Living Hell(On Hold)

Chapter 10

Really long chapter just for YOU! lol thanks for all the votes and reads! Comment on what you think! <3

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It’s been about a week and our camp seems pretty settled. We have only seen a few Drudges around town, meaning The Horde went by quickly. The Horde is a huge pack of Drudges, more than what we saw at our last camp, they go to Denver then Back down to Santa Fe like a patrol, but a deadly one.

Once you’re seen, you’re done for.

It’s the whole infected population in one group, which is very dangerous, but probably not as dangerous as the groups in California or New York.

I start to fold Daniel’s clothes neatly in our room as I hear a hustle downstairs, I run down skipping a step each time until I reach the door, opening it only to be greeted by a group circle full with men with two other men throwing punches at each other. I run towards them, pushing sweaty arms and bodies away to see Kyle and Elliot fighting in the middle with ripped shirts and bloody cuts all over them.

“What the hell?!” I yell stopping some men in the crowd from chanting and pumping there fist in the air. The boys in the middle are still at it making me sigh.

I run in the middle of them before another punch can get thrown but it’s too late, I move my body just in the nick of time to see Kyle’s blood knuckles past my face. I push there chest’s in the opposite direction of each other with an angry expression.

“I’m going to repeat myself one more time, what the hell?” I cleared my voice afterwards, glaring at both of them.

“He killed Jared! His death is on his hands!” Kyle yelled with pure anger in his eyes. Jared was his best friend, I don’t blame him, but fighting isn’t a solution I would pick.

Elliot didn’t say anything, regret in his own eyes but I could see anger in them as well, his stance was defensive and his hands balled into a fist.

“Kyle… Everyone misses Jared, I miss him, but we have to stay strong. Fighting each other isn’t going to keep us alive.” I said soothingly, trying to calm him down as I realized he was shaking.

“What would happen if Daniel died? Huh? Would you just get over it?” He yelled back, his words like knives, piercing into my stomach, twisting my intestines.

I was taken aback by his harsh words, my throat tightened up making me unable to speak. But before a tear can escape, Rex shows up pulling Kyle back to the other guys, making them grabbing his shoulders pulling him back away from the crowd.

 Rex grabs my hips and pulls me back as I grip onto his arm tightly as he apologizes to Elliot, which he nods and walks to his own camper with his part of the crowd following him. As the group disperse Rex looks at me worryingly, but I shake my head telling him to drop it, which he does.

We walk in silence to outside where Caden and a few other men are playing football with the little kids, showing them how. I spot Daniel throwing a football to one of the other kids with a smile across his face. I think for a moment, what would happen if he died? If he was gone from my arms forever… My stomach twisted at the thought again, making me shake my head again.

I see Caden looking at me with a small grin, which makes me grin back for some reason. Once I realize what I was doing I looked away, watching Daniel, pretending that’s what I was doing the whole time.

“We have to do another patrol tonight, I’ll take it again.” Rex said from beside me with a relaxed smile but for the hundredth time in five minutes I shake my head.

“Heck no, you’ve been doing night shifts for half the week. You need your sleep, let me take it this time…” I said in my begging voice, knowing he won’t drop it easily, but actually he nodded to my surprise.

I raise an eyebrow at him to check if he was legit, and he nodded again making sure I wasn’t hallucinating I poked his cheek to make sure he was real. He laughed which was of course, contagious, making me laugh.

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A few hours later, after we ate dinner I tucked Daniel in bed, kissing him goodnight, and then going downstairs to where Rex stands with my gun. I smile and kiss him softly on the lips and whisper,

“I’ll be back as soon as possible, promise.” .

He grinned as I took the gun from his hand grinning back I walked pass him towards the patrol group waiting for me. I watched as women and children scurried into their trailers and men following them inside. It was around nine, the time the patrol group heads out and comes back at mid-night.

I smile at our usual patrol group, and a few other members from the other group, seeing Caden as one of them. I pretend it’s no big deal, which…. It isn’t. It is NOT a big deal AT ALL.

We start to head out, hearing the men talk about the fight, who had the better reason to beat the crap out of the other guy. I roll my eyes, bringing the gun to my hip casually feeling the eyes of someone digging at the back of my skull I turn to catch Caden looking at me. He looks away like he wasn’t checking me out, but we both knew he was. I grin and walk faster to our first checkpoint of our territory.

We’re walking up a grass hill overlooking the small town, with trees on one side of us and a cliff to where the town is on the other. We keep our pace and are at the top where more trees greet us. Everyone spread out, giving us less ground to cover.

An hour later we were down the hill walking through the streets on the other side of where our camp is. I look out at the open road that brought us here, seeing it deserted made me a bit sad, but happy seeing no Drudges we have to take care of.

We turn to the abandoned police station we raided a few days ago, passing by it made me a bit edgy as I look at the shattered windows and the darkness inside. Everywhere I looked; it just always reminded me that the world we live in was not the same as before. I rather be in hell then this.

Suddenly we hear groaning on our left making all of us stop turning our guns toward the sound. It was too familiar to wonder what it was before a Drudge reveals itself from the darkness of an alley beside the police station. But… this one looks different.

It was a man, probably was in his twenties when he got turned. He’s bald since the plague does that to you, but his eyes aren’t clouded and lifeless, but black and dark as coal. It’s not what scary, but how alive it looked. His clothes were in shreds but enough to cover himself, his flesh was gray and torn, hanging out which made it even more disgusting.

 He ran to us which was surprising since Drudges don’t have the energy to run, and gun shots rang out as it was hit, but it didn’t fall like it should have, but his body blew up sending chunks of flesh everywhere. I shield my face with my gun sparing my skin from the warm blood that hits my skin, and I take a glimpse to see everyone looking as dumbfounded as me. Right before I can hear Cole ask what the hell was that, three more Drudges looking similar to our friend Mr.Iblowupmakingeveryoneconfused. We start shooting at them sending body parts and blood everywhere, covering us with it, but one Drudge grabs one of our men, blowing up as soon as he makes contact with him, creating a chain reaction, blowing our man with him sending others off their feet.

 We all yell to fall back as more and more came out from the shadows, making me turn and run with some other guys who had their guns up shooting behind them. We run up the hill as the Drudges follow us, some getting tired resulting into blowing up as a Drudge catches them. We enter the trees finally, running not knowing where we are going.

 We seem so spread out as I looked around, but the closest person by me was Caden. I hear blood gush as people blow up behind me, and to be honest, I’m scared as hell. I keep running with Caden beside me as my breathing starts to get heavier, but we stop to see a cliff with water probably thirty feet below.

I look at Caden and he looks at me with a nod as we look behind us to see no one else but loud growling echoing the forest knowing they can smell us. I look into his dark eyes before jumping with him at the same time, feeling the air rushing through my legs.

This is what I would call a nightmare, only its real.