BLOODHOUND.

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Pit. Pat. Pit. Pat.

"Stop!" I cried, arm outstretched as he picked up the ball.

"Jess, it's okay! I've got it!"

He took a proud step forward, ready to scale back up the fence again. That innocent childlike pride, however, was soon replaced with horror as the screeching of infected drew near.

He screamed.

I bolted upright.

A sharp gasp wisped from my throat. What the hell was that? A nightmare? A memory? Whatever it was, it made my heart beat so fast that I felt my veins thumping in my fingers as they dug into my armrest.

"What's up?" Chloe demanded. "You okay?"

She looked ready to bolt from her seat, clearly shaken by my outburst. All I could really do was stare awkwardly, paralysed with shock, until I remembered where I was.

"I'm fine," I sighed, sinking back into my seat. "Just a dream."

She analysed me for a second, then relaxed, her attention turning to the tablet on the table. "Is the movie that boring?"

Oh. Right. We got bored of black jack and decided to watch something. Couldn't remember the name, but it was some kind of absurd comedy film.

"No, no," I insisted. "I just didn't get enough sleep last night."

Chloe raised a brow. "And you had to fight a behemoth after that? That's rough, buddy."

I nodded.

Uncertainty sat at the pit of my stomach. I ran my hand through my hair, speculating on what I had just seen. Who was that kid? Did they make it okay? Are they even real? Are- I grunted as my head became heavy again. I swear, it was like every time I tried to puzzle things together, someone would knife me in the brain.

When I looked up again, Chloe was rummaging in her coat. She pulled out a strip of tablets. "Here. Heard from the docs you kept having headaches," she said.

"Oh." I smiled, taking it. "Thanks."

She glanced out of the window, watching the trees and barbed wire fences pass us by. "Should be there soon. Any minute now."

As if on cue, the train slowly grinded to a halt. Her eyes widened in the silence, her gaze shifting almost comically.

"...aaaaa-ny minute now."

...

The tannoy spoke: "Attention passengers. Diseased been detected at stop-"

"Oh, come on!" Chloe barked, smacking her fist against the table before getting up. She put on the aforementioned jetpack and went to grab her massive rifle.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"Getting off," she said. "The train's gonna roll back towards Manchester at this rate."

I examined my options. Even though I knew how to fight and I knew how my powers worked, was it really safe for me to go with her? Would it break protocol?

Chloe punched the emergency button at the doors and they slid open. She glanced back at me. "You coming?"

"Am I allowed?" I asked.

She shrugged. "You aren't not allowed."

For a moment, I hesitated, worrying I'd just mess things up. Then again, I didn't have much of a choice. I'd have to face those things again eventually.