Death After Death (Book #2)

The undead surrounded him on every side, and the burning chorus of clicks plagued his very existence. He could feel the flesh being torn from his writhing body; his legs, his arms, his face, God knows where else. He was in so much searing agony that even he couldn't tell. The blinking light had been drowned out by the sea of bodies covering him, and he feared that he may never see it again. Maybe this was the end. Maybe the darkness would now engulf him forever. At first, he screamed. He screamed with all his might, until his lungs cried out in pain, and blood clogged his throat. The screaming didn't help, no one was going to rush to his rescue. Hearing the animalistic screeches from his own body only petrified him further. It was easier just to lay back and accept his fate. He just hoped the pain wouldn't last much longer. Surely it couldn't. Pop. Pop. Pop. In the distance, he swore he could hear gunfire, but at this stage, he couldn't be sure. Maybe it was the sound of his bone-cracking, or his joints snapping out of place, or maybe it was just a strange figment of his imagination. He wanted to hear gunfire. He wanted the cavalry to come charging in to his rescue, but he knew better than to be so naïve. Just as he began to lose all hope, and could feel himself drifting into an endless, blissful sleep, there was light. The dim shine from the blinking bulb felt like the scorching rays of the sun, or a holy beam, shone down from heaven. He could feel the weight shifting off his body; or what was left of it. It was almost as if some of the clickers had lost interest in him, like they had accepted defeat at the back of the queue and gone off to chase a fresher meal. Whatever the case, this was his chance. He tensed whatever muscles he had left and heaved with all his might. It felt like a thousand tiny needles embedding themselves deep into every inch of his skin, but he kept pushing and squirming. If this was to be his one last chance to survive, he was going to do everything he could to take it. Bodies fell to the side and others tumbled from their perch oat the top of the pile. He pushed up with every last bit of strength he could muster, the light growing stronger by the second. He now resented the brightness, as it illuminated the sorry state of his arms, deep bites and gashes, muscles and tendons hanging loosely from the sides. It was as if they had been passed through a blender, and reconstructed on a dark night. At last, a gap emerged towards the top right of the pile. He engaged his battered legs as best he could and drove upwards to safety. He shook off mouths clamped to his organs and swatted others away, never taking his eyes off the gap, his portal to safety. Launching himself towards it, he flopped lifelessly to the ground on the other side, only able to crawl forward, hauling himself slightly out of the sea of teeth's range. He gripped a nearby table leg and dragged himself underneath. Any kind of shield to provide rest bite was a Godsend at this point. The horde of undead quickly surrounded the table, throwing themselves to their knees to slide in after him like deadly vipers. He suddenly remembered the pocketknife stashed in his sock, as he prayed it was still there. He was in luck, as he felt the relief of cold metal between his fingertips. He gripped it tightly, weary of the slippery blood covering his hands and oozing from his cuts. He could feel himself growing dizzy. He didn't have long left before he would pass out and all hope would be lost. He grabbed the nearest clicker by the scruff of the neck and yanked him further under the table, before dispatching him with one cruel stab to the head. He shifted slightly further out from under the table, occupying the space left by his fallen enemy. Two more clickers were quickly on the scene, crawling towards him, their rotten arms scraping against the floor. He grabbed one fiercely by the neck, holding him at arm's length while plunging the blade into the other's brain. He finished off the second in similar fashion before sliding out further into the middle of the room. Clambering to his feet, he stabbed and slashed away at more undead skulls, using his arms to keep them at bay. He couldn't afford any more bites. Once his path to the stairs was clear, he made a break for it, shoving any clicker in the way to the floor. He knew this was his only chance to escape; he just prayed the staircase was clear. He could hear the chasing pack behind him, clicking and scratching like a herd of competing wolves. His legs wanted to give up and threatened to fall away from under him, but he drove on, wobbling his way up the final few steps. The huge metal door gaped wide open which filled his heart with relief, as he was sure he would be too weak to shift it himself. He stumbled out into the sunshine, his wounds burning more than ever and his vision clouding. Another group of clickers was approaching him from further down the street as if they had given up on their other victim. The undead was closing in as his feet finally gave way and everything began to fade out into blackness. He just hoped the blood loss got him before he had to endure that torturous treatment again. "Look! Over there!" someone shouted; he didn't know where from. "I told you there might be survivors! Hordes are always chasing someone!" His body still lay motionless on the grass, as he felt something clamp tightly around his wrist. Oh, please, not again, he thought. "He's still alive! Come help me get him into the car! He needs to get back to St Joseph's now!" The strangers grip loosened on his wrist, and instead gripped under his armpits. Another picked him up by the ankles, and soon he was being thrown into the back of a car. The engine roared as the car sped off, just about leaving the clickers in its dust. "Hello! Hello? My name is Doctor Saunders! Can you hear me?" his saviour shouted into his ear. He mumbled something inaudible back. "Can you tell me your name, sir?" "Jerrr," he murmured. "One more time for me!" "Joey," he eventually slurred. "Okay Joey, sit tight! We're going to get you some help!"