So, hey guys. I wrote this story for my creative writing class last year. It is called Behind These Walls (although I am not to hip on the name). This is the whole thing, there aren't chapter installments or anything. Although I do have one other, unrelated story that I will post after a bit. So, enjoy and please leave some feed back!
Warning: Some graphic/ violent scenes.
"Hello Tessa" he said without looking back.
"Its late, why don't you come to bed?" Her voice was soft and sweet.
"I can't sleep."
Tessa didn't say anything, but just stood at his side and looked out over the landscape with him. Suddenly Gerik tensed and became alert. He had seen movement in the field.
"Do you see that? I think I saw..." He stopped and stared heavily at a shape barely visible in the night.
"Is it one of them?" Tessa asked. The gentleness in her voice had vanished and concern had taken its place. She looked for what Gerik had seen, but saw nothing.
"I can't tell yet. Whatever it is, it's getting closer."
"Should I get Iram?" Her hand had left his side and she had taken a step back, ready to dash and get their other companion.
Gerik didn't immediately reply. He was studying the form. It started to get clearer. It had a human shape. He watched its movement and noticed they were uncoordinated and similar to shuffling. "Get him."
"Right away, chief." She ran down the stone stairs that lead to the one room in the fort. Gerik waited for her to return, not taking his eyes off of the approaching beast until he heard Iram surface from below. He had his bow and arrows in hand.
"Where is it?" His hair was a mess; Tessa must have woken him. Despite this, his face was serious and alert. Gerik pointed and Iram saw it instantly, stumbling across the grass like a drunkard. Iram strung the bow, aimed, and fired in one fluid motion. The arrow cut through the air and pierced the creature right through the head. Blood shot from the impact, staining the surrounding grass a dark red. The creature stopped moving and nothing happened for a moment. Then, they all watched as it fell to the ground, hard.
"Your skill with a bow never ceases to amaze me," Gerik said with a smirk.
Iram yawned and tiredly replied with, "You won't find anyone better, that's for sure. I'm going back down, don't wake me up unless it is absolutely necesarry." With that, he disappeared down the stairs.
Once he was gone, Tessa turned to Gerik. "He takes this so lightly, don't you think? Another walker has shown up and he goes straight back to sleep like it is nothing to worry about. I don't get it."
"Tessa..." Gerik tried to think of what to say, but couldn't come up with anything. He slipped his hand into hers and pulled her closer. "It will be okay, we are safe here. The walkers can't get into these stone walls, and Iram knows that."
She embraced him tightly, nestling her face in his neck. "I hope you're right." Gerik rested his cheek in her dark red hair and wrapped his arms around her. They remained like this for as long as they could, before giving in to exhaustion and going down to a restless sleep.
Iram crept silently through the woods, bow already strung and ready to fire. He moved swiftly, yet carefully so as not to make any noise. The sun was out, but not much of its light could break through the canopy of the dense forest. His leather boots were pressing softly against the ground moist with morning dew. He liked these moments alone in the woods, it gave him time to think or, if he was lucky enough, release his anger. And he had a good feeling about today.
Iram had been wandering through the timberland for about an hour at this point. He knew this job required patience and composure. He hopped on top of a fallen tree and was walking along it when he heard a twig snap. He froze and looked around for the source of the noise. Through the trees he saw a stag, oblivious to him. As quick as lightning, he shot an arrow at the clueless animal. The arrow dug itself into the animal's side. Surprised by the sudden pain, the deer jumped. When it hit the ground, it's knees buckled and it collapsed. Iram kept his position and surveyed the animal. After a small amount of time, he moved towards the fallen deer. Crouching next to the deer he thought, how am I going to get this back to the fort? I will have to go back and get help... He sighed and stood up, when he suddenly heard the rustling of leaves. He turned around and again searched for the source of the noise. He didn't see anything. But the rustling was still there, and getting louder. He could swear it was coming from more than one spot. The noise was coming from behind two trees in front of him. He knew what would appear before it showed itself, and he was armed and prepared for it. An arrow flew at the beast, plowing into its head. The walker stopped in its tracks, its arms dropping to its sides. It then leaned forward and toppled over. Iram approached the beast cautiously. This was the first time he had been so close to one. He took in all of the creature's attributes. Its rotting flesh and open wounds, its dull yellowed skin, its vacant eyes and cracked lips. It made him sick. All signs of humanity were lost from the creature. But the being's worst trait, was by far, the stench. It smelled of decay and death.
