Flight of the Raven Pt. 02

"I'm sure she will." Cathy agreed, releasing me.

"So. You're place?" she asked, grinning mischievously.

"Very funny. Anyway, I meant what I said. I'm not going to be reckless if I can help it. No, we'll meet up with the group going up my road and stay with them. It'll be safer that way -- for everyone."

Cathy nodded, standing and beginning to walk down the bus.

"Hey, wait a second!" I shouted after her, suddenly realising something.

"Who's guarding the bus if we leave?"

"Mr Harrel's outside, checking the tires. We ran over a lot of debris and stuff on the way here -- he's in charge of guarding the bus." She replied, smiling warmly at me, evidently pleased with my concern.

I didn't blush. It may have looked like I did, but it was merely an annoying eyelash, and my cheeks were red from the heat. These buses are warmer than you think. "Well, whatever." I said, nonchalantly.

Once again she raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying my tone, chuckling briefly before turning and continuing down the bus.

A few people indifferently watched us leave, but most seemed too depressed to even lift their heads. It hurt my very soul to see such sorrow in the hearts of so many people, most of them children.

However, there was one on the bus that did seem interested in our departure.

"Wait!" A girl's voice echoed around the bus.

Cathy and I turned back, searching for whoever had spoken. We should have just ignored it, or pretended we didn't hear anything, or jumped through a window, or something other than looking at the back of the bus. Seriously, anything would have been better than that. Anything.

Kate was standing up, her blanket fallen to the floor atop mine, eyes wide with fear as she stared at us. "Can I. Can I come with you? Please." she whimpered softly, tears falling down her face.

Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck. I knew Cathy would fall for this shit. Fuck! I can't believe I had to have her near me again. Maybe if I kept really still and quiet, she wouldn't be able to see me and would sit back down. Was worth a shot.

Obviously, Cathy had different plans. She ran past my statuesque form, reaching Kate and hugging her, both of them crying now. "Of course you can angel. We're going to find the group that's gone down Wiltover Close. Your dad and Tony are in that one too. Come on Kate, let's go.

I remained stationary, the trick with any disguise is to never break character. My character was a silent, unmoving block. I could do this.

Cathy screwed up my plan once more by grabbing my arm in hers when she was level with me, practically dragging me down the bus.

I broke character. Even I realised how hopeless it was. Tearing my arm from hers I huffed and indignantly whispered to her. "Fine! You win, let's find John and he can take care of her."

The three of us walked out the open doors of the bus, nodding to Mr Harrel who was just climbing back into the bus. It was darker than I thought it would be outside. With the earthquakes knocking out London's power we were left in almost total blackness. The thin, gloomy Moon barely managed to shed any light through the thick, oppressive clouds that were likely full of ash just waiting to fall. Luckily, Cathy had thought ahead and replaced her clipboard with a large torch from her backpack.

She switched it on and took the lead, Kate following with me at the rear. At least I couldn't see her face this way, I reasoned.

Our motley crew walked slowly along the pavement, footsteps echoing in the empty night. We skirted shards of glass, burnt bricks, broken furniture and other strange pieces of debris as we moved up the street, Cathy's torch shining through the darkness like a beacon. After a few minutes we came to the first of the bodies. Cathy was evidently used to it, barely pausing as she emotionlessly passed the corpse.

Kate and I -- not so much. She visibly paled, giving the body a wide birth and studiously looking in the other direction. I bent down, examining the corpse. What I saw made me wish I hadn't.

The poor fellow had been eaten. Great chunks of flesh had been clawed, ripped and mauled out of him. His blood created a shallow pool on the pavement, with him in the centre, but that wasn't the worst of it. It wasn't just imps that had done this, or, from what I'd seen of them, zombies either. No. The bites were too big, the teeth too large. This looked like a dog had been at him, a really big dog, maybe even a wolf. The scary part was that I didn't know if the animal was perhaps rabid, or, more worryingly, if it was another type of demon that had starting coming through the cracks.

I sighed tiredly, wishing again that I would wake up from this nightmare. Sadly, I was still here. Standing, I followed the two girls further down the street. We passed a few more bodies lying sprawled across the road, one with his head on the trunk of a smashed up car, and his body on the bonnet. I'm pretty sure Kate turned green when she saw that, but she managed to keep walking.

