10. Flux: Darkness and desperation

The mercenaries grip faltered as Striders shot came too late. Writhing free the light beginning to drown out in the darkness I managed to dig my hands into the dirt walls with my shotgun clanking down the walls. Dirt showered around as my descent slowed while pain shot down my arms. Losing grip once more as the flesh began to tear around my fingers going into a freefall to land on a soft pile. Rolling over the mound revealed a pile of bodies mutilated by the fall and the fallen below. Dazed but managing to get to my feet the mercenaries shattered corpse was displayed in front of me, his body crushed from the fall and spine disfigured next to his damaged rifle.

“Glorious…” Rummaging through his vest I found 3 spare magazines for the M4A1 carbine replacing my lost shotgun as well as some combat drugs and a defensive grenade as a threatening growl echoed through. A fallen crawled past investigating the commotion almost spotting me as I crouched down behind the pile of corpses. It could be heard coming closer and closer as I desperately tried to clear the breach of the damaged rifle to defend myself. Spotting the once human face peak around the corner a look was shared between us. I slowly reached for my knife as it’s growls grew in intensity until it was silenced from a gunshot above. Looking up I saw Strider looking down into the hole with his smoking rifle braced.

“God damn how’d you survive that? Nevermind, you still have to find a way out of there but your in your element. CQB and all that right? Make sure you stay alive we’ll try find an entry. Good luck.”

With that he left as the bloackage ejected from the chamber of the rifle. The damage it had taken rendered it viable to failure which could prove lethal in here but in lieu of any other available weapon it would have to do. Attaching a flashlight as best as I could I proceeded into the pitch black darkness that my flashlight cut through. Proceeding slowly as not to disturb the dirt beneath my feet potentially giving my position away I listened for any indication of hostile movement. The air was thick, moist and carried the tension that would instil the madness of despair into those without the mental fortitude for such a task.

Rustling and occassional beastial screams could be heard throughout the cave’s many tunnels weaving throughout the area which I already lost my bearings on position or direction due to madness they weaved with. Pressing on regardless as the flashlight darted across to every noise the tunnel emitted while slowly stepping forward with the rifle readied taking calm breaths barely audible that did not interrupt my aim.

Stepping through a hole in the dirt wall revealed a large cavern with a natural rock formation bridging over a chasm leading to a makeshift dirt stairway to a corridor with what seemed to be mud huts clustered at the bottom. Had the fallen constructed this? All descriptions of them suggested they were mutants blinded by insatiable rage. Not creatures capable or thought or forming what looked to be a primitive society.

Hearing specks of dirt sprinkle from the ceiling brought me around pointing the rifle to the roof illuminating it. Seven fallen were slowly crawling to a position above me. The light irritating them enough to break into a charge. The hunt was on. All of us bearing our teeth. Squeezing the trigger the rifle began screaming its cry of death. The fallen replying with a collection of rasped screams themselves. The muzzle flash illuminating the cavern walls. Sprinting over the bridge one of the fallen landed from above in front. A sidestep and rifle butt to it’s head. A burst of fire I continued to run. A kill. A surge of strength. More fallen arrived behind to continue the hunt.

Another in front. Squeezing the trigger only to hear a click. Desperately ripping out the magazine ducking the scythed arm of the screaming fallen while slamming the empty magazine into it’s head. It tumbled into the darkness below as another two charging from behind closed the gap. Backpedalling as quickly as possible grasping the new magazine slamming it in chambering a round the rifle screamed once more. The barrel smoking one died mid dive the other slumped over the ground.

Charging up the stairs another fallen tackled me. One swift movement while tumbling saw the fallen thrown off the ledge like a rag doll. A combat high unleashed inhuman reserves of strength as more fell under my fire. Loading the second last magazine another two came up the stairwell to be slaughtered halfway up. The blood running down the altar of battle. Charging forward at lightning speed shoulding through one of the fallen turning only to confirm the kill saw another fallen take hold from behind.

Viciously throwing him over my back it grasped me from the front. Holding down the trigger the rifle barrel now glowing red. Gore splattered all over the wall behind it as it crumpled. Another fallen dived in swiftly for a quick kill only to have the rifle barrel shatter in it’s face while firing. Glowing red fragments burned through its flesh as it writhed about. Down to the knife I pressed on. Charging forward. The deaths of many fueling my sprint through the psychotic withering tunnels which sang of the sacrifices offered to them.

More fallen came and more fell. Now standing my ground with the blade. Oblivious to the world outside of this glorious arena of combat. The walls sang louder. I had to kill. I had to kill as many as I could. For the harvest. I needed their energy. It had to be collected, molded and reformed. Each death drove perfection into every strike. Tearing flesh asunder and crushing through bone. Drenched in mutant a massive scream could be heard from further behind. Breaking free of their grasp sprinting faster than I ever had before. My high at it’s peak. Adrenaline replacing plasma. Seeing the light at the end of the tunnel I pulled the pin and dropped the grenade as I charged upwards dragging myself to the surface.

Back into the outside world free of the labyrinth rolling down the dirt hill the grenade exploded as one of the fallen was crawling out throwing it into a tear ripping it to shreds. In a final display of violence the tear threw the remains of the fallen over the surrounding area dousing it in blood. Lying on the ground for a moment as the high rapidly ceased crippling exhaustion took over only realizing the stress I was placing on my body now. Taking deep rapid breaths trying to move was met with horrible pain as my body demanded rest if only for a moment.

With my breathing stabilizing I struggled to my feet only to fall back onto all fours a few steps ahead, the blood dripping from my overcoat staining even the already desecrated soil. Rolling back over trying to focus my mind on what had just transpired reminded me of that feeling just before that great scream where I’d lost consciousness and woken up in that cabin surrounded by husks. Everything seemed to fall out of the world and only a single purpose remained in it’s place. This time instead of reaching the center it was simply to kill.

The tunnels were pitch black as well. Dropping my rifle and losing my flashlight returned them to complete darkness though I fought on unhindered. Somehow I knew exactly where my enemies were and struck all of them down. I should have died in those tunnels in blind darkness overwhelmed and eaten alive. Though here I was. Breathing. Covered in the blood of my aggressors.

Standing up once more with rasped breaths as I struggled to put one foot in front of the other without collapsing again as I looked up with blurred vision. My body continued to give out now the driving force was fleeting further and further away from me. The overwhelming urge to kill being replaced with devastating fatigue as everything had been burnt for energy to survive the fight. Regardless of an iron will my body finally gave out one last time collapsing into the dirt face first in an unnatural position. The darkness crept in as I spotted a humanoid figure climbing out of one of the holes and running towards me.