The rustling started again. There were more coming. Iram took his attention off of the walker he had shot down and looked around. He couldn't see them yet, but he knew there were more than one. It sounded like a whole group was gathering. They must have been attracted by the shot down deer. He would have to leave it and return to Gerik and Tessa immediately.
Tessa was washing some clothes outside of the fort. She had a small pile and a wooden bucket filled with brackish grey water. Her lean but muscular arms were drenched in the water and her own sweat. She wiped the hair that was sticking to her face behind her ears and looked up from her work for a quick break. In the distance she could see Gerik. He was chopping a tree into firewood, the crack of the steel on wood echoing throughout the valley continuously. She wondered if he ever took a break. Iram had left early in the morning to go hunting. They all had certain jobs to attend to, and it seemed like they never ended. Whatever it takes. She took a deep breath and went back to her work.
She was vigorously working when she noticed that Gerik's rhythm had stopped. She glanced over to where he was chopping and saw that Iram had returned and was talking to Gerik. He didn't have any animal with him, which meant another unsuccessful day. He would be very aggravated. She wondered why he had returned so early. That was very unlike Iram and his stubborn personality. He would sometimes stay out until sunset, but it was no later than midday now. She noticed Iram had a very grave face on. Iram then turned his head and looked at her. The emotion on his face changed in a way that she could not describe. He said something to Gerik and Gerik turned quickly in her direction. They both took off in a sprint in her direction, both with weapons in hand. That can only mean...
Before she could react, she felt a heavy, oozing mass slam into her. A blood-curdling scream escaped her lunges. She rotated her body and tried to push the creature off of her. The awful stench was causing her to gag. It was trying with all its might to sink its rotting teeth into her. She pushed against it with her arms and legs. Its dull grey eyes were moving rapidly in it skull like a ferocious animal. A dark liquid was seeping from its mouth and from several open wounds in its yellowed skin. Her fingers were pressing so hard against the body that they ripped into the soft skin and sunk into its rotting flesh, causing more of the dark liquid to seep out and run down her arms. The creature was flailing it's arms about in an attempt to grasp her, but it's lack of coordination was proving a challenge for it. Tessa tried to get the beast off of her, but its dead weight was too great to move. Its gaping mouth kept snapping at her, dark liquid spilling out if it onto her chest and neck. She knew that if it got in her mouth, nose, eyes, or an open wound that there would be no hope for her. She felt her arms starting to slip. She couldn't hold it off much longer.
Suddenly, Tessa felt a force bash itself against the beast. The force came again, and knocked it off of her. She scrambled over the grass and stood up. Gerik had tackled the thing off of her. She watched as he grabbed his axe and took it brutally to it's head. Blood flew from it, spraying out over the grass. He turned back to them, the axe hanging limply in his hand. He clothes were stained with blood splatters. They all just looked at each other in silence. Iram then spoke up.
"More will be coming"
The fort door had been shut, locked, and barricaded. The fire had been extinguished. All three of the trio had weapons at their sides as they waited. They looked out over the valley together. Iram had both hands on his bow. Gerik and Tessa had each other's hands in theirs. The sun was setting in the distance, casting the valley in a mystical red-orange glow. If the circumstances didn't have them on such high alert, then they might have considered it beautiful. The wind was absent and all was silent. Slowly, the sun dipped behind the mountains and the glow vanished, being replaced by a Cimmerian shade that spread to all reaches of the surrounding landscape.
Slowly, shapes started to form in the darkness, as if they were suddenly awakened by the departure of the sun. Gerik gripped Tessa's hand even tighter. "They can't get in here," he told her reassuringly. He was telling himself that just as much as he was telling her.
