“
BLAM!
BLAM! BLAM!”
Then
we began to hear a high pitched eerie sounding noise. It reminded me
of my elementary school teacher running her nails across the
blackboard to get the classes attention. They were so desperate to
get to us that the ghouls were digging into the door with their
nails and finger bones.
“
Their trying to break
through and get us!” cried Blair.
Unlike
the first time the door began to give under the new onslaught. We
had to get out of this room before those blood thirsty monsters got
inside. We didn't have anything to fortify the door with so we were
in trouble if we stayed. I asked Carlos to scope things out in the
back hall and come back. He nodded in agreement then said a silent
goodbye to Blair before gingerly stepping out into the corridor. She
smiled wide flashing her white teeth in acknowledgment. It took a
second for his eyes to adjust to the light.
Almost
immediately Carlos had spotted one of the undead down the hall just
inside the open door to ultrasound. It was hovering over a badly
brutalized body. It was hard for him to tell who it was. Nothing but
the skull and limbs were left. The beast had random blood stains on
his shirt collar and sleeves. Soot and dirt soiled the things pants.
It was holding some poor bastard’s leg like it was an
oversized drum stick. The rotting monster pulled at the calf muscle
with its chipped teeth before swallowing a large bite.
”
CHOMP!”
Carlos
slowly moved towards the door trying to be quiet. When he tried to
get closer the forsaken looked up and clumsily tried to spring to
its feet. Carlos forcefully impaled Randy's hatchet three inches
into its brain. The forsaken toppled backwards after part of its
scalp was sliced off. Carlos checked the rest of the hall for
creatures and then doubled back. After a few minutes he climbed back
in the hole and reported on what he saw.
“
What’s the verdict
bro?” I asked. “It's hard to believe that it could be
that dark in this building during the daytime!” said Carlos.
“
Do you think we can make
it?” asked Blair. “Yeah we can make it!” said
Carlos.
“
The hall is clear now in
both directions!” That was good news. I told Randy to give
everyone a tool so they could defend themselves. He wasn’t
happy about that but I convinced him that it was a good idea.
Communications was all the way on the other side of the building.
“
BLAM!
BLAM! BLAM!”
Their
loud moaning vibrated the door and echoed through the small room.
There was no way to know how many were behind it.
“
GRAAAW!”
There
was no safe place to hide in the hospital but we had to keep moving.
By now most of the patients and staff were either dead or had
mutated into flesh eating creatures.
“
Listen up! Everyone stay
close and try to keep up!” I told them. “Just take it
nice and slow!”
I turned around and smiled at them
reassuringly before passing through the wall. One by one they
followed me through the hole and into the shadowy recesses of the
corridor. The women and children were in the middle followed by the
men.
“
Go ahead Kevin.” he
said. “I'll be right behind you! Get everyone out of here!”
Carlos stayed back to helped
everyone out the room. Dr. Okonkwo and Dr. Green were the last ones.
Before they could leave the top hinge on the door popped off without
warning.
“
Help me!” yelled
Dr. Okonkwo. “They’re tearing it down!”
All three men rushed to the door
and tried to hold it closed. Those things outside continued to shove
their hands through the crack in the door. Carlos fired his gun
through the cracked open door killing a few of them.
“
BAM!
BAM!”
It
helped but their attack continued. Together the three men got the
door shut again. Dr. Okonkwo said he would stay back and hold the
door closed. He used his good leg to press his feet firmly against
the ground with his back to the door.
“
BLAM!
BLAM! BLAM!”
The
door shook violently as the pounding increased. The three men
occasionally looked at each other while struggling to keep it shut.
Dr. Green volunteered to help him brace the door so everyone else
could get away. They would follow once everyone was through the
hole.
“
I'll see you guys on the
other side.” said Carlos.
He
crawled through and caught up to the rest of the group. Back in
x-ray it seemed like Dr. Green had finally showed some compassion
but then he showed his true colors.
“
BLAM!
BLAM! BLAM!”
The
door rocked and swayed from the push of the crowd.
Dr.
Green stopped helping keep the door closed and backed away.
“
BLAM!
BLAM! BLAM!”
“
What are you doing?”
Dr. Okonkwo asked bleary eyed and confused. “We have to give
them more time!”
It
was a constant battle to keep the door closed but he stayed put. He
was disgusted with himself after seeing his patient murdered earlier
and the cowardice he displayed to save his own life.
