What We Become | Book Two

44. Blood Loss Never Hurt Anybody

The whole building seemed to shake as we sprinted hand in hand through the maze of corridors and fallen ceilings. The blasts echoed off every wall and sounded closer with each turn we took. I squeezed Ben's hand tighter, not wanting to lose him as he picked up his pace.

We continued turning corner after corner and it became clear Ben wasn't paying attention to the signs we passed. Having realised we'd ended up circling back to one we had already seen, I began to slow.

"I don't know this part of the building!" he yelled in frustration as he came to a stop in the middle of the corridor.

His dark circles and sunken lids screamed exhaustion but his eyes were wide with adrenaline, forcing his body to stay awake with each surge.

I squeezed his hand tighter and pulled him towards the door I knew would lead us to the way out.

"Luckily for you, I do," I shouted back as we began running again.

My hand gripped tighter around his as I led us. I could feel my legs charging beneath me, powering with their new freedom and unrestricted movement. It was a feeling which was both refreshing and unsettling. It was a freedom that could be taken from me at any moment and I didn't want to lose it again.

The green exit sign glowed above the doorway ahead of us. From around the corner, a fresh surge of people pushed through, grabbing at each other to further themselves closer to open air. The noise of frantic shouting was resounding as Ben's grip began to loosen around my hand.

"Ben!" I shouted, as his hold on me dropped and he was pulled further into the crowd, disappearing from my view.

I used my elbows to push against the crowd, shoving them aside to swim through the sea of panicked bodies. My small size had become my advantage. I ducked down and pushed my way through, pushing harder where I met resistance. If they wanted to fight for their way out, so would I.

When I got closer to the front it became clear why there was little movement. The ones who stood by the door were reluctant to move. It was the Infected who roamed the compound and Dawn Hill's trucks charged around them, urging them on and leading them towards the building they shot at. From their tinted windows, they threw bright orange flames and explosives. Dirt flew in every direction and I ducked to shelter my body from the debris that fell.

The field which had once been a crisp green outside EDIN had been covered in corpses and stained blood red. It seemed a solid deterrent to anyone else who would come here after.

It would become the story of the lab that almost held out.

I gave a final push against the people who stood at the front, knowing we would all be dead soon if nobody moved. It seemed I was stronger than I thought I was and ended up pushing past them and landing against the concrete.

There was a cool smack to my face as my palms took most of the impact. I'd sent the others off balance, tumbling them to the ground from the weight of bodies behind them, still inside the building. The ones who were now free took their chances in running at full speed wherever they could to avoid the Infected who stretched their arms and grabbed at whatever passed them.

My head twisted and turned in every direction, widening my eyes as I searched for Ben through the chaos that encased EDIN. I ducked shots as they narrowly missed my body, fearing one of them may land on target. The overwhelming anxiety began to spread from watching the bodies who sprinted and hurled themselves past me, none of them having the familiar glint and curly hair that I was looking for.

Another truck sped past me, catching me by surprise. Whether its near-miss of my body was intentional or not, it wasn't the way I wanted to die. It skidded to a stop on the grass and the window lowered as I watched it double back. A gun appeared from the truck and I dove out the path of the barrel, only narrowly missing the exploding metal as I sprinted further from the building. Screams filled the open air and penetrated through the barriers people tried to hide behind.