Even though they grumbled, their pace increased. Kate’s feet squished into the earth that looked as though it hadn’t seen sunlight in years. Leaves and moss carpeted the ground hiding any footprints they might be leaving behind.
Nikki and Jasper were at the back of the group with the others tucked in between. Just in front of Nikki and Jasper, Will was walking with Ned. It was clear that Ned was struggling to keep up, but Will was doing what he could to help the older man.
“I can see a clearing up ahead,” Ethan said.
Ethan started walking fast, and as Kate tried to match his pace, the ground seemed to suck her feet in deeper. She watched him as he pushed the hanging leaves and branches out of his way.
“Ethan, slow down!” she called, but if he heard her, he ignored her.
Kate looked over her shoulder, and the others had noticed that he was moving ahead of the group. Emily’s eyes darted around the area frantically.
“What’s he doing?” she squeaked. “Is he leaving us?”
“Of course not,” Kate said over her shoulder. When she turned back to face forward, she stepped into Ethan.
His arms flopped and waved back as he tried to regain his balance. He reached up and grabbed onto a branch catching himself before he fell forward.
Kate’s eyes shifted down and almost bulged out of their sockets. “Jesus!”
They were standing at the top of a steep incline that was only twenty feet or so above a pool of slaughtered Unholy. Kate clapped her hand over her nose and mouth.
Ethan turned and held his hands over his head to stop the others. One by one they stopped and gasped as they looked down the cliff.
“Guess we found the source of the smell,” Will said wedging himself between Kate and Emily.
“It’s terrible,” Emily whined.
Claire was next to Emily staring down at The Unholy. She lifted her hand to her mouth and sucked on the end of an inhaler.
“Are they dead?” Claire asked. “Or whatever you call things that die for the second time.”
“Yeah, they’ve been eradicated,” Ethan said. “But by who or what I don’t even have a guess.”
Jasper was next to Ethan with his arms crossed. “Why would anyone do this… leave them piled up like this?”
“Maybe they don’t know to burn them,” Ethan said with a heavy sniff.
“We do,” Jasper said.
Ethan nodded. He jerked his chin to the right. “We’ll go around that way, but we’ll skip the fire.”
“You sure?” Jasper asked.
“Don’t want to set the whole forest on fire,” Ethan said.
“Sure about that?” Jasper asked raising his brow.
Ethan nodded and gestured as he turned to lead the way around the heap of Unholy. Kate followed Ethan along the edge unable to take in a breath of air that wasn’t contaminated with their stench.
At the far end of the cliff, the hill was much less steep. The trees to the other side, however, were thicker.
“What was that?” Emily asked grabbing Kate’s arm.
“What was what?” Kate asked.
Emily’s eyes were rounded globes. “That noise… what was that noise?”
“I didn’t hear anything,” Kate said, bringing her hand near her hip.
Ethan glanced back, and when he turned forward, a single Unholy stepped out from between two trees. It reached out its slender black-veined arms and gripped his knotted fingers around Ethan’s shirt.
The Unholy opened its mouth at the same moment Ethan rammed the sharp tip of his stained blade into the side of The Unholy’s head. As he yanked out his knife, Claire released a scream that curdled Kate’s blood.
“Help!” Claire said waving her arms as she tried to bat at The Unholy that was inching toward her. “Oh my God, please!”
The tip of Kate’s shoe dug into the earth as she pushed her way between the others to get to Claire. Jasper had his back to her as he pushed Nikki behind him. His leg launched forward as he kicked another Unholy back.
“There’s more,” Jasper said sucking in a sharp breath. “We have to get out of here!”
Kate grabbed The Unholy and pulled it back away from Claire. It had been inches away from sinking its teeth into her flesh.
“Oh my God, oh my God,” Claire repeated between rapid breaths. She stepped back as Kate extinguished The Unholy and tossed its lifeless body over the cliff’s edge. “I can’t breathe!”