“
I am sorry doctor! I believe
my shift is over!” Dr. Green said with a smirk.
“
Where are you going? We have
to keep those things out!” begged Dr. Okonkwo.
“
GRRRRRRR!”
“
It’s not personal! No
hard feelings this is just triage!” said Dr. Green, “You
are going to slow us down and I can’t let that happen!”
“
What are you talking about?”
Dr. Okonkwo asked. “Are you doing this because I saw you take
those syringes of fentanyl from the trauma room? If you have a
problem you can get help!”
The
doctor’s recreational use of drugs was getting worst. Many of
his colleagues knew what he did and some even helped him hide it.
“
BLAM!
BLAM! BLAM!”
“
The only help I need is
right here in my pocket!” yelled Dr. Green.
“
We can both make it if we
find something to brace the door or slow them down!” Dr.
Okonkwo said with a fleeting glimpse of hope.
“
I already found something!”
he said.
“
GROOOWWWL!”
Dr. Green pulled a scalpel from
his other lab coat pocket and smiled at Dr. Okonkwo with a devilish
grin. For Dr. Okonkwo the look was a tell-tale sign that he was in
deep trouble.
“
Whatever you are
planning you don’t have to it!” said Dr. Okonkwo. “I
know I can’t move that fast but together we can try.”
“
BLAM!
BLAM! BLAM!”
“
It’s too late to talk
about this!” Dr. Green said while watching the door shake. “It
will take a few minutes for them to finish off a man your size and
that’s all the time I need.”
Dr.
Green saw himself as a savior not the coward he truly was!
“
GRRRRRRR!”
The
two men had never liked each other but Dr. Okonkwo never fathomed it
would come to this! Now they stood face to face starring at each
other. Dr. Okonkwo lunged forward with a desperation punch. Dr.
Green stepped to his right causing the blow to glance off his jaw.
Dr. Okonkwo’s second shot landed on his temple. The blow
caused Dr. Green to stumble backwards toward the CAT scan machine.
Dr. Green brainwashed himself into believing what he was doing was
right. Both men stood their ground and were now locked in battle. He
stepped forward and stabbed his colleague in his side. Dr. Okonkwo
was taken by surprise. His body trembled violently as primal screams
were released from deep in his chest.
“
Aaaiiihhheee!” he
yelled.
The
blood pumped out fast and soaked his shirt. The two desperate men
continued to struggle. Dr. Okonkwo yelled out again as the surgical
tool pierced his torso again.
“
Uuuggghhh!”
Dr. Green shoved him back against
the door and stabbed him two more times in the same area. The last
one slipped past his rib cage and punctured his lungs. His legs gave
out from underneath him and he slumped to the ground with a thud!
“
BLAM!
BLAM! BLAM!”
“
The truth has been in front
of us the whole time!” explained Dr. Green.
Dr.
Okonkwo was left to fend for himself. Dr. Green stood over top of
his victim and leaned down. Dr. Okonkwo lay there writhing on the
ground. The battered man desperately tried to crawl toward the hole
in the wall. Soon he became weak from the massive blood loss.
“
Not so fast my African
friend!” said Dr. Green while grabbing the foot of the wounded
man. Then his razor sharp scalpel severed Dr. Okonkwo's Achilles
tendon in one swipe of his hand.
“
Yowl!” he screamed.
In
one crazy senseless act he destroyed the last piece of humanity he
had left. Dr. Green thought he was saving his own life so he was
happy instead of being remorseful. Dr. Okonkwo's screams echoed
through the hole. Okonkwo was on the ground broken and sobbing. His
breathing was erratic and a look of disbelief covered his face.
“
I will see you in hell you
sick bastard!” he whispered as his lungs began to fill with
blood.
“
Not if I see you first!”
Dr. Green laughed.
His
victim coughed uncontrollably spitting up blood. His attack was
interrupted by the sound of bending metal and hungry grunts.
“
CRANK!
CRANK! BLAM!”
“
GRRRRRRR!”
The
last two hinges were separated from the frame. The door slammed to
the ground right before Dr. Green sprinted across the room and
crawled out the hole. He hoped the monsters did not see him but he
would know soon enough. Dr. Green pushed a full housekeeping cart in
front of the hole when he got to the other side just in case. From
outside he could hear them coming but the creatures were
preoccupied. They never even noticed him go out the hole. He took
off running before stopping abruptly. Dr. Green looked around to get
his bearings and then rushed down the corridor. The paramedic
trainee was the first beast to emerge from the corridor and stumble
through the opening.
