Chapter Text
Heavy winds rolled down from the mountains and rattled the worn wooden shutters against the windows. Along with them came a downpour of rain, whipped into a frenzy and drumming on the old tower’s walls. Low rumbles of thunder reached a crescendo and flashes of lightning peeled through the cracks of wood, scattering dazzling shapes over the room.
The storms in this climate were sudden and unforgiving, yet the old monastery had stood the test of time and weathered them continuously. Even so, the barrage of noise stirred Kyle awake and a hand instinctively reached for the pistol upon the small table next to the couch. He lay in silence, watching the ceiling and listened.
No moans or shuffles came from the double doors behind him. No raking, growling or screeching, either. It would be dampened by the din outside, of course, but his hearing had become so finely tuned to danger that even the slightest creak would put him on alert; no doubt fuelled by an unhealthy dose of paranoia.
It seemed this refuge remained safe. For now.
Taking a deep breath, he gently lowered the weapon back onto the table and brought his hand to his face to rub at his eyes. How long had he been asleep for? The last thing he remembered was dragging himself up the tower’s stairs, utterly exhausted from the long drive back and the fighting that had come before it. He must have collapsed the moment he got to the couch.
As the fog of sleep lifted, imagery flashed behind his eyelids. The shootout at the castle, Sven taking a bullet, the endless pursuit of the Baron... And the banquet. He shook his head, trying to block out the memory, but it returned stronger. He saw Spike and Dr. Camilo die all over again and that feeling of helplessness, unable to do anything but watch returned like a heavy weight.
The Baron was gone, but at a cost... With consequences as of yet unknown.
Was it worth it?
Kyle’s eyes flickered open as the question, seemingly out of nowhere, repeated.
“Was it worth it?”
A familiar voice dispersed his thoughts, filling him with suffocating dread. He bolted upright, grabbed the pistol and aimed it into the shadows of the room. Dim candles had been lit on the desks and tables nearby but the remainder was a void only revealed when the lightning struck.
When it did, the Baron stood – his pale face lit up ghoulishly for the briefest moment.
“Wh – what the fuck!?”
Kyle sprung to his feet and knocked the table over, its noise drowned out by the booming thunder. Marius chuckled, his smooth, charismatic voice unmistakable. He stepped forward, just enough to be seen and brought his fingers together with a disarming smirk.
“What’s the matter, Crane? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
“You’re not real – I fucking killed you!”
Kyle’s voice shook but he spat out the words, struggling to believe what he was seeing. The gun trembled in his hands, his body reacting with intense fear as if it recalled what the man before him had put it through. He fought against it, trying to pull the trigger but his finger refused to comply, frozen in place.
“But I am real, Kyle.”
His reply was cool and calm. He drew nearer, his icy eyes lingering on him.
“Stay the hell away from me!”
“Or what? You’ll shoot me?”
Marius laughed, spreading out his arms and took another step as if to mock him.
“Go on then, Crane. Shoot me. Riddle me with holes.”
Kyle glared and gritted his teeth, the pistol wavering in his grip. His heartbeat quickened as did his breathing, watching the man slowly approach him. He posed no threat other than his mere presence... And it terrified him. Each time the lightning flashed, the Baron got closer.
'Damn it, Crane – get a fucking hold of yourself!'
He felt the trigger move at last and a gunshot echoed throughout the room. Marius vanished, the void now unoccupied.
His voice was next to him then.
“Far too slow.”
Yelling in surprise, Kyle spun to the left and fired, only for his nemesis to appear on his right. He fired again, backing off to the middle of the room. The Baron’s face flashed in the dark, his laughter filling Kyle's ears as he manifested all around him only to disappear over and over. Loud pops cut through the howling wind, the bullets chasing phantoms but never hitting their mark.
Click. Click.
Empty, the gun’s hot barrel pressed against the grinning Baron’s forehead.
“Already spent? I made you better than that.”
Pale fingers snatched Kyle’s wrist, pulling his aim to the side. Like obeying a silent command, the weapon was dropped against his will. Panic made him lash out with a punch, hitting nothing but air. The candles flickered out and he spun around, smothered by darkness until the next lightning strike.
“This - this isn't happening..." He muttered, trying to reassure himself.
This was a god damn nightmare.
"You're gone! Get the fuck out of my head!”
