Armageddon

One

         He was used to people calling him crazy, but up until today, he wasn't used to agreeing with them.

         He had been watching the events unfold on the television for the past hour, and as he sat there, remote control in hand, he became a believer.

         He now believed disasters can happen. Staring at the screen, jaw gaped, he turned the volume down to ten, letting the events sink into his mind. Other beings attacking people? Absurd. He assumed it was another joke like the one over a year or two ago when these teenagers screamed and ran across the city saying "MONSTERS ARE ATTACKING", so he brushed it off his shoulder. Stretching, he coughed lightly, glancing over at the boarded up window, his hands folded neatly in his lap. He closed his eyes, remembering the past before this hell hole became his reality. He was working as a mall security officer, or mall cop, before things went to shit. He hardly had any weapons, but he did obtain a taser from his occupation. He would drift around on a Segway whilst patrolling the entire building, or what felt like the entire building, but it was more like his sector of the facility. He would capture shoplifters, prevent violent acts, even saved his sector of the mall from a shooting by tackling a man. But at the end of all that, he was prosecuted and was 'proven' guilty by a jury. He was in court for the killing of his wife. He barely remembers anything, but he knows he didn't kill her. He's done some bad things before, but never so much as stabbed someone when not on duty. 

       He looked over, a separate man huddled up in the corner, knees hugged tightly to his chest. He rocked back and forth, muttering words over and over. "Hide", he would whisper to no one in particular. "Must hide..." He would look over at him, all scrunched up in the fetal position. He felt... bad for him, almost sympathetic. His name was George. Checked in a few weeks ago. Something about his mental stability was off. He would hardly eat. If you would look at him closely, he looked like a walking skeleton. The only things that made him look like he had meat on him was his baggy ass clothes. 

       After his mind left the state that George was in, he stood, stretching. He gripped the remote, pressing the crimson button that would indicate the on and off mechanism for the television system. He tossed the black thing to the couch, watching it as it bounced on the cushions twice before resting still. He looked up at the boarded windows once more, his hand lifting and rubbing the back of his neck. He walked over to them. The window was dusty on the outside, no possible way to see through it unless someone went out and cleaned it. That was a normal day for him. Sitting on the couch, making his own meals, looking out the window and watching what he could make out from the dirt and grime. The facility was quiet. Almost scary. Deathly quiet. Unnatural. He had never heard such serenity for years. But it all ended when he heard the shuffled footsteps approaching the door outside. He could barely see through the blackout windows, and the hallway being unlit didn't help much either. But he could make out the dark figure of a man lumbering through the corridor outside. He crept up to the door, as he always did when someone came to a room that he was in. He would usually lock all the doors to begin with anyway, so he would have to unlock it for them to come in. 

     During his slow walk to the door, upon reaching it, he pressed his ear against it, listening for the sound of whispering, mainly indicating it was another patient. But he heard nothing, not even breathing. He assumed who ever it was was gone and he unlocked the door. He twisted the handle, thinking he could look out of the room and see who was down the hall. Opening it a crack, a sudden face appeared by the door, blood dripping from it's lower lip. It's eyes were pale and lifeless. The skin was peeling and decayed. He slammed the door shut on it, not wanting to know what this lifeless thing was. He back peddled as it began to beat the door. The wood began to crack and the glass began to shatter. He dove behind the counter in the back corner of the room. It was usually off limits to other patients, but because he still had all his marbles, he was allowed to get food from the vending machine and such. He knew how to get in, which wasn't very hard. You had to press down and push open the gate to enter. He sat there, listening to the groans of the creature outside. George began to yell, only angering the thing more, causing it to beat the door more forcefully. He sat, hands over his mouth, awaiting the final pound. And it came, along with the sound of the door crashing to the floor. It was in. 

     He peered over the counter top, the creature stumbling towards George. The man kicked and screamed, his head shaking back and forth. "NO NO NO!" He yelled. But the figure fell a top him. Niall ducked down, eyes squeezed shut. His hands remained over his mouth. He wanted to block out the real world, or what he thought was reality. He couldn't block out the sounds of teeth tearing into flesh as the creature tore into George's skin. The man screamed. The sound of a struggle filled Niall's ears and beat against his ear drums. It was pure agony to listen to a man die. But there was nothing he could do, he had to save his own skin. Finally, the screams ended and the only sound that remained was the faint chewing of meat. Niall's stomach churned. He wanted to throw up. 

      Then the chewing receded, and morphed into the sounds of walking. The noise grew louder. Niall clenched a busted glass bottle in his hand, not knowing how he would defend himself with this, but he had to attempt. The growling fell over him as the creature leaned over the counter top. Niall's world began to sway as he shuffled to the other side of the small area. The creature reached for him, it's ragged clothing dangling from it's body. It's face was covered in George's blood as it's teeth clashed together, emitting a loud clicking sound. Niall shook his head, spots entering his line of sight until he finally decided to lash out with the shattered end, hoping for the best until his world went black and the last thing he felt was a body falling over him.