She looked at his face, took in the details. His dark brown eyes, the small scars, the aged lines, the emotion. "They can't get in," she repeated, "but we can't get out." She looked back out at the forms appearing in the void. A horde of them was gathering.
"These must be from Caer Pillar. The city must be out of food sources for them. They must be looking for more," Iram theorized.
Gerik sighed. "And they've found us."
The night was sleepless for everyone. The sound of walkers congregating outside of the walls of their sanctuary haunted their dreams. That morning, Gerik stirred from his bed. Tessa seemed to be asleep next to him. He got up without disturbing her sleep. Iram's bed was empty. Gerik walked up the stairs that lead to the roof and found him there, bow and arrows in hand. Gerik walked up next to him and looked over the edge. Below him, he saw a large mass of walkers, moving aimlessly while beating their arms against the walls or each other in an attempt to get into their safe house. A horrible stench was emanating from them. The sight and smell of these soulless creatures made him feel nauseous. He stepped back from the edge, gagging.
Iram, however, didn't seem bothered. He strung his bow and fired it into the crowd, hitting walkers at random and watched as they were trampled by their brothers. "Got one," he reported to Gerik.
Gerik made no reply. He could hardly take being out here with the smell of death filling his lungs with every breath he took. He heard the snapping sound of the bow and the impact of arrow on bone again.
"Got another one."
Gerik stumbled back down the stairs and gasped in the dank, stale air. To him, this air was a relief. He saw Tessa sitting up in bed. She looked at him with a sad face.
"How bad is it?" she asked, her tone sounding like she already knew the answer.
Gerik hesitated as he gulped in the air, and then informed her of the situation. "We are surrounded by them. Iram is up there now, sniping them with his bow. How he can stand it, I don't know."
The sound of bodies hitting against the door echoed through the room. Tessa ignored it and kept talking. "What are we going to do? They won't let up, will they? We are going to run out of food. And water."
"I'm not sure." He walked over and sat next to her on the bed. She leaned against him and sighed.
"We aren't going to make it out of this, are we?" She slipped her hand into his, caressing his rough fingers.
"Tess-"
"No, it's okay. I'm prepared for it. I've been expecting it for a while now. I am actually surprised it has taken so long to catch up to us."
"Tess, this isn't the end. We will make it through. We always do. Have I ever let you down before?"
"Never, chief."
Iram walked down the stairs, his bow hanging over his shoulder and arrows in his hand. Tessa and Gerik were on their bed; Gerik was leaning on the wall and Tessa against him. Iram laid his arrows by his bed and sat down.
"I guess we should talk about what we are going to do now," He said over the banging on the large wooden door. "Because if we don't do anything, we will surely die here. Any ideas?"
"The way I see it" Gerik replied, "we have two options. We wait in here until we either starve or the walkers break in. The other is we fight them off."
"Either way, we die," Tessa chimed in.
"Right," Iram continued, ignoring Tessa's comment. "I think we have to fight them. But I also think we should ditch this place. These walkers are just the beginning. There are way more in Caer Pillar than just this, and it will be much worse when they get here. We either need to get higher in the mountains, or out of them completely. Your thoughts?"
"Leave the fort? That's crazy! What if where we go has even more walkers? Then we would have no protection, we would be out in the open"
Tessa sat up. "I think he is right, Gerik. This place is a death trap and honestly I don't want to waste away stuck in these walls. If I had to go I would rather it be out there trying to live. And we might find more survivors out there. Staying here it is just a matter of time. That door won't hold forever."
Gerik shook his head. "I... No, we shouldn't leave here."
"Look, Gerik. This really isn't much of an option. Soon, the whole population of Caer Pillar will be knocking down our door. It's now or never. We can make it out of here. But the longer we wait, the more show up. I can't snipe them all from the roof. So come on." Iram stood up and held out his hand. Gerik looked at it, and then reluctantly took a hold of it. Iram lifted him off the bed. "We can do this."
A plan was not formulated much from that point. Iram had a general idea of what to do, but in reality they would just be winging it. In the end, they just went to sleep, agreeing to talk it over in the morning.
