Shattered Realities

Chapter Five

Chapter Five - Dean

Sounds upon sounds that was all I could hear, echoing clacks of gunfire, my men screaming and someone calling my name. My heart roaring above it all, my breath sharp and quick as I fired shot after shot. A trap, this was not how it was supposed to go, how did this happen? How could this happen?

It was a split second, as I watched one of the team unit's men get taken down by a group of Sprinters before I felt myself being flung back, a fiery pain radiating from my left side. The dull roar of my heart was replaced by the loud ringing of a high pitch bell, a familiar sound of being close to a gunshot or explosion.

A deep cough escaped my lips as I forced myself to roll over and get to my feet, a wave of dizziness and pain instantly flooding me as I did so. I couldn't hear anything beyond the ring but I could see my men screaming, could see the fire building as more Sprinters rush towards it like moths.

The second I felt the bite in leg I knew I screamed, my hand swinging down and slamming into the head of a Sprinter, concaving the skull on impact. Another scream ripped past my lips but this one I knew was of anger as I fell to my knees, my gun scattering out before me as I let it go and pulled out my handgun. There was no other option, I couldn't risk Sarah or my family, my Now self.

"DEAN NO!" I heard Joseph scream as I raised the gun, my eyes closed.

My fate is not your own.

A hysterical laugh escaped my lips as the words echoed once more but oh no, his fate is my own. Adam died by his own hand for me, to make sure I succeeded in the mission and got to the present time and now I was in his place.

Different time, different place but same situation.

Surrounded by Infected with a bite and a gun to my head to protect the ones I loved.

His fate is my own.

Asshole.

"DEAN!"

My hand shook as I squeezed the trigger slightly, memories of my life flashing across my closed eyelids and lingering on Sarah. Only a few hours ago I was lying with her in the golden grass, the scent of apples on the wind as the sun haloed her.

"I'm sorry Sarah," I whispered as I felt the burn radiate up my leg, reminding me of the bite and what was about to happen. "I'm so sorry. I love you."

Impact, a sudden and heavy one caused me to cry out, the gun skittering away from my hand and knocking the wind from my lungs. Even with my eyes closed I knew that darkness was clawing at me, I could feel unconsciousness, or maybe death, pulling me deeper and I cursed whoever stopped me.

"Open your eyes kid!" A voice called and for a second I could have sworn it was Adam, my past-future-self. My eyes opened, stuck slightly together by tears, blood and dirt to the blurry face above me.

"Shoul—should have let me die Adam." I coughed out. "Bitten."

The curses that left the persons mouth caused me to laugh, bringing pain and the taste of metallic rust to my lips. Hands pressed down upon my leg and more words before I felt myself being hauled upwards and onto a stretcher.

"Wha—no! Let me die." I weakly got out, trying to get off the moving object. Nausea and agonizing pain reached my chest and if this is what it felt like dying then I sure as hell didn't want to feel the recovering process, it felt like someone shoved acid under my skin.

Fungi my ass.

"Kid, we're gonna get you back to Sarah! Stay with us!" A voice yelled and it took me a minute to realise that it was Joseph, but... Sarah... who?