Will grabbed her by the arm and pulled her along as the group ran down the sloping hill. Kate looked over her shoulder to make sure Jasper and Nikki were keeping up, but what she saw set a fear inside her she hadn’t felt since the first days.
Lines of Unholy were filtering out from between the trees. There were so many of them that some were getting knocked down the cliff as the others pushed their way to the front of the line. They were hungry, and they were desperate to spread their disease.
“Move! Move! Move!” Kate shouted waving for Jasper and Nikki to get ahead of her.
“Go, Kate!” Jasper said, panic soaking his eyes.
She turned back and swallowed down a sharp gasp as she saw Ethan push and Unholy out of his way. They were coming out from everywhere, and it wouldn’t be long before they were overtaken.
13
Ethan looked back at Kate and the others. He was working like a bulldozer as he pushed them out of their way.
First, he’d throw one to the left off the cliff, and then he’d stick his knife into the next before kicking it out of their way. Ethan was moving his arms like a set of windshield wipers, but the rain was coming down too fast.
All Kate could hear were the screams from the others and the moans and groans of The Unholy. The crowd seemed to be growing around them. It was like the walls were closing in on them.
“There’s too many!” Emily cried.
“Stay close,” Ethan said tossing another Unholy out of the way.
He was carving a path for them, but Kate wasn’t sure they’d be able to outrun the massive crowd building behind them. At the bottom of the hill, the grass was stained with the black, oily ooze from the nearby pile of Unholy.
Up ahead less than a quarter mile was an old wooden fence. Kate thought if they could make it that far, the fence might slow down The Unholy just enough that they could get away.
“Ethan!” Kate shouted as she pointed toward the fence.
He nodded as he waved for everyone to follow. Will was helping Ned, and Garrett and Sullivan were close behind. Claire and Emily were whimpering and screaming as they followed behind them, squeaking louder when Kate stopped.
“Hurry, Kate!” Claire said between heavy, gasping breaths. Her cheeks were bright pink, but the rest of her face was pale.
“Keep going,” Kate said her eyes on Jasper fighting off the pursuing Unholy. “I’ll catch up.”
Nikki was hiding behind Jasper, digging her fingers into his back as he fought off a particularly aggressive Unholy that reminded Kate of Jet. The second he opened his mouth, she lunged forward and stabbed the creature in the throat to stop any noise it might make.
“Thanks,” Jasper said.
“There’s a fence,” Kate said fighting off another Unholy. “We have to hurry. After this one… run.”
“You got it,” Jasper said as Kate took out another Unholy and tossed it down to the ground hoping to slow the others.
“Go!” Kate said, and the three of them took off running.
Gray arms reached out from behind a tree and Kate ducked before the hooked fingers could grab onto her shirt. Her feet tangled together and she tumbled to the ground, landing with a brain-jarring thud.
“Get up!” Nikki screeched as someone looped their hands under Kate’s arms. It felt like she was flying as she scrambled to get her feet onto the ground.
Jasper looked at Kate and then over his shoulder. She could see how desperate their situation was reflecting in his dilated pupils.
“Go!” he said waving his hands enco
uragingly.
Ethan was helping the others over the fence. Kate could see a small scattering of trees beyond, but it was a wide-open area free from any of The Unholy. At least for the time being.
Kate couldn’t also help but notice there wasn’t a single hiding spot. The chase wasn’t over, and she wasn’t sure how much longer Ned would be able to move his feet.
Ethan waited at the wooden fence while Will kept everyone moving forward. His eyes were wide, but they weren’t focused on Kate, they were directly taking in whatever it was behind them.
“Let’s move!” Ethan said reaching out to help Kate over the fence. She waved her arm for him to move, and placed her hands on the top beam, cleanly swinging her legs over. “Go! Go! Go!”
She glanced over her shoulder to see if she needed to help Nikki or Jasper, but they were already over. Her mouth dropped open at the sea of Unholy behind them.
“We gotta move,” Ethan said grabbing Kate’s arm and pulling her along.
