Chapter Seven

Police Station

Melody's P.O.V

I knew what I had to do, so why couldn't I do it? A group of them on one side and only one on the other. The choice was simple. So why couldn't I move? In my head everything was perfect, I would run and shoulder charge the freak, knocking him to the ground and running out into the open space. So why wouldn't my legs fucking move!

I could hear them approaching from the other side, boxing us in. We all stood there frozen, like prey caught in trap. And soon our hunters would be upon us. Just a few minutes. And yet still these thoughts didn't help to propel me forward, saving us all from being eaten alive.

My eyes were locked on him. Shambling forward in his torn and blood stained suit. His jaw hanging wide open revealing a row of dark rotten teeth specked with blood. His milky eyes were centered on me, and me alone. He was terrifying. Everything about him screamed horror. So why wasn't I scared? Why couldn't I move? What the fuck is happening to the world!

The others were slowly backing away from the group advancing towards them. Not me though, my legs were rooted to the spot. My stupid fucking legs that just wouldn't fucking listen. Robyn's back slightly nudged me, flinging me out of my paralyzed state. Fear slapped me plain and hard across the face but that didn't stop me from running.

As if some unseen force took control, I sprinted forward, quickly closing the small space that remained between me and the man. In what seemed to be no time at all my shoulder connected with his torso with a loud audible crack. I yelped at the sudden pain the filled my shoulder while involuntarily falling to the ground with the crazed man. His jaws snapped for my neck but I forced him down just in time.

With my fingers locked around his neck, restraining him I pushed myself up from the ground with my other hand. I gasped in pain as I once again collapsed atop the snarling man. Shots of pain stabbed my shoulder as I tried to lie still above his thrashing body. Before I had time to protest a pair of arms wrapped around my waist and tugged me up.

I clenched my fist ready to strike but stopped abruptly when I realized it was only Alan. His other arm swooped under my legs, lifting me off the ground and into his arms. He stepped over the deranged man and brought us out of the dark alleyway. I looked around frantically and sighed in relief when i saw only Zoey and Robyn.

"Hey, you okay?" Alan whispered between short puffs of breath.

"Yeah you can put me down." I responded in a cold harsh tone. A flash of pain crossed his face and I instantly regretted it. I didn't mean to seem so ungrateful but I hated playing the damsel in distress all the time. Slowly and gently he let me go and looked away. I couldn't help but feel slightly bad, but that feeling was quickly brushed away as the moans of hunger from the alleyway flitted into my ears.

"Where do we go?" I asked threw gritted teeth. Trying not to let the pain show. Alan glanced at me worriedly but quickly looked away when I caught his gaze. I looked at Robyn and Zoey, who both looked just as clueless as me.

"The airport was that way right?" Alan asked, pointing down the street. I stepped forward and faintly saw the top of the large airport. I nodded at him peering behind him at the four grumbling men limping towards us.

"I think there was a police station just up the road and to the left." He squinted his eyes, clearly trying to remember correctly.

"Good enough, let's go!" Robyn squealed grabbing Zoey and my hands and tugging us down the road. I glanced backwards and saw the four men stumbling after us, at their pace they would never reach us. I looked along the road and spotted several more of them. As we progressed further and further up the road, the number of them increased. Each and every one of them caught site of us and joined the pack of people shambling after us.

We jogged along the side of the road, our breathing heavy when a thought hit me. If we lead them all to the station we'll be fucked before we're safe. They'll surround us and we'll be trapped all over again. I looked over my shoulder and gasped in horror. The small group I had last seen had now doubled in size. I spotted a small road up further ahead that turned right into a small street of tall buildings.

"Get to the station! I'll meet you there!" I gasped between deep breathes. I slowed to a walk and stopped at the small road, I spun around and threw my hands in the air, waving them frantically. "Hey assholes! I'm over here!" Several heads turned towards me, and soon a small group began advancing towards me.