Eventually, we saw a number of bright lights in the distance. Torches.

"Thank God." Cathy said, breathing a sigh of relief as she led us towards the lights.

We passed more corpses on our way towards the cluster of lights, but ignored them, focussed entirely on reaching what we assumed was the group we'd come to find.

Cathy started raising her arm to signal the group when the screams started. Lots of them.

Twenty yards in front of us was a mass of people crowded round the front door of a house. I could make out John's face as he raised what looked like a shovel menacingly towards the door, shouting for the others to get back. However, a few didn't seem able to move and were screaming hysterically, pointing towards the entrance of the house.

These weren't the only cries either. Kate had started screeching her head off, almost causing my ears to bleed. Looking away from the group I decided to check on the crazy bitch, sparing her a quick glance.

Shit. Cathy had turned too at Kate's cry and saw what I had just seen, her eyes bulging at the spectacle.

The corpses we'd ignored weren't corpses. Well, they were, but they weren't fucking dead corpses. No. They were zombies. One had grabbed hold of Kate's ankle and was dragging itself across the pavement towards her, its mouth hanging eerily open, rotten teeth stinking of raw flesh and blood. The others were similarly clawing their way across the ground, luckily none seemed to be bright enough to stand back up. Maybe they couldn't. Hopefully.

Fuck. One had started to rise, obviously determined to prove me wrong. We had to do something. Fast.

Cathy was quicker off the bat than me. Sprinting towards Kate and preceding to almost kick the head off the zombie attached to her, each blow causing its skull to tilt in sickening angles and give off horrible cracking sounds. After a few powerful strikes its head smashed against the ground and its hand relaxed: allowing Kate to fall into Cathy's arms, crying hysterically.

"We need to get to the others! Come on Luke!" Cathy shouted at me, already running as best she could with Kate still attached to her.

That snapped me out of it. No way would Cathy let me live this down if I didn't act.

Dashing after them I stooped down to grab what looked like a large frying pan that had been blown in half, barely pausing as I scooped up the makeshift zombie slaying device.

I reached the girls and checked behind us, noticing that all the zombies had made it to their feet and were slowly shuffling after us. I was a bit surprised they weren't chanting "Brains!" in a sickeningly grating chorus.

I stayed behind the girls as they ran, making sure no zombies reached us before we could make it to the others. I had nothing to worry about. Despite how slowly they were running in their awkward embrace, it was still much quicker than any of the zombies.

After a few moments we had reached the group -- though I wish we hadn't. We stood motionless along with the others as we stared in terror at the killer of the first corpse we'd passed.

A giant dog was framed in the doorway to the house, covered in filthy black fur which was matted with the gore and blood of its victims. The dog was slightly larger than a man, had huge fangs and long, sharp claws. It would have looked like a giant, black wolf if it wasn't for its eerie green eyes that were glowing brightly in the night.

The thing wasn't a hound. It wasn't a wolf. It wasn't from this world. It was a demon and it was looking straight at us, its fangs bared and snarling softly in the darkness. Waiting, but for what? A shiver ran down my spine as I worked it out. It was waiting for the zombies to reach us before attacking. Fear clutched at me as I realised how cunning this creature was. It wanted us to run, it was built for the chase. This creature would pick us off one by one while the zombies kept us from regrouping. No. We couldn't run. We had to make our stand here. Now.

I just hoped I wouldn't be alone.

John and the rest of the group were backing away from the hound, half of them looked like they were about to turn tail and run. This wasn't good.

"John! We mustn't run -- that's what it's waiting for. We need to get through it, into the house, maybe we can form some sort of barricade once were inside." I yelled from the back of the crowd, squeezing my way through the frightened pack to reach him.

I just hoped he'd listen to me.

"Alright! Everyone! Stop moving! We have to make a stand." John hollered at the top of his lungs, causing the startled hound to growl threateningly.

I pushed past the last few people and reached John, standing beside him with our weapons out: a rusted shovel and a broken pan. Man, was this hound in trouble.

