Survivor - A Camren Fanfiction

• Chapter Eight •

I run as fast as I can. There's no time for me to find a place to hide, I just need to escape the huge mob of infected. I turn my head while I'm running to look at them.
Now I finally understand the man from Philadelphia.

There are hundreds of them, all running after me. And they're catching up.
I look forward again and try to run even faster. My throat hurts and I'm out of breath, but I can't die. No. Not now and not like this.

I keep running when I suddenly hear a loud explosion. I scream and turn my head, seeing that something like a contact mine must have gone off and blew up around twenty runners.
Shit, there are mines lying around?
I keep running and hear another explosion, followed by another one and another one.
I pant and run faster, my knees are shaking and my heart feels like it's breaking out of my chest.

Something grabs my foot, making me fall and groan in pain. I turn my head and see three runners throwing themselves on top of me. I scream and try to keep them off me, kicking around and pushing them away from me but they start scratching my face and try to bite me.

I use all the strength I have, but my muscles ache, my arms get shaky, and I know I can't stay like this much longer.
I scream and try to reach my machete but it's stuck in my backpack.
One of the runners starts tearing my jacket and shirt apart, scratching my skin.
Blood is leaking out and I whimper in pain.
I know there's no way out of this. I reached my point. I can't fight anymore.

The sound of shots fill the air and the runners scream in pain, falling limp on my body.
I cough a little and sit up, looking around. Someone saved me, I'm alive!
The rest of the infected run past me, attacking a few people who are trying to defend themselves with their weapons.
It must have been them, survivors! I'm not alone after all!

I jump up, feeling new energy welling up inside of me and grab my machete, running to them.
With a scream I cut one of the monsters' heads off and impale another one right afterwards. I feel so alive again.
With a few hits of the blade I send the others to the ground as well.
Silence. The only thing that can be heard is panting.

I look down at my bloody weapon and clothes and to the corpses before turning around, looking back at where I came from. The street is coated in blood and dead bodies, it looks like a huge massacre happened here.
I look up at the sky, that's getting lighter again, signaling the end of the night. Closing my eyes I take a deep breath. I'm alive. I didn't die tonight.

"Oh my god.."
I open my eyes again and turn around, looking to where the voice came from.
It's hard to identify any faces in the small crowd of people, but the voice is familiar.
Carefully I take a step closer, looking at the woman in front of me.

"Lauren.. y-you made it.." the female voice says and now I recognize her.
".. Mani?"
She walks closer to me and hugs me tightly.
"Holy shit.."
I close my eyes tightly and return the hug. It's her. She's alive! Does that mean the others are too?

"I can't believe you actually made it here! You're alive!" She cups my cheeks and takes a look at me again, disbelief written all over her face, "This is a miracle."
I hug her again and enjoy the rare feeling of safety.
"I'm so thankful you are alive. What about the others? Where are they? Are they alright?"

"Who's that, Normani?" another woman asks, aiming her gun at me, "Is she infected?"
All the others raise their weapons as well when she says it. They probably have experienced something like that before.
I raise my arms and look at them.
"I'm not infected and I don't mean any harm.."

Normani looks at the others and wraps her arm around my shoulder.
"We'll head back to the harbor and then we'll prove that she doesn't have any bites."
The others lower their weapons and the woman, who seems to be the leader of the group nods slowly, not looking really convinced.
"Alright.. I hope you're saying the truth."