“
GROOOWWWL!”
He
took several steps before pouncing onto the crawling doctor
Okonkwo's back. The weight of its body pins him to the ground.
“
GNAAAW!”
Dr.
Okonkwo managed to shout out in agony as the dead medics teeth sank
into his neck.
“
Nooooo!” he screamed.
He
could feel its teeth slicing through his flesh as they scuffled. The
rest of the forsaken descended onto the old man’s body like
carnivorous vultures. He was too weak to walk or stand. They swarmed
around him and began tearing his clothing and skin. They violently
stripped the meat and flesh from his unconscious body.
“
MUNCH!
MUNCH! MUNCH!”
During
the meal small chunks of undigested flesh were dumped onto the
floor. They fought over his dismembered limbs and internal organs in
a frenzy spattering the room in blood. Dr. Okonkwo was lying in a
pool of his own blood. The other forsaken were approaching him as
fast as they could shamble and getting closer by the second. The
doctor's muscles tightened as he prepared to defend himself. He was
exhausted from trying to hold off his attackers with his last bit of
strength. He kept his wits about him and swerved from side to side
on his back to avoid getting bit. By kicking he was able to put some
distance between them but they were gaining ground. It worked at
first but then one creature was able to bite mouthfuls of bloody
chunks from his shoulder. Dr. Okonkwo immediately grimaced in pain
and held his arm.
“
GRRRRRRR!”
He tossed Okonkwo around like a
rag doll. The doctor scooted himself back into a corner but they
continued to close in. Soon he was covered by three more beasts as
they joined the fracas.
“
GRRRRRRR!”
Okonkwo tried to curl up in a ball
to protect himself. Blood splashed onto his lab coat and spilled
all over his pants. Streams of the precious body fluid spouted from
his wounds. Okonkwo tried to retreat but couldn't get to his feet.
Then he felt his leg being pulled toward one of their mouths but he
was too weak to resist. As a last resort he rolled onto his back.
“
Help me please!” he
pleaded. “Help! It's got me!”
“
CHOMP!”
The
rising dead mauled him for several minutes as he lay there helpless.
“
Uuggh!”
Every
forsakens' face was covered in the doctor’s warm blood. His
last futile words were spent cursing and swearing at his tormenters.
The rotting ghouls ripped clumps of flesh from his already bleeding
body. His muscles, bones and internal organs became visible through
open wounds and bites. They tore into his body cavity disemboweling
him and then severed his head from his body. Soon he was shredded
into a bloody soup of meat, bones, and skin.
We were all counting our blessings after such a narrow escape and
found hope again on the other side of the wall. Luckily there were
no signs of any trouble or evidence of an outbreak. The familiar
settings made it easy for everyone to keep up with the person in
front of them. It was noticeably quiet too quiet. We were used to
hearing the noisy beep of monitoring equipment, the loud ringing of
phones, or the click clack of hurried footsteps in the hall. When
Carlos caught up to us we were stopped at the end of the first
corridor.
Unsure
of the best way to go I had paused for a second to look around.
The
signs above our heads pointed in different directions for locations
of key hospital departments. It felt like we were finally having
some good luck. The next hall we took was the opposite of the first.
The true nature of our situation was revealed.
“
Sniff! Sniff! You smell
that?” asked Carlos.
By
now it was easy to recognize the unmistakable putrid odor of death.
“
Wow that is really strong!”
responded Joe.
The nauseating stench of
decomposing human flesh filled our nostrils and hung in the air. We
discovered that most of the other people in the hospital were
probably dead. Swarms of flies buzzed around our heads. Scattered
blood splatter and stains grew more concentrated as we moved closer.
That’s when we saw them all sprawled out in the open for
everyone to see. The bodies showed obvious signs of injury and were
piled on top of each other. Slimy white maggots crawled and squirmed
over the corpses. The insects burrowed into the open wounds to feed
on the dead the same way the forsaken fed on us. We would maneuver
around one body only to step on part of another. They were almost
invisible because of the darkness. If it wasn't for the smell we
might had missed them. Everyone's sense of unease was growing
stronger causing them to flinch. We still had to navigate through
picking our way past a host of corpses.