"There are zombies behind us John, we have to hurry. I'll draw it outside and you stop it from going for any of the others while they run into the house, okay?" I stated, expecting no argument.

I got none from John, instead he nodded, readying his shovel.

Unfortunately, I still received one: in the form of two figures which tried to tear my plan to pieces. Kate had jumped on John and was bawling her eyes out, wailing in terror, forcing him to drop the shovel and comfort her. Seriously she really was great at fucking everything up.

Cathy also decided to join in, planting herself in front of me and giving me her best scowl. Hands on her hips and completely ignoring the giant hound behind her she kept on glaring at me until she was sure I had her undivided attention.

Crazy women are pretty hard to ignore.

"You can't do this Luke. Please. Remember your promise -- this is suicide. At least let us all help you. Let me." She begged, tears running down her face as she stood like a force of nature between me and the demon.

There was no time, I knew I was breaking my promise. Again, but I had people to protect and I knew they would die if I didn't get them into the house. I had to sacrifice myself so that they might live.

I looked at Cathy. At least it would be worth it I thought, eyes watering.

"You can help me Cathy." I said, softly, seeing a combination of joy, determination and fear crossing her face. "You can lead them all inside, and you can barricade the door when they're through." I paused, finally letting my tears fall. "You can remember me. As I will remember you, my friend."

The look of grief that came over her almost made me change my mind. Almost.

She nodded through her sorrow, gently grabbing Kate from her father's arms and allowing him to pick up his shovel.

I turned briefly, seeing that the zombies were almost upon us. We didn't have much time.

I calmed myself, taking a deep breath and then letting it out again, slowly. Hefting my broken pan I launched it straight through the doorway, catching the hound by surprise and hitting it square on its muzzle, causing it to whine in pain.

"Get moving!" I shouted when I saw the great beast rise up on its hind legs before falling back down with a thunderous boom, charging straight at me. It let out an almighty roar as it picked up speed, swiftly racing through the darkness towards me.

Cathy held Kate to her as she took the lead, the others falling in behind her. They gave the hound a wide berth and managed to pass safely while it charged, completely ignoring them. Cathy had reached the doorway by the time the hound had reached me and she proceeded to usher everyone inside.

I dived to the right as the hound jumped at me, its vicious fangs snapping closed where my throat had just been. The demon growled in annoyance, turning swiftly and racing towards my prone form.

Luckily, John decided that it was time for him and his shovel to get involved.

Just before the hound made another leap for me, it was hit soundly on the head with John's shovel. I wasn't sure if he struck it with such force that the shovel broke, or if it was just a really shit shovel. Either way it got the job done and the beast paused, snarling with what I hoped was pain rather than annoyance.

The brief interruption was all I needed to get back to my feet, causing the confused hound to swing its great head from John to me and back again -- unsure who to attack first.

This was good, risking a glance to the doorway I could see that almost everyone was inside. I just had to buy time for John now.

"Come on you fucker!" I roared, kicking shards of glass across the hound and receiving its undivided attention.

"Run John! Quickly!" I shouted, already turning my back on the beast and running away from the house, towards the zombies which were just a few yards away. I hoped that I could buy John and the others more time if I managed to slow the zombies.

The only problem with my plan was that I had no idea how.

"Fuck!" I screeched, manly, with absolutely no hint of fear. Changing direction in terror as I reached the first zombie, which tried to clumsily embrace me in a friendly hug and then possibly start eating my digestive system.

Unfortunately, my new position brought me into contact with another zombie; it too had its arms extended for a hug. Maybe we'd misjudged these creatures I insanely surmised, berating myself for even attempting to joke in the situation.

I ducked swiftly, a shadow passing over me, causing the zombie to explode backwards in a spray of blood and gore. That was more like it I grinned, the smile quickly slipping from my face as I saw the great black hound standing where the zombie had been, blood dripping from its jaws in a grizzly display of ferocity. Oh -- so my agility hadn't slain the zombie. Damn.

I stared at the hound, its glowing, green eyes fixed on me with deadly purpose. I gulped. Glancing away from the hound further soiled my hope of survival. I was surrounded. Completely surrounded. Almost a dozen zombies were in a circle around me, the only gap in their numbers was in the form of the giant hound. Fuck.

