"I can still hear them..." the woman began to sob. Her feet were throbbing after miles and miles of distance pressed between herself through the pains of her physical self. "I can't see them but I can hear them... why... I... I can't..."

The endless moaning began to encroach its prominence upon the terrified woman. Her hands clutched fruitlessly at her ears, trying to tear away the seed of terror brought on my the haunting notes some unknown distance away. A distant gunshot rose into the air, sending local wildlife dashing, followed by a tortured scream.

Her legs began to give way, bearing their leader as long as they could.

No. Not now damnit... keep moving... I have to...

Her thoughts were cut short as she fell down, scraping her forearm upon a rock of shale. She gasped for a moment as the pain gripped her body, and then released. Having recovered from the brief injury, she sat up. There was something... different about the air now. The moaning continued, but there was a new sound carrying through the air.

It was a rushing sound, one of the fevered panic of lives lost, one of terror. One of hurried grunts and the snapping of twigs.

The woman began to stand up slowly, letting the blood drip down. That sound of an incoming danger was approaching quickly. Bloodied, hollowed figures were darting from tree to tree, leaving a trail of broken foliage behind them.

"No! NO!" shrieked the woman. Her heart was rising out of her chest as pure panic set in. Adrenaline coursed through every inch of her veins. Survival was somewhere ahead of her, somewhere ahead in this endless forest. Her head turned back. "Oh god! They're running... why are they... why me?" Her questions were posed only to the cruel forest, no answer save for the sounds becoming louder and louder, approaching from behind.

"I'm not supposed to die here... no... this can't be it... maybe I can... oh god I can feel their breath... oh god..." Her feet could not move as swiftly as her thoughts. The woman stumbled into a low creek bed, quickly dashing to the other side, but the muddied slope was to be her demise. Her hands clamored to grab onto some bare roots sticking out of the opposite end of the creek bed... splashes behind her. Inhuman grunts of primal hunger sounded from behind her. She looked back, her eyes wide with terror.

Her body seemed to go numb as their hands and teeth latched into her body. She clawed with animal ferocity at the muddied bank.

"Just let me go... don't make me feel this," screamed her mind as she turned around to see only countless bloody faces begging to reach her.

The pain, confusion, life and death of the woman was released in one final, mortal roar to the heavens, the last bastion of her humanity leaving her as her eyes faded into death.

No cinematic victory. No escape. No way out...

********************************
To be continued.....

Comments, questions, and criticisms will be gladly accepted, considered, and answered. Other posts are to come, as this is more of a collection than a singular story, though you will see a connection between each installment.

As for The First Scream, look for new posts on that soon...

Until then, keep reading and writing, I hope you enjoy.

This post has been edited by Jest3r on November 27, 2005 07:49 am

Looks good. Kinda spooky Are you bringing running zombies into this story, rather than the normal shamblers?

For the moment yes, however, only some of the undead will be running, while the others will be normal shamblers. There will sort of be something that 'triggers' them to suddenly move quickly.

Next installment soon...

Good! I excited to read more.

Another good story. One question though. Does this take place in Heavens Gate?