What started off as a quiet summer day became hell on earth for the people of Molina in the span of a few hours. The setting sun took its light with it, allowing darkness to descend on the land. Haunani was still having a hard time understanding what it was that she was seeing as she and her team were approaching the slums of Molina on the East side of the city. Soldiers scattered all over Molina were busy rescuing civilians and setting up safe zones for those that are still alive. Whatever this thing was, it was spreading rapidly. Some parts of the city hadn’t been hit just yet but it was only a matter of time before they too would be faced with these terrifying creatures.

  Haunani stopped momentarily as they approached the trashed entrance of the Iron Trenches, Molina’s slums. She looked to one of her team members, Oscar, and said, “It’s quiet. The slums are never quiet. Stay alert.”

  Oscar replied, “All my years growing up here I’ve never known this place to be dead silent. Whatever is happening must have reached this place too.”

  The team walked forward slowly into the town with weapons drawn. They passed by smashed store fronts, residential buildings that had been broken into and ransacked, and bloodied streets until they reached a peculiar intersection that looked like it had gotten the worst of the attacks. The walls of a bar called “The Pig Pen” were bloodied and scratched as if something had tried to break in. Bodies of the dead lined the walls and the ground around them and the obvious signs of death covered them from head to toe. Deep claw-like marks ran across their bodies. Some of them were so deep that their innards were hanging out of the wound. It was likely bled out from severe hemorrhaging before whatever attacked them moved on to find more victims. Others were torn open and even had some things torn out of their bodies like something had been eating them then ran off. Leina, the team’s medic, checked the wounds and reported her findings, “ They’re…Bite marks. Serrated teeth marks are all over the flesh where the wounds are. But what kind of animal could have done this?”

  More screams filled the air as inhuman chittering and screeching followed suit. Breaking the already fragile silence, a crowd of terrified people came running up the street to them followed by the broken frames of the infected chasing behind them with no signs of slowing down. Their hunting appendages dripped with the fresh blood of their victims as they moved without signs of fatigue towards their prey.

  A small child tripped over herself as the adults around her charged past her with little concern for her safety. She barely avoided being trampled by the mob before two infected pounced to descend on her. Their attack was halted as Tori, Haunani’s team demolitionist, charged forward and blocked them with a wooden slab he ripped off of a nearby fruit stand. Their hunting appendages easily pierced the brittle wood but it was enough to stop their momentum and force them to a standstill long enough for Haunani and the rest to catch up.

  Leina helped the girl up and asked, “Can you stand?”

  The little girl nodded.

  Leina then patted her on the head and told her, “Then run fast as you can as far away from here. Find somewhere safe.”

  The girl ran as Tori threw the leftover pieces of the wooden shield away to face the abominations that stood before him. One of the infected let off an ear splitting screech as it dashed straight forward for an attack. A bullet fired from behind Tori and struck the creature right in a clump of violet spores that wrapped around its leg. The spores exploded, sending the leg flying off into the street. It fell to the ground thrashing. Its bones creaked as the creature struggled to steady itself. Finally giving up, It turned the top half of its body a full 180 degrees and it began to crawl towards them as fast as it could.

  Haunani steps forward with her barrel still hot and a horrified look on her face as she looks on at the thing crawling to them. The others were now rallied and getting ready to go on the offensive again.

  She fires two more shots into the one that was crawling but it’s still moving despite taking three sniper rifle rounds and bleeding heavily. Tori steps forward and fires rounds of his rifle straight into its chest until the bullets break through the layer of bone that protected it and pierces through its organs. Finally, It’s crawling stops. Blood pools under its body and brightly lit violet spores rise to the air from the clumps that look deflated and depleted. The rest of the infected scream out as they too begin their attack.

  Haunani commands, “Move to the bar! We can’t take a swarm of these things!”

  The team ran at breakneck speed to the metal, lavender colored doors, knocking over any loose carts or trash cans in their way in hopes of stalling the infected that were now chasing them with hungering intent. They reached the door and entered a defensive position firing in all directions while Haunani banged on the door,

  She called out, “Is anyone in there?! Open the door! Please, we can’t hold these things off forever!”

  There was silence. Either no one was there or the ones that were inside were remaining quiet in hopes that they’ll go away and take the swarm with them. Haunani knocked louder then cursed and kicked the door before turning around and reloading her rifle. “Bars locked shut. We shoot and move and take as many of these things out as we go.”

