Chapter 3: A New Dawn

Continuation of "SURVIVE THE NIGHT" a short story

It was a raging thunderstorm, loud and notorious. Though there is a disturbing silence amidst the downpour and thunder. None of us liked it.

Especially me. I'm Jen.

I was sleeping for a few hours on my sister Charlie's lap. It felt like I was back with my mother cuddling in her bed during storms, hugging her tight with each lightning and thunder, getting cozy and warmed up. Sometimes kicking dad out of the way so that Charlie and I can play with mom. Dad was a strong man. He made us all feel like we were princesses. He was a man of wit, he was. Straightforward, honest, not an ounce of fear even when facing a bear while we were trekking in the forest, protecting us all 3 ladies. We grew up watching his back. He was a real hero. I always felt Charlie was more like him and not me. He did all he could as a father to make us believe in ourselves.

I wish I could do that. 'To believe in me.'

You can do it

Huh?!

Charlie: "I said you can do it"

Me: "How'd you know what I'm thinking"

She laughed and said 'I know.'

Me: "Charlie, you know how dad…"

Charlie: "Jen, Dad is no longer here. You have to accept it. But he did prepare us to survive on our own. I am so amazed that it feels like he almost knew what was coming. It is time to show him what we learned. It is time for us to show him we have grown and can do more than that stinky old man."

Her voice fell when she said the last words. I can sense the pain because it hurts me as well.

I jumped and hugged her. Tears flowed down our cheeks. I couldn't let her go and neither was she.

Charlie: "Come on! We have to leave as early as possible and we can't stay until we reach the National reserve park. It's almost dawn."

Me: "yeah."

At that moment, there was a loud screech outside, an inhuman sound. It was like a war cry.

We rushed outside, we stood over the balcony-like structure on the first floor and saw more than two dozen infected standing in the rain outside the wired fence.

IT WAS A WAR CRY.

How did they come here? How's this even possible? I don't remember us being followed to the camp. How are we supposed to escape from here? We still got to get our supplies. They're right outside the camp. We can't escape. We're going to die.

We. are. Going. To...

JEN!!!!!

Me: Charlie!!

Charlie: "Focus. Keep your eyes on me and follow. Don't get lost. I need you with me. Do you hear me.?"

Me: "yes"

Charlie:"JEN. DO YOU HEAR ME"

Me: "YES"

Charlie: "Good. Follow me."

We ran to the ground floor. Kurt was standing outside. There are less than 250 meters between the fence and the building.

Kurt: "We have land mines already placed from the fence to the building and 4 of our guys are on the roof with a sniper rifle. We have a dozen or so grenades on the left, right over there, but those are last resort. Guns on the right. Pick one yourself and go to the first floor and get ready.

Get ready.? GET READY?!! Get ready for what? What are you adults for then? I was about to ask them my mind. But I have one similar to them, standing next to me the whole time. I looked at Charlie and her face was like a military soldier listening orders to a commander or a sergeant or something.

God !!! I understand the situation we are in but still, why am I the only one stuck with these lunatics and infected psychos. God, please save me!!!!

The next thing I know is that Charlie is steadily walking and grabbing a small hand revolver, an SMG, and a rifle, and she even took some grenades.

I was wondering whether she actually knew how to use them all. In my opinion, fighting and dying is honestly miserable but dying by our own weapons is pathetically miserable. I hope she knows what she was doing. She came back and handed me the gun she owned and we walked to the first floor and while we were climbing, I couldn't hold back with the thought. I need to ask her. I had to.

Me: Charlie!

Charlie: Hmm?

Me: Do you know how to use them all?

Charlie: I youtube'd them once.

Me: What?! Is that even legal?

Charlie: It is now.

That is it. It is officially decided that we will not have a grave to rest in peace.

We hid behind the balcony and Charlie took her rifle and got ready. I was getting ready with my gun as well.

Dad! Be with us.

Kurt was moving towards them a few steps and started shouting in words that any normal human being will be in a rage and kill him on the spot.

I was not sure why, but the infected seem to be hating Kurt for some reason. I don't think they want him to be like them, I think they just want him to be shredded into pieces.

The infected can no longer hold on and start jumping over the wired fence as if it was a signal. They're running like mad dogs all over the place.

All of us started shooting and the snipers got two of them immediately. One of the infected ran over a land mine and his body blew off into pieces like a smashed watermelon.

The infected were raging with anger and started roaring all kinds of noises and ran towards the entrance.

Charlie was handling her rifle like a pro shooter and took out more than 3 of them. I accidentally shot one of them on the head and he fell down.

The land mines and the rest of Kurt's men killed all of the remaining infected and it seemed easy that we were able to kill them all.

Everyone was shouting in victory. But was it really the end?!

All of us were stunned when we heard the sound of a landmine go off behind the building.

Shit! We were surrounded.

Charlie and I ran to the other side and stood beside a window and saw more than a dozen infected enter the building.

Kurt and his men were already on the move shooting, but some of them escaped to the floor where we were.

Charlie shot one of them dead, my hands were trembling and I couldn't aim at them properly. I shot them randomly and hit one. One of them came straight at me and I couldn't jump or shoot. Charlie hit it hard with the back of her rifle. Before I could blink, one of them flew towards her and tried to bite her. She tried to hold it with her rifle and struggled hard. The infected was trying to bite through the iron to get to her. It jumped, scratched, hit hard to bite her, and with each push, Charlie was losing strength. No human being can hold against such aggressiveness. 

I was looking at her to help somehow, but even while fighting against such a crazy aggressive bloody infected beast, she was looking out for me. It was like my dad. It was exactly like our dad.

At that flustered moment, our eyes met. I knew she couldn't hold any longer. 

She asked me to run away. 

I stood there in a kind of trance. She looked at me and I knew what it meant. She is going to blow herself. She was trying to reach the grenade. She was shouting at the same time asking me to run. She reached the grenade and took away the pin.

She wants to save me. My father, my mother, and my sister all want to save me and not themselves.

Why me? WHY ME?

I CAN HELP TOO.

Something snapped. Everything moved slowly.

I took the iron rod laying down on the floor. As if sensing danger, the aggressive infected paused for a moment and looked at me.

DIE.

I hit the sad sick psychopath that held down my sister on the head. There was a huge hole. I hit it again. The hole was bigger and blood spurted all over. I hit it again.

Again. Again. Again.

Charlie quickly pushed it away, got up and threw the grenade away through the window, and killed more of the infected that came from behind the building.

I immediately took the gun, pulled her up, and went downstairs. It was all like a quick action sequence in a fast action movie, I shot one on the left, Charlie knifed one on the right. I grabbed a semi-automatic and started firing like a raging lunatic. One of them caught my bag from behind and I stabbed it right on the eye socket and the second hit its upper jaw leaving its mouth hanging and the third swing to its neck killing it on the spot.

"DIE. DIE. DIE you maniacs, you are not allowed to live on this earth." I was shouting out my throat.

I was small and swift with actions and I was on a killing rampage of those sick infected psycho's.

We were advancing and nothing could stop us. We killed every one of those damn infected. It really was a bloodbath.

Charlie looked at me surprised. She ran and hugged me tightly.

Dad! I was able to save Charlie. I am not sure if you can see this from above. If you can, please take care of us as always.

Kurt: "Woohoo !! Never thought the little one was a killer. It's like you awoke a sleeping lion or something. Your parents would be proud of you lot"

It was at that time we noticed that the sun rose to show us 'A New Dawn'.