HeartBreak

~Chapter 13~

-N/A-

Creed's eyes flutter open. He can barely make anything out in the darkness as he sits up. He winces as a sharp pain shoots through his body. His vision eventually adjusts as he notices the outline of the bottom of the flight of stairs that lead down into the basement.

'How did I end up down here?'

His memory falters as he is unable to recall the events of how he ended up where he is. More pain travels through him as he forces himself to stand up. Once on his feet, he notices that he can't move his right leg. On closer inspection, blood is visible around his knee before it leaves red trails down the rest of his leg.

He sighs and rolls his eyes before looking over at the stairs again. Determined to get back, he limps over, grabbing the rail when he's close enough. Leaning against the rail, he slowly makes his way up the stairs. He collapses into a pile on the ground as he reaches the top.

His chest goes up and down violently as he struggles to regain his breath. He remains like that for a few moments before attempting to stand up again. It takes him a few tries before he's able to get up on his feet. He shuffles his way out of the kitchen and into the foyer, failing to acknowledge Jordan as she lays unconsciously on the floor.

By reflex, he raises his arm over his eyes to block the rays of light that shine through the windows. He stumbles back a bit but maintains his balance. He checks his side for the butt of his machete. Once feeling that it's safely secured in its sheath, he continues forward, opening the front door and heading outside.

The sunlight jars him, confusing him about where he is and which way he came from. He glances both ways before deciding to head right, hoping that he chose the correct way back. He stays close to the edge of the road, occasionally stepping into the grass to avoid going over a sewer grate.

He pushes forward, dragging his leg behind him. The world around him appears dead and lifeless. Not a soul can be seen for miles, leaving Creed unsure whether or not he likes it that way. Panic rests on the back of his mind, keeping itself acknowledged but not yet fully realized.

Eventually, after walking for what seems like forever, Creed stumbles across another abandoned neighborhood. The houses appear to be just as empty as the streets, their windows smashed and front door hanging off its hinges. An uneasy feeling washes over him.

'Where is everyone?'

As if on cue, the sound of something moving grabs his attention. The hairs on the back of his neck stand on edge as he glances to his right. A creature pulls itself up out of a garbage can that sits against the side of a house. The can falls to the ground, throwing the thing out and on to the ground in front of it.

It snarls as it stands up, the noise of the falling can attracting the attention of others. They appear, groups coming from behind the houses, some emerging from inside the homes, and other standing up in the empty yards.

Instantly, Creed's hand goes straight to his machete. He pulls it out as the creatures lurch towards him from all sides. Their moaning and growls grow louder as they advance, their jaws opening and snapping shut in unison.

More of them join in, turning the small cluster into what feels like an unending horde. One of them reaches out for Creed. He moves back just in time, avoiding the thing's grasp. His eyes dart around quickly as the horde forms a tight circle around him. He keeps his machete in front of them, dispatching them if they get too close.

In his head, he knows that his attempts are futile. There's way too many of them for one man to handle. His vision grows fuzzy from the unbearable stench of death that reek from each of the corpses. Soon, he can feel their putrid breath against his skin as they close in for the kill.
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