The Baron clicked his tongue in response. Kyle turned to find him sitting on the couch, one leg crossed over the other.
“No, Crane. You see, I made you what you are. I’m an intrinsic part of your psyche, your past and your present. I’m never truly gone. Tell me, was it everything you dreamed it would be? Your freedom, such as it is?”
He glanced around the room, before settling his stare onto Kyle again.
“Squatting in ruins. I could have given you so much more, if only you were obedient.”
“Fuck you!”
Kyle launched at the couch, trying to grab the man’s neck and throttle him only for his form to dissipate into shadowy mist.
“What did it cost, Crane?”
Growling, Kyle jumped to his feet and ran at the Baron standing nearby, delivering a high kick to the bookshelf and toppling it over. Fear had given way to frustration and he could feel the build-up of anger from within like he had countless times before; a feverish wave of adrenaline that threatened to take over.
“Your friends? Their lives were given for your selfish crusade. Perhaps they would still be alive if you had simply stayed caged."
“SHUT UP!”
He grabbed a chair and threw it across the room, missing his target. The brittle wood crumpled into pieces on impact with the wall.
“The truth hurts, doesn’t it? Let’s face it, Kyle – they’re dead because of you. The failures hiding in their cave will die out eventually, because of you. The ones in the town may just survive for a little while, but it won’t last. You haven’t won – all you’ve done is prolong the inevitable.”
The harsh words hit home, cutting through the madness of the moment and made him pause. He wanted to deny them, desperately so if only to spurn his tormentor, but there was a sting of truth to them that stabbed deep. A dark chuckle came from the suited man, who then whispered into Kyle’s ear.
“Was it really worth it?”
Kyle’s knees buckled as a flood of emotions took hold, paired with a searing migraine which ruptured through his skull. He cried out in agony and held his head, mental imagery rapidly flashing before him; the terror in Harran, the years of experiments and torture in the lab, the Chimeras - each as horrific as the last - and the faces of the people he had met, both alive and dead.
Rotting corpses reached out to him, begging for release through sunken eyes. The moans of the damned were a deafening chorus. He saw himself fighting off wave after wave of the dead that threatened to drown and devour him with nothing but his bare fists. There was so much so fast it was overwhelming; his trauma rewinding and forcing him to relive it a second time. He heard his own warped screams, human mixed with something unspeakable, though he wasn't certain if that was part of the sensation or reality.
“One day, Crane, you’ll snap. You are foolish to think that you can tame what you really are. You’ll kill everyone around you and become the monster you were meant to be... And I’ll be here waiting.”
“NO!”
He screamed with pure, unbridled rage. The red haze took over and he snatched the Baron's jacket, who was at last tangible. The man laughed as he was thrown to the ground and promptly received a flurry of punches, each one producing a wet crack and bloodying Kyle's knuckles. His torturer's face caved in from the repeated impact of bone on bone, teeth spluttering over the floor and his jaw unhinging, yet the laughing persisted.
Kyle pulled at the limbs; an arm was ripped loose from its socket and snapped in twain from the immense force behind it. A leg was bent in a way it shouldn’t, being pulled free from the hip and discarded like tearing a drumstick from a chicken’s carcass. His hand dug deep through the ribcage, dismantling innards and crushing organs in his grasp before pulling out intestines like party streamers. Piece by piece, he made the Baron's body unrecognisable; the only identity of its former life being its shredded clothing.
The laughing finally ceased.
Blood, flesh and gore painted the dusty wooden boards, the closest wall and the ceiling. Trembling over his prey, Kyle breathed heavily. The rush was gone, leaving him feeling light headed and numb. Sweat ran down his face, his vacant stare lingering on the bare, stained neck.
A powerful, instinctual urge drew him closer and he lowered his head. The strong smell of copper and offal assaulted his nose but he strangely didn’t find it revolting. He bit into the supple flesh, breaking the skin and feeling the gelatinous texture in his mouth which made him instantly gag. He spat it out, trying to pull away, but the mesmerising scent – sweeter somehow – lulled him back. He took another bite, then another, until he was face-deep in fresh kill.
Ravenous, he tore chunks of muscle and sinew away with his teeth, barely chewing before swallowing. He was starving, like nothing had satisfied him until now. Each mouthful made him feel stronger, more alive and his mind was so much clearer… It was pure ecstasy.
