A Sickly Sweet Reverie (Leon Kennedy X OC) [BOOK 3]

Chapter 7: Deja Vu

I swallowed down the fear clawing its way up my throat, allowing the tension within me to escape my lungs in a deep exhale as we climbed the subway steps. The clamor and rattle of chaos from the streets above grew in clarity with each step.

I heard Hunnigan's voice whisper through Helena's earpiece as she answered Helena's question from a moment ago.

"'Hell on Earth' isn't much of a stretch."

Leon's fingers brushed against mine, making me look up from the steps to meet his gaze. The silent question in his glacial blue eyes fought back against my rising nerves as I gave him a nod in return.

This isn't Raccoon City. This is not Raccoon city.

My thoughts blinked out as we turned the tunnel corner, and I got a view of the streets.

Screams ripped through the night air, seemingly coming from every direction. Street lights and small fires worked together to illuminate the nightmare occurring in front of us. A zombie eagerly feasted on the body of a man just a few feet from the subway entrance, his face twisted in terror from his final moments.

A woman darted across the street a few yards ahead, a zombie latched onto her shoulders as she fought to escape. I moved to step forward–help her, but Leon hung onto my arm.

She dropped to the ground, a cry of agony ripping past her lips as she toppled to the ground with the zombie on top of her, already ripping into the flesh of her neck. Her cries became wet and gurgled as she quickly lost consciousness.

This isn't Raccoon City–but it may be worse. When the outbreak began I was lucky enough not to be there in the early hours, lucky enough not to witness the chaos and agony the carnage had brought. Right now I'm staring into the eyes of a city that was still being viciously choked.

"Come on," Leon whispered, brushing his fingers along my arm as he moved out into the street.

Sound came from every direction. Glass shattering, voices begging for mercy, and the boom of distant explosions. I couldn't focus on just one as all the sounds melted together.

"Look out!" Helena screamed, snapping my attention toward the street ahead.

A sedan curved around the corner, two hunched figures hung from the roof as the car plowed forward. The trunk swung back and forth as the driver lost his fight for control, sending the car into a tailspin. The vehicle slammed into the electrical pole a few yards ahead.

Water exploded from a dislodged fire hydrant as the driver dove out of the car and began to crawl away. The figures on the roof of the vehicle were on him before he could even scream.

"We need to move!" Leon said, taking off down the chaotic street. I sucked in a deep breath as Helena whooshed past me to follow Leon, frozen for only a moment before darting after them.

Just get out. The mental breakdown can come later, but right now we have to get out.

Leon continued to hustle down the curved street as my eyes darted around, looking at the zombies banging on front doors and feasting on the sidewalks. Everywhere I looked was coated in death, the images making me sink deeper and deeper within myself, to the hollow cavern hiding within my soul. But I couldn't look away, couldn't differentiate between these and the blood soaked streets from all those years ago.

I followed a few feet behind Helena as she turned the corner, where the road ahead was cut off by a three vehicle pileup between two cars and a school bus. Leon ran toward the vehicle in the center, to where a middle aged man was trapped beneath it. Helena followed quickly, shoving her shoulder into the trunk to help Leon push the vehicle off the civilian.