Flint - Chapter I

My mind was racing, trying to block out the pain. With each throb of my heart the blood flowed endlessly from the severe wound to my shoulder. I had managed to break the shaft of the arrow off but the flint was still lodged deep into my collar bone. I took deep, panicky breaths as I dug my fingers in and pulled. A sharp pain like fire spread across my body, and I let out a yell, my reflexes yanking my hand away. Damn it. DAMN IT! I went in for another pull, hands shaking with the cold and the effort. (No, no, no) I felt the warm flint on my hands and held it for a few seconds. (No, no, no, no) With another cry I pulled again, this time dislodging it and feeling it tear through my skin, blood splattering across the grass. I gasped for air and looked at the flint in my hands. Sticky with blood. MY blood. Grasping a hand to my shoulder I looked at the moon slowly trekking across the star-laden sky, and swallowed some bile that rose in my throat. (No, no, noo ¦)

A low growl echoed from behind me and I jumped up, clasping the flint so hard it dug into my hand. (No, no, no, no) I drew in a breath and glanced behind me, adrenaline already gripping me and sending convulsions throughout my nerves. About 3 metres back a zombie hobbled towards me, its gangrenous mouth hanging by a few sinews yet still managing to gurgle out more blood-spewing growls. My eyes widened in terror and I backed up, shaking my head, (No, no, no) my free hand feeling blindly behind me for anything to defend myself with. With no luck I turned and sprinted like the nether was behind me.

More growls seemed to rise from everywhere around me, blocking out any other thought from my head than Io m gonna die, Io m gonna die, Io m gonna die, Io m gonna die. I retched, coughing up blood and phlegm. I felt the something brush against my leg and kicked reflexively, just catching a large spider flying sideways from the corner of my eye. (No, no, no) From over a hill a green reptilian came crawling, with empty eyes and a drooping sad mouth, devoid of teeth or gums. I veered right and started to panic; wondering if this was my personal hell, whether I was damned to run from this endless maze of beasts, trapped in eternal midnight.

I need to hide, RIGHT NOW. I wiped the thought from my head and hurriedly glanced around for a hiding place. The trees would offer cover for a small amount of time, but not very long. I realized I had stopped running and sprinted forward, only to stumble down into a small hole in the floor and landing hard on cold stone. (No, no, no) Panicking even more, I started to scramble out, not wanting to be trapped in a cave full of zombies. But, if you block off the entrance, there wono t be any zombies, will there? Dragging myself forward I scooped up some of the damp dirt and started piling it up where I fell in. Soon I had built a small wall of dirt keeping the monsters from me. With an exhausted breath I slumped on the floor and wiped the sweat off my forehead. Suddenly the pain of my shoulder wound came back all at once, and I let the agony overwhelm me and drag me into its darkness.