Hollow Veins

Chapter One; An Unwanted Offer

Alice froze. What was that sound?  A grunt. A moan. Cold fear seeped into her. No, she couldn't turn back. She couldn't. Their supplies were running low. She had put off the trip for as long as she could, but she was starving, and their water supply was running low. Alice's heart thudded in her ears. She couldn't see a thing. The power was shut off in the abandoned mall. Maybe she was wrong. A faint smacking met Alice's ears, and she knew the dreaded truth. An Infected. She backed up... and strait into one of the indor restaurant tables. Crash! Alice fell to the floor. Pain shot through her. A raspy screach filled her ears. She quickly got to her feet. Several more screams in answer, like a pack of wolves, pierced the air. Running feet, heavy breathing, and more screeches. Panic thick, cold, and heavy set in. Alice ran as quickly and quietly as she could. She vaulted the counter top, between her and the restaurant side door. The door on the other side of the room burst open, and there stood what resembled a stretched corpse. In fact, that was exactly what it was. It had pale skin that was stretched over disfigured bones. A slack jaw that revealed rotting pointed yellow teeth. One of its eye lids had been torn open with long scratch marks that reached its top lip, which was half gone. It had bits of hair here and there, and deep wounds penetrating its skull. The Infected's wide mouth closed suddenly and began to smack its lips, its grayish tongue poking out to taste the air. Alice trembled. The door was right next to her, yes, but she had her silenced pistol in a holster at her side. Should she risk it. Alice decided against it. It would be too dangerous if the others throughout the building heard it and they were already coming. Sure enough, more slapping footsteps filled the corridor outside the restaurant. Staying low, she crept nearer and nearer to the door. Crash! The door was smashed open once more, and the room filled with Fully Fledged Infected. They began to rip the room apart, all the while screeching and howling. Alice made to the door and took off through it. She knew it had been a mistake as soon as she had made it out the door. Alice heard them behind her and knew it was no use. She tried zig-zagging, but that only seemed to slow her more. She stopped at an intersection. Alice knew she only had a second to decide. A broken escalator and another hallway. She chose the latter, but this time, she didn't run when she entered the hallway. Instead, she got down low and stayed in the shadows, hoping beyond hope that they'd go the other way. And they did. Down the broken escalator falling and screaching. Relief soaked Alice like a thirsty sponge. She ran her hand through her light brown hair, thinking. She should probably stay where she was for the moment. Her thirst was burning away at her throat. She felt entirely empty, but it would be too loud to try to eat or drink right now. She allowed herself a small sigh. As quietly as possible, Alice got to her feet. And then something knocked her off her feet. Her nose collided painfully with the marble floor. Something, an Infected, was writhing around trying to bite her. It screeched. Alice twisted, but that only helped the creature. It was going to bite her, and there wasn't anything she could do about it. Was it going to end like this? When she'd been so near to escaping. Would she be turned into one of these mindless creatures. Howling and screaming. Then... BANG!!! Blood splattered her face as the creature was thrown off her by the force of the bullet. A figure stood above her. The Infected twitched on the ground. Most of its head gone and bloody. Screams sounded in the distance, then running feet. Alice wiped the muck and blood out of her eyes and jumped to her feet. She didn't care who saved her or why or anything but that they needed to get out of there. He grabbed her arm, "Can you run? Are you hurt?" Alice shook her head. The voice sounded familiar, but she didn't stop to ponder on it. The noises grew louder and louder. Nose still aching, Alice ran with him on her tail. "There is another set of stairs..." She started, "A couple more paces." But as they reached them, he scooped up a broken pot, with some dead leafy remains scattered around it, and hurled it down the stairs. He then shoved her to the side. She stumbled as the loud smash and clatter echoed all around, but he'd caught her around the waist with his shotgun free hand. They crouched and froze. The wave of creatures flung themselves down the stairs, as they had with the other escalator. Alice barely had time to register it all when she was being pulled to her feet, and they were moving again. Through doors and hallways until they reached a set of grubby old metal stairs, where they stopped. He turned to her. Alice took in his black mask. Most likely to keep from getting bit. Having too much exposed skin was possibly the stupidest thing you could do. He had a hood, but it had fallen down, revealing rough, messy brown spiffs of hair. He pulled on his hood, then put his finger to his, well where his lips would be. He gestured to the stairs. She nodded, not questioning him, helping her. Most of the survivors of the outbreak were in this together. As quietly as she could, Alice crept down the stairs, him in front. They finally burst through the doors and out onto the trash strewn streets.

They had walked for several minutes crouching in graffity covered alleys and hiding behind disheveled mutalated cars until finally they reached a tiny shack. Now, she was leading him. In the shack was an inset floor trapdoor. Quietly, she pulled it up and gestured with a free hand. He slipped down the stairs, and she followed, shutting the door silently. She had soundproofed this place with Aaron ages ago... AARON. WHERE WAS... Oh. She had forgotten he'd left as well. But shouldn't he be back by now. He was resourceful to be sure but still. Alice wished he hadn't gone. He'd be ok. Hopefully. She turned to see the stranger taking off his mask. "Hi Alice." Alice recognized the face the moment she saw it. Green eyes, lightly tanned skin, a thin spirt of freckles. She flew at him. Alice punched Jasper Lawrence right in the nose. He stumbled and fell back on to an empty food crate, his nose already bloody, "Ahg!"  Alice kicked the crate he'd fallen on. "YOU! GET OUT!" Alice couldn't hold back a slight, sob. "Calm down, calm down." He reached for his gun, which had slipped from his grasp when she'd first hit him. "Get out. Get out before I make you." She pulled a knife from her belt. He barely glanced at it, "Ok, I'm leaving, but before that, there's something I wanna tell you. I found more people, and we're going." She raised her eyebrows, not believing a word. "I'm not going anywhere with you." "I got a radio message and... well, you know what? It doesn't matter, but we're going to a safe place, me and some others I met. We're meeting by the old water tower before setting off." He poked open the padded trapdoor and strapped on his mask, "If you change your mind, we're leaving tomorrow night."