“Right,” she said, turning away. It didn’t take long for them to catch up to the others. They were moving far too slowly, and no matter how much Ethan tried to motivate them, Ned just couldn’t go any quicker.
“Go on,” Will said, avoiding Kate’s eyes. “We’ll catch up.”
Kate hesitated. She knew if they didn’t keep moving, they wouldn’t be catching up.
“Let’s go, Kate,” Ethan urged.
“I’m not leaving them behind,” she hissed.
Ethan groaned and stepped up on the other side of Ned. He looped his arm under Ned’s, and together with Will, they carried him.
Kate glanced over her shoulder and watched as The Unholy came up to the fence. She waited to see them start climbing, but they didn’t. The just above waist-high fence kept them there, reaching out their gray arms.
“It’s holding them,” Kate said sounding overly excited.
“For now,” Ethan said. “The weight of them all pushing on it will knock it down in no time. Or they’ll figure out how to get over.”
Will didn’t look back. “We’ll make it,” he said, but Kate wasn’t sure who he was trying to convince… himself? Ned? Or her.
They hadn’t gone more than a quarter mile when Claire dropped to her knees. She leaned forward, pressing her palms down into the dirt.
“Shit!” Will said easing himself away from Ned. He was at her side in a matter of seconds.
“I’m okay,” Claire said, gasping. “Need… my….”
Kate knelt down next to Claire, her eyebrows squeezed tightly together. She glanced at Will, wanting to help but not knowing what to do.
“Inhaler,” Claire said reaching into her front pocket and pulling out a hunk of angled plastic. She wrapped her lips around the mouthpiece and drew in a deep breath. “Fuck!”
Claire tried to get a blast of the medicine again, but it didn’t work. She tossed the inhaler to the side and rocked herself forward and back.
“Shhh,” Will said placing his hands on Claire's shoulders.
Kate glanced back toward the fence which was still holding The Unholy back. But even at their distance, she could see that the fence was leaning forward. They didn’t have long.
“We’re all going to die,” Emily said pacing in front of them. “Stand up Claire!”
“That’s not helping,” Will said managing to keep his tone rather calm. He looked up at Ethan. “You have to take them. You have to get out of here.”
“Are you sure?” Ethan asked.
Will nodded. “Absolutely. We’ll be right behind you.”
“Come on, Kate,” Ethan said with a nod.
Kate shook her head.
“Kate?” Ethan asked.
“I’ll stay. I’m armed,” Kate said as Will coached Claire on taking long, deep breaths. “Go!”
Ethan looked back toward the fence and then back at Kate. He didn’t want to leave her.
“Let’s go!” Emily said, her volume encroaching on a scream.
Ethan growled before bending down to kiss the top of Kate’s head. “You better be right behind us.”
“We will be. Go on get them safe,” Kate said rubbing Claire’s back.
Ethan exhaled and waved everyone forward. In a matter of seconds, they were running away… disappearing from view.
“Breathe in,” Will said softly, breathing along with Claire. “Annnnd exhale.”
Claire seemed to be calming. She nodded at every encouraging word Will uttered.
Kate looked over her shoulder and saw the fence was leaning even more. It could be minutes… it could be seconds before they were swarmed.
“Will,” Kate said, her voice just below a whisper. He caught her eye and followed her gaze. His head bobbed up and down, showing his understanding of the situation.
“I’m okay now,” Claire said holding on to both Kate and Will as she tried to get to her feet. “We can go.”
“Are you sure?” Will asked, his eyes as soft as white, fluffy cotton.
Claire smiled. “Yeah, I’m sure.” Her lips pressed together tightly forming a straight line as she turned to Kate. “I’m really sorry.”
“Sorry?” Kate’s eyes narrowed.
“I have asthma. I wanted to stay back, but they didn’t want me,” Claire said biting her lip. “Guess I failed their evaluation.”
“It’s okay,” Kate said. “It’s not your fault. I’m sorry you’re stuck with me.”
Claire looked over her shoulder and sucked in a deep breath. Will shook his head and pointed forward.