This euphoric experience was interrupted by another voice, though not one he was expecting to hear.
“Kyle?”
His eyes snapped open and he turned his head towards the voice with a savage snarl, pouncing and reaching into the dark.
A choked gasp brought him back to reality. The room was lit again and the storm, though still present, was much calmer than it was before.
Olivia struggled in his grip, his hands clenched around her throat.
Startled, Kyle quickly let go and Olivia staggered backwards to lean against a desk, fighting for air.
“O-Olivia?! Shit – I’m sorry! I didn’t –“
The woman coughed hoarsely, rubbing at her neck with relief. She raised a hand towards Kyle to cut him off. Her voice was strained, speaking between short gasps.
“That’s... The second time you’ve tried to strangle me. I guess I can’t blame you for that one, after all that’s happened.”
“It – it wasn’t like that at all. The Baron was here, I –“
Kyle stopped, noticing the complete disarray the room was in. Bullet holes peppered seemingly random parts of the walls, catching the odd bookcase along with it. Books had fallen from shelves and littered the floor along with crumpled paper. Most of the furniture was overturned or broken – much like the chair he’d thrown that was now only usable as firewood. It was like a riot had taken place, the once calm study a chaotic mess.
“The Baron...?”
Olivia gave Kyle a quizzical look.
“Kyle, the Baron is dead... What happened in here? I heard yelling and gunshots but I couldn’t get inside because the door was locked. I thought we’d had a breach.”
“I... I don’t know.”
He turned to pick up the spent pistol on the floor, the bullet casings having rolled in different directions throughout the space. It was still warm. Whatever had happened wasn’t a dream, it was more like a severe hallucination. He could have lured the volatiles right to them. They had been lucky that the storm had covered their tracks.
Olivia cautiously approached, inspecting the gun for a brief moment before focusing on him.
“You were ... Changed when I came in. Completely enraged. I tried to talk you down but it was like you couldn’t hear me at all.”
Kyle looked away, holstering the gun. Olivia gently placed her hand upon his arm, only for it to be shrugged off.
“Kyle... Talk to me. Please.”
He walked towards the couch, distracting himself with setting the furniture back to where it should be; starting by lifting the toppled table so it was upright once more. It was just something normal to do, to clear his head.
Watching him, Olivia sighed. Guilt still sat deep in the pit of her stomach, something she had yet to bring up. The car drive ‘home’ had been a silent and tense one. Both had things to say but neither wanted to be the one to start. They were both as stubborn as each other.
“I'm leaving in the morning.”
Kyle announced, pulling his duffle bag and backpack off the floor and rifling through what little belongings he had to his name, before yanking his jacket free from the door of the cabinet it hung from and dumping it aside.
Olivia blinked, unsure if she had heard him right at first.
“What? Leaving?”
Kyle retrieved a roll of duct tape from a pocket of the larger bag, biting a length off to repair one of the fraying straps.
“Uh huh.”
“Why? You can't just leave - there's still –“
“The Baron is gone. There's nothing else for me here.”
“Kyle, what about the others? Aiden, Lydia, the exiles? They –“
“They don't need me, Olivia. They can figure out shit on their own. With him gone, his mercenaries will either turn tail or kill each other. Whoever doesn't I'm sure the Sheriff can handle.”
She frowned, quickly becoming irritated with being brushed off and stormed over to stand next to him, leaning so to try and get him to look at her.
“And what about me? You said that you would help me leave this place.”
Kyle shot her a cold look.
“That was before you decided to treat me like fucking lab rat and trick me into injecting myself with that shit.”
“That ‘shit’ is what helped you survive up to now!”
“Oh, I’m sorry, would you like a thank you? Should I be grateful that you got me out to do your field testing?"
“I told you, I didn’t have a choice!”
“You always had a choice, Olivia. You fucking lied to me and used me. Now I’ve done hell knows what to my body, on top of whatever that bastard did to me!”
“Don’t put this all on me, Kyle! You wanted to kill the Baron, no matter what it took! I helped you to do that. I did this to save my Father, I know, but I’m not proud of it. People died because of me!”
The two faced each other, both of them receiving a glare though the young scientist's was teary. Despite her anger with him and his selfishness, guilt and regret weakened her resolve. She muttered quietly, her voice shaking as she held herself and gazed towards the floor.
