Anna's legs sprinted through the parking lot, ignoring the pain that came along with it. Her lungs burned for air with every step, but she couldn't stop. She wouldn't stop.
For if she attempted to rest for just a second-a split second- he would've gotten her.
He trailed only a few steps behind, running at full speed as he yearned for her flesh. He ran sloppily as a mixture of saliva and blood dribbled from his lips. The pounding of his heavy footsteps stayed synchronized with hers and were now nothing more than a steady rhythm.
She could see it now, in the distance. The blurred blob of a building was coming closer to being within her limited vision.
Her eyes were trained on the building, squinting every now and then in an attempt to get a better visual of it. She still hadn't known what the building was. She didn't know if it was a hospital, a mall, or just that, an abandoned building. She didn't know if people were in there, waiting for a victim, or if it was filled with more of the infected.
She didn't know anything.
Her eyes still stung from the tears. She hadn't cried since she first started running, yet they still stung. The stinging sensation soon turned to a burning one, causing her eyes to tear up.
She tried to ignore it--for she feared that if she tried to wipe her eyes, she could trip from the sudden lack of focus.
But, her eyes were burning, and the tears were blurring her vision worse.
She, unable to bare it any longer, reached her arm up and rubbed her eyes frantically with her sleeve.
Just as she was about to put her arm down, the tip of her foot hit something hard, sending her tumbling down to the cement. She fell hard and her hands burned from breaking her fall.
Her body struggled back to running position but was stopped by him colliding into her.
Anna turned so that she was on her back. She pushed back on his shoulders as he screeched and attacked her. His arms flailed around, hitting anywhere he could reach.
She screamed as her arms gave out, almost giving his teeth full access to her. In an attempt to get him off, she squirmed and punched at him.
In the midst of all this, she tried to put her hands up to push him back again, but she missed.
His head then flew forward into her neck and sunk his teeth into her.
A shock of unbearable pain surged through her body and she let out a bloodcurdling scream. Just as this scream emerged, a gunshot echoed through the air and the body fell limp on top of her. She pushed him away from her and stood up to see her hero.
It was a woman holding a shotgun. Her hair was pulled back in a messy bun and her shirt had numerous stains and holes. She stayed staring at the infected man.
"Thanks," Anna said, forcing a smile.
She didn't respond. She didn't even look at her--she was still looking at the man.
"Excuse me," Anna started again, hoping for some sort of response.
The woman still stared blankly, but soon, her face filled with sorrow.
"Ma'am? What's wrong? Did you know this man? I'm so sorry," Anna said, walking towards the woman.
The woman still didn't acknowledge her, but instead began tearing up.
"Ma'am? What are you looking at?" Anna said, now feeling fearful.
Completely ignoring her, the woman walked past her, revealing two other women standing behind her. They both wore the same expression, one covering her mouth in shock.
"What's wrong?"
They ignored her too.
"What's the matter?! Why are you ignoring me?!" She screamed in frustration, turning around to find what they're were staring at.
Once she saw, she covered her mouth put on the same expression they wore.
• • •
••• She was dead. There was no other way to say it.
Her body was there, laying still as a lake. Blood covered her face and neck and the infected man lied with his head buried into her shoulder--still.
They were both dead, lifeless.
But how was she dead? She didn't remember dying--and if she was dead, then why was she still here?
What happened to going to Heaven or Hell? Or was this her own personal Hell--staying on earth during the worst times in history? Being forced to watch as strangers are ripped limb from limb?
But she went to church. She prayed every now and then just to make sure she could get to Heaven. So why wasn't she there? •••
Anna collapsed.
She couldn't even cry. All she could do was stare in awe, just as the others did.
"Come on," someone's trembling voice emerged from behind.
The first woman was kneeled down next to Anna's body, crying.
"She was a child," she muttered, too quiet to hear.
"Margot, you know what we have to do," a second voice sniffles.
Margot.
"She was a child!" Margot screamed in a sudden outburst, causing everyone to jump in shock.
"She's not anymore. You know that," the first voice started again. "Any second now, and she'll be one of 'em."
"Jenni's right you know," said the second voice again.
"I know," Margot said, wiping away the snot and tears. "I know."
"I'm not dead," Anna said, still holding on to a thread of hope.
Margot stood up of over Anna's body and positioned her shotgun to aim for Anna's head. She used her foot to kick the infected's body off of her.
"I'm not dead,"Anna said again.
She looked up and saw Margot aiming for her body, quickly clicking her out of her trance.
"No. N-n-no! Please stop!" She yelled, running over to save her lifeless body. She threw herself on top of the body and put her hand up to stop Margot.
"Please! I'm not dead! Stop! Please stop!" She screamed as her eyes bursted with tears. It felt as if everything was going in slow motion.
The gun click echoed through her ears, and within a split second--bang.
Anna turned to her corpse's face which was now filtered with a bloody hole in the center of her forehead.
"Margot, we've gotta go," Jenni declared. "The infected man coulda' come from a herd, and if they're near, they'll be here quick."
"Ok, let's go," Margot still sniffled, walking towards them.
Leaving Anna and the body behind.