Gerik jumped up in bed. The pounding on the door was louder than ever. He could hardly see anything; there was almost no light in the room. The door rattled relentlessly. He felt Tessa stir next to him and then sit up.
"What is it?" she asked him.
Suddenly there was an ear splitting crack, then a sudden crash.
The door! "Tessa! Get upstairs!"
"But what about you and Iram? I can't leave you!"
"No time! Go!" He forced her out of the bed and she ran to the stairs, looking back at him for a second before climbing them. Gerik knew that it would be a matter of seconds before the walkers flooded in. He could hear Iram getting ready for the fight. Gerik reached over to the table and quickly lit a candle. The light illuminated the room enough to see what was happening. The grey eyes coming from the doorway reflected the flame. They were stumbling into the fort. Gerik reached under his bed and grasped his steel sword. He lifted it up, the flame casting off of the shiny metal. Iram held a sword in his hands as well.
"Ready for another fight, old friend?"
They nodded to each other, and Gerik swore he saw a smile cross Iram's lips. Iram then ran forward and swung the metal sword at the nearest walker's head, knocking it clear off of its shoulders, blood spraying onto the floor. Gerik came to his side, sword held up ready to fight. The walkers poured in. One by one they fell to the duo's blades. The room filled with the stench as the bodies started to pile up. Because of the tight area, the walkers couldn't attack more than a few at a time. Their numbers were their strength, however, and Gerik and Iram were being pushed further into the room. Soon, all Gerik saw was a mass of reaching limbs, attempting to bring him in to the black gaping holes that were their mouths. It was impossible to aim at a certain walker, he was now just swinging. A sudden surge of them pushed in and he and Iram were pushed back. Gerik knocked into the table, causing the candle to tip and roll off, onto the floor, casting them into darkness.
Gerik held his breath. This was the end. Without the light, there was no way they could fight. He could hear, feel, the creatures advancing. Their heavy feet scrapping against the floor, their shallow, gasping breaths filling the small space with an unbearable stench. This moment seemed to last a lifetime, knowing that death was just moments away. But then, a miracle happened. The light was back, and he could suddenly see. The light grew brighter and brighter. Then he realized what had happened.
"Iram! We need to get upstairs!"
Gerik turned his back on the walkers and dashed up the stairway, followed closely by Iram. Smoke started to creep its way up the stairway with them as their beds and the straw that lined the floor quickly started to blaze.
Tessa turned from the edge and looked at them with horror on her face. She had Iram's bow and arrows in her hands; she must have been shooting some of the walkers trying to enter the fort from up here.
Heat poured in from the stairwell. Iram and Gerik waited for a walker to stumble its way up there, and would then cast it back down. Soon, however, they began to flow up the stairs. In this manner they could only come up one at a time. Iram and Gerik took turns chopping them down with their swords dull from the blood and flesh of the creatures they had already killed. The fire in the room was becoming more intense and the walkers started to reach the roof badly burned or on fire. The thick stone stairs were now littered with lifeless bodies, making it impossible for the remaining walkers to climb them without a serious challenge. The group was able to take a breather while the fire downstairs took care of what was left. There were still a few walkers lumbering through the yard, not daring to walk into the inferno, but Tessa shot them down with deadly accuracy.
"I think... we will be... all right," Gerik said, panting.
The sun broke over the horizon, bathing the valley in its warm light. The fire had died out for the most part. The group cautiously made their way down the stairs, Iram in the lead. The floor was covered in the charred remains of the corpses. The smell was even worse than before. All of their belongings except what they brought to the roof were gone. They walked over the corpses, on high alert for any that might not be completely dead. Each step caused the crunch of burned remains underneath. Once they reached the path to the door, they dashed and broke out into the sunlight.
"We made it," said Tessa, "now what?"
"Now, we leave," answered Gerik, putting his hand in hers.
Grasping his hand tight, she asked, "Where will we go?"
"We will find out once we get there."
Warning: Some graphic/ violent scenes.