“I never used you. Lied, yes, but not use. I needed you. You needed me. I never wanted any of this. I just wanted to escape with my Father... And now he’s gone.”
She walked away, head down, towards one of the windows. She opened the shutters, looking out into the storm. Rain pinged against the worn glass, wisps of breeze seeping in through a crack. The mountains were scarcely visible in the night; jagged shadows against a clouded sky.
Kyle stood in silence, frowning and mentally scalding himself. He was angry with her, yes, but she had suffered too. If it wasn’t for her bravery, he and the others would have been murdered around that table. It was easy to blame her for his friend’s death but she wasn’t the one holding the knife.
She had lost someone as well, but with all the fighting and surviving it had been forgotten.
Running a hand down his face, he sighed, then slowly – begrudgingly – approached Olivia to join her by the window. She either didn’t notice his presence or didn’t care.
“He told me I could be anyone, that I could go anywhere. How can I, in a world like this?”
A sob escaped. She hugged herself tightly, wishing so dearly that it was him comforting her. She never got to say goodbye; he was already gone and turned when she found him. The most loving thing she could do for him was also the hardest. One bullet was all it took.
Warmth was felt on her shoulder, Kyle’s hand gently resting upon it. Surprised by the touch, she turned to look at him and he quickly pulled away, expecting disapproval. Instead she clung to him and burst into tears, burying her face into his shirt.
Just as surprised by the reaction, Kyle stood awkwardly stiff, uncertain of what to do until finally wrapping his arms around her in a hug. It had been so long since he’d done such a thing that it felt alien to him. He wasn’t used to being this close to people. Not anymore.
“I’m so sorry, Kyle. I’m so sorry for everything that’s happened to you. I’m sorry for all that I’ve done. Please forgive me...”
Taking a deep breath, he watched the rain and tried to soothe her by rubbing his hand over her back.
“It’s alright... I’m sorry, too. I shouldn’t have said those things. Without your help, I’d be dead by now. I owe you a lot.”
Olivia appreciated the words, even if they made her cry harder. Had she really saved his life or doomed him to a worse existence? She had done what she was forced to do, ensuring Kyle had injected the GSBs from each horrific experiment, but he was never meant to live. All the Baron wanted was his infused blood and he ended up using it on himself in a desperate gambit, but he was human. Kyle wasn’t. He was unique.
Could the state she had found him in been a warning sign? Hallucinations were expected considering his mental state, but the way he had looked at her...
Kyle stayed quiet, listening to the sobs which began to grow quieter. She needed to let it out. The least he could do was be there for her.
Something moved in the darkness outside. A red glow. He blinked his eyes into focus, whatever it was fading into the inky landscape.
‘God, I’m tired... Starting to see things...’
A strange sensation, like electric tingles, rose from his feet and trailed up his spine. Along with it came a high-pitched drone that assailed his ears and muffled out the world. He grimaced, clutching Olivia a little tighter and he felt her shift in his arms. She spoke to him but it was too distant to be heard. He remembered feeling this way when his telepathy was being blocked out, though this was much stronger.
Something was coming.
He winced, squinting through the discomfort and saw the red glow again rapidly approaching the window. A hulking silhouette surrounded it.
Two fiery eyes bore into his horrified stare.
Time slowed down. He threw himself to the right, holding Olivia tightly and dived out of the way from the shattering glass and rupturing wood. The wall broke apart around the frame, sending bricks, shards and rainwater into the library. Kyle landed on top of Olivia, shielding her from the hail of rubble. Sound returned all at once and it was obnoxiously loud to the point of making his head spin. He groaned from the impact, the landing a little rougher than planned.
Heavy footfalls caused the old floorboards to creak in protest and the two looked behind them to see their assailant. Shock and awe overcame them both with Kyle uttering absently.
“That’s... New...”
It resembled a volatile, but a much different strain. Far larger than those they had seen before, it towered over them both. Its leathery flesh was blackened as though burned and calcified bone had layered over its torso, legs and arms much like armour. Spiked protrusions jutted out from its back, elbows and ribs. The red glow he saw earlier emanated from its chest cavity, shifting with its movement like molten lava.
