...I peeled the bandit's body off of me. Before me stood a woman holding a bloody axe, posed to strike if I made the wrong move…
I figured she would swing that axe down upon me as well, but another glance into her light brown eyes revealed caution instead of hate. Her light complexion with dark blonde hair that was covered in mud, cuts and scrapes across her skinny form told of many struggles. I would have considered her attractive if it weren't for the blood covered axe. I slowly stood to my feet with my arms extended as if to surrender to let her know that I was a friend. Her face broke out in a painful expression as she limped a step backwards. The circular shape of blood that soaked through her bandaged leg betrayed a gunshot wound. She remained silent and didn't seem interested in beginning a conversation, so I took the lead. Calmly, I relayed my name and my intentions of not wishing to harm her and that I only desired to escape the bandit. Something I said must have convinced her that I posed no threat because she lowered the bloody axe and let out a teary sigh as if she teetered on the edge of a mental breakdown. She began sharing the most interesting story. Her name was Rachel and the bandits were searching relentlessly for her and I had gotten caught in the middle of that search.
Voices outside the rear window interrupted her tale. I counted four of them. They came to investigate the shooting. From their conversation, I deduced that they were looking for the bandit that was laying on the floor dead. He must have been part of their group. I glanced back at Rachel to see a nervous wreck. It was going to be rather difficult to escape this situation on my own. Adding an injured woman to equation wasn't helping. It also didn't help that the city was still darkening under the colorful evening sky. I didn't intend on lingering around to see what would transpire. I sprang into action. I grabbed the backpack and the tactical vest from the dead bandit as well as the gun that slid out of reach during the struggle. I checked the ammunition level in the AK-47. Only a few shots had been fired. At the same time, Rachel gathered a few things of hers as well. I carefully opened the closet door, desperate not to make any noise for the bandits were just outside the school. I had Rachel wrap her arm around my shoulders and use me as a crutch to help her walk, or rather, stumble as quickly as possible. The voices seemed to be originating from the rear of the school building so we headed out the front entrance. We were very exposed in the middle of the street. Rachel spotted an alleyway across the street with greater cover than we currently had. The alley reminded me of those old gangster movies, only more apocalyptic from overgrown weeds and ivy combined with the rancid scent of rotting flesh. She was surprisingly fast for having to limp and requiring my support to walk. We may survive Cherno after all. The ever increasing feeling of urgency burned across my chest as my mind churned out anxiety like a broken firehose. The person who recommended to remain calm during adversity obviously had never been chased by murderous bandits during an infectious epidemic. Down the alley, we rounded the corner to discover our path blocked by several of the infected. I released Rachel’s arm so she could support herself against the building while I laid down my equipment and grabbed the axe. She was in no shape to fight. I advanced around the corner once again to face the infected. It was difficult to determine just how many crowded the alley. I swung that axe with a ferocity I'd never used before; one, two, three, four; I chopped through them like a hot knife through butter. Although, in this case, it was flesh and blood instead of butter. Several infected later, I ended the struggle and I felt quite satisfied with my slaughter. With a smile, I retreated. When I rounded the corner, my retreat was suddenly halted as I stood face to face with a bandit in the very spot where Rachel and our gear once laid. Once again, the barrel of a rifle was shoved in my face, only this time, the bandit’s demeanor was vastly different from my last encounter. The weapon shook under his frightened grip as he silently debated pulling the trigger. I used his hesitation to my advantage. I grabbed the barrel of the rifle and yanked it out of his hands while I simultaneously connected a direct punch to his nose. The hit was more painful to my hand than I had imagined. Before his blood could even drip out, I landed a hard kick to his abdomen. He stumbled backwards into several trash cans. The corner of my eye revealed a second bandit creeping up to my position. I threw myself to the asphalt as automatic weapons fire erupted throughout the alley. The bricks above me exploded into dust and hundreds of small particles as the bullets tore through the walls. I grabbed the rifle I had thrown behind me and returned fire. The weapon shook vigorously as each round exited the barrel with a deafening crack. The random blind fire wasn't aimed well enough to kill my enemy, however, it provided the chance I needed to escape. I jumped to my feet and grabbed my axe while I emptied the remainder of the weapon's magazine before I sped around the corner and down the alley where I had just chopped down the infected. I burst into the open street. A church to my right enticed me to enter with it's unbarred doors. I kicked open the door and ran inside. There wasn't much option for hiding. Next to the door sat a stained glass window adorned with decorative long curtains that reached the floor. I formulated a new plan. I removed the vest from my person and placed it along side the empty rifle as bait to lure my pursuers away from the curtain. Like a child playing hide and seek, I wrapped my body in the velvet curtains and waited.
The bandits didn't keep me waiting for long. The large door cried a lonely creek as it cautiously swung open. Footsteps whispered to my ears that my targets had entered the church and surrounded the abandoned equipment. My breath hastened as I silently slid out from behind the curtains. They were slouched over the equipment. I raised the axe over my head and swung it down with such a force that it became lodged in his body. He slumped to the floor. I placed my foot on his back for leverage as I lurched the axe from his skull. I transitioned to an unstable composer and faced the second bandit. The blood smeared over my face from my earlier slaughter aided my act. His eyes were wide open and his hands shook in terror. His cowardice and fear forced the pistol out of his hands and he stumbled to his knees before me. He placed his hands behind his head and begged for mercy. I gripped the axe in my hands in an intimidating manner as I slowly lowered myself to his kneeled level. I peered directly into his eyes allowing for a dramatic pause to heighten his rampant emotions.
“I need to know exactly what your people did with that woman in the alley. You will tell me what I wish to know one way or another,” I threatened in a slowed deepened voice as I caressed the sharp blade of the axe with my finger. “Now, shall we begin?”
