The End of Us

Chapter 7: Day 282, 11:29pm, -Avril Winters

Blood.

          It's  taking over my senses...

                        I'm so hungry...

              I can't think...

My feet led me to Benny's room. Screams. So many screams from outside. I latched onto the doorknob, turning it slowly.

Opening the door, his bright smile, turned to his eyes wide with fear. "Avril?"

I licked my lips. The metallic taste of blood was mouth watering. I needed to taste his flesh.

"Avril" Benny ran over to me, shaking my body. A low inhuman growl came out of me. Was that me..? I couldn't recognize it. "Avril snap out of it! Avril!"

My body jolted out of my slumber. My body shaking badly. That nightmare. I've had it so many times. Every time I.. I flinch, tears swelling in my eyes. I started to count back from ten, trying to calm my nerves. Benny never understands how much it affects me. It always feels so real. I can feel his fear, I can feel my teeth sinking into his skin and eating him alive. I grab my stomach. I feel so sick.

"Ben, wake up I had a nightmare.." I reached over to just grab air. "Ben? Benny..?" The bed I had made for him next to me was empty. My heart rate sped up. I quickly looked into my bag and pulled out my flashlight. It flickered, signaling that the batteries were about to die. "You are not dying now. Not until I find Ben." I looked around with the light. The light barely lit up the office we camped in. I always hated school, especially elementary. My friends and I always joked about breaking in after hours, seeing if we could survive the night. Sure there weren't infected back in the day, but I'm sure I would have pissed my pants. If it wasn't for that hoard, I would never have taken Benny in here.

Getting up I looked over to the desk we pushed up against the door for an extra barricade. It was moved, and the school's keys were gone. How did I sleep through that? I rushed out of the room, shining my lights left and right down the hallways. Why would Benny leave my side? He knows it's not safe. We couldn't lock all the doors in the school. Infected surely got inside. They hunt.. Always searching.

The light flickered off making me jump. I sprinted down the hallway, going right. A bit scared to be in the dark, more scared to leave Benny alone in the dark. Turning the corner I bumped into one of the infected. An older looking man... He reached out to me, but I moved to the side, dodging his grasp. Even though I'm one of them, if they chose to, they can still injure me. I believe the parasites inside of us are smart enough to know, our bodies are just a protective layer. They can do whatever they want to our bodies, just don't injure the head. I can die by being stupid... I'm not scotch free because I haven't turned yet.

Loud rusting got my attention. The infected were always quiet. Never wanting to alert their prey involuntarily. I rushed into the cafeteria, following the sound. Tables had been upturned, old rotten food everywhere, with a few children's bodies, rotten to the bone laid about. The infection must have hit during schools hours... My eyes looked up to where the kitchen connected to the cafeteria. The kitchen shutters were down, making a wall the infected couldn't get through. I slowly started to make my way over, hearing the rustling getting louder. "Benny?"

"Avril?" His small voice came behind the shutters. It was muffled, but I could tell it was him.I made my way over, heading to the door to the kitchen. Just as I reached the door, Benny opened it cautiously. His big eyes looking up to me, an innocent look on his face. He knew he was in trouble for wandering off on his own.

"Ben-" Before I could speak, he slammed the door in my face. Locking it. One of the infected snarled beside me and rushed into the door. My blood went cold. I didn't notice it. The infected started running into the door, trying to break it down. It was strong. I could hear Benny whimper from the inside. Was there not another way out?! I looked around quickly, smacking my flashlight trying to get it to work. It flickered on for a moment. I didn't get to see if there was another exit for Benny. I only saw three more of the infected come into the cafeteria. The light went off, leaving their image stuck in my mind. They were going to get in. Get in and kill Benny.

"Shit." I gripped my flashlight tightly and reached into my pocket to pull out a small pocket knife, Opening it up, I aimed for the first infected's head. The door starting to break under the pressure. The infected paused before ramming at the door again, giving me an opportunity to stab it. I took it... The knife went in easily making the bone seem like it had turned to mush. It staggered for a moment before falling to the ground. The other infected looked to their fallen friend then back to me. Their growls getting louder the closer they got,, and their stance changing to attack me. I pressed my back up against the door. They were surrounding me. My only means of escape was to fight my way out. My knuckles turned white. "Benny, find a way out."

"Avril." The door to the kitchen opened, making me fall back into the room. He slammed the door, locking it again. Three loud bangs hitting the door, one after each other. My breathing was ragged. My heart was pounding in my chest. "Don't black out." Benny's words were soft but held a lot of concern. My vision started going dark. My hands shaking. A silent urge telling me to let go slipped into my mind. Like a small voice trying to control my actions. "Avril don't black out!" Benny crawled into my lap and cupped my face.

I looked into his eyes. I blinked and he was gone for a split moment. Reality starting to leave me. Was he here..?

"Benny..?"

"Avril I'm here. Get up. I need your help. Avril please!"

The snarls of the infected getting louder. Their voices and my heart pounding made it extremely hard to focus on Benny. I need to focus on him. I took slow deep steady breaths. Benny then came back to focus. He was terrified. Gripping onto me for protection.

A loud crash jolted my attention to the door. The infected had broke in. I moved Benny off of me quickly and jumped to my feet. The infected attention was on me. Three against one. "Ben, run for the door." I moved away from Benny, smacking shutter making a loud bang ring throughout the room. They made their way to me. Giving Benny a chance to run. I nodded at him, and he sprinted out the door. I banged louder, keeping their attention on me. Ben will be heading back to the office. He can lock the door from there. I just have to get around them.

One of them lunged at me. I dodged to the left, stabbing my pocket knife in its head. The other took its shot, and I jumped over the counter. I picked up an old skillet, holding it out ahead of me. They snarled and jumped onto the counter towering above me. I quickly smacked its legs hearing a crack of its bones It fell, trying to grab me in the process. My body jumped back, straight into the arms of the other infected. Its teeth sunk into my shoulder making me cry out in pain. The pain was excruciating. The same feeling before I black out coming back. Its teeth ripped more into my skin, I could feel it pulling the flesh off. I cried out, tears falling. "GAHH!!" I rushed forward, a huge chunk of my flesh staying connected to its mouth. It gave me enough room to smack it over the head with the pan. It was stunned enough for me to push past him. I ran out, hearing their snarls. They'll be back up in moments. I ran back to the office trying to remember the way. Blood dripping down my shoulder and onto my arm. I couldn't tell how bad it was. The adrenaline had taken over. The pain was turning numb. The feeling was getting stronger, but I did my best to shake it away. I was almost there. I could see Benny waiting near the office door. His flashlight in hand, shining down the hallway. I was almost there...Almost there.