Dating : 14

-Who is the enemy?

They kept playing the same radio recordings all day. At night they were hunting.

Glenn could watch one at a time, bringing people, bodies or whatever resources they could find. There was no real sense, nor real idea behind their actions.

-I can’t seem to find signal, HQ is dead and probably the same goes for backup.

This time they were rounding up folks at the center, within the apartment complex itself.

He could realize there were individuals he knew. The voices, confused, panicked and shocked, coming out of the bland sacks over their heads.

If there was a way he could help, but it was clear they lost. Everyone lost, somehow. These…things were coming out of everywhere, not speaking up for nothing and just taking.

Taking everything.

-We can’t possibly face this, alone and naked. We need more men, firepower, anything! Until we get that there’s no fucking way, we need to get away from it all.

Now positioning themselves right below the block, poor Glenn from apartment 14 got his revolver ready. There was no telling what was the next move, he needed to get prepared.

And then, their formation became ready.

Facing towards the frightened peeker, one of them steps forward. It started pointing.

Pointing to the window, pointing to the man. 14 dropped to the floor as the frequency looped to the worst parts. Gunshots exploding amidst human cries and the last moments of heavy breathing, before thunder-like silence.

Nothing.

Glenn put himself closer to his door, now crawling towards the stairs. He couldn’t stay there, protected. Not anymore.

As the guy pushed his door towards himself, he was too scared to think or to consider anything else. He just sprinted with his face down, avoiding anything that could bring him back to that reality, repeating in his mind that there was nothing else to do.

Just run.

As fast as he passed the building’s exit, cement went flying right at the next step he would have taken.

Now onto the ground again, realizing he was just shot, the man living at the 14 turned around desperate, to the sudden realization.

Hand above shoulder, the…soldier thingy was grabbing, leading one of the hostages towards their prey. Everyone else was now surrounding the two, as the trembling shooter missed another one in the chamber, trying to not look at the presence right besides them. Now pointing to the dropped Glenn, soon to be red as target.

There was no time.

Silver the tool and heavy pushback making 14 almost go even lower when smoke escaped.

He did not miss. Instead, now the attacker went down and blood splattered into the creature’s suit.

That thing started walking, while the body painted around its boot, flowing crimson through grass and dirt.

Trigger pressed and projectile reached the beast’s maks. Last bullet.

Glenn’s heart was about to explode through his throat, he couldn’t stop that barely-wounded being and what he could see now was even worse. Pure black, tar-like substance pounding, descending from helment’s hole and dripping.

Dripping at the same rhythm 14, the apartment owner, felt his chest bursting. Inwards, outwards, as slowly it approached.

Every step meant a heavy heartbeat.

There was no face, there was just goo. No life, no understanding or reasoning, it was just death fast approaching and dread-filling pain.

But for that, the 14th beat. The decision was made and meant for the moment.

Glenn pulled his gun, pressing against his head. He would go with his own agency, wouldn’t watch or breathe whatever was coming to him. The end would come by his making, a last insubordination act to rebel.

And it stopped. Everything, everyone stopped at once. The pursuer wouldn’t move an inch, and if it could stare or look, kept watching steadily as 14 would get up and walk away.

Facing each other, no other actions needed.

Glenn, tired and obliterated. Exhausted and crumbling. He would not flinch, stumble or change his firm position.

The firearm remained glued to his skin, no matter what the man felt. He kept pressing, marching even while there was no way to see, back facing the unknown. Staring at his cruel stalker, no matter how much he walked.

Away.

That was the only thing 14 could think or grasp. From this place, from the grim reminder.

Created his terms and made its brick wall, for his sake.

He would not stop.