I raised my hands in the air to flag more of them down but stopped when a hand grasped around my wrist. The culprit spun me around revealing none other than Alan himself. "What the hell do you think your doing!" He growled, tightening his grip on my wrist. I winced as he pulled me towards him, pain shooting up my arm and congregating in my shoulder. Noticing the pain etched on my face he released my hand and stepped back.

"If we lead them to the station we'll be worse off than we were before!" I hissed, spinning around and looking for any sign of Zoey or Robyn. I could vaguely see them further up the road, nearing the top of the hill. I looked back at the group of monsters and was relieved to see all of them shambling after me. Relieved? Who am I kidding. I was fucking terrified!

"Come on! We can lose them if we're quick!" Alan grabbed my hand once again and I couldn't help but internally groan. I didn't fight his hold, now was definitely not the time for it. Breathlessly I followed him down the street, glancing over my shoulder every few moments. After what seemed an eternity of running Alan turned sharply into a long and narrow alleyway.

"This should lead us up near the station, if we're quiet they might not notice us." We walked forward up the alleyway, not bothering to run. We were far enough away now that we earned a few moments rest. Slowly and silently we crept up the alleyway, groaning as it sloped upwards. Our breaths came out in short rasp bursts as we slowed down to a stop. We looked at each other and silently agreed we could have a short rest.

I pressed my back against the wall and slid down, stretching my legs out I front of me. My sore feet welcomed the rest with anticipation. Alan crouched down in front of me, his back resting against the wall. I opened my mouth to speak but quickly shut it when the first monstrosity arrived. I held my breath and prepared myself to run but instead sighed in bliss as they shambled past the small alleyway, not even bothering to glance up.

We both remained deadly still, neither of us daring to make the slightest noise. As the last of them walked past I gulped in the fresh air, sweet nectar to my lungs. I stood up from against the wall and giggled lightly. I don't know what was funny but I couldn't resist the urge to laugh. Soon Alan had joined me and we were both clutching our sides in roaring laughter. As it died down I wiped a tear away from ,y eyes and looked up at him.

"That was a close one huh?" I whispered, not entirely sure if we were indeed safe yet.

He opened is mouth to reply but stopped when a low growl echoed up the alleyway. Both our heads snapped down, and we saw one of them, limping towards us. He growled louder, and soon several more appeared behind him. All trying to squeeze into the tight alleyway.

"Oh shit," I murmured, watching them slowly increase in size. Before I knew it Alan's hand was around mine again and we were sprinting. My legs ached to sit down again but I knew that wasn't a possibility, not while they were still hot on our heels. We finally reached the top and rounded the corner, running and running. Perspiration slid down my face, stinging my eyes as my hair flailed wildly. The adrenaline the pulsed through me moments before was now gone, replaced instead by weakness and despair.

I looked up at the sun and silently cursed it. The scorching heat was fucking melting me alive! I looked back and saw them reach the top and slowly start staggering after us. It was only a straight run to the station, so we'd have to take a detour. I spotted a small house with an open door, and vigorously tugged Alan in towards the small two-story building.

Once we were both safely inside I slammed the door shut, not bothering to lock it. I raced down the hall, into the kitchen, searching frantically for a back door. I jogged into the living room and groaned miserably as I came up empty handed. How fucking stupid can I be? Now I've lead us both to our death!

"Hey upstairs! Now!" Alan hissed, grabbing my arm and pulling me towards the stairs. We run up them two steps at a time and walked into the nearest bedroom. The front door flung open and they all began pouring in, like a swarm of insects. I gagged at the smell of them. This has to be some kind of sick joke. It must be! Alan pushed me behind him and blocked the door of the room with a small dresser. I dropped my head in my hands swore.

"Shit, shit, fuckity, shit!" I screamed slamming my fist against the door in anger. "We're trapped!" I groaned kicking and punching the weak wood. Alan walked over to me and and took my hands in his, pulling me away from the door. He gently pushed onto the bed and brushed loose strands away from my face. I flinched away from his touch and slapped his hand away. He chuckled lightly, the light noise drowned out by the surrounding groans and fists splintering the wood of the door.

