Escape Part 2

Alex and Daniel were the first ones out, their job was to scout the right side. William found it safer for them as there was enough light to show a silhouette. But it also was the most dangerous since that's where they were attacked. However, William's perception helped reduce the risk greatly by showing them a different way to identify them. The ones trudging were the sight zombies while the ones reacting fast were the ear zombies. Alex was in front while Daniel was behind him, shaking slightly from fear. Using the rocks William gave them, Alex threw it from the side to the escalator, letting them strategically drop. It sounded like a tin being hit, consistently and lightly. Those close to them ran towards the sound. Alex reached up to the nearest bag, stepping aside so Daniel could inspect it. He unzipped as quietly as he could, fingers clenched to stop his shaking. Alex nudged him, finger to Daniel's lips as if to tell him to quiet down. He didn't realise he made some noise.

The front case opened, patting the top of the inside before opening it fully. It was hard to identify what they were seeing. Alex had no clue yet Daniel was rummaging through it, using his sense of touch to identify them. He picked up stuff quickly before they set out to the next bag.

As they passed, Daniel tripped, he was fast enough to mask his fall with his arm. He looked under him and there was a man, chunks of his arm missing. Alex went into defense, looking around to see if they noticed. Daniel's attention was caught by the wound in his chest. He unbuttoned his shirt to confirm that there was stitch. Alex nudged him to move but Daniel raised his hands, sneaking his hands in his pockets. Nothing there. He quickly looked for any bag nearby. A backpack lay there. He opened it and rummaged through the content while Alex was signalling to leave. He pulled a bottle and it dingled from the movement. The sound was enough to worry them. He put it in his pockets and followed Alex slowly. Their trip was nerve-wracking but ended up uneventful…

For now.

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On the other side, where it was more pitch black, a flashlight, near the men's toilet, shone the path from the edge because of Max's small hands extending out. William rose his leg and slowly but cautiously laid it on the glossy concrete. His shoes pressed down from the tip, footpad, then the heel. The cycle continued by rotating from one leg to another. He couldn't afford making more than the necessary sounds. That would end his life there and then. William didn't even realise his hands were spread out on each side like a ballerina, reacting with his steps. He swallowed his saliva, throat becoming dry in seconds. His whole body was on alert for anything. Far ahead, a strange outline had caught his attention. He spent a few minutes deciding whether it was a threat or not. When it ceased to move, he decided to approach it. He was hoping it was a bag but what he found was still helpful. A corpse lay there, a large chunk of its neck was missing, soon to be a zombie. William kneed down, his hands patted the body for anything useful. Inside was a lighter, pack of cigarettes and a phone. He didn't hesitate to put these on his own and move on.

Just then he felt something move from the corner, his ears caught the slight shuffling of clothes. William was never someone to doubt himself so he knew it was someone. It's, without a doubt, a human because those beings weren't intelligent enough to reduce unnatural sound. They didn't care if anyone knew they were approaching or not.

Instead of forcing the figure to come out, they did it by themselves. The light showed a man in a brown uniform of an assault unit, hair done in a buzzcut. It was a soldier. William tensed in foreshadowed anger. Why haven't they reinforced them? There were many of them.

"What are you doing? Do you want to be food for them?" The soldier whispered, looking left and right.

William didn't respond and flicked his palm to signal him to go away but he didn't. They both couched down when they thought they saw a figure, William especially switched the flashlight off and started crawling from his original position. The soldier also took the same course of action. In case it saw them or heard them enough to target them.

There was loud trudging and low humming. That was not human. William's hand slipped into his pocket and pulled a small rock, flinging it in another direction. It followed it like a rabid animal.

Now that hindrance was gone, William continued further, the dark density lightened up.

"Where you going?" The soldier made him sigh internally. Why did he care where he was going?

