In The End Box Set by Stevens, GJ (read 50 shades of grey .TXT) 📗

Another shot sent me stumbling as my foot caught a root, the gun falling from my hands. Down on my knees, I scratched around in the leaves.

Before I was up, Naomi was running toward me. In her arms, Ellie fought, whipping her body round to get free.

I pointed the way I'd sent the others and was running again, the smoke of the campfire strengthening with every step. A first trace of rotten meat.

The camp came into view, as did the maelstrom of movement and the crowded expanse of bodies standing, clawing forward.

I loosed off a round into the mass. A head shot. One went down. I had just enough time to see at first sight he looked almost like he was still all there; only his pallid, cold complexion told me there was no real life behind his clouded eyes.

He was in the front line of the pack, my eyes adjusting to see the three and four body-thick group squeezed between the trees, meandering forward with cumbersome pace.

Cassie was to the side and on her back, her face and hands bloodied as she struggled to push a double-dead body from her front.

I couldn't tell if she'd been hit and I shook away a thought flashing past, a thought I couldn't bear to hold on to. I retrained my aim from her as she rolled the limp, dead body away.

How the hell did they get to the camp without being noticed?

My thoughts were shattered as she fired off a shot and the fifth body lay dead, dead again on the floor with its face blown away.

As she tried to get to her feet, the pack parted, split, and out jumped a woman, once a woman; I could only guess from her shape. Her clothes were tattered, barely there. Her skin darker, greyer than any I'd seen. Her eyes were clouded red, not white like the others. She launched herself to the ground where Cassie scrambled.

Another shot went off. Mine. Although it felt like someone else had control. The bullet missed. I watched as Cassie dropped her gun.

She was using all of her strength to grip the neck of the thing as it scraped at her hands, its teeth snapping open and closed. Its face was long gone, along with its hair, leaving only a ripped and bloodied scalp.

My second shot didn't miss, but the attack still continued with a ferocity getting the better of Cassie.

I ran, jumping the fire, pulling up a burning log and threw it into the crowd. Pushing the gun to the thing's temple, I let the bullet explode its head.

The creature went limp. I popped two wild shots into the crowd, some of which were on fire, but none had reacted, none seeing a need to put out the burning flames on their bloodied clothes.

I grabbed at Cassie's scarlet hand but my grip slid off. Instead, I clawed into her shoulder fabric, dragging her to her feet while emptying the rest of the magazine into the crowd.

We ran with the smell of cooking flesh receding. Our hands gripped into each other's as tight as they could, pulling up, tightening further as one or the other of us slipped in turn.

We kept running, only slowing as we passed the helicopter's victims, bursting into the open air and out from the woods; slowing just enough to twist around, to figure out where we were. To scour for danger. To find our friends.

We saw the crash site with smoke still rising. We saw the road but could see no one standing. It gave us little relief when we didn’t see anything running toward us. We couldn’t see our friends, but then I remembered I'd sent them in a different direction.

“Tell me you saw that?” Cassie asked through fits of breath.

I didn't answer straight away. Still holding her hand, I pulled her along the edge of the trees, hoping I was heading in the right direction.

“I saw it,” I said, only just able to get the words out.

“We didn't hear it coming. It pounced out into the open, then stood there looking around. We were all just staring back. No one moved until it jumped at me, screaming like a demon from a horror film. Oh my god,” she said, her voice cracking as her bloodied hand went to her mouth.

We jogged on. I couldn't deal with this right now. I'd seen what I'd seen, but still I couldn't think about what it meant.

A pained animal call came from behind us. It sounded like something was injured and sent a chill along my spine as my body urged me to run faster.

I remembered the gun was empty in my hand, remembered the two magazines in my jacket pocket and undid the zip as I let go of Cassie.

“The noise you heard,” I said, slowing so my fingers could get at the depths of my pocket. “Was it like that?”

“No,” she replied, matching my pace and turning to catch what I was doing. Her eyes widened, colour draining from her face as she looked past me. A shrill, demonic call ripped through the air.

I didn't need her to say a word. I knew her answer if I asked the question again.

33

I didn't twist back, didn't turn, but still our speed had slowed to barely a jog.

“Run,” I said, keeping my voice calm. I knew if I let the panic in it would take control. I needed to slide in the magazine, not let it fumble to the ground.

“Run,” I repeated, as the gun gave a gentle snap, my palm driving the store of bullets home.

Still she hadn't sped, her gaze fixed over my shoulder as her complexion drained.

“Run,” I shouted, letting my voice have the full volume it needed. My hands pulled back