Death From Below

Chapter 22

Sofia's P.O.V

I run out of the truck and over to where everyone has gathered. I notice Dante and Josh screaming for Harper. I look around and don't see her anywhere and run over to where they are standing and try to get them to notice me standing there. "What is going on? Where is Harper?" I ask them as I begin to search the faces around me to see she is no longer with us. Josh squats down and starts looking around at the dirt and grass in front of him. Josh then begins to follow something, and we all look at one another until he calls out to us to follow the road down.

I continue down the road and come up to a house, a tall wall-type gate going around the entire yard. I drive up to the front gate and get out to push the intercom button just in case there are survivors still inside. "Hello? Is anyone still alive?" I ask through the little speaker and freeze when I hear a male voice come through the speaker back to me. I listen carefully to what he has to say when Dante runs over and hands me my phone, that is, still playing the video. I look down to see that Mason is in this house, and there is a horde that is chasing after them, gasping. I hit the little button to emergency open the gate to rush inside.

I can hear the others calling out after me as they all try to keep up; the sound of the vehicles approaching made me look back. I notice that Dante is driving and holding out a weapon, and I gladly take it as I reach the front door. I slowly turn the knob and peek inside while muting the volume on my phone, leaving a message in the comments to let him know that I am now in the house. Hey Mason, my name is Sofia. I just entered the house. I'm going to make my way to you. You all need to hide and stay quiet for me, alright? I hit send and make my way to the foot of the stairs.

I immediately get a comment back, Wait, are you serious? I didn't think there were any other survivors; we are upstairs in a bedroom. Be careful! There are about twenty of those things in the hall trying to get inside. I notice the others all come inside, holding weapons, and start to split apart to check the other rooms here on the first floor. I creep up the stairs as quietly as I could with Ethan and Tristan, with me following close behind. I peer down the hall to see them banging against the door, "I have to help them! For years I have been his fan and don't ever want him or anyone in his group of friends to die." I tell them before we turn the corner.

I look to the ground and notice a picture frame broken and left on the floor, forgotten. I pick it up and toss it into a room with the door left open it makes a loud crash as it makes contact with the wall. Two of the dead turn around and stumble their way towards the noise. Dante and I splatter their brains in the room as we wait to see if any of the others followed. I peek my head out the door to come face to face with one of them. Dante jerks me backward as it leans in to bite at me and swings his weapon down into the top of its head.

"Oh, man, thank you so much." I rush out as three more stumbles into the room. Ethan shows up behind them and smacks one with a crowbar causing it to fall into the other two taking them all to the floor. I hear shouts as the rest of the group shows up and finishes off the rest that was still banging against the door. I knock on the door calling out to Mason to let him know that it was safe. Upon the door opening, I am pulled into a hug tight against someone's chest.

"You truly are our biggest fan!" Mason laughs as I blush and look towards the floor. I can hear a bunch of people talking and head in that direction with my cheeks flaming red. "Sofia, I was wondering if the guys dispose of the bodies and you will let us clean everything if you would mind us all staying here until we find Harper?" an older lady asks, and I smile at her. "That is a wonderful idea, yes that will be good for all of us," I tell her, and she beams brightly. She rushes over to the other women and begins to tell them what I had told her.

I head into the kitchen and begin looking around when I notice a drip coming from the kitchen sink. I open up the back door and glance around before stepping out and notice a well out in the back near the concrete wall. I spin around and run back to get Ethan and Tristan to check it out and make sure it is safe to drink, asking them to get me a sample to check for signs. I follow them out when I am pulled to the side by Mason, and he looks around to see if we are alone before he begins to speak. I look up at him when his friends join us, and he lets out a sigh before turning to them, "Come on, Mase! We need to get out of here before more show up." a boy with the side of his head shaved and the rest hang over the side of his face to his chin said.

"You guys are more than welcome to stay with our group. We are all prepared here. Currently, we are looking for someone, so we are staying here to fortify the place and look for my friend at the same time." I tell them as the other three all begin to whisper amongst themselves. I excuse myself as Tristan brings me a sample, and Ethan heads to the truck to get his stuff to check the camera he sent down into the water. I head to the kitchen counter that is now clean and sits down to see all my lab equipment sitting there. Mason grabs a stool and sits down next to me, quietly watching me while I put on my gloves and safety glasses to begin testing it for all signs of bacteria.