Embrace The Madness Ch. 03

Thinking and reacting quickly, Kaleb took the sai that was still held within his hand and much like a football, threw it toward the female who was slowly moving away from the back of the vehicle. The longest point of the weapon struck its target, but as it pierced through the women's upper throat, she appeared unaffected as she continued toward Zach. With the passenger side door being pushed opened, it had caused the two that were heading from around the front of the car to stumble backwards. Unfortunately, as Zach climbed from the car in a quick panic, he stepped into the awaiting arms of the younger female.

With Alexis being the closest, Kaleb was quickly moving toward her side and helping her to her feet. The sudden yell that filled the air, over-powering the snarling growls of those around them, had been enough to cause Alexis to look over her shoulder and back toward her car.

"ZACH!" Alexis shouted, tears filling her eyes as she watched the younger female pull away from the open wound she had left behind. As the blood continued to pour from the wound on the side of his neck, she suddenly felt her stomach muscles tense and before she could react, her pharyngeal reflex had caused her to vomit.

Still within a panic and suddenly feeling the very nape of his neck being torn away, he tried scrambling away from his current attacker. The idea, intentional or not, didn't work as planned. With her hand still clinched around his shoulder as he moved forward, she did the same, causing him to hit the open car door, as his back smashed the window glass. The impact had caused the slightly younger lady to drop all her weight against him, as chopping jaws were once again felt tearing at the flesh of his throat.

As Alexis continued to vomit her most previous meal, both her boyfriend and the other female toppled out of sight on the other side of the car. At that moment she was still, unaware of any others within the area, as her watery gaze stared off toward her car, able to hear the painful screams of her boyfriend. As others began to circle the area and moving within a few feet from their current position, she found herself suddenly being picked up and carried.

Several of the infected had started to speed up their pace, in hopes of catching their newest meal. Ducking back around the corner into his house wasn't nearly as easy as he had hoped. Still, the mindless creatures -- and former neighbors -- were very slow to react, so dodging around wasn't all too difficult. In fact, the only real thing that made challenging was the mere numbers that had started stumbling and staggering around his backyard from the alley.

Layla had remained inside the safety of Kaleb's home -- trying her best to keep a screaming four-year-old calm -- had been watching everything transpire through the window glass. The sudden gunshots, along with watching Kaleb quickly picking Alexis up and making their way around the back of the house again, had Layla to her feet quickly and rushing toward the back of the house. Getting to the back door, at almost exactly the same time as Kaleb had gotten to it, she pulled the door open allowing them both inside, as a few of the closer roamers began reaching and clawing for anything they could get their fingers wrapped around.

Once Kaleb was safely inside the house, nearly leaping the stone steps, he was quickly setting Alexis down against one of the kitchen chairs. Turning his attention back toward the door --as Layla struggled to hold it closed-- he was once again the move, trying to give a little more support. Against the few that had already begun to push against the door, their combined two-hundred and thirty plus pounds did very little against the force on the other side of the door. One of the infected had managed to get more than a few fingers around the edge of the door, and with boney, decayed fingers, she had managed to tangle a small handful of Layla's hair.

Repeatedly slamming the door against the outstretched arm seemed to be ineffective against the owner on the other side. It might not affect the person, but what it had done was weakened the bone. As Layla found her hair being pulled rather painfully --her panicked scream only drawing more attention-- Kaleb gave one final shove, and as hand began to pull back along with Layla head, the bend within the elbow had managed to line up with the angle of the door, as the forced impact snapped the joint structure in the elbow. The door finally slammed shut as Layla stumbled backwards, and the now severed arm laid on the dinner room floor.

From the front of the house things didn't sound any better. At least the back door was securely locked. From inside Karmen's bedroom, Loki had begun his deep growling barks, as Karmen had started screaming once again. Kaleb was just getting ready to move away from the back door as the sound of gunfire was heard -- much closer than previous -- as one of the stray bullet heads had managed to hit one of the pictures hanging in the living room. With a bullet flying through the living room, stray or not, Kaleb had quickly gotten both Layla and Alexis back toward his bedroom.

When a second bullet had managed to slip between the open spaces left between the shelves, it was quickly clear it wasn't just accidental firing. Kaleb was no longer going to stay at his full height as he walked, in fact he had gotten to his hands and knees by the time he had stepped into the kitchen. From his daughter's bedroom he could hear the sound of sobs as her screams had turned into panicked tears. Crawling around the corner, the snarling growls of those pressing against the front of his house beginning to quiet down, he could just make out the outline of his daughter --who was currently hugging Loki's neck.

"Karmen. Come here pumpkin, but stay low." Kaleb finally spoke softly.

From outside the repeating echoes of gunfire began to fade as it moved further from the house, before going silent completely. Through his daughter's side window --facing toward the driveway-- he watched as a very familiar face began to slowly stroll past. His neighbors' wife --not much more than her early forties-- had been the one who had taken hold of Layla's hair, and was now strolling past the side of his house, missing the lower half of her left arm. Suddenly she collapsed where she stood, there was no sound however.

