his mouth, his gums, his tonsils, even his teeth, and his tongue looked like a slippery black eel.

  Then he bit down on Dean’s forearm with bone crunching for
ce and started gnawing and twisting and tugging trying to tear through the layers of Gore-Tex.

  Dean yelled out with shock realising what had happened.

  He punched the man’s head with his free hand but had no effect. The man was locked on like a rabid animal and weighed a ton.

  Dean reached down to his belt and unsheathed the hunting knife he’d taken from the mountaineering shop and thrust it in to the man’s side, all twelve inches of it!

  The man released his bite and looked at Dean almost grinning.

  Dean kicked hard with both legs and pushed himself back from under the infected man and nearly pushed himself in to the torrent of fuel gushing from the truck.

  The man lunged at him like a wild animal and his gurgle almost sounded like a growl.

  He landed on Dean again slamming Dean’s his head against the freezing ground burying half his face in the snow. It hurt like hell but Dean kicked and punched and bucked and wriggled, but none of it had any effect, he didn’t move an inch!

  The man leaned in close to Dean’s wounded face snapping his lipless jaw, his black tongue wriggled around in there like it had a life of its own. He was eager to taste Dean’s blood!

  Dean lifted his left arm and hooked his elbow under the man’s chin and blocked him just in time.

  The man grabbed his arm and pushed it out of the way like it wasn’t even there, then reached down and clawed at Dean’s wounded face tearing his dust mask off as he did.

  Dean howled in pain as infected fingers scraped across the wound.

  He kicked again and again with no effect. It was like kicking a sand bag. The man hooked a thumb around the inside of Dean’s left cheek and forced his head down against the ground and put all his weight on to him as though he was trying to crush his head.

  Dean screeched through gritted teeth and punched the man’s sides trying everything he could to get the guy off. Then he tried reaching for his hunting knife that was still lodged in the man’s side, but he couldn’t find it.

  Hope was fading fast. Hands started rising up behind the crash barrier.

  Dean saw them searching for something to grab on to, to pull themselves up.

  They were coming for him. They’d be on him in seconds.

  He was out of time. The plan had failed!

  He started choking on the petrol fumes as the man scratched at his face causing excruciating pain. Dean screamed and brought his arm back up hooking the guys chin with his elbow again as he leaned in again about to bite him!

  The man thrust Dean’s elbow out of the way and grabbed a hold of his cheek bunching the flesh up in his fist and started tugging. Dean screamed as crippling pain shot across his face and his mouth began to fill with warm blood. With the deepest breath he could take he screamed out with anger, frustration and fear all rolled in to one knowing his plan had failed. Knowing he’d never see Gavin or their parents again. Knowing that he’d broken his promise to Sarah!

  He heard Sam bark somewhere in the distance.

  God, they should be half a mile away by now, he thought.

  I shouldn’t be able to hear him! Why the hell aren’t.... The man was suddenly forced backwards.

  He was dragged off Dean, and took some of his cheek with him!

  Dean howled with pain as Sam forced the man to the ground where he ripped his throat out with three swift bites, before he shook what was left of the man’s neck like an old piece of rope. But he couldn’t crack it like he had with others. This man’s neck was thick and strong.

  Sam struggled with the guy for a minute avoiding his strong hands as he tried to catch him.

  He kept on biting him, removing mouthfuls of infected human flesh. The guy didn’t notice. He gave up trying to catch Sam and rolled over on to his front and started pushing himself up. Sam jumped up on to the man’s back, crouched on all fours between his shoulder blades and clamped his jaw around the man’s thick neck and started tugging. He used all four legs to push against the guy’s back while he pulled as hard as he could with his jaw locked tight around his the man’s thick vertebrae. The man rocked and bucked trying to throw him off and for a moment Dean thought he was going to get back up with Sam still hanging on. Sam must have felt the same way and he started to jerk and tug over and over. Then the neck snapped with a loud hollowPOP!

  The huge guy collapsed to the ground in a heap. Sam dropped the limp head and trotted over to Dean as he scooped everything back up after his rucksack went flying and poured everything out.

  He and rammed everything back it in to the bag telling Sam what a good boy he was and how grateful he was that he had come back despite the pain that engulfed his face every time he spoke. As he zipped up the rucksack he told Sam that they had to make a run for it, then as he slid it on he held a hand up to his face for a second and it came away covered in bright red blood!

  Sam barked alerting him as black hands finally reached all the way over the crash barrier and shadowy figures started to pull themselves over!

