Paxton
"Should I check the attic?"
"For what, grandma's handbags?" Another guy responds. Three distinct people begin to laugh.
"Stupid," he mutters under his breath, letting go of the string that he had begun to pull. Charlie loosens her grip on my arm. I silently sigh out. Charlie moves her mouth to speak, but I nod no. Once the man's footsteps recede, I give her the nod.
"What are we gonna do?" She asks quietly, a shake in her tiny voice.
"Wait it out," I reply, keeping my posture stiff and my rifle toward the door. I say this, but it's beginning to get really warm up here, and Aeoto isn't looking too good.
Things felt more tense every waking moment as footsteps could be heard walking around the creaky old home. We could've been there for only a few minutes or an hour. Time was moving too slow for me to be able to tell.
The house becomes eerily quiet. Footsteps can no longer be heard. The temperature continues to rise, the temperature becoming increasingly warmer. A low crackling can be detected, but it is hard to say what it is.
"What's that smell?" Charlie asks in a whisper.
"Are you really worried about the smell?" Hannah retorts, her expression tense. That's one of the first things I've heard her say.
"No, no." I inhale deeply before continuing. "I smell smoke." A large crash sounds below us.
"We've gotta get out of here. Fast." I put my gun down beside the door, trying to push the attic door down. When it doesn't budge, I put some more force behind it. The heat continues to rise, the attic becoming sweltering with heat. I stand on the door, holding the ledge where it meets the floor. Using my body weight, I jump up and force all my strength onto the door. The door finally opens, causing my body to fall through and almost lose my grip. I snag my AR. Hanging from the ledge, the door swings back in my direction, abruptly smacking my body. I jump down, faltering slightly. The door was broken, so the stairs wouldn't fall down properly.
Fire was spreading from each room with carpet, which might've been doused in gas with how furious the fire was burning. The old stairs from earlier had slightly collapsed because of the fire, and I wasn't sure how structurally sound the remaining stairs were.
"Jump down," I shout, putting my arms out. Charlie looks down with scared eyes. "Trust me, I've got you," I add, ready to catch her. She jumps down, fear still in her eyes as she closes them. The fall wasn't that far, but I suppose being on the shorter side, it might be for the girls. Once I catch her, I put her down and call out for Hannah. Tears were in her eyes, but she jumped down quickly, her grip tight around my neck once she lands in my arms. Aeoto jumps down without help, a slight jitter in his movement.
"Try not to breathe in the smoke," I shout. The smoke was increasingly thickening, my line of vision receding quickly. We've gotta find a way out of here quickly. The doors to every room were open, fire blazing high in each of them. One door was cracked, however. I make my way to the room, tapping on the doorknob. It was a little warm, but it might be our only chance. I open the door fully, a slight sigh of relief escaping my lips when the room isn't filled with fire.
"This way!" The girls and Aeoto hurry toward the door.
"Shit." How are they gonna get down?
"Help me with the mattress," I call out, grabbing one end of the mattress. Aeoto grabs the other end, picking up the twin-sized mattress.
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First Steps | A Zombie Apocalypse Story (Completed)
HorrorThe beginning was like any other sickness. Like any other flu. At least that's what everyone thought. But boy, were they wrong. This is a disease that would change the world. Whether for the better or for the worse, that was the choice of the survi...
