Snippet #2530331

Boston. The cries of anguish and the groans of pain fill the air around. The disgusting smell of rotting flesh and death permeates the air. Clouds of smoke can be seen in various locations of the city, announcing the chaos. Lamps flickering, and electric cables flopping around, gives a very apocalyptic feeling to anyone who survived the initial outbreak. Very few people survived. The strongest, the most brilliant minded… The luckiests…
For many, it had nothing to do with luck, but unluck. Many couldn’t take the heavy losses they had. Losing every little thing that they had, and even their hole families, mass suicides were commited. The military tried rescuing as much people as possible, but they eventually stopped all searches. The ones who didn’t killed themselves, or weren’t rescued by the military, try desperately to reach the quarantine area on their own, in hopes the military might take them in.

On top of a nearby roof, a group of survivors rest before making their suicidal run to the quarantine zone. Casper, a young man stared at the lights of the quarantine zone, his body completely paralized. Most would think that this was irrational fear, but it was clear to the people around him that Casper was thinking of a way of getting out of there. However his thinking was interrupted by the people that were with him. David and Erik were having a discussion.

"You can go and die for all I care. I'm not leaving this roof!!"

"You are a coward. You want to live, but how do you expect to make it out of here if you don't fight for it?" said Erik without demonstrating any kind of emotion trough his eyes.

David was an ok guy. He was tall and pretty strong, used to be a constructor worker before all this. Pretty strong physically, he was pretty weak mentally, and very cowardly. He could get panicked easily, and in situations that such occurred, he was likely to behave like he was now. He protects his friends, but don’t think twice on letting others die. However, to be considered a friend of his, was a considerable task. In the moment, Casper, Erik and everybody else were nothing but other people he couldn't care less.

"You two, stop!!"

The discussion died in the moment a young girl, Anna entered in the middle of them, screaming at them, telling them to stop.

Anna was a pretty sweet girl. Mostly she is very caring, and even in a situation such as this, she is very compassionate
of others. She is very innocent, a problem most people exploit, for their own good. A good follower, but a bad leader, as she often can’t handle pressure, and being blamed by wrong decisions. She is very innocent and relyes on her emotions more than logic.

"If we are to make out of here together, we have to act together. We can't be at each other's throats right now." said Anna.

Erik chuckled, raising both of his hands as a sign of an apology, turning around and walking a bit torwards the edge of the roof. He sat, putting his bag at his side, as he leaned to check whatever was left of what he had.

"At least we're not short on ammo". he said.

Sitting far from the others was Tierman Hacket, a mysterious figure. Casper couldn't figure anything out from him. It only seemd he didn't cared for anyone else, and probably not even his own life.

Casper tough to himself how the situation was troubling. To many people with to many different ideals, was a train ready to derail. However he couldn't just leave them, and like Anna herself stated, their only chance was to act together, as on, to save themselves.

They met when they were all separately running from the infected. Casper met Anna first, and shortly after, David and Tierman. THye managed to mak their way up to the roof of this building silently. A few hours later, when the night had already fallen, Erik appearead with a gun on his hand, threatening them all. Casper however managed to calm him, and altough Erik made it pretty clear he didn't trusted any of them, he would cooperate for his own sake. What little information Casper managed to grasp from them, in such little time was that David, despite his intimidating size and muscles, was nothing more than a coward. Anna was pretty innocent and if not cared for, would definetely fall upon the dangers of this world. Erik wasn't a bad man, but not exactly good either. He felt very cold, and at least for Casper, it seemed he was a very cold person. Of course he met him half an hour ago, so how could he be sure of any of that.

His toughs were interrupted by the sudden asound of a car crash. He ran to the edge of the building, and saw a car crashed into a post. The sound made countless infected groan and come out of the buildings they were in, and sortly after a mob could be seen running at the car from afar. It seemd as if they were after the car for quite some time. By a close examination of the scene Casper managed to pinpoint that it was a family of four. A couple plus their two daughters.

"We gotta help them!!" Said Anna.

"Fuck them! I'm not going down there, even if it was my mom!!" screamed David.

"Shut up, you dumbfuck. They will hear us otherwise." said Erik, apparently sick of David and his mumbling.

"Anna's right. We gotta help them... If we don't-" said Casper. However a grave tone came out of what seemed nowhere, interrupting him.

"No. They're valuable baits." said Tierman, his voice being heard for the first time since they first met.

Anna simply frowned while Casper face showd sing of surprise and repulse. He was about to bash Tierman's words when he followed.

"Just take a look. Casper."

Casper observed the scene from a bit. While Anna and Tierman apparently debated about what was right or wrong in that moment, Casper reached a conclusion.

"He's right." Anna turned in confusion not sure she had heard it right. Tierman just remained there, his face showing no sign of any kind of emotions at all. "The sound is drawing the infected. This whole building will get clear, giving us a gap we can exploit to get out of here."

"How can you say something like this!!! How can you agree to-"

"Anna we have no choice." Casper said, his eyes clearly showing remorse and sadness but also showing he had no intention of backing away from that plan.

Erik got up, walked closer to them, and then spoke. "I know how you feel Anna. But in the world we live now, there is no room for mistakes. If you win you live. If you lose, you die. Those people down there... They already lost." He stared at the ground for a few seconds before turning his eyes back to her. "Lets win."

Anna cried for a bit, but she couldn't argue against that. In this new world, as recent as it was, only the strongest and smartes would be able to survive. Anyone else, were simply food, or new hosts for the cordyceps.

The voice of the girls screaming in panic as the infected broke the windowns, and dragged them out, made their father panicked. As he opened the door to get out, grabbing his pistol, an infected bit his leg, and other threw him on the ground. His screams of agony mixed with his daughters, who were being ripped and eaten alive, made the woman simply stay there paralyzed until one of them grabbed her, and pushed her out of the vehicle, ripping her apart, her blood splattering into the street, car and walls.

Anna couldn't help but feel sadness for their fate, and anger torwards her weakness. Tierman just stood there, like he didn't cared. Erik went back to pick up his backpack, while Casper made his way into the door.

"I have all the plan traced out. Just follow my intructions and we'll get out of here." said Casper as he opened the door leading to the building's interior.

"We are seriously going to resort to this brat now?" said David.

"Anyone's better than you." said Erik as he passed trough the door Casper was holding.

After everyone passed and walked the stairs down, Casper noticed Tierman remained thre, near the edge watching the car. He was apparently watching the family geting eaten.

"Tierman hey. Let's move."

Tierman turned around, and walked torwards the door. As soon as he passed trough Casper, all he could feel was the coldness of his behavior. However, little did he knew Tierman shed a tear back there, as he remembered of his wife. Casper closed the door behind him. It would be now or never. They would either make it to the quarantine zone... or die on the way.