Almost Surviving

Chapter One

______________________________________________________________

Chapter One: OPERATION H-IK113

______________________________________________________________

"Awaiting personnel at Haze, OP H-IK113-" Buzzes a radio communication device.

The communication correspondent begins the transcript of the interaction, neatly writing down what is said at a breakneck speed.

They look intently at their paper, accumulating what is being said, both listening and not.

Words flow through one ear and out the other as he writes the interactions down, never registering more than needed.

Radios chime in the background filling his ears with white noise.

He shoves his hair out of his face, pushing his round glasses back up his nose with the palm of his hand.

Simultaneously combing his hair back to the top of his head, pen still in hand. Fingers wrapped around the pen like chopsticks; shoved as far down as possible, with his index and middle finger surrounding the pen.

"Lieutenant Wilkin... Lieutenant Honen... General Kade."

The lieutenant from the strategist division reads the list names. All of which were higher-ranking officers, his nasally voice contrasting his serious tone.

He looks at each and every one of them, before casually looking at the focused correspondent and narrowing his already bloodshot eyes.

His eyes become dazed for a moment, a slight sweat on his furrowed brow. An unnoticeable wince as he sighs, bringing his hands up to his head to pinch the bridge of his nose.

"You are dismissed." He drones in forced monotony.

The acknowledged transcriber gathers his already ordered papers stacking them so they wouldn't get rearranged.

He leaves the room, but not before bowing his head slightly at the strategist, then turning to the others in the room and doing the same to them.

"Yes sir." The locking of the door is heard as the room falls into a solemn silence.

"You are to report to zee-thirty-three-oh-seven, military base Haze. With General Kav, you are to hold back a group of nine, prominently zee-elevens, with two unknowns. You are to halt civilian interference at any cost." The strategist debriefs his eyes looking everywhere but the people in front of him.

A few officers flinch the room already heating up with the tension before one squeezes their pale eyes closed. Muttering under their breath in a shallow desperate voice, praying, more like pleading, for their life.

"You are to report to Dean and transfer details when the operation is over, we are in your hands." The strategist doesn't let them think too much on it much before cutting in. Saving a few from breaking down right then and there.

"Yes sir." Everyone in the room breathlessly responds a few just mouthing the words to themselves. Eyes wide in horror, dulled from exhaustion. Their faces pale with the realization.

"You are dismissed." The strategist immediately leaves the room pain shown on his face only briefly, discreetly limping away. Head bowed, hidden from others- and an almost unnoticeable patch of blood on the strategist's dark pants, Leon Kueran's pants.

______________________________________________________________

"THERE HAS BEEN A BREAKOUT IN BASE LAKEM. LOCATION SELVEC BORDERING UNIKA, BIOLOGICAL WARFARE CREATED EPIDEMIC HAS COMMENCED, EVACUATE AREA IMMEDIATELY!" The radio shouts at military bases around the country.

"THOSE WITH THE NOW DUBBED LEUKE VIRUS HAVE SYMPTOMS OF FATIGUE, FEVERS, BLOODSHOT EYES, INSOMNIA, ANGER, AND A DRIVE TO ATTACK ANYONE SEEN. IF SUSPECTED OF THE VIRUS CALL 911 AND WAIT FOR CORRESPONDENTS, THEY ARE HERE TO HELP!" Shouts from the TV's in civilian homes.

"LEAVE, IT'S NOT SAFE!" Shouts one boy in his room, clutching his brother close, but no one listens. No one can hear, they're already gone.

The boys are left alone, but not completely alone like they would have wanted. The undead, the zombies, the leuke, whatever came first are still here. Relocation isn't possible anymore their stuck.

The child whimpers without saying a word, the sound muffled by the gray jacket sleeve in his mouth soaked with saliva, snot, and tears.

One hand clutching his brother in a death grip. He looks forward for a second before quickly having his head forced into his brother's hip, shielding his eyes from the blood bath right outside their window.

Splatters of blood are painted across the entire yard, struggling bodies with blood-colored eyes, blank with no host.

Gathering near a clearing is a group of around six soldiers' eyes bloodshot too, wounds reminiscent of an animal attack. Bite marks and scratches cover the entirety of their bodies.

Remnants of a silent reddish-pink substance all over their mouths and clothes. But the most traumatic part is the thirty or so dead devoured bodies, limbs and heads missing. Some spiked with an assortment of weapons.

Someone is screaming, screams of pain, as they are bit over and over again, chewed, and spit out to gather as much nutrients as possible.

The puked-up remnants of what was once human are eaten again to gain more nutrients not gained the first time, seemingly having a hard time digesting, reminiscent of an owl.

The hostless vessels are crouching, oblivious to all sounds. It looks from side to side constantly and when they are seen like a hawk searching for its prey, they stare straight at the prey waiting before they gather together and strike in hoards.

A person, a man, a boy, a kid, looking around fifteen runs into the woods to get away, screaming, crying, sobbing. They stumble into a thorny bush of burrs sticking to his clothes, cutting him.

The hostless in the area spring into action gathering into a group of three before cornering the kid several grappling at anything they can get their hands on, hair, clothes, and limbs of the like.

He is pulled towards it, clawed at, and devoured ruthlessly. His screams continue through the afternoon into the night.

Casien Derum is crying, but only slightly. He bunched his brother up in the all blankets that he could find.

Sat in his lap Kain is sobbing heavily, but still quiet, old enough to understand that he needs to be quiet. Casien is singing ever so softly, voice shaky, almost a whisper right into Kain's ear rocking back and forth, back and forth, until he is asleep. By then the screams have died.

Casien bawls he rocks himself back and forth, back and forth, Kain still in his lap. He hiccups, hyperventilating every second or so. He sniffles and snots all over himself, he screams and cries, but most importantly they didn't die. Kain didn't die.

______________________________________________________________