"Our paths end here." He didn't give him a chance to tie him down as he hurried in. There were less and less figures after a few minutes of walking. He reached another set of escalators and looked a bit over the railing to see down below. He watched for a good minute to check, few figures were loitering around but nothing overwhelming. This path was a good course. If he remembered correctly, there should be two entrances and an emergency exit. He went back down, bumping into the man. William glared at him but decided not to say anything. They both took the path back and once it got darker, William patted the wall for direction. He followed him in curiosity as William found another body and this time there was a big carrier bag with him. He tried to open the zipper inch by inch, worried that the sound might bring attention to him. Ironically pure silence was now his worst nightmare. Any noise was better than nothing. A squelching and consistent slap had him freeze. When the sound got smaller instead of louder, he continued and opened the flashlight. The soldier looked at him very confused but was wise not to say anything. William put the tip inside his mouth, flashing inside as both hands rummaged. A hand sanitizer is perfect. He even found nail polish. He handed it to the soldier to hold onto and suddenly, he can feel movement from the body next to him. He aggressively shut off the flash and stayed put. He can't outrun it so he was placing a bet on a theory that it might be a vision infected. He took out another rock and tested it by lightly throwing it further. It didn't seem to make any sudden movement. Just thudding with heavy steps, it bumped into him but William didn't react, the darkness let him sink into his thoughts. Once it passed William waited with the soldier just clinging onto him like a gum.

He crawled and used the walls for guidance until he came across the men's toilet from the other end, zombies loitering near the area, he studied their position. The light closed after a minute and William used the walls to guide himself back in. Once closed the door, Max opened the light back on.

Anna seemed surprised.

"What are you doing?" The soldier looked at all of them.

"Who is he?" Anna asked.

"I'm Eric, his partner." He gestured to William with his hands. William double taken at the offence suggestion. "No, we are not partners, I just learned your name."

"I'm Max!" The boy shook Eric's hand as he grinned at the smaller boy as if he knew him since birth.

"Umm I'm Daniel." He looked at his parents for any confirmation on whether they can trust him.

"Alex."

William shrugged when Anna telepathically talked to him with her facial expression. As Max got along with Eric into discussing what he thinks of his frog hat, Daniel pulled up a bottle of pills from his pockets and handed it to Anna.

"What is this?" Anna turned it around to read. Acetaminophen labelled on the bottle.

"I noticed you were having a hard time walking and I wanted to ease your pain, mother." Daniel smiled.

William got closer to her to read. "These are strong painkillers. They aren't easily accessible for patients… how did you find this?"

"I've come across a man with recent gunshot wounds and he is required, by his doctor, to have painkillers," Daniel said.

"How do you know this?" Anna asked, confused.

"Oh, I'm studying medicine," Daniel explained, proud. William nodded in approval. "You've improved a lot since our last session."

A series of William's medical books being shelved in the boys's room flashed through her head. She remembered opening one of them and the wall of text and terminology were too much for her to keep up. Daniel was studying them? She thought they were there because he missed William. How was she this ignorant?

"You should take them right away. We will be doing a lot of running soon." Willian interrupted her and she absently nodded. She placed a pill in her tongue and lowered her head to the sink to swallow it down. She looked at herself at the mirror, she look like she aged twenty years overnight.

"So are we going to wait here?" Eric interrupted, he has been curious about the path they made outside since he first saw it. "Why did you put random stuff outside?"

Daniel looked at his cracked watch. "We can go in fifteen minutes."

William nodded as he sat down for moment to catch some needed break for what's to come.

"Ignoring me, Cool." Eric took a seat as well, brooding in silence.

Max went to check on his mom. "Are you okay?"

She continued to use her web of lies.

"Yes." She smiled as she hugged the boy closer to her because she already misses her children.

They wait for a good ten minutes.

"For the next step, I want one of the boys to-" Before William could finish, she snatched what's in his hand.

"No, they won't do any more of these. I'll do the next one. Let me risk my life too." Anna asserted her dominance with a single look and William brows furrowed in. He didn't look thrilled with her volunteering at first but then his expression went blank. She didn't wait for any interference and instead opened the door a little then fully, to get out. Eric immediately stood up, trying to see.

William kept a lookout for any infected that may spring up. With no one around, Eric mouthed to William. "What are you doing?"

With the lighter in her hands, the rasp of the fire sprung up and she dropped it, backing away. It started small, the blaze crawling through a path before expanding into full blown fire. "I'm burning this place down."

(Won't be updating any time soon, sorry. Not that I have fans looking forward to this anyway lol but I appreciate whoever views it. Thanks xoxo)