Afflicted

“Run Kaitlyn!” Lacey screamed as she held the door wide, refusing to abandon me.

I didn't slow as I reached the steps and bounded up them. My muscles were alive with energy, and I threw myself at the doorway as saliva speckled my back.

The cougar roared as I sailed over the threshold and Lacey slammed the door between us. I crashed to the ground and tumbled across the carpet as my breath was forced from my lungs. As I gasped for air, Ryan caught my hand and brushed my hair out of my face, checking that I was okay.

The wooden door shuddered and splintered as the cougar battered it from outside.

I'd landed in the middle of an open-plan living area and a small corridor led out of it to the front of the house. My friends all gazed down at me in relief for a few moments before the cougar’s continued attempts at entry drew their attention away again.

“We need to keep moving,“ Rose said as she headed out of the room and wrenched open the front door. “It's clear out here!”

Demi stepped over me and ran for the door before Ryan could pull me back up to my feet. Lacey’s arms closed around me in a bone-crushing hug for a moment then we ran after the others and left the house. I couldn't believe how close I'd just come to being eaten. If I hadn't found that extra reserve of strength I'd be cougar chow right now.

Ryan slammed the front door behind us and we found ourselves on another street. There were cars lining the road, abandoned with doors wide open and no one inside them.

The smoke from the street behind us swirled past in twisting ribbons of grey but it was no longer blocking our view. I'd lost my sense of direction in my desperation to escape and I didn't know where we should go.

Rose led the way down the street, weaving between the abandoned cars. I ran after her, not knowing where we were going but not caring either. I just wanted to get away from here, somewhere where there was no smoke or blood or screaming. But a little voice in the back of my head kept asking, is there anywhere like that left?

I sprinted along the street, twisting my way between the abandoned cars as I tried to catch up to Rose. I didn't know if she had a plan or even knew where she was leading us and I didn't want to end up running in the wrong direction.

I put on a burst of energy as I spotted a clear section of road and caught up to her.

“Rose?” I hissed as she turned to me. I didn't want to raise my voice in case something heard us. Or someone. I didn't even know what I was supposed to be afraid of anymore. Or if there was anything I should trust.

“We have to get out of here,” she whispered as she took shelter behind a blue delivery van. Its doors were hanging open and I joined her behind one of them as I looked back for the rest of my friends. They were close behind us, hurrying between the abandoned vehicles with wide eyes and panicked expressions.

“Where are you taking us?” I asked as Rose checked her cellphone.

“Still nothing,” she swore. “It's like they planned this to make sure no one could call for help.”

“I'm sure the police are on their way. Hell the army is probably coming too! The Monitor will have seen everything on CCTV even if no one managed to call it in. But until they get here we've gotta get to safety. Do you know where we're heading?” I asked again.

“Me and Shilo used to work at a coffee shop down there.” She pointed ahead of us and shrugged. “I guess I was heading there for a start.”

“Is it defendable?” I asked. “Will we be able to make ourselves safe there?”

“Yeah. There's a staff room out the back that's pretty secure. Only one door to the outside and no windows. We could hole up in there while we make a plan to get to the forest.”

Before I could respond, a strange noise pierced the sky and froze me to the spot. Another high pitched howl sounded again from somewhere behind us and I stared into the gloom surrounding us as my heart pounded.

“Is it me or did that sound like…” it sounded so crazy I couldn't quite bring myself to say it but Rose knew what I'd meant.

“Wolves,” she breathed.

A howl sounded in front of us again and I dared a glance around the side of the van. A canine shape ran across the road ahead of us with its nose to the ground.

“Get in the van,” I said as I ducked back out of sight. “Quickly.”

I jumped up into the delivery van and beckoned everyone else to join me

Rose didn't need telling twice and Ryan jumped in beside her a moment later. As the others piled in, I scrambled backwards between the boxes stacked around us.

Ella was the last to climb in and she cried out as she fell to the floor, scrambling away from the doors. Reese grabbed the door and slammed it as an excited yapping closed in on us.

We all froze in the silence and darkness, listening for any more signs of the wolves.

I squinted around, trying to make out the features of my friends who I knew surrounded me. I couldn't see anything. I could barely hear a sound either. It was as if everyone in the van was holding their breath. And maybe we were.