Behind These Walls
Gerik stood by the wall of the stone fort, looking out over the surrounding valley. The night was bright with the light of the stars and moon. Crisp air was blowing down from the surrounding mountains, making his shaggy brown hair dance across his head. He could see the ruins of Caer Pillar City scraping at the sky like jagged rocks in the far distance. Not long ago, the city had been the capital of the small mountainous nation, but now it was just a ghost of its former glory. The moonlight reflected off of the small brook that snaked itself through the center of the valley and then into the surrounding forest. He would come up here at night and just think about things. He was so deep in thought that he didn't notice anyone approach until an arm put itself around his waist. "Hello Tessa" he said without looking back.
"Its late, why don't you come to bed?" Her voice was soft and sweet.
"I can't sleep."
Tessa didn't say anything, but just stood at his side and looked out over the landscape with him. Suddenly Gerik tensed and became alert. He had seen movement in the field.
"Do you see that? I think I saw..." He stopped and stared heavily at a shape barely visible in the night.
"Is it one of them?" Tessa asked. The gentleness in her voice had vanished and concern had taken its place. She looked for what Gerik had seen, but saw nothing.
"I can't tell yet. Whatever it is, it's getting closer."
"Should I get Iram?" Her hand had left his side and she had taken a step back, ready to dash and get their other companion.
Gerik didn't immediately reply. He was studying the form. It started to get clearer. It had a human shape. He watched its movement and noticed they were uncoordinated and similar to shuffling. "Get him."
"Right away, chief." She ran down the stone stairs that lead to the one room in the fort. Gerik waited for her to return, not taking his eyes off of the approaching beast until he heard Iram surface from below. He had his bow and arrows in hand.
"Where is it?" His hair was a mess; Tessa must have woken him. Despite this, his face was serious and alert. Gerik pointed and Iram saw it instantly, stumbling across the grass like a drunkard. Iram strung the bow, aimed, and fired in one fluid motion. The arrow cut through the air and pierced the creature right through the head. Blood shot from the impact, staining the surrounding grass a dark red. The creature stopped moving and nothing happened for a moment. Then, they all watched as it fell to the ground, hard.
"Your skill with a bow never ceases to amaze me," Gerik said with a smirk.
Iram yawned and tiredly replied with, "You won't find anyone better, that's for sure. I'm going back down, don't wake me up unless it is absolutely necesarry." With that, he disappeared down the stairs.
Once he was gone, Tessa turned to Gerik. "He takes this so lightly, don't you think? Another walker has shown up and he goes straight back to sleep like it is nothing to worry about. I don't get it."
"Tessa..." Gerik tried to think of what to say, but couldn't come up with anything. He slipped his hand into hers and pulled her closer. "It will be okay, we are safe here. The walkers can't get into these stone walls, and Iram knows that."
She embraced him tightly, nestling her face in his neck. "I hope you're right." Gerik rested his cheek in her dark red hair and wrapped his arms around her. They remained like this for as long as they could, before giving in to exhaustion and going down to a restless sleep.
* * *
Iram crept silently through the woods, bow already strung and ready to fire. He moved swiftly, yet carefully so as not to make any noise. The sun was out, but not much of its light could break through the canopy of the dense forest. His leather boots were pressing softly against the ground moist with morning dew. He liked these moments alone in the woods, it gave him time to think or, if he was lucky enough, release his anger. And he had a good feeling about today.
Iram had been wandering through the timberland for about an hour at this point. He knew this job required patience and composure. He hopped on top of a fallen tree and was walking along it when he heard a twig snap. He froze and looked around for the source of the noise. Through the trees he saw a stag, oblivious to him. As quick as lightning, he shot an arrow at the clueless animal. The arrow dug itself into the animal's side. Surprised by the sudden pain, the deer jumped. When it hit the ground, it's knees buckled and it collapsed. Iram kept his position and surveyed the animal. After a small amount of time, he moved towards the fallen deer. Crouching next to the deer he thought, how am I going to get this back to the fort? I will have to go back and get help... He sighed and stood up, when he suddenly heard the rustling of leaves. He turned around and again searched for the source of the noise. He didn't see anything. But the rustling was still there, and getting louder. He could swear it was coming from more than one spot. The noise was coming from behind two trees in front of him. He knew what would appear before it showed itself, and he was armed and prepared for it. An arrow flew at the beast, plowing into its head. The walker stopped in its tracks, its arms dropping to its sides. It then leaned forward and toppled over. Iram approached the beast cautiously. This was the first time he had been so close to one. He took in all of the creature's attributes. Its rotting flesh and open wounds, its dull yellowed skin, its vacant eyes and cracked lips. It made him sick. All signs of humanity were lost from the creature. But the being's worst trait, was by far, the stench. It smelled of decay and death.