I scowled up at him. What the hell was he playing at! Could he not see that we were so clearly fucked? I lay back on the bed and looked up at him. The softness of the bed massaged my entire body, and was a welcome change to the rough, hard ground. The throbbing pain in my shoulder dulled a little as I let my muscles relax. Alan walked round the side of the bed, towards the window. I followed him with my eyes and internally groaned. He wanted us to jump out the window. I was too relaxed. I couldn't, or wouldn't move from the amazing softness of the mattress. If I died here and now I wouldn't mind. Dieing in a soft warm place is better than dieing while running for your life.

"Mel get up, it's not that far to the ground." He stated, pushing the window open and sticking his head out. "I can see the station from here, five minutes tops and we'll get there." He looked over at me, sprawled out on the bed. After glancing at the door he walked towards me, looking slightly angry. "Do you wanna die?" He hissed, looking at me anger and distress. I shrugged my good shoulder at him and looked away, towards the door. A large crack was beginning to split open. It would only take a matter of minutes now.

"Melody, I'm not leaving without you." His voice held a strange ferocity and I knew he meant it. Groaning slightly from exhaustion but mainly from the pain I pushed myself up. "Now come on, I'll help you down." He stated, grabbing my hand and steering me towards the window. I looked down and figured I could land safely if I was careful enough. I sat on the window sill and swung my legs over. Slowly lowering myself down to lessen the impact. I've done gymnastics before, this should be a singe compared to that. Right? Oh fuck it there's no time to think!

Without another thought I launched myself from the window sill and landed shakily on my legs. I looked up and saw Alan preparing to jump. I stepped back and peered around the small backyard. We seemed relatively safe for now, at least from what I could see. He jumped and landed awkwardly, falling forward and cursing loudly. I ran forward and rolled him over, looking him over for any severe injuries. No protruding bones or feet sticking in the wrong direction.

"Your fine, get the fuck up!" He shot me an icy glare and shakily tried to stand up. He stepped forward and instantly fell down swearing consistently.

"I think my ankle's twisted." He stated through gritted teeth. I swore under my breath and helped him stand, looping my arm under his arms and around his back. He weighed a hell of a lot more than I would have expected. He leaned most of his weight on me and didn't seem to notice my struggling to keep him upright. He lessened the weight and hopped forward. I didn't dare look back up at the window. If they had infiltrated the small room, I didn't want to know.

"We'll have to go over the fence." I explained grimly as I observed the small garden and found no door. "I'll help you over." I stated, meaning him against the fence and pushing him over. He disappeared over the fence with a heavy thud and a small groan. I looked around the garden one last time, to ensure we wouldn't be followed. After becoming certain I lifted myself up and hopped over the small picket fence.

The ache in my shoulder returned with ferocity, I bit my tongue in an effort to stop a scream from escaping. I lopped my arm around Alan once again and pushed us threw the small thorny bushes that ravaged my blue jeans. I looked ahead and could easily distinguish the police station from the other buildings. The dark look and white walls gave it away. The large sign reading "Police Station" may have helped.

We kept to the side of the road as we slowly limped towards the large building. Hopefully Zoey and Robyn made it their safely. Hopefully someone was inside that could give us answers. And hopefully, it's safe.

Together, limping up the small steps we reached the door and cautiously pushed it open. There was no sign of Zoey or Robyn from outside, so we assumed they must have gone inside where they were hidden. We walked slowly, our shoes clacking against the linoleum floor and echoing throughout the large room. That place was trashed, and deserted. Desk lay on their sides with papers sprawled out on the floor. Luckily I couldn't spot any blood. We proceeded to walk forward and stopped dead when we heard light footsteps.

"Robyn? Zoey?" I croaked, shivering from fear. The lights were all out but the rays of sun that broke threw the windows was enough to illuminate the entire room. The footsteps grew louder and I couldn't help but silently scream. I walked Alan over to a desk chair and sat him down in it. I picked up a thick folder that was left carelessly on the ground and held it defensively. The footsteps were coming from down the hallway. I etched closer and stopped at the corner.