The creature’s red eyes locked onto them, its clawed feet scraping at the wood as it took a step and flexed the talons at the end of its fingers. Its split jaw opened widely, revealing rows of dagger-like teeth and it bellowed out a roar that rattled their bodies like heavy bass.
Overcoming his surprise, Kyle got to his feet and ushered Olivia away. She scrambled along the floor, making as much distance from the creature as she could.
“Olivia, grab what you can and get downstairs! We gotta get out of here!”
“What about you!?”
“I’ll keep it distracted. More will be here any minute and the only way we’re gonna get out of this is on wheels, got it?”
“Got it!”
She snatched Kyle’s bags and then her own, hurrying over to her study and grabbing what research material she could. The creature’s gaze followed her, until a sharp whistle brought its attention back to Kyle.
“Eyes on me, big guy.”
Hissing, the monster trailed after Kyle and he led it towards the largest part of the room. It began to circle him, watching his every movement. He clenched his fists, readying himself for a strike. This game of chicken was agonising, with neither side wanting to let their guard down. Odd. Volatiles weren’t slow or stupid but they also didn’t usually hesitate.
It abruptly closed the distance between them and swiped at him. Kyle hopped backwards, then ducked to avoid the follow up swipe from its other set of claws. He weaved to the left, the rush of air from its swinging limb felt before its fist sank into the floorboards. The ancient floor groaned and shook with the impact, causing him to stumble. Olivia lost her balance and slammed into a cabinet with a grunt, using it to prop herself up. Kyle grabbed hold of a pillar to help him stay upright. It was going to destroy this place with its brute strength and bury them both if this continued.
“Kyle! I got what I can – the structure is weakening!”
“I know – get out of here, Olivia! I’ll join you once you give me the signal!”
The woman nodded, hurrying to the double doors and trying to tug one open. The shifting boards made it difficult, the bottom of the door catching on warped wood. Rising, the creature pulled its fist free from the newly formed hole and focused on Olivia again, as if losing interest in its original target. She noticed its shadow encroaching on the wall next to her and looked back, realising that it was hunting her now. Gasping, she desperately worked on forcing the door ajar.
A chair hit the creature’s back, shattering on the craggy spines.
“I’m still here, asshole!”
The volatile turned to look at Kyle, the pulsating glow under its skin looking hotter. It snarled, bearing its teeth. He bought Olivia precious time to squeeze through the gap she had made, leaving him alone with the beast.
“Yeah, that’s right – it’s me you want!”
Roaring, the creature charged towards him like an angry bull. Wood split and crumbled under the stomps, causing parts of the boards in its wake to fall away to the floor below.
‘Oh, boy...’
He steadied himself on the rocking, uneven surface, waiting for the right moment to dodge out of the way. There was little point in fighting – he wasn’t armed but he also needed to conserve his energy. Escape was his priority, not just for his sake but for Olivia’s too.
When it drew too close for comfort, Kyle jumped to the right. He expected it to barrel past him, but instead the monster skidded to a halt, digging in its claws to slow itself, then swiped for him. He ducked behind the pillar just in time, claws raking into its surface and gouging out chunks of wood and sawdust. The buckling of the pillar caused the ceiling to crack and its strength weakened under the weight.
Kyle ran, his pursuer right behind him. The floor quaked and displaced more boards, creating hazards to avoid. He heard it rear up and ducked, dropping into a slide. Claws swung overhead, cutting through the air with lethal force.
He sprung to his feet, only to sink again and lose his momentum. The floor gave way around his foot, throwing him off balance and causing him to fall forwards; his quick reflexes allowing him to land on his palms and not on his face.
"Ngh...!"
He wrenched his foot free, wincing at the painful flare in his ankle and noticed the shadow looming over him just in time.
Kyle rolled to the right, a foot landing where he was seconds ago. Scrambling away on his hands and knees, he tried to get up only for his ankle to flare again; this time caught in a vice-like grip.
A powerful tug pulled him backwards, sending him to the floor again and causing a gasp from the sudden jolt.
“Gah!”
He rolled over to see the beast hunched over him, its jaws open and primed to deliver the killing blow. He delivered a swift kick to its face with his other foot before it had the chance to lunge. His boot connected with its nose which gave out a wet crunch as it bent and broke. It screeched in pain, making his ears ring and he kicked again for good measure.
