In The End Box Set , Stevens, GJ [motivational novels .txt] 📗

was faultless skin, not the wide-open wound I'd expected to stare back, oozing with blood.

I returned to the details I'd skipped at first sight, my head refusing to acknowledge the dark sunken hole where her left eye should have looked out. Skin on the left of her face was tight, desiccated, drawn over skeletal features. Her mouth hung wide.

The wind drew her stench across my nostrils. I pulled the trigger and the gun exploded.

At first, I thought my hand was on fire. The explosion ripping through my flesh, cutting me to ribbons as the gun back-fired. The gun shot backwards as I fumbled in the dark.

When she dropped to the floor I looked at my hand to see it was still intact, the gun in one piece, just a ring of pain left in my ears.

My legs carried me forward and I hovered over her body. Now both her eyes were missing. Her mouth closed. At peace.

The rustle in the bushes grew to a fever, but I didn't turn, didn't wince as I looked up to the horizon. The sun was beautiful as its amber rays highlighted the curve of our little planet.

Andrew joined at my side. I glanced left and saw another, then two more. Zoe, Naomi and Cassidy with Ellie tucked up to her hip, almost hidden.

Each joined in the line and stared out. We shared that silent moment of hope as if today was the day when maybe the world would make sense again.

One of the girls was the first to pull in the sharp breath. The others followed with their hands reaching for their mouths, almost in unison as we saw a figure running towards us on the road, a dark outline against the growing light, but he wasn't alone.

Horde was the only word I could find to describe what we saw at the runner's back. On the horizon came a writhing mass of figures with unnatural, stilted movement. Their speed less than the runner's, but not slow enough for my liking.

“Go,” I said, turning to the line. “Go,” I repeated.

Cassidy and Ellie were the first to peel off and break into a jog, then Zoe and Naomi to the sound of sobbing for the shattered illusion of hope we'd just shared.

Andrew stood held to the spot.

“Go,” I shouted.

“Fuck off,” he replied, panting through a half-hearted smile.

Together we held our ground with the runner closing. I repositioned the warm gun in my hand as a club.

Andrew stood with a lighter held tight in his fist, the stick of a giant star-mottled firework in the other.

After a minute we saw Matt's features, his roman nose appearing first as the light climbed.

Andrew and I swapped a glance, wide grins shared. I heard the rasp of a lighter at my side, the fizz of the fuse.

My hand out, I grabbed at Matt's outstretched fingers. The rocket electrified the air, racing toward the approaching crowd, their gut-wrenching stench already here.

I had his palm and let my blood pressure relax at his warmth. We were already running, chasing away, making good ground towards our friends as the firework exploded at our backs.

We almost clapped hands in a high five, turning to watch the middle of the pack halt and tried to ignore the surge of double dead bodies forming over the mound.

Andrew couldn't have been carrying enough fireworks to take the whole pack on, but we had pace. Above all we had pace, although the girls were already beginning to slow.

Still running, I watched as first Zoe stopped. She turned our way, then Naomi too, despite my waving hands and shouts urging them on.

Cassidy was next, Ellie tucked in. They'd turned and were jumping in the air, arms waving, screaming at the top of their voices, no longer worried about the horde of things running our way.

Before I could slow, I heard the unmistakable sound of helicopter blades cutting through the air.

21

Tears rose as I came to a stop. With my hand reaching for my mouth, my lungs gasping, relief electrified my nerves. I wasn't going to die anytime soon. We weren't going to die the same terrible way as we’d watched our friends.

I saw the helicopter as a dot on the horizon, but still it was clear they were heading our way. It followed the road. They couldn't miss the horde who took no notice. They wouldn't miss us. We were saved.

With the chopper approaching, I walked backwards; the stench reminding us these things were gaining, would still run us down if we didn't pick up the pace and we needed to get away so the crew could land safely.

Matt slowed, waving his hands, not moving much from his position. The rest of us turned and hurried once again.

The beat of the rotors grew and with each step my legs felt lighter, my mind clearing, joy rising at the thought of a safe escape and getting answers to those questions circling around everyone’s heads.

We'd lost friends along the way, but hope surged we'd see Leo, Daniel and Max on the other side.

The tone of the engines changed, but before I could look, a jolt of rapid gunfire broke out.

I slowed. The others did too. Ellie tucked back into her sister's side. Naomi and Zoe linked arms tight as we watched a line of fire rain from the side door of the camo-green Merlin helicopter still heading our way, but side on.

A helmeted figure steered the door-mounted gun, tracer bullets glowing red hot as they leapt away, a dark mist rising from the crowd.

Still, I took steps back. The horde continued advancing, despite their numbers diminishing before my eyes.

The others followed, even Matt started to move as the gunfire paused and we watched the walking bodies still ignore their slaughter.

After a moment