The answer was soon coming clear as the movement continued on the outside of the house. The two who had just finished clearing the neighborhood were soon heading up the side of his driveway. Karmen hadn't wanted to move from her spot --still holding tight to Loki's neck-- which was probably for the best. With the crossbow just within reach, lying in the middle of the living room floor, Kaleb was quickly locking the drawstring into position and placing one of the bolts against the flight groove.

From the back of the house the sudden pounding echoed within the walls, as though one was using their foot to knock. If that had been the case and intention, then one of them were putting a lot of force behind such a knock, because after about the fourth blow, the back door flung open. During the time, Kaleb had had enough time to better line his shot, and no sooner than the door had opened, he had pulled the trigger sending the bolt through the air. His intention was meant for the door frame, not expecting someone to step forward as soon as it opened, and inadvertently ending their own life.

Chad's body went limp, as the crossbow bolt pierced through the man's skull. Almost as soon as his partner had fallen, Blake had quickly moved behind the corner of the house, not wanting to be the next victim of whoever was wielding the crossbow.

"How many others are with you?" Kaleb asked, already loading another bolt.

"It was just him and I. Shit man, why'd you kill him?" Blake asked hanging around outside corner.

"Why'd I kill him? Why were the two of you kicking in doors?" Kaleb asked again, slowly moving through the kitchen.

"We heard someone scream earlier and came to check it out. Now I'm not wanting to be next on the receiving end of whatever you're carrying, but I would be much appreciated if I could come inside and relax. I've been on the move since before dawn and twisted my ankle." Blake said, now noticing the male who was still impaled on the tree.

"Get in here, but be quick about it." Kaleb replied, hearing the sudden clap of nails against the hardwood floor. "Loki, stay!"

Being able to hear both Kaleb and the other talking, the bedroom door where Kaleb had safely hidden both Layla and Alexis, was now being pulled open. Alexis --still traumatized from only moments earlier-- was first to poke her head around the corner of the door. The first sight she saw was not the sight she --or anyone else for that matter-- would have wanted to see. Again she screamed as she turned and once again ran around the corner of the bedroom.

By the time Layla had poked her head around the corner, she watched as both Kaleb and the newly found acquaintance, began to drag the older gentleman inside. "What happened?"

"You got a name?" Kaleb was asking over Layla's own question.

"Blake Anderson, sir." He finally said after a moment. He had barely heard Kaleb's own question, answering more out of instinct, as his attention was turned toward the young blonde standing in the door way.

Alexis was once again coming from around the corner, and once both Blake and Kaleb had pulled the newly deceased male inside, attempted to shut the back door. With the frame damaged however, Kaleb was forced to find other ways to keep the door closed, which meant for the moment using the hundred pounds of dog food as the support against the door. Soon they were all making their way into the living room, Blake staying behind so he could get a better view of both young ladies, before they were taking a seat on either the love-seat or the couch as the introductions commenced.

Kaleb found himself sitting on the larger of the two sofas; his daughter snuggled against him in his lap, Layla pressed against his left side with her head relaxed on his shoulder and Alexis on his opposite side. Loki all the while, was lying on the floor in front of Kaleb's feet, with his attention securely focused on Blake.

Blake had found himself peering through the window, taking note on the number of bodies left motionless along the city street. "Does that vehicle belong to any of you?"

"It's mine. Why?" Alexis had finally spoke up as she began heading into the bathroom.

"Because my partner and I were trying to get back to a small town known as Appleton. There's supplies and others there." Blake said. In all honesty he had no plans on staying inside the city.

Suddenly Kaleb's phone began to ring and as Alexis rose from her seat, he grabbed his phone and slid his thumb over the screen before putting it up against his ear. "Hello?"

Giving Kaleb a little more privacy for his phone call, Layla begam making her way toward the back door. Noticing it was only getting darker, and after everything that had happened, she was sending her attention back toward Blake as she begin pushing the container of dog food away from the door.

Blake had caught the look, or maybe just the acknowledgement, and was soon standing away from his own seat. Making his way into the kitchen, he had noticed she had already begun to push the container of dog food away from the door.

"Dom, listen to me... the inner city was placed under quarantine. That quarantine has since been breached... What? Other cities?... Hello? Dom are you still there?" Kaleb was asking as he took his phone away from his ear, only to notice the call had dropped.

Kaleb was quickly dialing the number again, trying to get back in touch with his brother-in-law. The phone hadn't even given one full ring rotation before the automated service was picking up. "We're sorry, the number you dialed cannot be reached. Please try your call again later." Kaleb heard from the other end of the phone before the line went dead again.

From the back of the house he heard the door open again, and when he stepped around the corner of the kitchen, he had noticed that neither Blake nor Layla were inside. Suddenly the loud roar of an engine being turned over was being heard. He didn't need to look to know what was going on, but still he did. Moving toward the front window of the house, he watched as the Pontiac Sun-fire began to pull away from the houses and down the street.

From across the street, where the situation had gone completely wrong, Kaleb could still make out the motionless body of his friend still lying in the pool of his own remains. Another thing he had quickly noticed however, was the female --who had taken the first bite out of Zach's neck-- was also lying motionless, however no longer impaled by his sai through her throat. Picking up the crossbow once again, he began making his way around the corner into his bedroom.