“Get the fuck off me!”
It was enough to make it let go. Free from its clutches, Kyle dragged himself up and hurried to the other side of the room, albeit with a slight limp. He needed to slow it down or he'd never make it out. He looked up at the chandelier hanging from the ceiling and spied the crumbling pillar, with the monster in-between.
Without a moment to lose, Kyle sprinted back towards the beast which turned to look at him with dark blood seeping from its nostrils. He hopped onto a toppled bookshelf and propelled himself from it to reach the chandelier, swinging and delivering a dive kick to the roaring creature's chest.
It was a direct hit. The volatile was knocked off balance and into the pillar, crashing through it and bringing down an avalanche of stone and support beams along with a waterfall of dust. It revealed a hill of rubble once it dispersed.
Panting, Kyle took a moment to catch his breath.
<Kyle? I'm in the car, are you okay?>
His radio buzzed, Olivia's voice coming through. He tugged it free from his belt, pressing the receiver.
“Y-yeah. Yeah, I'm okay... ” He wiped sweat from his face with the back of his hand.
<Alright, good. I'm by the gate.>
“On my way...”
Unmistakable howls came from outside, multiple of them. His blood ran cold, looking to the obvious, gaping hole in their formerly safe base of operations.
Chitters and clicks announced their arrival. Two volatiles – regular ones this time but just as deadly – climbed through the hole illuminated by lightning. Kyle was already backing away when they saw him. They roared, their split jaws rising like spider fangs and immediately gave chase.
‘Fuck – fuck – fuck!’
He sprinted for the open door, just about squeezing through the gap. His hunters collided with the obstacle, pounding and clawing against it. Their haunting cries echoed throughout the tower stairwell whilst Kyle rapidly descended the steps until he was blocked by yet more rubble. He leant over the railing, trying to find an alternative route that didn’t involve breaking his neck, but it was still a long way down.
“Shit...”
The door strained against the strength of the volatiles ramming it. He was running out of time.
Swaying in the centre of the shaft was the rope for the bell above. It was his only chance.
He clambered onto the uneven slabs of stone as high as he could, spreading out his arms for balance and stepped lightly along a beam that perilously hung over the pit. It should, he hoped, get him close enough. His eyes were locked onto the rope, resisting the urge to look down.
An almighty crash was heard from upstairs. The door broke off its hinges and his pursuers bolted out into the stairwell. He heard their rapid, snarling breaths as they got closer and closer. It was now or never.
He made a leap of faith. The volatile that reached him first pounced.
Latching onto the thick rope, Kyle clung for dear life. It swung out of the hunter’s reach and it tumbled towards the stone floor below, screeching. The noise was cut off by a sickening thud.
After slumbering for years untouched, the great bell rang once more... And no doubt called every damn thing lurking in the woods to dinner.
“Holy shit... Holy shit...”
Of course, the rope still had momentum and it swung back in the other direction towards the second volatile. It made the jump, but it wasn’t the rope it was aiming for.
A crushing grasp was felt around his right leg and the sudden extra weight almost made him lose his hold. He yelped, slipping a short way and feeling the friction of the rough material burn into his palms. The volatile clung to his shin with both hands, its claws digging through his jeans.
They swung back and forth, the vibrations from the chiming bell running through the thick cord. Kyle needed to get this thing off him and fast before they both fell to their deaths.
He could feel his hitchhiker trying to climb and hissed in discomfort, kicking his numbing leg in an attempt to shake it loose. No dice.
In a last ditch effort, he leant into the rope and used their combined weight to increase the speed and trajectory. The first swing got them close to the opposite wall, but not quite close enough. Gritting his teeth, he tried again.
‘Come on... Come on!’
The second swing brought him to the stone surface and he pushed off it with his free foot, sending them back again. He flicked a glance downwards to check where his passenger was; the volatile staring up at him and snarling. It reached up with its one clawed hand, ready to rake his body to shreds.
Air rushed past him as he swung forwards again, sending them both on a collision course with the wall.
At the last moment, Kyle pulled and twisted himself around so he was facing the opposite direction. The volatile was slammed into the wall at full speed, causing it to release him. It clawed at the air, screaming as it fell and landed on a spear of broken beam, impaling it. He rested his head against the rope, breathing heavily whilst waiting for the swinging to ease.