I closed my eyes, hope just a memory as I prepared myself for the end.

A voice in the darkness snapped me back to my senses, putting a halt to the crazy thoughts which had started invading my mind. "Run Luke... Run!" I smiled as I saw two green eyes, filled with love and determination staring back at me through my closed eyes, her voice like a gentle breeze after a raging storm.

I opened my eyes, grinning at the beast before me; causing it to tilt its head in confusion as it felt the fear drain out of me. Tilting its head still further as it watched me charge straight towards it.

Eventually, the hound seemed to grasp that I was, unquestionably, running straight at it and that I should probably be stopped, or eaten, or both.

Reaching the demon just as it started to growl I leapt over the beast, using its back as a springboard to sail over it. I was still faced with a dilemma: a dozen zombies and one pissed off hound were a few feet behind me and they all wanted me dead, but at least I had a home run to the still open doorway of the house. I spotted Cathy and John on either side of the entrance, waving their arms towards me, frantically.

I could do this. I could make it I thought, running as I'd never run before. I would make her proud I decided, feet barely touching the ground as I flew towards the house in a blur of speed. I would make her proud I repeated, I would make her pr--

Apparently, hell-dog didn't seem to like that its meal ticket was getting away, or that It seemed so pleased to be doing so. A fact I learnt when 400lb of demon crashed against my back, sending me sprawling to the pavement just a few yards from the door. Looking up through a fog of pain I saw John holding Cathy back as she tried to run to me, her cries ringing in my ears and her tears searing my soul.

The hound wasted no time and prowled closer, its fetid breath flowing over me like fog in the cold night. I managed to turn on the ground, despite the agony of my back, and came face to face with a vision of demonic fury. The huge beast's head was just inches from mine, its glowing, green eyes stared with malice into my own and its jaws were opened fully, displaying two rows of large, sharp fangs, smeared red with blood and dripping thick, slimy drool onto my leg. Somehow, I doubted it wanted to play fetch.

This was it. I'd tried, I really had, but staring into the maw of the beast really put things into perspective. Those fangs were fucking huge. I was going to die.

I felt pretty calm considering the circumstances. I let the sound of Cathy's screams wash over me, the gurgle of the zombie's groans pass through me and I simply ignored the hound's growling. Well, as much as I could anyway. They were very loud growls.

Unfortunately, my moment of peace didn't seem to extend to the demons: judging by the zombies continuing their shambled approach, getting closer and closer. Although, considering the hound's drool was now starting to pool on my chest -- rather than my legs -- it didn't really matter whether the zombies were moving or not. I was fucked either way.

I glanced over at Cathy, hoping to see my friend one last time. Instead, I glimpsed what very well may have been my salvation. There on the ground just inches away was the broken haft of the shovel: its snapped tip seeming to glint at me with promise. Holy crap -- that could actually work.

As the hound's gaping mouth descended upon me I quickly snatched up the makeshift spear from the ground, firmly wedging one end against the ground behind me and holding it just below the sharp tip which I positioned between the beast's jaws, hoping it would do the work for me.

I was not to be disappointed. The hound's maw swiftly lowered to my neck, the wooden shaft creeping into its throat as it slid, undetected, past the rows of fangs on display. I almost felt like laughing, this was going to be hilarious. The hound's jaws finally came to rest on either side of my neck, its mouth drooling with anticipation, ready to snap closed on my unprotected throat. However, the hound was more intelligent than I'd first assumed. It had one last thing for me before it killed me. Mockery. That's right, the fucking demon tilted its head so that one of its great, glowing, green eyes was looking down at me. It winked. It fucking winked. I was completely speechless, the bastard was actually toying with me.

Well. Fuck that I thought, swiftly pulling on the makeshift spear with all my strength and sending it hurtling into the throat of the beast. I grinned with satisfaction as I felt the tip wedge against something deep in the hounds throat, causing the demon to start choking violently. I kept pushing, determined to be the end of this hound, no matter what. My hands climbed lower and lower down the shaft, pushing more of the wood into the hound's mouth. I watched with grim satisfaction as the hound's choking seemed to get more and more violent, it's great head shaking with fury as it attempted to dislodge the weapon.