The rustling started again. There were more coming. Iram took his attention off of the walker he had shot down and looked around. He couldn't see them yet, but he knew there were more than one. It sounded like a whole group was gathering. They must have been attracted by the shot down deer. He would have to leave it and return to Gerik and Tessa immediately.
Tessa was washing some clothes outside of the fort. She had a small pile and a wooden bucket filled with brackish grey water. Her lean but muscular arms were drenched in the water and her own sweat. She wiped the hair that was sticking to her face behind her ears and looked up from her work for a quick break. In the distance she could see Gerik. He was chopping a tree into firewood, the crack of the steel on wood echoing throughout the valley continuously. She wondered if he ever took a break. Iram had left early in the morning to go hunting. They all had certain jobs to attend to, and it seemed like they never ended. Whatever it takes. She took a deep breath and went back to her work.
She was vigorously working when she noticed that Gerik's rhythm had stopped. She glanced over to where he was chopping and saw that Iram had returned and was talking to Gerik. He didn't have any animal with him, which meant another unsuccessful day. He would be very aggravated. She wondered why he had returned so early. That was very unlike Iram and his stubborn personality. He would sometimes stay out until sunset, but it was no later than midday now. She noticed Iram had a very grave face on. Iram then turned his head and looked at her. The emotion on his face changed in a way that she could not describe. He said something to Gerik and Gerik turned quickly in her direction. They both took off in a sprint in her direction, both with weapons in hand. That can only mean...
Before she could react, she felt a heavy, oozing mass slam into her. A blood-curdling scream escaped her lunges. She rotated her body and tried to push the creature off of her. The awful stench was causing her to gag. It was trying with all its might to sink its rotting teeth into her. She pushed against it with her arms and legs. Its dull grey eyes were moving rapidly in it skull like a ferocious animal. A dark liquid was seeping from its mouth and from several open wounds in its yellowed skin. Her fingers were pressing so hard against the body that they ripped into the soft skin and sunk into its rotting flesh, causing more of the dark liquid to seep out and run down her arms. The creature was flailing it's arms about in an attempt to grasp her, but it's lack of coordination was proving a challenge for it. Tessa tried to get the beast off of her, but its dead weight was too great to move. Its gaping mouth kept snapping at her, dark liquid spilling out if it onto her chest and neck. She knew that if it got in her mouth, nose, eyes, or an open wound that there would be no hope for her. She felt her arms starting to slip. She couldn't hold it off much longer.
Suddenly, Tessa felt a force bash itself against the beast. The force came again, and knocked it off of her. She scrambled over the grass and stood up. Gerik had tackled the thing off of her. She watched as he grabbed his axe and took it brutally to it's head. Blood flew from it, spraying out over the grass. He turned back to them, the axe hanging limply in his hand. He clothes were stained with blood splatters. They all just looked at each other in silence. Iram then spoke up.
"More will be coming"
* * *
The fort door had been shut, locked, and barricaded. The fire had been extinguished. All three of the trio had weapons at their sides as they waited. They looked out over the valley together. Iram had both hands on his bow. Gerik and Tessa had each other's hands in theirs. The sun was setting in the distance, casting the valley in a mystical red-orange glow. If the circumstances didn't have them on such high alert, then they might have considered it beautiful. The wind was absent and all was silent. Slowly, the sun dipped behind the mountains and the glow vanished, being replaced by a Cimmerian shade that spread to all reaches of the surrounding landscape.
Slowly, shapes started to form in the darkness, as if they were suddenly awakened by the departure of the sun. Gerik gripped Tessa's hand even tighter. "They can't get in here," he told her reassuringly. He was telling himself that just as much as he was telling her.
She looked at his face, took in the details. His dark brown eyes, the small scars, the aged lines, the emotion. "They can't get in," she repeated, "but we can't get out." She looked back out at the forms appearing in the void. A horde of them was gathering.
"These must be from Caer Pillar. The city must be out of food sources for them. They must be looking for more," Iram theorized.
Gerik sighed. "And they've found us."
* * *
The night was sleepless for everyone. The sound of walkers congregating outside of the walls of their sanctuary haunted their dreams. That morning, Gerik stirred from his bed. Tessa seemed to be asleep next to him. He got up without disturbing her sleep. Iram's bed was empty. Gerik walked up the stairs that lead to the roof and found him there, bow and arrows in hand. Gerik walked up next to him and looked over the edge. Below him, he saw a large mass of walkers, moving aimlessly while beating their arms against the walls or each other in an attempt to get into their safe house. A horrible stench was emanating from them. The sight and smell of these soulless creatures made him feel nauseous. He stepped back from the edge, gagging.
Iram, however, didn't seem bothered. He strung his bow and fired it into the crowd, hitting walkers at random and watched as they were trampled by their brothers. "Got one," he reported to Gerik.
Gerik made no reply. He could hardly take being out here with the smell of death filling his lungs with every breath he took. He heard the snapping sound of the bow and the impact of arrow on bone again.
"Got another one."
Gerik stumbled back down the stairs and gasped in the dank, stale air. To him, this air was a relief. He saw Tessa sitting up in bed. She looked at him with a sad face.
"How bad is it?" she asked, her tone sounding like she already knew the answer.
Gerik hesitated as he gulped in the air, and then informed her of the situation. "We are surrounded by them. Iram is up there now, sniping them with his bow. How he can stand it, I don't know."
The sound of bodies hitting against the door echoed through the room. Tessa ignored it and kept talking. "What are we going to do? They won't let up, will they? We are going to run out of food. And water."
"I'm not sure." He walked over and sat next to her on the bed. She leaned against him and sighed.
"We aren't going to make it out of this, are we?" She slipped her hand into his, caressing his rough fingers.
"Tess-"
"No, it's okay. I'm prepared for it. I've been expecting it for a while now. I am actually surprised it has taken so long to catch up to us."
"Tess, this isn't the end. We will make it through. We always do. Have I ever let you down before?"
"Never, chief."
* * *
Iram walked down the stairs, his bow hanging over his shoulder and arrows in his hand. Tessa and Gerik were on their bed; Gerik was leaning on the wall and Tessa against him. Iram laid his arrows by his bed and sat down.
"I guess we should talk about what we are going to do now," He said over the banging on the large wooden door. "Because if we don't do anything, we will surely die here. Any ideas?"
"The way I see it" Gerik replied, "we have two options. We wait in here until we either starve or the walkers break in. The other is we fight them off."
"Either way, we die," Tessa chimed in.
"Right," Iram continued, ignoring Tessa's comment. "I think we have to fight them. But I also think we should ditch this place. These walkers are just the beginning. There are way more in Caer Pillar than just this, and it will be much worse when they get here. We either need to get higher in the mountains, or out of them completely. Your thoughts?"
"Leave the fort? That's crazy! What if where we go has even more walkers? Then we would have no protection, we would be out in the open"
Tessa sat up. "I think he is right, Gerik. This place is a death trap and honestly I don't want to waste away stuck in these walls. If I had to go I would rather it be out there trying to live. And we might find more survivors out there. Staying here it is just a matter of time. That door won't hold forever."
Gerik shook his head. "I... No, we shouldn't leave here."
"Look, Gerik. This really isn't much of an option. Soon, the whole population of Caer Pillar will be knocking down our door. It's now or never. We can make it out of here. But the longer we wait, the more show up. I can't snipe them all from the roof. So come on." Iram stood up and held out his hand. Gerik looked at it, and then reluctantly took a hold of it. Iram lifted him off the bed. "We can do this."