‘Too close...’
Shaking his leg to try and get feeling back through his muscles, he continued the perilous descent. It felt like it went on for hours until he reached the bottom.
He’d never been so grateful to feel solid ground but he couldn’t let his guard down yet. Luckily downstairs was still free of threats, allowing him a free pass to the exit. He escaped through the open window into the pouring rain and rolling thunder.
Moans and wails echoed around the courtyard, the dead being drawn in by the prospect of fresh meat. Kyle danced around them, dodging their grasping hands and bites. He was grabbed by something and delivered an elbow jab to its face to free himself and shoved his way through whatever got in his way.
Olivia sat in the truck, the UV lamps on and keeping the horde at bay. A look of relief showed on her face as she saw Kyle and she reached over to unlock the passenger door.
Howls echoed throughout the woods, drawing closer and that prompted him to break into a sprint. The shambling shapes became blurs as he darted towards the high gate, his mind focused only on escape. His heart pounded in his ears, drowning out the world. His lungs burned, begging him to stop.
A group of biters stood in his way but he had no intention of slowing down. He vaulted up, using one of their heads like a stepping stone for leverage and climbed the stone wall above the metal gate. The confused dead were too slow to react, their prey out of reach.
He dropped into a crouch and used his palms to push him forward to avoid a loss of speed. Behind him somewhere, he could hear the cries of more volatiles closing in and their rapid steps.
At last he reached the car. He swung the door open and practically fell inside, slamming the door closed behind him.
“Kyle! Thank god, I thought those things had caught you.”
He gasped for air, thoroughly soaked with both rain and sweat.
“A-almost...”
As if right on cue, three volatiles sprung out of the courtyard, though were stopped in their tracks by the UV lamps. If he had been just a few seconds too late...
The pair watched the group as they tried and failed to navigate past the bright hot light, screeching and growling in frustration. Olivia put the car into reverse, slowly moving backwards. They stalked after them.
“Any ideas?” She asked, staring ahead.
“Yeah, as soon as you can, turn around and floor it.”
“And if they chase us?”
Kyle reached into his backpack, pulling out a couple of magazines for the handgun. He placed one on the dash and loaded the other, pulling back the hammer with his thumb.
“I’ll worry about that part.”
About to progress with the plan, Olivia noticed that the volatiles had paused and put her foot on the brake.
“What are you—“
“Why are they stopping?”
“Does it matter? Let’s just—“
A guttural bellow rang out, the hulking dark volatile landing in front of the pack with a heavy thud. Fresh scratches covered the fleshy parts of its body from being buried earlier. Its flaring eyes locked onto Kyle with predatory fury.
“I think you pissed it off...”
“Yeah, no kidding...”
It threw its head back and roared towards the sky, the volatiles joining in like a pack of wolves. It stepped into the blue aura, its skin sizzling as expected but it wasn’t nearly as effective. It continued its strides, undeterred, its jaw splitting open and bearing its claws.
“It’s – it’s not working!”
“Get us out of here, Olivia! Now!”
She slammed her foot onto the gas, the truck’s wheels mulching the sodden earth and going into a full speed reverse. The creature’s strides turned into a jog, then a run.
“Hold on!”
She spun the wheel, hitting the brakes hard and causing Kyle to slide violently to the right. He needed to lean his arm against the window to stop himself from smacking into the door. He wasn’t sure if he should be more afraid of monsters or her driving.
As soon as the truck faced the correct direction, they sped ahead onto the dirt road. Beyond the headlamps visibility was poor but slow and careful was not an option. The wipers worked overtime to keep the glass clear from droplets. The terrain was incredibly bumpy and unsteady, making for an uncomfortable ride.
The shrill cries called from behind, just about heard over the engine.
Kyle looked at the rear view mirror, seeing the pack following them on all fours with the large one in front. They were quickly gaining.
“Olivia...”
“I know!”
She took a hard right, the tyres kicking up mud. The trail wasn’t ideal but the main road wasn’t far. They just had to make it.
Something landed on the roof and caused the car to swerve. Olivia wrestled with the wheel, trying to stay straight. Claws scratched at the glass and a volatile leered down from above, glaring at them through the windshield. She couldn’t see past it, driving blind.
