exposed,
but can you point out anyone who's been here a year ... hell, even
six months!?"
He pushed up off the ground. "You...!
You...!", he shouted, pointing at a couple of the newbies. He slung
his rifle over his shoulder and carried his shotgun. "You two sit
on my spot! If it moves, you kill it! Nothing gets close--do you
understand me!?"
They nodded assent and quickly took his
place. Ellie walked behind the two fresh faces patting them on the
shoulder giving them a thumbs up. She smiled trying to think of
something to say, knowing that Shaun was looked at as a god to
these men, capable of going into any war on the Turned and coming
out not one himself. She crouched down by the two men and whispered
make sure you stay vigilant there are no second chances when it
comes to the wall. They both nodded not yet sure exactly what she
meant. One of the two men looked curiously as she was walking away
and yelled, “Ma’am, I mean Ellie what do you mean?”
She turned over her shoulder as she headed
down to continue the shouting match with Shaun. “I mean once they
come over the wall you can’t pull the trigger fast enough, they are
everywhere, they are a disease and if they leave enough of you then
they will make you into one of them as well.
Neither boy blinked they just nodded slowly
and affirmatively checking the action on their gun and aiming it
over the wall waiting for something to come into their sights. The
speaker for the two leaned in next to the quiet one shouting. “Why
did we volunteer for this?”
“The Orphans Brigade was the only place we
could go. All they ask is one trip into the city fighting along
their side to prove you are worthy of their protection. After that
they’ll keep you safe and fed. Their creed is awesome they just
want our help to return humans to the dominant race. Before those
things run out of food to eat.”
*****
Shaun heard them talking and shook his head,
he didn't care what people thought he just wanted a moment’s worth
of peace and quiet. Even when it was quiet he was tortured with the
echoes of growling, screaming people in pain and gun blasts.
He took one last glimpse at the wall as he
opened the steel door that led to the safety of the concrete
inside. What he saw made his adrenaline which he thought was
depleted come back with a surge like no other drug could give a
person. A skinless bloody blackened hand appeared out of nowhere
coming over the wall with nothing but bad intentions in mind.
Shaun watched in horror as one of the two
boys he’d just been talked into letting defend in his place would
have his life span drastically reduced. The hand pierced in through
the front and ripped out the back gripping the young man’s spine,
before yanking it back out. The boy collapsed and his friend
screamed while shouldering his rifle. He pulled the trigger at the
same time that it grabbed onto his coat and took a chunk of flesh
from his neck with his dark rotting teeth. The boy and the Turned
went over the side of the wall disappearing into the dark of the
night.
Shaun ran back towards the wall knowing all
too well what was going to happen. Once one made it through the
barrier more would follow and then his brigade would be in search
of new recruits. New soldiers and volunteers were growing scarcer
by the day, especially with the lack of humans around. He looked
desperately wild eyed around the roof for Ellie. Another and then
another of the Turned jumped up on the roof looking for a meal.
They were thin and hungry not getting satisfied nearly often
enough. The thought of blood in their mouth was the only thing that
fueled them they could eat for days and never truly quench their
need.
Shaun spotted Ellie still holding her spot
against the wall unwavering. She did not see the Turned midair
soaring for her from behind. Even in their rotting current state of
starvation they could still kill with precision. Shaun shouldered
his shotgun aiming
but can you point out anyone who's been here a year ... hell, even
six months!?"
He pushed up off the ground. "You...!
You...!", he shouted, pointing at a couple of the newbies. He slung
his rifle over his shoulder and carried his shotgun. "You two sit
on my spot! If it moves, you kill it! Nothing gets close--do you
understand me!?"
They nodded assent and quickly took his
place. Ellie walked behind the two fresh faces patting them on the
shoulder giving them a thumbs up. She smiled trying to think of
something to say, knowing that Shaun was looked at as a god to
these men, capable of going into any war on the Turned and coming
out not one himself. She crouched down by the two men and whispered
make sure you stay vigilant there are no second chances when it
comes to the wall. They both nodded not yet sure exactly what she
meant. One of the two men looked curiously as she was walking away
and yelled, “Ma’am, I mean Ellie what do you mean?”
She turned over her shoulder as she headed
down to continue the shouting match with Shaun. “I mean once they
come over the wall you can’t pull the trigger fast enough, they are
everywhere, they are a disease and if they leave enough of you then
they will make you into one of them as well.
Neither boy blinked they just nodded slowly
and affirmatively checking the action on their gun and aiming it
over the wall waiting for something to come into their sights. The
speaker for the two leaned in next to the quiet one shouting. “Why
did we volunteer for this?”
“The Orphans Brigade was the only place we
could go. All they ask is one trip into the city fighting along
their side to prove you are worthy of their protection. After that
they’ll keep you safe and fed. Their creed is awesome they just
want our help to return humans to the dominant race. Before those
things run out of food to eat.”
*****
Shaun heard them talking and shook his head,
he didn't care what people thought he just wanted a moment’s worth
of peace and quiet. Even when it was quiet he was tortured with the
echoes of growling, screaming people in pain and gun blasts.
He took one last glimpse at the wall as he
opened the steel door that led to the safety of the concrete
inside. What he saw made his adrenaline which he thought was
depleted come back with a surge like no other drug could give a
person. A skinless bloody blackened hand appeared out of nowhere
coming over the wall with nothing but bad intentions in mind.
Shaun watched in horror as one of the two
boys he’d just been talked into letting defend in his place would
have his life span drastically reduced. The hand pierced in through
the front and ripped out the back gripping the young man’s spine,
before yanking it back out. The boy collapsed and his friend
screamed while shouldering his rifle. He pulled the trigger at the
same time that it grabbed onto his coat and took a chunk of flesh
from his neck with his dark rotting teeth. The boy and the Turned
went over the side of the wall disappearing into the dark of the
night.
Shaun ran back towards the wall knowing all
too well what was going to happen. Once one made it through the
barrier more would follow and then his brigade would be in search
of new recruits. New soldiers and volunteers were growing scarcer
by the day, especially with the lack of humans around. He looked
desperately wild eyed around the roof for Ellie. Another and then
another of the Turned jumped up on the roof looking for a meal.
They were thin and hungry not getting satisfied nearly often
enough. The thought of blood in their mouth was the only thing that
fueled them they could eat for days and never truly quench their
need.
Shaun spotted Ellie still holding her spot
against the wall unwavering. She did not see the Turned midair
soaring for her from behind. Even in their rotting current state of
starvation they could still kill with precision. Shaun shouldered
his shotgun aiming
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