Death comes for all (TNN)

Trapped on ice

The walk to the lake was silent. No one spoke a single word. They had lost three people in a very short space of time. Carly had the little boy under her jacket. She wanted to take some of the weight off Reece's shoulders. He limped behind her. Autumn went ahead. It was already the late afternoon.

As the three of them broke through the treetops, the lake stretched out before them. Peaceful and frozen over. The stopover on the other side.

Autumn stepped close to the lake and struck the ice with the handle of her weapon.

"The ice is very thick. It shouldn't be a problem to walk across."

"Shouldn't we perhaps walk around?" asked Carly.

" Then it will be night by the time we get there. I don't want us to walk in the dark," said Autumn.

Reece remained silent.

Autumn took the first step onto the ice and took a few steps forward. Nothing happened. "Come on, let's go." The others followed.

After a few more steps, Autumn stopped. She turned around to the forest behind them. An uneasy feeling spread through the woman. She had the feeling she was being watched.

Carly also stopped and followed Autumn's gaze.

" Are you all right?"

" Something's wrong..."

The words had barely left Autumn's mouth. When the undead ran out of the forest.

"Shit!" she shouted.

Carly began to run. Reece tried to run, too, but his knee wouldn't cooperate.

Autumn drew her gun and started shooting. She walked backwards, killing off Runners one by one.

But the dead were travelling in a large group. Autumn changed her magazine and fired again. She looked briefly over her shoulder. Carly had almost crossed the lake, but Reece was only a few steps behind her.

Her ammunition was empty again, and she put her last magazine in the gun.

The two siblings had reached the centre of the lake. Carly had now reached the other end.

There are too many of them, Autumn thought. She stopped as an idea came to her mind.

Reece limped as fast as he could. He thought his sister was right behind him, but when he looked behind, he realised that Autumn had stopped.

"Aut!"

His sister looked at him and then quickly pulled something out of the side pocket of her backpack.

The handgrenade she had taken from Winter.

Without giving it a second thought, she took the pin of and threw it.

It exploded before it even hit the ice.

A hole opened up in the ice, and cracks appeared in all directions.

The dead were swept into the cold wet.

The ground beneath Autumn's feet also gave way, and she fell. But she managed to hold on to the edge.

Reece quickly turned around and tried to reach his sister to pull her up.

Autumn's clothes were soaking up the water, and she couldn't really hold on to the ice.

She tried to cling on but slipped further and further into the cold.

When Reece was a few metres away from her, he threw himself on the ground to slide towards her.

Autumn couldn't hold on any longer and was pulled under the water.

Reece looked desperately into the dark water, he wanted to jump after her but something stopped him. A voice in the back of his head. Should he really risk it?

"Reece, no!" Carly shouted from the other side.

What should he do now?
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