Chapitre 27: The Past (3)
Jackie rises to her feet and points her pistol at the two people struggling on the ground. Afraid of hitting the kind man that accompanied her, she holds her fire, hoping for a clear shot.
"What are you doing? Go!" Jim cries out as he holds the monster in place.
One misplaced hand is all it takes, allowing the former pharmacist to bite deep into Jim's arm and rip out a chunk of flesh. Jackie stares as a piece of the man's forearm is torn from him, producing a river of blood.
Jim's commands turn into wails of despair as he loses control of that hand.
The loosened grip allows the crazed enemy to free itself from his grasp. It manages to reposition itself to face the desperate man holding it down.
'They actually eat people?!' Jackie's mind is frozen at the sight in front of her.
Its jaws approach Jim's face as he attempts to hold the head back with a single arm. His enemy flails its injured limb along with the healthy hand at the desperate man, trying to pull him closer.
With a simple bite, a piece of the crying companion's cheek is gone. Blood floods his throat, so his cries become a deep gurgle as he fights with all of his strength.
Seeing the truth of the new world for the first time, the young woman is unable to process what is happening. Seeing the man that was recently reassuring her being torn into pieces has scared her into a frozen state.
The light in Jim's eyes begins to fade as his struggling weakens. The blood pooling on the ground seeps onto Jackie's shoes, waking her from her stupor. Her thoughts focus entirely on escape as she crashes into the sales counter behind her.
Refusing to stand still, she falls backward onto the counter and back into the sales floor. Quickly, she scurries toward the exit of the store seeking sanctuary.
The warm sun beats down on her again as she nearly dives out of the establishment, looking for Mike and Bruce for backup. Not finding anyone guarding the entrance, she gives up and runs as fast as her feet can carry her toward her apartment.
The poor woman waves at every passing car, begging them to stop as tears stream from her eyes. It isn't until she has crossed an entire block that she gives up on finding help for her fallen companion. 'He's dead… It killed him!'
Her hands shake uncontrollably as she steps off the sidewalk into the street before she is suddenly grabbed by the arm. On instinct, Jackie raises her pistol towards the source of her assailant and fires a round, sending it sailing past her target.
"What the Hell, Jackie!?" A pissed-off Mike reaches her ears as he slaps the gun toward the ground.
"Mike! Bruce! Thank God," She screams after realizing who was standing before her.
"Where's the medicine?" Mike's eyes scanned the young lady looking for a sign that the task was accomplished.
"Jim! We have to help Jim!" The distraught woman grabs the older man's wrist and tries to force him to accompany her. Pulling with all her strength, he doesn't budge.
"Slow down! What happened?" Mike jerks his arm, destabilizing Jackie and forcing a pause to her panic.
"He saved me!" Jackie begins explaining to the two men how the brave companion had saved her life. She mentions that he was bitten but didn't explain the extent hoping that the two burly figures would agree to rescue him.
"…It might not be too late," She pleads.
A loud slap is heard on the street, above the traffic and the distant gunshots, its intensity echoes as a bright red hand print appears on the young woman's cheek.
"He's dead! You've seen the news…" Mike dismisses Jackie's hopeful attitude as he explains, "…they say you don't even need to be bit. A simple scratch is enough to turn you into one of them."
"What if he's different?! We won't know unless we try." Caressing her burning cheek with one hand, she continues to beg.
"Did you at least take care of them?" Mike glances at Bruce as he waits for an answer.
The quiet man simply waited until he was given instructions. He wasn't against helping someone, but Mike knew best. He's always known best. He will follow Mike.
"…Take care of them?" She stares blankly at the old man for a moment, considering his words, before she remembers the weight of the gun in her hand. "No! I tried to shoot the man before he attacked, but I missed… and I could never shoot Jim!"
Mike's eyebrows furrowed as he glared at Jackie.
"What fucking good is giving you a god damn gun if you're not going to use it properly?" He forces the firearm from her hand and ejects the magazine, then inspects the weapon's chamber, "One round left… you've wasted everything…"
Mike tosses the handgun at Jackie, startling her. Before she can catch it, it falls to the ground, forcing her to pick it up.
"You used half our ammo, failed to get the medicine, and killed Jim," He mutters as he turns and begins heading toward the apartments.
"Where are you going? We have to get the supplies!" Jackie runs in front of the retreating couple, questioning them.
"We're done. Get it yourself." Mike continues walking as Bruce removes the young girl from their path.
Jackie doesn't know what to think. The two men hadn't done anything, and now they are giving up on the task they were given. If they go back now, how would they explain everything to James?
"We have to bring something back! We'll just grab a basket quickly. You two should be able to hold them back with your spears," She cries.
"Screw you. You failed and can explain why we didn't bring anything back." Mike's eyes linger on the young woman's body for a moment, "Actually, I can cover for you…"
Jackie gulps as a shiver runs through her. A disgusting feeling runs through her as she catches Mike's lingering stare. "What do you mean?"
"Be mine. Give yourself to me, and I'll make sure you're safe." He walks to her side and reaches out to put his arm around her hip, saying, "I promise everything will be alright."
For the second time, a slap resounds through their surroundings. Mike stands stunned as the fiery redhead stands before him and spits on his chest. Jackie raises her pistol again as she puts distance between them.
"Screw you! You've made your choice!" Mike shakes off the stinging sensation as he walks past her.
Cadeaux
-- Cadeau
reçu État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone