E Virus: The Diary of a Modern Day Girl (Book 2): The Path of Destruction (22 page)

“I’m out.” Andy called.

As if from nowhere, gunshots fired from above. The infected nearing the top of the stairs fell. George and Duckface appeared from the bedroom.

“Upstairs, now.”
Ryan called as we ran forward; the infected from below were vastly closing in.

As if from nowhere, Duckface pushed past George and threw herself on the ladders. George lost his balance and fell to the floor. He struggled to get up as he bashed his arm against the door frame. He yelled out in pain.

Duckface glanced behind her and carried on towards the ladders.

We were now nearing the top of the stairs as Lola descended the first step. She screamed out as a fallen infected grasped onto her leg and bit down onto her ankle.

Fresh blood oozed out her open wound. Ryan fired into the infected, causing it to release its grip of her leg. She cried out as she scrambled up the ladder and towards safety.

As we reached the ladders, blood covered steps leading up. Ryan stood at the bottom and ushered the rest of us upstairs.

Leon rushed to George’s aid and helped him to the ladders. His arm was all bent out of shape; it was broken. As George struggled to climb, Ryan let off his remaining shots, pushing the infected crowd back. They had now started to pour into the house from all directions.

As soon as George was clear, Ryan and Leon took to the ladders. As soon as they climbed up, Leon bent down to pull the ladders up. He was moments too late.

The infected had reached the ladders and were now scrambling up. I raced over to the hatch and emptied my magazine into the infected. Pushing them back, we pulled up the ladders.

In one fell swoop, Ryan pulled the ladders off and locked the hatch door.

The boys grabbed the heavy workbench from the far wall and pushed it towards the hatch. Flipping the table over, they secured it in place. Nothing was getting in now.

We all fell to the floor; my heart was beating out my chest. I struggled to get my breath back as each and every part of my body started to ache.  The adrenalin ran through my body; I was shaking as a result. My arms and legs felt like jelly; my ears were ringing.

I looked up as my eyes struggled to focus. Leon and Ryan were attending to George. He was bundled up in a corner, clutching at his arm.

Blood was covering the floor, already stained into the wood. I looked over to the security console. The Professor had already left his post. I stared at the screens as I watched the drama unfold.

The infected had the house completely overrun. A few unfortunate souls splashed around in the swimming pool trying desperately to claw their way out. The stairs and landing was filled with bodies. Fights broke out among the infected as they feasted on the dead.

A few of the infected who hadn’t yet given up on their relentless perusal of fresher meat scoured the house. They ran throughout the different rooms eager to sniff out their meal.

The whole house was now in complete destruction. Blood caked into the floors and walls. Broken furniture littered the house. Dead bodies filled each room. Bullet holes in the walls were a clear reminder of the battle that had recently transpired. The whole house resembled more of a battlefield, than it did a high-end luxury mansion.

I turned my attention back to the stairs. I stared at the infected as they tore the dead limb from limb, greedily gulping down the rancid flesh of the dead. They pulled at the skin of the dead, stretching it far beyond its natural elasticity. As the skin tore, revealing a bloody mess of flesh, muscle and putrid
organs, the infected gulped it down, their mouths and hands covered in the dark crimson liquid.

I looked to the screen showing the boats. They floated effortlessly in the waters of the canal. The infected had long left the area as they had already made their entrance. I felt as if the boats were calling out to us; they looked so still and peaceful.

Yet here we were. Unable to escape, the infected were directly beneath our feet waiting for us to make another appearance.

A scream brought me back to reality. Sarah came rushing in. “We need help.” She called her face deathly pale.

Leon and Ryan rushed over to our new living room as Duckface was sprawled out on the black leather sofa. 

She was writing in pain as blood poured out her fresh open wound. Tears flowed down her face as she struggled to bear the pain. She was bleeding out fast.

The Professor came running in with a first-aid kit. He handed to bandages to Andy and Leon as they attempted to put a stop to the bleeding.

“Is she going to turn?” Sarah asked as she cowered behind me.

“I don’t know.” I replied, which was my honest answer.

I found myself hoping she was the magical cure she claimed to be. The last thing any of us needed was a member of the
infected amongst our group, especially when trapped in such close quarters.

Duckface struggled to stay conscious as the blood continued to pour. The Professor pulled a bottle of Vodka from the bar shelf and poured it over her open wound. She screamed out in pain.

“It’s bitten into a main artery.” The Professor announced as the blood briefly subsided.

“If we don’t stop it, she’ll bleed out.” Leon replied.

I wondered to myself if that would be such a bad thing. I mean; she was more of a hindrance to us now, more than ever.  When it came down to it, it was her own fault she got bit. It was her selfishness coming through, she wanted to save herself, screw the rest of us. As much as George wasn’t my favourite person in the world, he didn’t deserve to get shoved to one side, as hard as he was mentally, he was old and getting frailer by the day.

If he had hit his head, I’m not completely sure he would have survived.

I stood back and watched. I didn’t really know what else to do. The pain eventually took over as Duckface fell into unconsciousness. Leon and the Professor managed to stop the bleeding as Andy carried her into the bedroom. He placed her on one of the lower bunks and closed the door.

The Professor had found some morphine shots in the bathroom; he administered one and left her to sleep.

“That should keep her subdued for a while.” He announced as he came back into the room. We had all gathered in the security room; the majority of us were sat on the hardwood floor.

The infected still passed by the security screens, but we were no longer paying attention. They did not pose a threat.

George was now being patched up by the Professor.

“How is she?” George asked.

“She’s stable. The infected bit straight into one of her main arteries, so she’s lost a lot of blood.” the Professor explained.

George nodded. He sat up straight with his back against the wall as the Professor handed him some painkillers.

George refused. “No, they do my ulcers no good. I’ll be fine.” George winced.

I leaned into Nick, and I sat back in his arms. We were all exhausted from the fight. 

“I suppose we're stuck here for a while then?” I asked the remaining group.

Ryan looked back at me and nodded.

“It’s not so bad. This whole attic was built with survival in mind.” George said, tapping the floor with his good arm.

“And what about her?”
Lacey asked.

We stayed silent. Ryan shrugged. “I don’t know. We’ll have to see what happens I guess.”

We all sat in silence. No one said a word. We listened to the bangs and crashes beneath us as the infected tore through the house below.

The infected eventually settled down as they tucked into their feast. The Professor watched them wide-eyed, back in his chair at the console.

The rest of us stayed on the floor, and took in all that had happened. The attack had happened so fast, the night before there were barely any infected around. The numbers quickly spiralled out of control.

We hadn’t been prepared at all. The attack took us completely by surprise. If it hadn’t been for Ryan’s quick thinking, I had no doubt in my mind that we would all have been dead by now.

I turned my attention to Jared and Sarah. This was the first time they had experienced the infected of this magnitude. Judging by the look on their faces, it was something they never believed possible. The colour had yet to return to their already pale faces. They sat together, up against the wall hand in hand. They would have looked so cute together, had it not been for the look of horror which etched into their faces.

We had barely escaped with our lives. I felt more than ever; our luck was about to run out.

A faint banging on the door of the bedroom turned my attention. We all looked towards the bedroom as the banging got louder.

“I locked the door, just in case.” The Professor advised.

The whole group stood up slowly. Ryan edged towards the wall and pulled down a long sharp silver blade.

We gathered around the living room door. Ryan and Andy stepped forwards slowly towards the bedroom door, where they had laid Duckface to rest.

The banging got louder as they crept closer and closer to the door.

“Lola?” Andy called.

Chapter 24 - The Attic

“Open the door!” Duckface shouted.

We all breathed a sigh of relief. I was almost happy to hear her incredibly annoying high-pitched, whiny voice.

The Professor scrambled to get the keys. We heard a thud from the other side of the door. As the Professor quickly unlocked the door, Andy rushed in. Duckface sat in a heap on the floor.

“Well, aren’t you going to help me up? I am in pain in case you haven’t noticed.” She snapped to Andy.

He got her back on her feet and helped her onto the sofa. She didn’t look good at all. The blood loss had paled her face dramatically, her eyes sunk into her face as black bags formed under her eyes.

“How do you feel?” The Professor asked.

“Not great, clearly.”
Duckface snapped.

Lacey took one look at her and stormed out the room; her fists clenched as she did so.

Ryan scowled at her. She ignored his displeasure as she carried on.

“Professor, did the alcohol kill the infection?” She pushed.

“I don’t know.” The Professor responded.

Duckface looked around at each one of us; she then looked down at her wound.

“What does it matter? I thought you were immune?” Leon pressed.

She looked at Leon and quickly dismissed him.
“I know, I am. I just don’t want to take any risks. It’s just the thought of that nasty virus; it’s so destructive.” She remarked. She used her familiar false sounding voice, usually saved for complete strangers.

“Why don’t you go and lie down. You’ve lost a lot of blood already; your body will be extremely weak right now. I’ll see if I can find you something to drink.” The Professor interrupted.

“Yes, I think I might.” Duckface responded. She hobbled her way back into the bedroom using Andy for support.

We followed the Professor into the kitchen as he searched the pantry. Lacey was already sat at the kitchen table; she couldn’t stand to be in the same room as her.

“Something’s not right.” Lacey announced as we made our way into the kitchen.

“In what way?”
Paul asked taking a seat next to her.

“I don’t know, but something isn’t sitting right with me, and I can’t put my finger on it.” She replied.

“You’re not the only one.” Ryan replied. “I don’t like this one bit.” He finished.

The Professor quickly left the room with an energy drink in tow. After a few minutes, both the Professor and Andy re-entered the room.

The Professor quickly pocketed the keys. “She’s ok for now.” the Professor announced. “I’ve advised she stays well hydrated and gets some rest. I’ve crushed a sleeping tablet in her drink, so she should be out soon.” the Professor continued.

“Have you locked the door?” George asked, he now sat opposite Paul and Lacey as the rest of us stood round.

“Yes I have. Just as an extra precaution.” the Professor nodded.

“She’s not infected.” Andy muttered.

“We don’t know that for sure.” Ryan told him firmly.

“I know she’s a royal pain in the arse, and she’s pissed off each and every person in this room. But, she wouldn’t lie about this.” Andy defended.

Lacey and I both let out a sarcastic laugh. “I’m not being funny Andy, but she’s lied about a lot worse. What makes you think this is any different?” I asked.

Andy sighed. “Why would she? She has no reason to.” He tried to make sense of it all.

“Let’s just see how thing’s progress.” The Professor advised.

“Ok, well given these circumstances. I suggest we keep an eye on those monitors. As soon as the infected leave, we head back to the boats.” Ryan declared.

We all agreed; none of us wanted to stay here longer than we had to, especially with someone who may or may not be infected.