Bloodlines of Survival

Chapter 7: Down the Road

Gwen stood in the hallway, her hand hovering over the doorknob, feeling as though her world was unraveling faster than she could grasp. The memory of those black-eyed mutants was a haunting presence, lingering at the edges of her consciousness. Every time she blinked, she could see their twisted faces, hear the wet tearing of flesh as they devoured their victim. The horrifying thought kept clawing its way into her mind: *What if that's what we're becoming? What if I turn into that... and what if the kids do too?*

She turned back to Jamie, her voice barely above a whisper. "What if we're already changing, Jamie? What if it's just a matter of time before... before we become like them?"

Jamie's face hardened with determination, though his eyes betrayed the fear he was trying to mask. "We're not there yet, Gwen. We're still us, and as long as we're here, we can fight it. We'll keep each other safe."

She nodded, trying to draw strength from his resolve, but the nagging doubt gnawed at her. She needed to focus, to get the supplies they desperately needed. She couldn't afford to lose herself in fear.

"I'll be back soon," Gwen said, slipping out the door with one last look at Jamie and the kids, who were playing quietly on the living room floor, their innocent faces oblivious to the danger looming closer every day.

As Gwen headed to the store, Jamie stayed vigilant, his gaze shifting between the windows and the twins. He knew he had to be strong for them, but the fear of what was happening to Gwen—and what might be happening to the children—was a weight he could barely carry. The twins had been complaining about the lights, their sensitivity to sound, and Jamie had caught himself wondering if these were early signs of the virus taking a darker turn.

Jamie moved to the window, peeking through the curtains as he kept an eye on the street. It was eerily quiet, the usual bustle of their neighborhood replaced by an oppressive silence. He was about to turn away when a flicker of movement caught his eye. A group of figures appeared at the end of the street, shambling slowly in his direction.

His heart dropped into his stomach. He squinted, trying to make out more details, but as they drew closer, the horror became undeniable. Their eyes—pitch black voids—seemed to suck the light out of the air around them. Their bodies moved with an unsettling combination of jerky, unnatural motions and disturbing, almost predatory purpose.

*No... not here, not now,* Jamie thought, his mind racing. He needed to get the kids to safety before those things got any closer.

"Kohl, Samantha," Jamie called out, trying to keep his voice calm despite the rising panic in his chest. "Come here, now."

The twins looked up from their game, sensing the urgency in their father's voice. They got up quickly, hurrying over to him.

"What is it, Daddy?" Samantha asked, her eyes wide with concern.

"We need to go to the basement, just for a little bit," Jamie said, forcing a smile to reassure them. "It's like a game. We're going to play hide and seek, okay? We have to be very quiet, so the monsters don't find us."

Kohl, who was usually the more serious of the two, nodded solemnly. "Okay, Daddy. We'll be quiet."

Jamie led them down the stairs to the basement, his mind working frantically. They needed to stay hidden, stay safe until Gwen returned. The mutants were still far enough away, but he knew it wouldn't take long for them to reach their house if they kept moving this way. He had to hope they would pass by without noticing anything.

He quickly guided the twins into a small, makeshift fort they had built from old blankets and pillows—a game they had played countless times before the world went to hell. But now, it was their only shield against the horrors outside.

"Stay here," Jamie whispered to them, his voice barely audible. "No matter what, don't make a sound, okay? Daddy's going to make sure everything's alright."

The twins nodded, their eyes wide with fear but trusting their father completely. Jamie kissed each of them on the forehead, his heart breaking at the thought of what could happen if those creatures got inside. He swallowed hard, fighting to keep his own fear at bay, and headed back up the stairs.

From the living room, he peered out the window again. The mutants were closer now, shuffling down the street with that unnerving, half-conscious awareness that made them even more terrifying than the mindless zombies they had first encountered. Jamie's breath caught in his throat as he realized they were heading straight for his house.

He stepped back from the window, his mind racing. He had to be ready, had to protect his children, even if it meant...

The front door creaked open, and Gwen stumbled inside, her face pale and eyes wide with terror.

"Jamie... they're coming," she gasped, her voice trembling. "They're coming, and I don't know if we can stop them."

Jamie's eyes flickered with fear as he realized the full scope of what they were up against. But there was no time to hesitate. "We'll do whatever it takes, Gwen. We have to."

As they prepared to face the mutants, Gwen couldn't shake the fear gnawing at her insides—not just the fear of the monsters outside, but the fear of the ones they might become. She exchanged a desperate glance with Jamie, knowing that they were on the edge of something monstrous, something that could rip their family apart in more ways than one