“Don’t worry about that,” Will said. “Just keep putting one foot in front of the other.”
“As long as I’m with you,” Claire said taking in a deep inhale, “you’re all going to be in danger. I shouldn’t stay with you.”
“You managed just fine,” Will said.
Claire’s lip curled up at the end as she glanced at Will. “How did you know how to help?”
“My son had severe asthma,” Will said looking as though he’d swallowed a lemon.
Claire nodded. “Well, I’m lucky you were here. Thank you.”
“Anytime,” Will said with a bob of his head. “But for now, let’s catch up to the others.”
And with that, they quickened their pace. Kate’s heart raced as they jogged across the soft, mossy terrain. She couldn’t wait to catch up to the others… to see Ethan again.
14
When they caught up to the others, they were stopped in front of a small cabin. Large droopy trees with spiraling leaves hung down so low they touched the roof.
“It’s not far enough away,” Emily said as she crossed her arms.
“We either stop and cross our fingers or keep walking possibly through the night hoping they don’t catch up to us,” Ethan said trying to stop his eyes from landing on Ned.
“We’ll stop,” Kate answered before anyone else could. “If anyone wants to keep going, they are more than welcome to continue on without us.”
Emily let out an annoyed huff. If she went out on her own, she wouldn’t survive more than twenty-four hours.
“Let’s get inside,” Jasper said looking at the area behind them. It was still empty, but The Unholy were probably still desperately trying to catch up to them.
The door squeaked as Ethan opened it. His knife was up, ready to attack anything that might jump out at him.
It was a small cabin of just one large room with each room evident only by the type of furniture within it. The kitchen area had a small counter and an old mini fridge. There was a rusted hot plate on the counter and an old tea kettle to the side.
The living room had a small sofa, a single chair, and a bookshelf stuffed with books from ceiling to floor. Against the other wall was a small twin sized bed and a nightstand with an alarm clock that was still plugged into the wall. The building must have had a generator outside, or at least at one point in time it had.
“Cozy,” Will whispered.
“Where’s the bathroom?” Emily said with a th
ick swallow.
Sullivan was standing near the window and peered out. He chuckled as he pointed. “Out there.”
“Of course it is,” Emily groaned.
Kate didn’t know how the building would hold up once The Unholy passed through the area. The walls seemed sturdy, and the windows were quite small, but the door was a rickety slab of wood with a knob.
“Everyone is going to want to stay quiet. When they pass through, even the slightest noise could draw their interest,” Ethan said in a quiet voice, but his eyes held a strong seriousness.
“Maybe they turned off,” Ned offered.
Ethan nodded, but his jaw was tensed. “We can only hope, but I think it’s unlikely. Close the curtains and then sit quietly with your back against the wall. No matter what, do not make a sound.”
Jasper closed the curtain on the window behind him pulling the flowered fabric as far to the edges of the window as he could. Sullivan did the same at another window, and Kate peered out the front window before closing hers.
Ethan looked at her, and she could tell he was wondering if she’d seen anything. Kate shook her head, and Ethan gave a single nod.
“Help me with the sofa,” Ethan said jerking his chin toward the dust-covered brown sofa.
Kate and Ethan lifted it soundlessly and placed it in front of the door. If they got through the door, the sofa wasn’t going to do much to stop them, and everyone in the room knew it.
“Now what do we do?” Emily said picking at her fingernails.
“Now, we wait,” Ethan said pointing at the floor.
Emily rolled her eyes, but then sat down pulling her legs close to her chest. Will helped Ned down onto a chair, and sat down next to him, Claire at his other side. He smiled at Kate when he caught her looking his way.
Ethan placed his arm around Kate's shoulder. “Sit down.”
Kate brought a rough fingernail to her mouth chewing the jagged end as she nodded. She slid down to the floor just under the window.
Ethan paced back and forth several times before peeking out of the front window. They couldn’t be far. He readjusted the curtain and sat down next to Kate.
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