I stepped out into the open and swung the folder up into the air ready to strike. Robyn shrieked and stumbled backwards. I dropped the folder to the ground and wrapped my arms around the familiar woman. I don't know why but the sight of her made me feel so much safer.

"Damn girl! You could've knocked my head in with that thing!" She scolded, awkwardly returning my hug. I pulled away from her and looked her up and down. Her red dress was still as perfect as ever so she couldn't have run into any trouble.

"Did you find anything? People? A radio?" I asked breathlessly, hoping all my questions would be returned with a yes. The grim look on her face sent my hopes spiralling. The news couldn't be any good. She opened her mouth to talk but shut it quickly, looking closely at my shoulder with disgust.

"The fuck happened? You've dislocated your shoulder!" She exclaimed, lightly probing the area that hurt most.

"It's not dislocated! It's just a bruise." I explained, looking at my shoulder now for the first time. The skin around the injured area was now turning purple in colour and looked rather different from my other shoulder. Without hesitation Robyn grabbed my arm and yanked it forward, forcing a loud "pop" noise to resonate down the hall. I screamed in pain and bit down on my finger after she released it.

"Fucking bitch!" I yelled, gripping my shoulder and trying to coo the pain away.

"More like thank you 'fucking bitch'. If you left it like that much longer you would have been fucked." She explained rather cockily. She smiled at me triumphantly, clearly not taking any notice of my clear death glare.

"Where's Zoey?" I growled, swinging my arm back and forth, trying to get used to the weird feeling mixed with slight pain.

"She's down the hall in one of the offices. We've been going through the paperwork in the desks to see if we can find anything relating to all this shot, but so far nothing's come up." She explained, clearly annoyed that her efforts came up empty-handed.

"Alan's out front, he's got a sprained ankle. Go pull his foot." I mumbled sarcastically as I brushed past her and walked down the hall. She must have heard however as she didn't follow me but instead wen t out to the front office.

I walked down the hallway, peering into every room I walked past. So far all of them were trashed, the desks had been rummaged through and if the room had a window, it was smashed. I wasn't really surprised though. As much as I had hoped for warmth and safety, I didn't really expect it. This is exactly what I expected. trashed rooms and no-one that could help us or give answers. After four rooms I found the one Zoey was in. She was hunched over the desk, reading a small piece of paper.

She turned around as I walked in and smiled a broad toothy grin. "You made it! I was beginning to worry!" She walked over to me and gave me a quick hug, not daring to let go of the papers she clutched in her hands. "Where's Robyn and Alan?" She asked, looking over my shoulder for any sign of them.

"They're at the front office." I explained, trying to read the papers she held in her hands. Noticing my eyes on the sheets of paper she held them up in front of me, clearly satisfied with her discovery.

"it's a police report, the only thing I've found that's related to what's been happening." I snatched the papers off of her and quickly skimmed the report.

Case Number: PQ 03/07/01/5829

Incident: Aggravated Assault

Date Of Report: 18 April 2013

Reporting Officer: Officer Carl Hornsby

At around 1230 on the 18th of April 2013, I received a phone call from a distressed woman working at the nearby School, JJ Cahill Memorial High School. I

dispatched my cruiser and arrived at the school at 1237. The entire school was in utter chaos when I arrived on the scene. The teacher whom I presumed had called me, explained that a student had gotten out of control and was now attacking all other students.

She last saw him biting and scratching one of his fellow classmates. She lead me to her classroom and it was obvious the attacker was deranged. He was crouched over a young woman, doing what appeared to be eating the flesh from her face. I dispatched my standard Glock 22 and aimed it at the attacker.

After several attempts at speaking with the attacker, I approached him slowly and attempted to throw him off the girl, at which point he turned his attention to me. By this point in time I had no choice but to shoot the offender three times in the stomach. The man halted in his steps but continued towards me. I warned him several more times but my attempts at talking with him seemed fruitless. He lunged at me with the the girls blood smeared on his face.