Its screech was cut off by a bullet to the head, its lifeless body tumbling off the hood. Kyle slipped back into his chair, having leant out of the window. Olivia shook, trying to keep her nerve. Trees and bushes flashed past them in a blur.
“Is... Is this what it’s like?”
“Huh?”
“With you, I mean...”
“Fighting for my god damn life every waking minute? Yeah, why?”
She didn’t have time to answer, barely getting out of the way of a group of biters that sauntered into the path of the vehicle. She flicked the UV lamps on again, making the dead recoil and fall back. The road was just ahead at the bottom of a steep incline.
Kyle stuck his head out to check behind them. There were plenty of biters and virals trying to give chase but the rest of the volatiles were nowhere to be seen.
‘Where did you go...?’
“Oh my god!”
Olivia’s voice made him look in front and he saw the pack waiting for them, cutting them off. They were going too fast to stop. He retreated back inside and rolled up the window. Olivia quickly fastened her seatbelt and a much paler Kyle followed suit. What was she planning?
The UV made some of the group scatter yet the large one stayed put, raising its fists high. At the last second, she swerved to the right and launched the truck off a raised mound. Holding onto whatever they could, they screamed. The car soared over the blockade, just out of reach of its furious swings then landed with a bump that threw them around in their seats.
They collided with one of the volatiles that didn’t get out of the way in time, sending it flying into a tree; denting the radiator and the front of the hood. The car swerved and hit another with its rear and crushed it against a tree trunk. Both of them yelled as the car lurched left then right yet Olivia was determined to get control again. Another harsh turn set them onto the road proper and with no more mud to contend with, the tyres kept their grip.
Roars from the remainder of the pack were soon left behind, at last gaining enough speed to outrun them.
Olivia’s hands trembled on the wheel, her arms so stiff that they had become wooden. Kyle slowly recovered from his whiteknuckle ride, detaching his fingers from the chair he had been gripping so tightly. He glanced at her with worry. She looked terrified and stressed but after what they’d just been through, he couldn’t blame her.
“Olivia...?”
She didn’t respond, her eyes fixated on the road and taking rapid breaths.
“Olivia.” He repeated, firmer.
She snapped out of it, glancing at him.
“Y-yes?”
“Breathe. Okay? You can ease up on the gas now.”
A small nod was managed and the roar of the engine calmed to a soft rumble. She took a slow, shaking breath and grounded herself again. Kyle nodded, looking out to the road. She was braver than he gave her credit for but fuck did she drive like a demon. Still, he couldn’t argue with the results.
“We’ll head to the Town Hall, or as close as we can get...”
“What if that thing follows us?”
That was a good question. The truth was he had no idea; UV didn’t seem to bother it and the hall didn’t have an awful lot of defences. He just had to hope that they’d lost it. He checked his watch and saw that it was almost dawn.
“We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it. For now, we have time.”
Dark skies made way for a wash of pink and orange, the sun beginning to rise.
Kyle sighed and sank in the chair, admiring the sight in appreciative silence until his eyes closed. Rest at last.
Olivia’s tension eased and she took a more relaxed position at the wheel, watching the winding mountain road. Compared to the bedlam moments before this was serene. The route was relatively free of zombies and any they did pass seemed docile and slow with the encroaching morning.
“Kyle, I –“
She glanced to Kyle, realising he had fallen asleep. A small smile pulled on her lips, the words hanging in the air and left unfinished. How anyone could go through all of that and still want to dream was beyond her but he had been running on fumes. She thought he would have had the chance to rest at the monastery. It was all he deserved but it wasn’t meant to be.
Her eyes were drawn to the sky briefly, taking in the sun’s warm glow piercing through the clouds. A wave of light caressed the landscape, slowly rousing the valley awake. Forests of tall pines stretched as far as she could see; swaying in a gentle breeze. Mountains rose above them, their peaks capped with pristine white snow. The river below shimmered, its crystal clear water reflecting the colours high above. It was beautiful. Deceptively beautiful.
She hadn’t seen Castor Woods for what it was before. She always viewed it as a prison and somewhere she wanted to flee from. It was no longer her cage. Guilt still hung heavy in her heart and there was a lot of redeeming to do, but for the first time in a very long time she felt a little bit of hope... And that was because of the man next to her.
“Thank you, Kyle.”