  “Time to go,”he told Sam reaching for his sword and that’s when he saw what he’d been looking for all along. It was lying on the ground beside his feet. It had fallen out of the rucksack at some point. Dean dropped to his knees and snatched up the fire lighter. He couldn’t believe it, the plan was still on!

  He looked around; there was an infected wall along the crash barrier climbing over, but they were slow. They were all working against themselves now, as they slid and slipped on the top of the bank. They were reaching out and grabbing the infected person in front to keep from falling, and in turn held them back. They were stalling themselves.

  Excellent, he thought forgetting about his face. He shouldered his sword in a flash. He called Sam telling him to get back. Then he ran to the edge of the growing pool of fuel pouring out of the fuel tanker. The puddle of fuel surrounded the truck and several nearby cars but most of it was cascading straight down the bank.

  Dean crouched down, held his hand down near the pool and squeezed the firelighter, sliding the rough steel over the flint. One tiny spark was all it took and the fumes in the air did the rest!

  Dean turned and bolted calling Sam with him. They ran together without looking back.

  Dean could hear the flames crackle as the infected caught light and yet despite that, their calls didn’t change. They didn’t scream with pain.

  He risked one look back doubting himself, wondering if the fire had actually caught or if he was imagining things. He wasn’t imagining thing. They were still coming for him fully ablaze.

  They were climbing the crash barrier and emerging through the fire chasing after him like demons sent up from hell to collect his soul.

  The entire embankment was alight along with half of the duel carriageway and now cars were starting to catch fire as well. The heat was tremendous, Dean could feel it blistering hot across his back even as he put more distance between himself and the blaze. He was beginning to worry that he wasn’t fast enough. He knew there was more to come any second, and he needed to be as far away as possible.

  “HOLY SHIT!” yelped Collin watching with the others.

  They looked on in horror as heads and shoulders bobbed up and down, and arms flailed through the flames in all directions. They looked like they were drowning in the flames.

  But they still raced after Dean.“Oh God!”said Ann,“what’s he done?”

  “He must’ve opened up a tanker or something,”said Andy,“we better take cover.”

  “I can’t believe that the fire hasn’t stopped them,”Said Leann,“It hasn’t even slowed them down, what’s going on? I mean how is that even possible?”

  “Give it time,”said Andy,“n- one’s body can withstand fire!”

  Then with that he heard the telltale rush of air being sucked in to the fuel tank at an alarming rate, sucked in by the oxygen starved fuel.

  “Get down!” he snapped crouching, and the others copied him ducking down but not quite sure why until the tanker went up the next second.


  Dean heard the‘SWOOSH’ of air being sucked in to the tank. For him being much closer than anyone else, it sounded like a jet engine spooling up.

  “TAKE COVER!” he screamed ahead hoping Gavin heard him, then he grabbed Sam’s collar and hauled him up in to the gap between the cab and the trailer of a haulage truck he’d been aiming for.

  He pulled Sam in close holding him tight in his lap and waited. He didn’t have to wait long. A fraction of a second later and he would have been too late.

  Gavin heard his brother and after seeing the blaze he guessed it could only mean one thing. He grabbed Sarah and they both climbed in behind the thick steel plough on the front of an abandoned snowplough and they huddled down between the thick steel and the grill of the truck as their ears popped with the change in pressure as the shockwave rolled out a fraction of a second in front of the blast.

  Sam whined in Dean’s arms when his ears popped, he knew something big was about to happen.

  He curled up as tight as he could as Dean held him tightly. The enormous fireball shot up and out in all directions engulfing everything within a hundred feet radius of the tanker. Pieces of tanker, car, crash barrier and even road, flew through the air smashing through the infected mass like giant pieces of shrapnel that flew straight through them unhindered as it sheared through their bodies. The fuel tanker jumped six feet in to the air as the tank burst open like a Christmas cracker giving birth to the fireball.

  Flames raced passed Dean and Sam, as the second shockwave rocked the truck and trailer.

  Car windows burst all around with the combined heat and pressure change, sending a shower of tiny glass diamonds whizzing through the air. Some peppered Dean and Sam as a car nearby lost its windows. Debris crashed down all around. Pieces of warped and burning metal clanged loudly as they landed. One piece even flew through the shattered windscreen of a bus in the opposite lane across from Dean and set the bus on fire from the heat of the metal burning in to the dashboard.

  Then came the clumps of burning and charred flesh! Pieces of infected body thudded down all over the place like burning hail.