  Oscar called out through heavy gunfire, “I’m running out of ammo, captain.”

  Tori did not move his finger off the trigger until the disheartening click of an empty magazine made him holster his weapon to the side and pull his knife out from its holder on his thigh. He said, “If we don’t make it out of this, It was an honor, ladies and gentlemen.”

  Leina laughed, “At least we won’t have to suffer Oscar’s cooking anymore.” her handgun ran out of ammo as well.

  Haunani raised her weapon to join the fight until the door behind them creaked open and a short, blonde haired woman stepped through calling out to them, “Come inside, hurry!”

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  Haunani yelled, “Inside, Go! I’ll cover us!” Her team members all ran inside. Haunani was the last still not through the door as an infected dove on top of her. She jerked her head to the left to avoid receiving a free lobotomy from the bone grafted blade that fell next to her head. With a swift elbow to its jaw and a kick, the infected was launched into another and gave Haunani enough time to throw her body through the open door.

  The blonde woman and a burly, ginger haired man pushed the door closed behind them and stood side by side, holding the door closed so nothing else could get in. The sounds of creatures clawing at the door and screaming filled the room until they slowly died down. Cracking bones and stomping feet slowly lead away from the building towards another batch of screaming civilians off in the distance.

  Haunani checked in with her team, “Everyone alive?”

  Oscar reported, “We’re here. But we’re low on ammo. Not enough to face a mob of those things again.”

  Haunani then turned to the two standing by the door and walked up to the Blonde woman who was standing there smiling at them, “Thank you, truly. We’d be monster food had it not been for you.”

  The blonde woman replied, “You’re welcome. In times like these we all need to stick together and help each other. That's what I keep telling my hard headed husband and my brother. My name is Leilani.” Then she reached up and pats the shoulder of the solid built ginger haired man standing with his arms crossed and a disapproving frown. “And this is my husband, Alexandre.”

  Alexandre uncrossed his arms and stepped forward, “You lot better have a good reason for bringing those things to our doorstep. I personally was okay with leaving you out there, but then my wife got mad. So consider yourselves lucky.”

  Haunani replied, “I don’t blame you. Looters are one thing but those things out there are another. They’re slaughtering people. I’ve never seen anything like this. We were sent here to search for survivors and establish a safe zone but it looks like the slums have already been lost.”

  With sorrow in his gaze, Alexandre nodded, “Aye. We’ve been trapped here, listening to the dead and dying lose their lives outside. To save our own skins, we stayed quiet so we don’t attract any attention. But now that’s out the window.”

  Leilani stepped forward, “Will the military be able to do something about this?”

  Haunani just stared blankly, unable to answer. Finally she answered, “I don’t know. They’ve sent everyone they can out in the streets but that might not be enough. For now, all we can do is lead you all to safety. Staying here won’t do us any good.”

  A large man draped in heavy lavender robes and surrounded by guards came stomping his way out of a back room behind the bar while the bartenders and others with centipede tattoos were still serving drinks and rations to the terrified patrons. He looked at the newcomers with a deep scowl on his face and bellowed, “Alexandre! We have enough mouths to feed, unless they’re willing to pay then why bring them in here?! They’ll call those things outside to rip the bloody roof off and kill us all.”

  Alexandre chuckled, “Good to see all it took was a crisis to get your sorry ass out of those sheets. It’s a miracle you can even walk, Centipede.”

  The Centipede flicked him off, dismissing his shallow blow before looking at the four soldiers in their blood covered fatigues up and down, “So they finally send the cavalry down to the slums, eh? Normally, I’m happy not to see any army or cop colors down here, but these are…strange times.”

  Haunani nodded, “I agree. I didn’t expect my day to go like this when I woke up this morning either. We’re here to escort survivors to a safe zone.”

  The Centipede jeered, “Safe? In all this? I’d rather take my chances staying in bed with my whores and my wine than go out there.”

  Leilani marches to The Centipede and grips his ear tight then twists it. The large man’s face gets red and sour as he begins to plead, “Lani wait, wait! That hurts! Dammit let me go!”

  Leilani’s mood had changed from sweet to sour in a matter of seconds as she scolds a man who was two times her size, now at his mercy in her delicate hands. She began to fuss, “When mom died she told me to keep your ass alive. I let you do your criminal shit because I knew you’d be too lazy to be in the streets yourself. Today, you’re going to go with these nice people to safety. If whatever is happening ends and Molina is safe again, you can always come back. Do you understand me?”