I figured she would swing that axe down upon me as well, but another glance into her light brown eyes revealed caution instead of hate. Her light complexion with dark blonde hair that was covered in mud, cuts and scrapes across her skinny form told of many struggles. I would have considered her attractive if it weren't for the blood covered axe. I slowly stood to my feet with my arms extended as if to surrender to let her know that I was a friend. Her face broke out in a painful expression as she limped a step backwards. The circular shape of blood that soaked through her bandaged leg betrayed a gunshot wound. She remained silent and didn't seem interested in beginning a conversation, so I took the lead. Calmly, I relayed my name and my intentions of not wishing to harm her and that I only desired to escape the bandit. Something I said must have convinced her that I posed no threat because she lowered the bloody axe and let out a teary sigh as if she teetered on the edge of a mental breakdown. She began sharing the most interesting story. Her name was Rachel and the bandits were searching relentlessly for her and I had gotten caught in the middle of that search.
Voices outside the rear window interrupted her tale. I counted four of them. They came to investigate the shooting. From their conversation, I deduced that they were looking for the bandit that was laying on the floor dead. He must have been part of their group. I glanced back at Rachel to see a nervous wreck. It was going to be rather difficult to escape this situation on my own. Adding an injured woman to equation wasn't helping. It also didn't help that the city was still darkening under the colorful evening sky. I didn't intend on lingering around to see what would transpire. I sprang into action. I grabbed the backpack and the tactical vest from the dead bandit as well as the gun that slid out of reach during the struggle. I checked the ammunition level in the AK-47. Only a few shots had been fired. At the same time, Rachel gathered a few things of hers as well. I carefully opened the closet door, desperate not to make any noise for the bandits were just outside the school. I had Rachel wrap her arm around my shoulders and use me as a crutch to help her walk, or rather, stumble as quickly as possible. The voices seemed to be originating from the rear of the school building so we headed out the front entrance. We were very exposed in the middle of the street. Rachel spotted an alleyway across the street with greater cover than we currently had. The alley reminded me of those old gangster movies, only more apocalyptic from overgrown weeds and ivy combined with the rancid scent of rotting flesh. She was surprisingly fast for having to limp and requiring my support to walk. We may survive Cherno after all. The ever increasing feeling of urgency burned across my chest as my mind churned out anxiety like a broken firehose. The person who recommended to remain calm during adversity obviously had never been chased by murderous bandits during an infectious epidemic. Down the alley, we rounded the corner to discover our path blocked by several of the infected. I released Rachel’s arm so she could support herself against the building while I laid down my equipment and grabbed the axe. She was in no shape to fight. I advanced around the corner once again to face the infected. It was difficult to determine just how many crowded the alley. I swung that axe with a ferocity I'd never used before; one, two, three, four; I chopped through them like a hot knife through butter. Although, in this case, it was flesh and blood instead of butter. Several infected later, I ended the struggle and I felt quite satisfied with my slaughter. With a smile, I retreated. When I rounded the corner, my retreat was suddenly halted as I stood face to face with a bandit in the very spot where Rachel and our gear once laid. Once again, the barrel of a rifle was shoved in my face, only this time, the bandit’s demeanor was vastly different from my last encounter. The weapon shook under his frightened grip as he silently debated pulling the trigger. I used his hesitation to my advantage. I grabbed the barrel of the rifle and yanked it out of his hands while I simultaneously connected a direct punch to his nose. The hit was more painful to my hand than I had imagined. Before his blood could even drip out, I landed a hard kick to his abdomen. He stumbled backwards into several trash cans. The corner of my eye revealed a second bandit creeping up to my position. I threw myself to the asphalt as automatic weapons fire erupted throughout the alley. The bricks above me exploded into dust and hundreds of small particles as the bullets tore through the walls. I grabbed the rifle I had thrown behind me and returned fire. The weapon shook vigorously as each round exited the barrel with a deafening crack. The random blind fire wasn't aimed well enough to kill my enemy, however, it provided the chance I needed to escape. I jumped to my feet and grabbed my axe while I emptied the remainder of the weapon's magazine before I sped around the corner and down the alley where I had just chopped down the infected. I burst into the open street. A church to my right enticed me to enter with it's unbarred doors. I kicked open the door and ran inside. There wasn't much option for hiding. Next to the door sat a stained glass window adorned with decorative long curtains that reached the floor. I formulated a new plan. I removed the vest from my person and placed it along side the empty rifle as bait to lure my pursuers away from the curtain. Like a child playing hide and seek, I wrapped my body in the velvet curtains and waited.
The bandits didn't keep me waiting for long. The large door cried a lonely creek as it cautiously swung open. Footsteps whispered to my ears that my targets had entered the church and surrounded the abandoned equipment. My breath hastened as I silently slid out from behind the curtains. They were slouched over the equipment. I raised the axe over my head and swung it down with such a force that it became lodged in his body. He slumped to the floor. I placed my foot on his back for leverage as I lurched the axe from his skull. I transitioned to an unstable composer and faced the second bandit. The blood smeared over my face from my earlier slaughter aided my act. His eyes were wide open and his hands shook in terror. His cowardice and fear forced the pistol out of his hands and he stumbled to his knees before me. He placed his hands behind his head and begged for mercy. I gripped the axe in my hands in an intimidating manner as I slowly lowered myself to his kneeled level. I peered directly into his eyes allowing for a dramatic pause to heighten his rampant emotions.
“I need to know exactly what your people did with that woman in the alley. You will tell me what I wish to know one way or another,” I threatened in a slowed deepened voice as I caressed the sharp blade of the axe with my finger. “Now, shall we begin?”
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