Page 80 of Afflicted

I lift up a little, craning my neck to see further out the window.

The whole cabin shakes as an explosion lights up the storage buildings nearby. I throw myself flat on the floor, covering my head as debris pings loudly against the windows and roof. I crawl across the cabin on my stomach, dragging myself to the bathroom door. I’ve almost reached it when I hear it.

That awful screeching cry of the Afflicted.

They’re right outside the cabin.

I haul myself into the bathroom, pushing the door closed and turning the latch. I back into the corner, quivering, my arms wrapped around my legs. They’re pounding on the cabin walls, groaning and screeching. I can see the shadows passing the frosted bathroom window, their nails trailing along the shiplap.

They’re here. They’re all the way in here already.

Please don’t let me die here. Please don’t let me die here all alone. I don’t want to die alone. I’m crying, hot salty tears running down my cheeks and into my mouth. I’m gasping for breath, trying to stay quiet. And then it occurs to me that Gina might already be dead. That Silas might already be dead. My stomach is clenched in terror.

Please let them be OK. Please let them be OK.

The scratching and banging get louder, there’s more of them. I cover my ears with my hands, biting my lip to stop myself sobbing. They’re going to break down the door. They’ll smell me in the bathroom, then they’ll break that door down too. They’ll eat me in the damn bathroom.

My skin is coursing with ice and electricity.

There’s another explosion and I yelp, wishing I could somehow curl up into an even smaller ball. A high pitched squeal fills the air, making my eardrums ache, sending pain right down into my jaw. It makes me feel sick, my throat feels tight and I struggle to breathe.

As quickly as it starts, it’s over, and the Afflicted outside are quiet. My head aches. I blink away the pain, stretching my mouth open to try and make that ache dissipate. What the hell was that? Why is it so quiet?

There’s voices outside, deep and muffled. Heavy footsteps sound on the porch. There’s banging against the door.

“Anyone in there?” A voice calls.

Is it a feeder? I crawl slowly across the floor.

“Hello?” More banging against the door, shadows moving past the bathroom window.

I open the bathroom door slowly, peering around to see if I can catch a glimpse of who it is through the windows.

I see two figures, wearing helmets and body armor. They’re both holding assault rifles.

Across their chests there are two words emblazoned in white script.

National Guard.

I get to my feet, stepping out from behind the door and one of them spots me.

“Someone’s in there,” he says, gesturing to me. “Hey! Open the door!”

They’re human. They might not know I am. I don’t want them to shoot me.

“I’m human!” I raise my hands. “I’m human!”

He gestures urgently at the door. “Open up, we’re here to he-”

I scream and drop to my feet as a bullet tears through the man’s head, piercing straight through his helmet and splattering the window with blood as it shatters. I drag myself under the bed as gunfire erupts, and something heavy slams into the door.

The guns stop quickly, and all I can hear is groaning. Blood seeps under the door, crawling across the floor slowly. There are two more brief shots, and everything goes quiet outside. I’m shaking so hard my head bounces against the floor.

Someone kicks in the door, and boots slam against the floor.

“Who’s in here?” They drop down to look under the bed, and it’s a feeder, peering at me. “You OK?” He asks gruffly.

I can’t talk, my tongue is swollen in my mouth and my jaw is chattering. I try to nod, scraping my nails into the floor to pull myself out. As soon as I clear the bed, hands are on me, pulling me to my feet, hauling me out over the blood splatter and past the dead bodies on the porch.

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