Creatures emerge from the darkness, John is closer to his goal, and hope is fading fast for the survivors. What does fate hold in store for those left standing?

Subscribe/ Table of Contents
FAQ

Previous Chapter

Blood of the Damned
Part 14

A chain link fence topped with razor wire sprouted from the ground before John. Signs of red with the words "Private Government Property, No Trespassing," scrawled in white block letters. John turned his head, where a paltry dirt road that was little more than two tire ruts in the ground, led through a gate and into the small piece of so called private property. Within was a single story stone bunker and a shack presumably for guards.

No one was about, save the dead. A few soldiers whose heads were burst open lay across the ground. A jeep had crashed into the shack, the driver's head smashed open against the steering wheel. The gate was smashed open, laying on the ground allowing John to step into the compound.

John's eyes took in the dead soldiers, saddened that they could not be given the gift. Still, he could not dwell on their loss. Their time was over and his own was just beginning. Within this bunker was the answers he craved. His true journey would soon begin.

~~~~

Jay watched the smile melt from Haley's face, and felt his gut clench in fear. The vampire started to raise her M4, to her shoulder, shutting one eye to try and take aim at something.

"Behind Haley now," Jay called to Joey and Lila as he turned to walk backwards with his heavy limp, dropping his walking stick. Something was very wrong.

A loud hiss sounded from nearby, but Jay couldn't place it. Haley though stayed still trying to find the target, using her nose and eyes.

"What it is?" Lila demanded.

"Damien... another vampire... once," Haley informed them.

"Once?" Jay asked, before a creature burst from no where, jumping high in the air.

It was humanoid, but its skin was a mottled brown, with yellow cat like eyes. Once long dark hair was straggly and mostly falling out leaving only a few wisps on its torn scalp. Its nose had fallen away leaving an ugly rotten hole in its wake. Its mouth yawned open wide like a snake, twin fangs protruding out in a flesh rending snarl.

"What the fuck?" Joey yelled out as the thing landed on the ground not far from him, placing the human between itself and Haley.

Joey started walking back slowly, lifting his pistol, hands shaking.

"Get out of the fucking way," Haley yelled, but Joey wasn't listening and she started to move, but the creature circled around to keep out of Haley sights.

Jay lifted his carbine and fired a few shots at the vampiric creature, a few of his shots bursting through its head, a mist of gray and pink spraying out the other side, but Damien only growled as the holes in skull and skin started to grow over.

Joey looked about to say something, before the demon like monstrosity jumped forward and its fangs sank deep into Joey's neck. A scream tore through the night air as blood spurted out from the gashes rent in Joey's neck. Haley swore and dropped her carbine and grabbed her sword, pulling it free from its sheath.

Damien looked up at her, still cradling the blood soaked Joey in its clawed hands while Haley felt a pain in her gums as her fangs extended even further. Hissing in anger and rushed forward and started to swing a kick at the creature's head.

Damien raised his hand to block the kick, but Haley had anticipated the move and instead of her foot, her blade made contact with flesh. A monstrous hand sailed through the air, blood spurting from severed arteries, and Damien howled, before Haley's boot crunched against his face, sending him sprawling across the ground.

Strolling over to Damien who was crawling on all threes to where his severed hand had landed in the grass. As Haley approached he turned his twisted features up towards her and snarled, swiping at her thigh and cutting through her cargo pants and flesh. As blood poured down her leg and soaked into her clothing, Haley returned the vicious snarl and brought her sword down on Damien's forearm. The limb fell away from the elbow, spewing more infected vampire blood across the ground. Haley hastily kicked the arm away before slashing out with her sword. Damien, still scrambling on the ground on stumps, had his throat split open. A silent howl went into the air as blood bubbled out from the second mouth in his throat, more crimson spilling over his chin.

Haley's foot pinned her former friend to the ground. She tried to think of something to say, something to help pass her friend off to the next life, but she quickly realized Damien was already dead. This was to be a gift to him.

The sword descended, tip plunging through rib and heart. Damien's eyes bulged for a moment, before gently closing as his body settled into death. Haley shook her head softly, and twisted her sword, tearing the heart further, before pulling her sword free and bringing it down on Damien's neck, severing his head.

She kicked it away and knelt by the body, overlooking it. Damien was topless, his torso covered in scratches and bite marks; chunks of flesh missing and exposing bone and organ underneath. The zombies had swarmed him, had infected him. That's why he was like this. His pants though, they were military.

With a frown she began to search his pockets, eventually finding a sheet of paper. She pulled it out and unfolded it. Much of it was spattered in blood, but it appeared to be a note he wrote shortly after initial infection, but before turning.

As her eyes ran across the words on the note, Jay stood over Lila and Joey. Lila was desperately trying to save Joey's life, shoving strips of cloth into the wound and wiping away blood.

"Enough," Jay said to her, and Lila looked up at the soldier.

She relented, and nodded softly, standing up, and tossing away the bloodied bandages she had used on Joey. Blood didn't spurt from the wound as his heart slowed to a crawl, death looming over him. Jay kneeled down and picked up the pistol, quickly checking to make sure a round was chambered. One was.

Aiming the pistol between Joey's eyes, Jay's finger settled on the trigger. He felt like the Grim Reaper was standing over his shoulder, scythe ready to cleave into Joey's soul and drag it away. Or perhaps it was already gone. Blood vessels were popping in Joey's eyes as the infection ran rampant through his body, and the white of his eyes disappeared beneath a haze of red.

Before the creature that was once Joey could even react, Jay fired.

Even Haley looked up from her note.

Next Chapter