Apocalyptic Love - The island

Chapter Eleven- Sunken

The moment the sun flickered through the distance, we were up and ready for another day of searching, we didn't have a lot of supplies left, and most of mine went to Hayley. The days were getting harder and the exhaustion even worse.

"What is that?" Hayley's voice sounded surprised as she pointed to the distance, we were halfway down the ladder as I turned my head to see a cloud of dark smoke brewing a few miles over. It couldn't have been the park because that was the opposite way, so it had to be survivors "It could be them?".

"It could be" I smiled slightly, there was a hope of it being our people or the other side of it been more like the ones we encountered the past two days "Let's go check it huh" Hayley nodded as we walked towards the direction.

The closer we got, the stronger the stench of smoke grew, the last remains of ash were piled from the back of a police station car park, the place dead silent of any roamers . "Stay behind me" I whispered to the small girl as we inched past the fence and shielded ourselves behind a worn down police car. My knife was held in one hand and my pistol in the other as we walked the length of the small car park, what once was a car was now burnt down to the remains of metal, the silver still flaring red as the last of the flames died down.

"Whoever is there, come out" I shouted as I heard rustling inside the building "I won't hurt you".

The noises stopped as the sound of footsteps echoed across the concrete, a woman with a dark hoodie covering her body, a small knife in her hands as she walked out the broken glass doors with her hands held up in surrender. The thing that caught my eye was the bright red hair poking through the hood as she stepped into the sunlight "Sarah?" My voice wobbled as she pulled the hood down to reveal her face.

"Katie?" Her bright green eyes were already brimmed with tears "Is that really you" I nodded laughing as I ran to her, wrapping my arms around her waist as Hayley followed behind me.

"Are you okay" I pushed back. My eyes drifted across the exit of the station then back to hers "The baby?".

Sarah nodded wiping the last of her tears across the hoodie sleeve "We are fine".

"Matt?".

The worst thoughts invaded my mind, my uncle would never leave her alone. Which meant..

Sarah's lip wobbled against her chin as she pulled us over to the small brick wall to sit "Matt got us out of the park, we tried looking for yous but the herd caught up to us" My whole body was trembling as I awaited the inevitable, it always came down to this and I didn't know how much more I could take "We were surrounded, he made me climb up the fire escape of one of the apartments and told me to wait there while he drew them away" Sarah couldn't make eye contact with me as she spoke, I could see every part of her breaking "I waited a whole day but he never came back, I've been looking for him since. I'm so sorry Katie".

It was tiny, but that tiny spark of hope was the only thing stopping me from breaking down.

"He's alive" I took her hand in mine while Hayley hugged into her side "You know Matt, he is one tough son of a bitch, and nothing will stop him from getting back to the two of you" Sarah nodded shakily squeezing my hands "Can you take me to the apartments? Maybe we could retrace his steps".

"It's not too far from here" The girl stood up securing her backpack on her shoulder as she pointed west "We tried reaching you on the walkie, Matt was going mad not knowing if you were okay" I took Hayley's hand in mine as we walked the deserted town.

"I got into some trouble outside the camp and the walkie broke" I sighed.

Sarah looked to me with big eyes "Carter?".

Hearing his name was like a punch in the gut, of course, I was glad we found Sarah, but without everyone else I wouldn't fully be okay. "He went back for Ben, I've been looking for him since, but I don't even know if he made it out".

"He did" Hayley looked up to me with blue, determined eyes "He is strong like you".

I smiled at her sweetness "She's right Kate, that boy would move heaven and earth to get back to you, don't doubt that".

I knew she was right, but the curve balls thrown our way overpowered all of that, every moment out here was a ticking time bomb. If the monsters didn't kill you, something else would, your mind could be the worst enemy. I just hoped he wasn't alone, I knew Carter would go back to his old cold ways without someone beside him, and the thought of the killed me.

After not long walking, we stopped at a five story block of apartments, a huge metal ladder rusting to the side. The brick was worn and most the windows and doors pulled from the hinges, the concrete outside was littered with decaying bodies and the stench erupting from them was even worse. "He took off towards a lake we found on the way here, just past the dirt path over there" Sarah pointed to a gap between the shrubbery.

"I'll go first, if the herd is still there I don't want it jumping out on you two" I pointed to the girls who nodded.

I quickly took out two monsters straggling at the start of the path before we ventured deeper, the damp soil was covered in tracks, none that could be made out. The only sound coming from the scattered birds roaming the skyline of the trees. Each moment we inched closer to the lake, the growing became more prominent, but underneath that the herd was dead still. Normally by now, they would have caught your scent, each one limping towards you ready to take a bite.

"You two wait here" I whispered as quiet as possible.

The girls hid behind the thickest trunk, keeping out of eyesight as I dipped between the bushes. I popped my head up slightly just above the leaves to see the herd of bobbing heads, but they were dead still just as I anticipated. As I looked closer I noticed their legs submerged into the lake, each of them trying to manoeuvre their way out.

Sneaking back to the girls their faces were a mix between worry and confusion "The bottom of the lake must be either quick sand or clay, the herd is trapped".

Sarah looked around me for any signs before connecting our eyes "Matt?".

"He's not here".