A plan was not formulated much from that point. Iram had a general idea of what to do, but in reality they would just be winging it. In the end, they just went to sleep, agreeing to talk it over in the morning.
* * *
Gerik jumped up in bed. The pounding on the door was louder than ever. He could hardly see anything; there was almost no light in the room. The door rattled relentlessly. He felt Tessa stir next to him and then sit up.
"What is it?" she asked him.
Suddenly there was an ear splitting crack, then a sudden crash.
The door! "Tessa! Get upstairs!"
"But what about you and Iram? I can't leave you!"
"No time! Go!" He forced her out of the bed and she ran to the stairs, looking back at him for a second before climbing them. Gerik knew that it would be a matter of seconds before the walkers flooded in. He could hear Iram getting ready for the fight. Gerik reached over to the table and quickly lit a candle. The light illuminated the room enough to see what was happening. The grey eyes coming from the doorway reflected the flame. They were stumbling into the fort. Gerik reached under his bed and grasped his steel sword. He lifted it up, the flame casting off of the shiny metal. Iram held a sword in his hands as well.
"Ready for another fight, old friend?"
They nodded to each other, and Gerik swore he saw a smile cross Iram's lips. Iram then ran forward and swung the metal sword at the nearest walker's head, knocking it clear off of its shoulders, blood spraying onto the floor. Gerik came to his side, sword held up ready to fight. The walkers poured in. One by one they fell to the duo's blades. The room filled with the stench as the bodies started to pile up. Because of the tight area, the walkers couldn't attack more than a few at a time. Their numbers were their strength, however, and Gerik and Iram were being pushed further into the room. Soon, all Gerik saw was a mass of reaching limbs, attempting to bring him in to the black gaping holes that were their mouths. It was impossible to aim at a certain walker, he was now just swinging. A sudden surge of them pushed in and he and Iram were pushed back. Gerik knocked into the table, causing the candle to tip and roll off, onto the floor, casting them into darkness.
Gerik held his breath. This was the end. Without the light, there was no way they could fight. He could hear, feel, the creatures advancing. Their heavy feet scrapping against the floor, their shallow, gasping breaths filling the small space with an unbearable stench. This moment seemed to last a lifetime, knowing that death was just moments away. But then, a miracle happened. The light was back, and he could suddenly see. The light grew brighter and brighter. Then he realized what had happened.
"Iram! We need to get upstairs!"
Gerik turned his back on the walkers and dashed up the stairway, followed closely by Iram. Smoke started to creep its way up the stairway with them as their beds and the straw that lined the floor quickly started to blaze.
Tessa turned from the edge and looked at them with horror on her face. She had Iram's bow and arrows in her hands; she must have been shooting some of the walkers trying to enter the fort from up here.
Heat poured in from the stairwell. Iram and Gerik waited for a walker to stumble its way up there, and would then cast it back down. Soon, however, they began to flow up the stairs. In this manner they could only come up one at a time. Iram and Gerik took turns chopping them down with their swords dull from the blood and flesh of the creatures they had already killed. The fire in the room was becoming more intense and the walkers started to reach the roof badly burned or on fire. The thick stone stairs were now littered with lifeless bodies, making it impossible for the remaining walkers to climb them without a serious challenge. The group was able to take a breather while the fire downstairs took care of what was left. There were still a few walkers lumbering through the yard, not daring to walk into the inferno, but Tessa shot them down with deadly accuracy.
"I think... we will be... all right," Gerik said, panting.
* * *
The sun broke over the horizon, bathing the valley in its warm light. The fire had died out for the most part. The group cautiously made their way down the stairs, Iram in the lead. The floor was covered in the charred remains of the corpses. The smell was even worse than before. All of their belongings except what they brought to the roof were gone. They walked over the corpses, on high alert for any that might not be completely dead. Each step caused the crunch of burned remains underneath. Once they reached the path to the door, they dashed and broke out into the sunlight.
"We made it," said Tessa, "now what?"
"Now, we leave," answered Gerik, putting his hand in hers.
Grasping his hand tight, she asked, "Where will we go?"
"We will find out once we get there."