I preferred to keep moving so I
led them on and they hesitantly followed. The dead were left in a
pool of their own body fluids. The bodies had various injuries and
were stripped of their skin. We had to step over murdered women,
children and men. Many in the group following me shook their heads
in disgust at their horrible mutilations. It was the sort of thing
you wish you never had seen. The children were told to close their
eyes to protect them from the carnage. The adults didn't have the
same option. It was hard for us to see the chewed up bodies and
gnawed bones of our colleagues. Some of the other people were
immobilized by fear while others remained emotionless.
“
Are you sure this is the
way out?” asked Kahleem.
“
Just keep going!”
I told him.
“
That's easier said than
done!” responded Blair.
“
Damn!” said
Kahleem. This is pretty nasty!”
“
You
can say that again.” said Anne. “I can feel my stomach
churning!”
“
It’s
a shame!” said Maria. “A lot of good people died last
night!”
All of them tried to disassociate
what they saw from their memories but the rank odor of death caused
a natural gag reflex to kick in.
Suddenly it looked like a pile of
bodies started to move. Joe and the pastor went to investigate. A
tiny pale arm twitched confirming what they saw. They found a young
girl alive under a stack of the other corpses. Her mangled body
began to stir as the rest of us cleared the other bodies away.
That's when her big green eyes suddenly popped open.
“
Daddy is that you?”
she whispered.
“
It's OK we got you.”
said Joe.
“
Everything is going to
be alright.” added the pastor.
She was breathing heavily and
stuttering from trying to catch her breath. A foamy froth of blood
formed in the corners of her mouth.
“
My head hurts,”
mumbled the girl.
She didn't realize her head was
split open. We could see her brain through the bite size hole. If we
couldn't stop the blood loss she would die. The rest of her frail
body was covered in teeth marks and bites. It was hard to believe
she was still conscious.
“
Check her pulse!”
cried one of the women.
The little girl only lived a few
more minutes before dying from her fatal wounds.
“
It's too late!” I
responded. “She's dead!”
“
Don't worry little one!”
said the pastor. “Now you don't have to suffer anymore!”
He closed her eyes and Joe used an
IV pole to smash her skull and send her home to Jesus.
It
was the rational and the humane thing to do.
Everyone had horror stories of how
they had seen strangers, neighbors and even family members killed
but having to kill a child felt different.
“
We
need to find supplies and get the hell out of here!” said Joe.
We
crept down the rest of the hall with our guns drawn and weapons
ready. Everyone had to pay attention and watch each others back as
we proceed. We had to crotch down and remain motionless several
times. The late afternoon sun made it hotter than before. The
corridor was lined with wooden doors and ended in a T-shaped
intersection. A longer and wider hall led off in each direction.
This area was used by the clinics and outpatient services.
“
Which
way do we go now?” asked Blair.
“
No
matter what direction we take it won't be easy.” said Carlos.
Most of them looked nervous. I
started to question how long I could hold all of us together. I
hoped that reuniting with their families would be enough incentive
to keep them going. Every shadow they saw made them jump and every
noise made them want to run. You discover a person’s true
nature in a time of crisis. I made the rest of the group squat down
close to the wall about ten feet from the corner. It would give them
some security.
“
If
I’m not back in ten minutes don’t wait for me.” I
told Carlos. “Take the other corridor and get these people out
of here!”
My eyes were locked on the void
just ahead of us. Then I peered down the first hall to the right. It
was darker than the other one on the left side. The only light came
from a flickering exit sign at the far end. Only a few feet after
that were visible. Carlos didn't say a word but glanced at me to
show he understood. I hugged the wall cautiously then crossed the
open space. After a few feet I could hear what sounded like
footsteps. I didn't even dare move but my eyes shifted in that
direction. Two lifeless forsaken creatures stammered around in the
darkness about twenty feet in front of me. Together they trudged
through the dreary halls searching for signs of life. The soft
tissues of their face lips and cheeks had been eaten away. Fresh
damp blood dripped from the mangled mouth of the tall one. The
shorter ones nose was cut open causing blood to stream down. The
rest of their skin was withered and discolored. Dark rings
surrounded their sunken in eyes.
