Multiple projectiles whizzed through the air, raining down on the large horde of corpses. Jessie was reloading and firing as fast as he could, attempting to stop the horde. Most of the time, they just hit a limb, sometimes semi-lethally piercing the decayed, white flesh into the brain. This cover-fire helped Kat up close, who had just finished kicking a Spore's head and cracking the spine. She turned around before barely scraping another corpse. She then looped the crowbar around the neck before stabbing the stem. Her eyes widened before tugging on the corpse. The weapon was lodged in there, stuck on a bone of some sort. Kat let go of the weapon, turned around and ran. She wouldn't risk her life over a stick of metal anyway.
The city was silent, with the exception of the clashing of footsteps and the rhythmless gurgling of the horde. Sharp grey buildings clashed evenly with the indigo sky. Alleyways and apartments filled the area, completely abandoned with the exception of the occasional unkept cat or rotten Spore. Those things were horrible-looking after a few weeks. They couldn't even pathetically try to run. The skin would be completely peel off, revealing black growths and bloated yet flattened muscle and vessels. They were dry for a lack of any bodily fluids and crumbled like dust. This stage was called "Black Putrefaction", or so Jessie remembered from 9th grade science class.
Speaking of the corpses, the giant mass was closing in. They didn't feel or think, unlike the survivors. They couldn't tire. The two turned a corner and entered one of the grey buildings. It was perfectly clean inside, with white walls and floors. Nobody had even been in here, or so it seemed. Jessie and Kat, without thinking, both ran to and up the stairs, hopefully to the top.
After about three minutes, they reached the roof. Jessie unlocked the door before dashing onto the top balcony, Kat behind him. They looked over the top of the building down at the street below. The mass was still focused on reaching them, but it seemed to have halted. One thing, however, caught Jessie's eye. A larger Spore was located in the middle of the group. It was covered in bulbous growths and holes all over its massive arms. The wildest thing was the net of mycelium, some buried in the ground and some covering the other Spores, who in turn were ejecting more hyphae.
"It's like they're communicating, even being controlled by that big one in the center." Jessie whispered, not wanting to attract the mass. Kat nodded, focused on the large one. Closing one eye, Jessie reached into his ammo supply. He'd used quite a few of them, but he could get more later. One slid into the tight embrace of the weapon, tightly squeezed. The trigger was pulled. It missed. One of the Spores who were closer to the center lurched to the ground. A second was fired. This one hit the mark as the center enemy turned and gazed with empty sockets. A voice echoed from the radio in Kat's backpack. "I know what's going on. Trust me.
Run."
The survivors stopped for a second before dashing down the stairs as fast as they could without tripping. The white walls were blood-stained as Kat and Jessie's eyes widened. The army of fungi had crushed the weak doors down with ease and was coming for them. Many of the bodies were blank white. Almost half were limp, cruising along the sea of active ones. The bulging, disgusting mass was at the center of it all. For the last time this hour, the two swished around and ran.
The deep mass followed them up floors upon floors. The infinite hissing and gurgling of the horde was too much. Finally, the two burst into an office room, locking the door. It was empty, except for the wooden desk in the corner. A glass window was behind them, showing the long drop onto the concrete below. They needed a miracle to make it out alive or they would be infected by the mass banging on the door. Liquid oozed from under the entrance as said door buckled under pressure.
Immediately after the dead husks showed their hideous faces were they filled with holes. The glass behind them fell to the floors the sound of a M4 Carbine whizzed through the air, soon drowned out by blades of a helicopter slashing the air. The wielder of the weapon, clothed in dark jeans and a black jacket, pushed the two back and pointed to a ladder being let down by a helicopter above the building.
Kat got on first and began to climb, Jessie and their savior soon after. The latter was still mowing down quite a few of the infected. It wasn't very long until all three were on the copter and it began to move, the sound of the blades louder than ever. The rescuer handed each of them helmets, which muffled the noise. Speaking into a microphone, he smiled and exclaimed, "Walter Sunai, at your service.
The city was silent, with the exception of the clashing of footsteps and the rhythmless gurgling of the horde. Sharp grey buildings clashed evenly with the indigo sky. Alleyways and apartments filled the area, completely abandoned with the exception of the occasional unkept cat or rotten Spore. Those things were horrible-looking after a few weeks. They couldn't even pathetically try to run. The skin would be completely peel off, revealing black growths and bloated yet flattened muscle and vessels. They were dry for a lack of any bodily fluids and crumbled like dust. This stage was called "Black Putrefaction", or so Jessie remembered from 9th grade science class.
Speaking of the corpses, the giant mass was closing in. They didn't feel or think, unlike the survivors. They couldn't tire. The two turned a corner and entered one of the grey buildings. It was perfectly clean inside, with white walls and floors. Nobody had even been in here, or so it seemed. Jessie and Kat, without thinking, both ran to and up the stairs, hopefully to the top.
After about three minutes, they reached the roof. Jessie unlocked the door before dashing onto the top balcony, Kat behind him. They looked over the top of the building down at the street below. The mass was still focused on reaching them, but it seemed to have halted. One thing, however, caught Jessie's eye. A larger Spore was located in the middle of the group. It was covered in bulbous growths and holes all over its massive arms. The wildest thing was the net of mycelium, some buried in the ground and some covering the other Spores, who in turn were ejecting more hyphae.
"It's like they're communicating, even being controlled by that big one in the center." Jessie whispered, not wanting to attract the mass. Kat nodded, focused on the large one. Closing one eye, Jessie reached into his ammo supply. He'd used quite a few of them, but he could get more later. One slid into the tight embrace of the weapon, tightly squeezed. The trigger was pulled. It missed. One of the Spores who were closer to the center lurched to the ground. A second was fired. This one hit the mark as the center enemy turned and gazed with empty sockets. A voice echoed from the radio in Kat's backpack. "I know what's going on. Trust me.
Run."
The survivors stopped for a second before dashing down the stairs as fast as they could without tripping. The white walls were blood-stained as Kat and Jessie's eyes widened. The army of fungi had crushed the weak doors down with ease and was coming for them. Many of the bodies were blank white. Almost half were limp, cruising along the sea of active ones. The bulging, disgusting mass was at the center of it all. For the last time this hour, the two swished around and ran.
The deep mass followed them up floors upon floors. The infinite hissing and gurgling of the horde was too much. Finally, the two burst into an office room, locking the door. It was empty, except for the wooden desk in the corner. A glass window was behind them, showing the long drop onto the concrete below. They needed a miracle to make it out alive or they would be infected by the mass banging on the door. Liquid oozed from under the entrance as said door buckled under pressure.
Immediately after the dead husks showed their hideous faces were they filled with holes. The glass behind them fell to the floors the sound of a M4 Carbine whizzed through the air, soon drowned out by blades of a helicopter slashing the air. The wielder of the weapon, clothed in dark jeans and a black jacket, pushed the two back and pointed to a ladder being let down by a helicopter above the building.
Kat got on first and began to climb, Jessie and their savior soon after. The latter was still mowing down quite a few of the infected. It wasn't very long until all three were on the copter and it began to move, the sound of the blades louder than ever. The rescuer handed each of them helmets, which muffled the noise. Speaking into a microphone, he smiled and exclaimed, "Walter Sunai, at your service.