The thumping in my chest had reduced back to a normal heartbeat. I cleaned up the blood as much as I could, but when I tore off the tape, I opened the wound again, thanks to the tape sticking to the skin.
He was losing enough blood where a normal person would at least be dizzy by now, but no, he was fully awake and glaring bullet holes in my person.
Then I remembered the fact I had period pads in my back pocket. Reaching over, I pulled it out, and stared at it for a good minute. When I had scavenged them, I thought they would have made good bindings, though I didn't know how right I was.
Unwrapping one, I placed it on the wound, then wrapped some bind around it to hold it in place. It had worked, and the Leaper wasn't glaring at me anymore, but at the strange invention strapped to his leg instead.
It had looked absolutely ridiculous.
it was getting harder to breath, until I couldn't hold it in anymore. I let out a genuine, truly entertained laugh. Probably the most enjoyable one I've had in a while. This was the dumbest and weirdest thing I have ever done, and it actually worked to boot.
The Leaper, still a little fazed about the now fading pain from his leg, looked up to the sound of my laughter. I put a hand over my mouth to muffle any sounds I make incase I attracted anything unwanted. But the giggle I was emitting was still audible.
Catching my breath, I reminded myself that I wasn't done just yet. I still had his stomach to do. With a smile still plastered on my face, I turned to the Leaper.
"Now, that wasn't so bad, right?"
The Leaper remained silent and the smile fell from my face. He wasn't like a survivor, Sara; he doesn't understand a single word you just said. I signed, resorted by to my gloomy, routine mood.
Checking the amount of medical supplies I had left, I found that I was almost out of disinfectant wipes, but still had a good amount of bandages leftover. This will have to do.
Placing my hand on his arm again, I got his attention. He still seemed a little peeved from earlier, but he wasn't seething with fury. My attempts to make him lie down were all failures, so I'll have to do this while he sat up.
I held a wipe and showed it to him. I was hoping that by now he understood that I was trying to help him. But as I made a move to try and life his shirt, he lurched away and paddled backwards a couple feet.
I furrowed my brows. "I won't hurt you; I just need to see the damage…" Coaxing him with gentle words wasn't going to help, I figured. He didn't budge.
As I moved closer, he backed away. I tried to get near him again, and he started to stand up. Sighing, I rolled my eyes. This wasn't going to work. There was no way he was going to let me get close to him again after what pain he went through just trying to fix his leg, and I was sure the Siren's wound was much worse.
Standing up along with him, I tried taking baby steps towards his figure. That only resulted in him howling out a warning. That made me stops in my tracks. He hasn't hurt me yet, but maybe this time he's serious, and I might as well have a death wish. Only one way to find out.
I took a minuscule step back, acting like I was backing off. The hinter seemed to relax and the snarl on his face faded away. I smiled ever so sweetly, even if he couldn't read facial expressions, and then made a leap for him.
Ironic, the survivor trying to catch the Leaper.
Catching him by surprise, I grabbed him around the middle and brought him back down to the floor. He was taller than me, I discovered. But that didn't matter. His injured leg crumbled, and he was no match for me.
For some reason, he didn't even try to pry me off. Instead, he screeched and growled at me and my sudden intrusion in his private space.
I poked him in the stomach, around the area of injury and his wailing and shrieking reduced to a pained whimper. Yeah, he definitely won't ever want me near him after this. I don't blame him.
He collapsed to the floor and I fell with him. I lifted up his shirt and analyzed the damage. He growled reluctantly, but his growl's pitch went high when I applied the alcohol wipe. It would have been funny if I hadn't had been the cause of it.
He was quiet most of the treatment. I guess being bested by a girl, twice, seeing how the Siren really did a number on him, could really hurt a man's pride. I was sure he had pride, since he still has life preservation
The injury wasn't as bad as I thought. The poor guy had 4 clean holes and they weren't as deep as they should have been. I'm guessing his skin hardened when he turned. I wondered if it was like that with every infected.
Ignoring his occasional noises of pain, (He can suck it up) I use the last of the bindings to wrap around his middle. It didn't take as long as I expected and was easier to treat, aside from the forcing him to lift his shirt part. I smiled at my handiwork. Since the breakout, my skills on medical things and such increased overtime. I had the right to be proud of myself.
Leaning back, I looked him right in the face. "We're even now, got it?"
I just wanted to state the fact, not caring if he could understand me. It just felt a little better if I could say it out loud. The Leaper didn't answer in any growl or snarl, but instead, leaned over and licked my scratched cheek. I responded in a non-grateful manner.
The next hour went on with him poking at the pad strapped to his limb, and me using the very last wipe to decontaminate the scratch on my face.
Chapter 8
The gas station didn't have much to offer. I left the office to see if I could scavenge anything and all I found was a dead body wedged in-between the front doorway. I left through the back entrance again, not wanting to go near it.
The Leaper, whom I guessed had enough time prodding at his make-shift bandage, followed me not-so-discreetly out the door. Turning around, I narrowed my eyes as he walked, not crawled, but walked through the door. The idea of shutting it behind me came too late as he was already by my side.
Readjusting the bag on my shoulders, I stopped walking and glared at him. The way he limped over to me showed that he was still in pain over his limb. I wondered how he was going to be able to leap great distances if it really hurt him.
He wasn't threat, let him be, I thought. Spinning on my heel, sticking close to the wall, in case of anything popping out around the corner. He followed me as we walked, staying within at least 10ft of me. I rolled my eyes at his creepy actions. He was starting to remind me of a lost puppy, especially when he fetched my bag earlier.
I sighed. He wanted to trail me? Fine, not like he'll do anything anyway. Something shiny caught the corner of my eye. I spotted a crowbar down the alleyway, and silently thanked the gods, or whoever was in charge.
My handgun was securely place in the back of my pants before I leaned down to pick up my new weapon. It was heavy, but not as heavy as the bag when I had to use it to swing around. I tested it a little by twirling it around my fingers a bit. Something I'll have to get used to, but definitely useful.
Ignoring the presence behind me, I continued until I reached the end of the ally. Then, I felt wind pass me and I spun around to see that he wasn't there anymore. Confused, I looked up and down the streets, and then observed the top of buildings.
He was atop one not too far away in plain sight. He watched me from afar, like he did before. If he kept this up, I just might hit him upside the hood if he ever got close to me again. The Leaper was starting to be more trouble than he was worth.
Sparing him one last glance, I started walking down the left side of the street. It still looked deserted, but I wasn't going to take any chances this time. Holding up the crowbar, I made sure to be ready incase of an ambush.
I didn't have to look to know he was soaring behind me. The sun was making its way to the highest point in the sky and I only had to look to the ground to see his shadow pass by.
It was getting hotter, I noticed. I tightened my jacket around my waist. My ponytail had hairs sticking out and I really wished I had some kind of deodorant or even perfume right now. The sweat and grim
e I've been picking up on really did a number to my sense of smell.
Passing by a store, I gave in and pried open the doors to get inside. It took one heave, and the wooden boreds on the door came loose. Taking a peek, it was all clear. Relief filled my skin when it felt the sudden arrival of shade.
I didn't know what store it was, but I assumed it was a clothing store. Some racks were empty, while some still held an entire load. Fumbling through one, I found a hoodie, green with flowers on the front. I put it back; green wasn't my color, it resembled Spitter bile too much.
Not finding anything that fit me, or smelled any better than what I did now, I gave up. I would just have to bear the unbelievable stench longer. Moving around some more, hoping to find something good. Nothing came of interest, and I almost left.
That is, until I found a bottle of frebreze hidden away. I grinned at my epic find and removed my jacket to start hosing it down.
The bright red fabric had reduced to a muddy more brownish than red color. I sighed at the ruined clothing piece. It was my favorite, and now it was equivalent to rags. There wasn't a single spot on it that wasn't stained or worn down.