Their
movements were clumsy and awkward. The creatures hungrily searched
for a meal to satisfy their blood lust. They moved around the debris
and turned over equipment looking for a victim. If they heard me or
spotted the groups movement we would be in trouble. The darkness
helped us hide from them but it also made it more dangerous. As soon
as it looked like they were about to leave something caused them to
turn around and approach me. After a few seconds they were
concentrating on one of the office doors. Something or someone had
caught their attention.
A
small amount of fresh blood had pooled at the base of the door.
Both
of the beasts immediately became more excited and agitated. An
insatiable hunger for flesh fueled their rage.
“
GRRRRRRR!”
One after another the two ghouls
hurled their bodies into the wooden door multiple times until it
began to give.
“
BLAM!
BLAM! CRASH!”
They stiffly lumbered through the
doorway and then furniture crashed to the floor. After the loud
banging I heard a terrified human voice inside let out an agonizing
scream.
“
Aaaiiihhheee!”
The woman was pleading for her life
but the screaming only got worst.
“
CHOMP!”
Using
calculated small steps I backed up into the shadows and out of
sight. It was too dangerous to attempt go that way but we had
another option. I headed back to the intersection. The floor near
the mouth of the corridor to the left was sticky with blood and
other body fluids.
It
was like walking across fly paper.
That
was not a good sign.
I
could
hear a low banging sound followed by screeching coming from the end
of the corridor. The noise sounded like metal bending.
“
What
the fuck was is that?” I mouthed as I looked back towards the
intersection.
Carlos shrugged his shoulders and
gripped his pistol tighter. The entire span of the doorway on my
right was blocked. Someone had flipped over a bed and left it lying
on its side trying to seal it off. There was an exam room to the
right and the left of the door. Smeared hand prints and blood specs
could be seen around the door frame. I pressed my back against the
wall adjacent to the door and cautiously peered inside. Thankfully I
didn't see anything so I slowly moved forward keeping myself out of
the light. Further down I came across a knocked over pharmacy drug
cart. Hundreds of different pills flooded the marble floor. Pills
crunched under my boots with every step I took but the final small
stretch of hallway was also clear. Up ahead the sun shined through
an open doorway. The screeching and banging sound grew louder as I
got closer. When I reached the end of the hall I took a deep breath
and leaned my head into the room.
The sun shined brightly through
the window and temporarily blinded me. After hours in the dark my
pupils were wide open and had dilated. With my free hand I shielded
my eyes and looked around. Even a blind man could see that the room
was in shambles but appeared to be empty. The desk chair and other
small pieces of furniture were broken. Several charts were scattered
across the floor and a doctor’s lab coat was underneath the
chair. The computer was tossed on the floor and blood was on the
monitor. Blood was also splashed on the medical books on the shelf
and the journals on the floor.
The victim lost a lot of blood but
the body was nowhere to be found. After a few seconds I discovered
the source of the screeching and banging. It was coming from a small
two foot wide by one foot high window. The window was located close
to the ceiling right above the desk. A small breeze from outside was
causing the rusty old window to blow inward before slamming shut.
Several bloody hand prints covered the window and the wall around
it. Whoever was attacked in this room tried to get out the small
window but failed. There was nothing we could do for them now so I
headed back to Maria and the others.
******
Back at the intersection Carlos
was keeping watch on everything.
“
Carlos
what's going on?” asked Maria.
“
Why
are we still stopped?” asked Blair. “I don't want to be
here out in the open!”
“
We
should just hide in one of these rooms.” Joan yelled while
looking around.
“
Don't
be stupid!” Kahleem told her. “I don't want to be
trapped in some room again!”
“
I'm
scared!” said Alex as he gripped Maria’s hand.
“
When
are we going home?” asked Latia.
“
I
just don't want anyone to lose my tools!” Randy cried.
“
What
are you talking about?” asked Joe. “You sound like an
idiot!”
“
Screw
you and your tools!” Anne declared while tossing a large screw
driver at Randy.
“
It
just took me a long time to get all the ones I need.” Randy
replied as he picked up his things.
“
Trust
me!” said George. “Give me a gun and you can have your
stupid hammer back!”
“
This
entire conversation is getting us nowhere!” said the Pastor.
“We have to stick together to protect each other!”
“
The
pastor is right we need each other more than ever!” declared
Maria.
Carlos
had heard enough so he turned around and made his way back to the
other survivors.