Rise of the Dead

Chapter 10: The Death Trap

"Trapped by reality." ~ Nicholas Manetta

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Darkness. Emptiness. Loneliness.

Am I dead? I don't think I am, otherwise, I don't think I'd be able to hear, feel and smell the world that clatters off its axis around me. I feel someone pushing down on my chest and shouting at me, Josh I'm certain. He's pleading for me to wake up but as hard as I try it's like a heavy weight is holding me down and I'm completely frozen, a sinking feeling filling me with anxiety. I can't talk or move at all, they must think I'm dead. 

Maybe I am.

My thoughts are interrupted by a loud splash, lots more following in an unusual rhythm. Screams echo around me and I hear the frantic conversation between the others, panic rising in their voices. I feel myself being lifted up and placed against what I presume is the cliff, the cold wet rock digging painfully into my back. Josh presses his lips to my forehead lovingly, a gentle action that holds a sense of danger and finality. Confusion washes over me, what are they doing? Are they protecting me? From what?

A few seconds later my questions are answered as a growl pierces through the air, chilling my already frozen body further. Dragging me into the icy pits of subconscious hell and spiralling out of control.

Zombies.

I hear more growls now and more panic from my friends and family, the harsh crunching of stone echoing around me. I feel somebody's dark shadow tower over me, the sunlight that was warming my skin being ripped away. 

"Now would be a great time to wake up, Maddy," Maria's distinctly bitter tone snaps out- causing a wave of irritation to roll through me. I feel her presence leave and I flinch. I do it again and I can feel a warmth start to spread through my toes, the spread slowly returning the control of my body.

I get frantic as the warmth spreads from my toes to the rest of my feet, willing the heat to return faster. I try not to break my perfect façade, knowing it will only distract the group from the fight at hand, I can hear the blades of knives crunch into bone and heavy punches followed by groans and guttural gurgles. I hear Sophie muttering in a low voice and puzzle to understand why until I hear the cry of my daughter, Ashia. That's all it takes to break my perfect mask and it's all I can do not to writhe and scream for the warmth to spread to my entire shivery body.

Finally, bit by bit, warmth returns and my eyes snap open, I shakily get to my feet as dizziness washes over me and my head throbbing so badly I start to gag- the salty acid burning my dry throat as I spit the grainy seawater onto the sand. The group have their backs to me, all fighting, apart from Soph who stands behind Josh cradling Ashia tightly in her arms. I try to call out but my throat is raw and no noise is made, I run my hand through my hair in frustration and mentally scream.

I see more and more zombies getting out of the murky grey ocean, a never-ending tide of infected, too many for the group. I see a pile of knives by me and reach down, grabbing one tightly in my hand.

I look up and see a Zombie right by Josh, Sophie and Ashia, although they stand blissfully unaware. I try shouting once again but it's just strained silence and a raw parched sting, I take a deep breath and aim shakily. With a ragged hitched exhale I let the knife fly and let out a sigh of relief when it lodges itself in the zombie's brain, they all stare in shock before spinning around to me.

They all smile at me widely and I grin back, my knees slowly buckling from underneath me and I slip to the sand. I groan and raise my hand to my head gently to feel the warm blood seeping out onto the sand like an abstract art piece, my vision swarming with black dots. I see Josh come over and start to dress my wound with a flimsy medical bandage, my head throbbing less as the pressure is applied and I can finally sit up. 

"I'm sorry," I apologise feebly but Josh just chuckles, shaking his head.

"You know, I thought you were dead when I found you, all battered and bleeding I felt so sick..." Josh trails off and I wrap my arms around him tightly.

"I would never do that to you," I say and smile at him gently, my eyes flickering to the sand beneath us- a churned mix of stomach acid and blood.

"So what now?" I hear Maria ask from behind me impatiently, I roll my eyes at her and look around me. I survey the area quickly and then turn back to the group, squinting in the blinding midday sunlight.

"We have three, maybe four, options of getting off this beach," I say and take a deep breath before starting. "Firstly, we could swim around the rocks and see if there are any steps up that way. Secondly, with the same theory of steps up the cliff, we could climb around the rock. Our third option is that we try and climb up the rock to the grassland above us and number four, we hope that cave leads to the surface," I finish and point to a cave mouth in the sandstone rock. 

At first, they all look at me like I've lost my mind, which maybe I have- the apocalypse distorts anyone's sanity after a while. The group seems to weigh up their own options before they begrudgingly consider my suggestions, their eyes flicking from the cave up to the headland. Toby clears his throat first and we all turn to him, my hair dripping to create brown splotches on the golden sand.

"Climbing up the cliff is suicide, we don't have the equipment or the skill to pull that off and we don't know what's around the rocks, it could be more of the same empty coastline. I say we take the cave, worst case scenario we get some rest away from the zombies and have to take another option tomorrow," he states and the others all nod unhappily but in agreement nonetheless.

"Well then, we should get our stuff together and meet at the entrance in a few minutes," I say. They all nod and sprint off to gather our supplies and weapons, looks of exhaustion heavy on their features, before running over to the gloomy cave entrance.

"Ok, so how about I go first, Josh second with Ashia, Soph in the middle and Toby and Maria at the back?" I ask, my eyes fixated on the darkness in front of me.

"Not a chance," Josh replies bluntly, "you need to take it easy, I'll go first and Soph can hold Ashia." I consider arguing but decide it's no use, the authoritative tone of Josh's voice suggesting he's not willing to compromise. With a sigh, I nod my head and shrug my backpack over my shoulder, gesturing for Josh to walk into the darkness.

We all tread forward, our movements wary as we enter the abyss of darkness that lies before us. I send a final glance across the beach and towards the cliff we descended from, my eyes widening at the mass of dark figures staring down at us, watching our every movement with lifeless eyes. 

"Guys," I whisper as they start I throw themselves off the edge, "we need to move, NOW!" I exclaim worriedly. 

The group stares up to the clifftop and gasps in horror, all moving forward frantically as I charge forcefully into the cave, the group following close behind. The dim light fades and soon were in complete darkness, with the zombies so close behind the only way is forward. The maze of pitch-black tunnels makes my head spin and I let out a whimper of dread- because I think I've just led my group into a death trap.