I sprayed it down. I knew the result wouldn't be as good as a good actual washing, but it would at least disguise the smell a little bit. Half the bottle was empty by the time I decided the front was done. Flipping it over, I used the rest on the back of it.
The bottle was completely drained and I threw it to the side. Holding it up, I took a good whiff. It smelled so sugary sweet, my throat began to choke up. Still better than the usual grime. It was still a little damp.
Inside my head, I dreaded having to go outside again. I breathed deep and left the store, the now way too fresh smelling jacket tied to my waist again. I held up the crowbar, looking around. The Leaper was nowhere in sight, but I didn't doubt he was somewhere near.
Something landed behind me. I twisted around and he was there, much closer then I would of liked anyway. He had one of my jacket's hanging sleeves in his clutches. Bringing it up to his nose, he back up disgusted, as did I.
From the way he reacted, I take it he didn't like the new fragrance I carried around with me. I huffed; he'll have to get over it. A thought came to mind that I may or may not have gone overboard with the frebreze.
I began to walk away from him, not caring about his dislike of my current perfume. He rubbed his sleeves over his nose, grunting softly. I detected footsteps, and assumed he was following me close distance again.
Ignoring his presence once more, I continued walking along the concrete. Every minute or so, I would turn around to glance at him. He was up to something, I could just feel it. I just didn't know what yet.
It wasn't until I heard sounds of cloth ripping that I realized that my hoodie wasn't wrapped around me anymore. I gasped at what lay before me. It was completely shredded and I could no long recognize the very object that had been keeping me warm at night.
It took me a moment to process the situation. After all I've done for him, he goes and destroys my hoodie? He stood crouched over the remains of his poor victim, content with the little strips it had been reduced into.
I felt enraged, absolutely furious. In a moment of pure anger, I raised the crowbar above my head and brought it down towards him.
He happened to see it coming and with a surprised yelp, quickly leaped out of the way before it came into contact with hard concrete. Snarling, he sent a warning look at me to try and ward me off. But I was too angry to consider it.
Running at him again, I could feel the weight of the backpack and the crowbar together proving to be a real issue. I swung slow, and he didn't really have to put much effort in avoiding my pathetic hits. Cursing at him, I used both hands to try and land a blow.
Throwing the bar at him mid-leap, it hit his shoulder and he hissed in pain. I grinned, getting my revenge, forgetting all kindness I had felt for him earlier. In this world now, kindness never got you anywhere anymore.
The Leaper collapsed to the ground and I picked back up the bar while he clutched his shoulder. Realization hit me and I suddenly became very afraid. I just made an enemy with a deadly killer who before, was just an annoyance. Now, he has another reason to slice my neck open.
I took a few steps back; now aware of the danger I had put myself into. Thinking to myself, I shouldn't have overreacted, instead, I should have just let him do whatever he wanted and leave him be. Because now he wasn't acting as friendly as he did before.
His snarls turned into furious growls while he pulled himself up into standing position again. I was sure he didn't see me as anything else than prey now, and with just a melee weapon, I wouldn't be able to take down a Leaper, injured or not.
By the time he was standing up right I had already bolted down the street. The abandoned cars piled up and down the roads blocked my path where ever I turned, so I ended up taking some weird routes trying not to touch anyone them and to get away from him as far as possible.
Holding my weapon close to my body, I skidded down another alley way. Alley ways have not been kind to me recently, but it's not like I had a choice. I spotted a fire escape halfway down. With no hesitation, I started climbing up the stairs.
The window it had led to was bolted shut, and I swore out loud to myself when I heard a distant howl behind me. Hoisting myself up the rest of the stairs, I grabbed hold of the roof. Using my non-existent upper body strength, I heaved myself up as far as I could
If he hasn't spotted me yet, he'll most likely be looking on the ground. If he doesn't find me there, he'll either move on or start looking in higher up places. I hoped to be somewhere safe before he gets to that point.