  The Centipede groans, “But my stuff!” Leilani’s grip on his ear gets tighter and his face gets redder, “Okay! Okay! Fine!”

  She releases his ear and her face goes back to her sunshine glow that it was before. She turns to Haunani with a smile and says, “I’ll gather the others. The sun is setting, so maybe once it gets dark we should leave? I’m praying these monsters have bad eyesight in the dark.”

  Oscar walks up with a radio in his hand and says, “Its Rowan. He’s asking how we’re doing.”

  Haunani takes the radio and speaks into the speaker, “Rowan, talk to me.”

  Rowan’s voice comes out clear as day, “Good, you’re still alive. One of the few unfortunately. I’ve been trying to reach the other teams but no luck. I’ve gathered a large number of survivors and we’re going to establish a base in central Molina at the city’s commerce building. It and the surrounding structures should be a large enough area for us to fortify. I have another team setting up camp in the west along the docks. But they’ve given me an unsettling report. “Don’t trust the automatas covered in violet tumors. They will shoot you on sight.” That was all they told me before they had to go radio silent. I have another team setting up in the North so that should help. How are things on your end?”

  Haunani pressed the push to speak button on the side of her radio, “Not good. The slums are lost to these things. But we found a big group of survivors.”

  Rowan responded, “Bring them to me. You’re close by and with both our teams we can set up defenses. Just….be careful getting here. These things can grow from the bodies of the dead.” Over the radio, Haunani can hear the sounds of screams and gunfire in the background of wherever Rowan is at. “Gotta go, radio me when you’re close.” The radio went silent after that and she clipped it to one of the belt loops on her fatigues.

  A platinum blonde woman with black lipstick and the centipede tattoo running down her body approached Haunani and said, “Hi, names Maeve. I know where that buildings’ at. It’ll take a couple hours if we move slowly, especially with the group we have. But I think I speak for everyone here when I say anywhere’s better than being trapped here. So sooner rather than later would be great, cool? Otherwise my boss starts bitching, and we honestly have enough problems as is.” Then she returns to the bar and begins polishing a silver plated revolver that was hanging from her waist in anticipation for whatever is lurking behind those doors.

  Haunani returns to her team and tells them, “You heard the lady. Let’s get these people ready to move. Once those doors open again we hit the ground running.”

  The small team of soldiers stuck around and checked each other's gear until all of the bar's patrons had settled their nerves enough to follow them back outside. Alexandre was already standing by the door, leaning against the wall with an ornate silver blade in his hand ready for a fight. Leilani was beside him waiting as well until everyone began crowding by the door. The Centipede, his two guards, and Maeve were the last to emerge from the back room, his face sour as he took one last look around before saying, “I’m gonna miss this place. It better still be standing when we survive the bloody apocalypse.”

  Alexandre replied, “If it is, drinks on the house?”

  The Centipede scoffed, “Never in your life.”

  Maeve stepped forward to the front of the group, “I’m not a fan of being in back. I know a shortcut to lead us to where your friend is.”

  Haunani nodded, “Deal. Bullets are limited so we move low and slow.”

  Alexandre pressed his hand against the door then asked her, “Ready?”

  Haunani pressed her hand against the door as well, “Ready as I’ll ever be.”

  With a series creaks and moans the metal door slowly opened. The damage it took from the infected trying to tear it down was evident from the claw marks and deep, bloody gashes left all over the walls. It was silent. Not even the wind stirred. No screech or scream could be heard from the living, or the dead. Haunani raised her rifle and Alexandre gripped his sword tight.

  Maeve pointed down a dimly lit side street and instructed, “Down that way to the train station and around the industrial area will lead us back to central Molina. It’s the route I used to take when I worked for the bank.”

  The small group began their slow move to what they hoped would be safety. Though no pained wails of infected could be heard nearby, their cries carried through the summer night air from the main city where the oranges and yellows of fires lit the blackness of the night sky and dying screams filled the silence. All they could do was pray that they don’t suffer a similar fate as the many destroyed and half eaten bodies of the dead that they had to maneuver around and the near endless puddles of fresh blood that now stained their shoes in crimson. The Moon only lit so much but the blood stained streetlights painted the streets in a dark red glow and illuminated the path of the damned they must walk down to survive.