The Last Legends: A Novella

Morgan

I stared off into the distance at the wall of clouds which was steadily beginning to gather. I hadn't noticed any sign of lightning, but there was no argument as to the sudden blast of thunder, distant as it may have been. Fortunately, the coming rainstorm was not in the direction, but threatening to collide perpendicularly with my path.

From the forcefulness of the wind, I estimated about an hour before I had to begin searching for shelter. This, however, was no more than a guess, as I knew very little of the weather. It seemed safe to bet on, however, as, if the storm approached faster, I could simply scramble for shelter earlier than anticipated.

So I continued forward for another hour, ever vigilant for infected, survivors, or anything which could be useful. None of those were found, however, as I was forced into a former office building, making my way up to the highest floor and barricading myself in a random abandoned room.

Since the sun was still high in the sky, despite being mostly hidden by clouds, I peered out into the thick layout of roads and streets. Despite it being the middle of the day, I saw a few forms shambling about here and there, too clumsily to be survivors. But, needless to say, it was incredibly rare for infected to be out, even on a cloudy day, let alone such a large number. After a quick count, I decided there were twenty-seven of them, though it was more than likely I counted some of them more than once. 

I studied them for a long while. Soon, I discovered that they weren't milling about aimlessly, as, upon reaching a corner or certain building, they would turn around and go back the way they came, as if they were guarding against something. 

Eventually, as the storm came overhead and the rain began to gush from the sky, they hurried into nearby buildings. And that was the last I saw of them for the day. Instead, I was left watching a motionless street.

For a long time, I paced about the empty office, opening the long-forgotten drawers of the desk of someone important. I discovered no more than some pens and loose sheets of paper, save for a Snicker's bar which had been buried and was quickly transferred to my bag. No more hangry for me.

Despite my constant pacing and wasting of precious calories, the rain continued to pour from the sky even after night had fallen. Knowing I wouldn't be leaving at least until morning, I unpacked my gag and took stock of my provisions.

Rifle with a box ammunition, three cans of peaches, four more cans of tuna, a nearly full box of stale crackers, two bottles of water, an empty bottle, two bags of M&Ms, and a single Snickers bar. I could cut down on how much I ate by at least a little, but the water would soon be a problem. It was beyond imperative I found somewhere where I could replenish my supply.

With gritted teeth, I opened up a can of tuna, a bottle of water, and some crackers. I scarfed down the fish and crackers as fast as I could before downing nearly a whole bottle of water. That helped me decide on something; if I was to keep forcing down tuna, knowing I had to eat something, I would need to leave first thing in the morning to find a clean water source.

After having placed everything back in my bag in case of an emergency, I set it atop the desk I had raided shortly before my disgusting meal. I then moved to sit cross-legged in front of the window, scanning back and forth for anything I could see in the darkness. I found nothing.

A thought occurred to me after a good deal of watching: aside from the one bang from early this morning, I had not heard a single blast of thunder, nor noticed a single flash of lightning. All that could be heard was rain and all that could be seen was a faint silhouette of whatever was a few feet in front of me.

It was later in the night than it should have been that I decided to attempt sleep. Without my knowledge, I eventually found myself curled up on a leather couch, which I had included as part of my barricade. 

It didn't feel like I had been asleep as long as I had when my eyes opened, yet the sun was already peeking out from the thick cloud coverage. It was unusual to sleep so well and was actually quite dangerous to do so. While the rest was greatly appreciated, I had no way of knowing just how many Infected had attempted to assail me at night.

Without much delay to thought, I removed my barricade and quickly left the room. I descended the several flights of stairs quite rapidly, taking three steps at a time in some places, careful to never lessen my grip on my rifle. Once I was at ground level, standing in front of glass doors which had been shattered long ago, I looked out in every direction before hurrying down the abandoned road.

I followed the road a long way, perhaps two miles, when I came to a halt, my finger inching towards the trigger of my rifle as I raised it to my shoulder. A lone figure stood still, facing me. The figure seemed to have been about my age when she was infected, and certainly no older than her early twenties. From her appearance, save for her unnatural paleness and scraps of clothing, she was probably one of the insanely popular girls that every guy wanted to get with. Now, she was just another Infected.

"You're gone, right? I felt stupid asking, but if there was a chance she was simply very ill, which seemed increasingly likely as she was out in daylight, I couldn't very well kill her. I had only ever put an end to several Infected, and doing such still bothered me. If I were to put an end to a human, it is quite possible I would not forgive myself.

No answer other than a tilt of the head. A step closer. Now, she was close enough for me to see the yellow tint to her eye common to early infected. That tint went away once the Infection completely took over so, for now, she was technically alive.

"Don't move!" I shouted.  As she took a step forward, I made up my mind. My upper half jerked backward slightly with the recoil of my rifle. Before the body fell, I was already running past her. 

As I hurried by, I risked da glance to both sides and immediately regretted my decision. Infected were streaming out of every doorway, some even crawling out of broken windows. It looked like my end was approaching.