World's End

Chapter Three

Marissa managed to keep her footing as the ground rolled and rumbled beneath her while she ran. She could hear screams from every direction as the horseman rode, his sword flaming above him as he and his horse rode through the town square, swinging his blade as he went.

"ELLIE RAE!" Marissa screamed as she ran. Where had she gone?

There was a loud crack, and something stung along Marissa's back, and she fell forward, hitting the ground hard. The air vacated her lungs as she hit the dirt. She turned over on to her back, vision blurry from both pain and her inability to breath at this time.

"Donna?" She managed to wheeze. The woman who stood over her, Donna Sully, stared down at her with eyes blazing and teeth bared. In her hand, she held a kitchen knife. Donna snarled and Marissa yelped as the other woman launched at her, knife in hand. She rolled to the side, narrowly dodging a knife to the stomach. She used her movement to swing her legs and knock Donna to the ground. The woman fell and Marissa scrambled to her feet, eyes wide as she took in the crazed look in Donna's eyes. "Donna what is going on?" She asked breathless. Donna bared her teeth and looked up at Marissa. "Damn you!" Marissa yelled and aimed a slid kick to Donna's head, putting her weight into it. Her foot connected with Donna's temple and Donna crumpled.

She took a few steps back, heart pounding. She winced at the pain in her shoulders but looked around, taking in their small town. The horseman was nowhere to be seen, although he could be heard as he caused chaos and madness in his wake. And by madness, Marissa could see that her home had turned into a warzone.

She had to find Ellie Rae.

She narrowly missed a baseball bat to the head, managing to duck. She barely had a chance to stand up straight when a pair of arms locked around her stomach and knocked her to the ground in a tackle. She gave a yell as she hit the ground and managed to reach out and grab at the persons face that had her. It was Frankie, face contorted in a similar expression to Donnas. He punched at Marissa, getting her in the face. She cried in pain but managed to punch him right back, startling him slightly. She used the distraction to buck her hips, dislodging him from where he was straddling her and pulled herself out from under him. He launched another punch at her but she blocked them and paid him back in kind. Ha barely had a chance to get to his feet when a steel pole ripped through his chest, pinning him to the ground. He was dead the moment the pole carved its way into his chest. Marissa's mouth went dry as she looked at him and then up at where the pole had been thrown from. She couldn't see anyone but she didn't want to stick around and find out what was next. Especially if that pole had been meant for her.

Marissa, ignoring the pain in her back, set off at a run, heading for her and Ellie Rae's home, narrowly missing multiple fights that filled the streets.

When she got to the house, she took the steps in one leap and launched herself into the house, the door breaking as she crashed through it, a cry of pain leaving her as pain tore through her side and back. She rushed through the house, grabbing things as she went and putting them in a pile, heart racing. Heading back into the kitchen, she dumped the two bags on the counter of the kitchen.

"Ellie Rae?! Michael?!" She called out in hopes that maybe Michael had whisked Ellie Rae to safety. He would be where she was.

"Marissa!"

"Mar?" Ellie Rae and Michael appeared from where the back door was, the door shutting behind them as she rushed to Marissa, and they hugged each other tightly. Ellie Rae pulled away, frowning slightly as she noted Marissa wincing and the wetness that was on her back

"I didn't know where you were! I panicked and we were running with David and Katrina but then I figured, you would come here and I'm so glad you're here! Are you bleeding?"