But just as I was about to climb the next set of stairs, the rusty fire escape I had been standing on crumbled beneath my weight. Letting out a frightened yell, I fell backwards.
The ground was rushed towards me, or really, me to it. I would say that my life flashed in front of my eyes, but I hit the ground before I it did. Slamming onto the ground on my back, I yelped out in pain felt something crack. I couldn't tell just what it was though, everything hurt at the moment.
Moaning, I rolled over. I was a sitting duck right now, and I needed to make sure I didn't seriously break my spine. The distance I had fallen from wasn't too high, but it still hurt as hell.
Somehow managing to sit up on my knees, I looked around for the crowbar. It had slipped from my hands mid-fall. Spotting it against a wall, I crawled over to it and regained it. My hands and arms ached trying to lift and I had to catch my breath before clutching it to my chest.
The part of the fire escape that had broken off was a heap of metal now. Looking up, if I had climbed any higher, I don't know how many body parts I would have broken.
Groaning, I picked myself up to my feet. Using the crowbar as a crutch, I hunched over. If things like this kept happening, I wasn't going to last three more days. Still, I lasted longer than I thought I would on my own.
I knew he was behind me before he voiced him arrival. He had a knack for trying to sneak up on me, as Leapers do. He sat perched a couple feet away, on the railing of what was left over from the escape.
His face was smug, and he showed it pretty well though I could only see half of it. This was payback for earlier. I gritted my teeth at him, obviously displeased with his presence. If he had watched me fall, then I considered throwing the bar at him again.
But I didn't have the strength, nor the courage to do such a thing. Not with how I was feeling.
Facing him fully, he gave out a short, throaty chuckle. Or at least I think it was something sort of a laugh, in truth he sounded like he was choking.
Displaying a defeated face, I muttered under my breath. "You win."
He didn't understand, and tilted his head at the unfamiliar sounds that came from my mouth. Sometimes I truly wondered what intelligence the infected had lost, and what they had kept.
He leaped down from his spot above me and I flinch
ed when he landed quite close. There wasn't any claws raking against my face or tearing at my chest, so I supposed he felt that he had gotten his revenged.
Moving my attention from him, I faced my current goal: Finding a safe house. If I remember correctly, there was one downtown, that we had left some supplies in for any other survivors. If I'm lucky, there weren't any.
Limping in the direction I hoped that was the right one, I listened to his following footsteps.
Chapter 9
I swear, if the infected didn't kill me first, he will, just with his presence. Ever since our heated chase, I've been constantly on nerve. When he made any noise, I would find myself whipping around to see things the same way as they were before. My poor sanity was starting to depend on whether or not I could tolerate him, not by being by myself anymore. At this point, I wondered if it would be better if I was by myself.
He's annoying, and creepy. It would be dead silent on the streets, with no problem in sight and he will growl for no reason, causing me to turn around in surprise and fear, just to see him mocking me. He's totally playing with me, I decided. It was just that I had lost the guts to do something back. Friendly Leaper or not, he could still kill me.
I could attack him with the perfume I still had, but I didn't want a repeat of yesterday. When the sun had set, I crawled into a dumpster to sleep in, the Leaper resting nearby. The entire night while I had slept, I was afraid of him doing something to me in my sleep, and while sleeping in trash was really was disgusting, it kept me hidden from view. By now I guess I didn't smell any better than he did. Maybe I'll just use that perfume for myself, but it would only mask the smell.
The crowbar was turning out to be a very useful weapon. After a little while, I had gotten used to it's weight, and if I could land a blow on the head of an infected, it would only take one hit. I still kept an eye out for ammo though.
I ate as I walked, too hungry to wait, but too anxious to stop walking. From the way he whined at the sight of food, I deemed he was hungry too. In fact, I haven't seen him eat anything while he's been with me. He kept a good distance away, but I made sure to glance back at him every other bite or so, to make sure he didn't try to use sticky fingers and steal from my pack.
Walking Bodies Page 6
