Ravage: An Apocalyptic Horror Novel(57)

I have to clear a way through to the reception area.

She put on the brakes, skidding on her heels and turning around. An infected girl sprinted towards her from further down the table. Annaliese ran towards her, meeting the charge head on. They ran at each other like fighting bulls.

Oh God, oh God. What the hell am I doing?

At the last moment, she ducked down and skidded sideways on her knees. The highly-polished surface of the table allowed her to slide easily. She collided with the girl charging towards her and knocked her aside like a skittle. The woman tumbled off the table and into the baying mob that surrounded them.

Annaliese’s rubber wellington’s sapped the last of her momentum and brought her to a stop. She hopped back up to her feet and continued running, heading back the way she had originally come from, back towards the foyer. There was one more infected person on the table: a large man with an ample gut. She threw herself at his large belly, tucking in her shoulder and turning herself into a battering ram.

The man rocked and staggered, lost his footing and slipped off the table, leaving her free to sprint down what was left of the mahogany runway. Within seconds she had reached the end and leapt off into the air. As she landed, she looked over at the mob to see that they had changed direction and were coming right after her again.

But this time she had options.

Looking left and right, Annaliese realised she now had a chance to make it back to the safety of the kitchen. But she also realised that, with the gang of infected now behind her and leaving the foyer clear, she had the opportunity she needed to create a distraction.

The safety of the kitchen called to her, but somehow she found her feet travelling towards the reception foyer. Once she’d decided on her destination, she picked up speed. The screeching mob of murderers at her back pushed her onwards at a level of effort she didn’t know she had.

She fled into the foyer and saw that the only infected person present was the woman she’d tied up earlier with the keyboard cord. Annaliese wasted no time in rushing around her for the staircase, hoping that there would be no dangers lying ahead of her on the second floor. She didn’t need to look back to know that the entire mob was chasing after her. She could hear their screams and frantic footfalls across the tiles.

Her heart revved up and threatened to burst through her chest. Her feet throbbed as they struck the cold stone steps. But she couldn’t afford to stop, because the death that pursued her was relentless.

She reached the top of the staircase and turned right. Her stomach threatened to purge itself as her flight reflexes kicked in and sought ways to make her body lighter and faster. Her inner cavewoman took over and sent her racing across the landing at a speed that would leave her bedridden with muscle soreness tomorrow. But the pain would be worth it if it meant getting out of this situation alive.

Her destination was Room 7 and she hurtled past the lower numbers on either side of her: 1…2…3…4.

The mob was still behind her, crashing into the walls of the hallway like drunken pinballs, smashing into potted plants and side tables.

Keep running. Don’t stop. Ignore the pain.

Just as she passed room 5, someone jumped out at her. Her instincts almost made her stop, but her brain took control and reminded her that stopping would mean death.

The two people in front of her were both young and attractive. They had slipped out of room 6 and were clearly not infected. They stared at Annaliese with wide, terrified eyes as they quickly realised that she was in no position to help them. If they had been hoping for rescue, she was going to have to disappoint them.

The youngsters turned back around to re-enter their room, but the door had already closed behind them, locking them out in the hallway. The panic on their face was all-consuming.

“Run,” Annaliese shouted, pulling the Room 7 key card from her jean pocket.

The youngsters spun on their heels and hurried after her. The infected were right behind them.

Annaliese threw herself against the door to Room 7 and immediately slid the card into the magnetic reader. As she did so, the plastic card bent and the reader flashed red. An irritated buzz sounded.

“Shit! Shit! Come on.”

She looked left and saw two dozen monsters hammering down the corridor towards her, a tidal wave of death bearing down. The two youngsters beside her sobbed, waiting for either death or salvation.

Annaliese removed the key card from the slot and reinserted it again. Her hands were shaking.

The card reader flashed red and buzzed again.

Please God. Just open this door.

She removed the key card again, knowing there would only be time left for one more attempt.

She took a deep breath.

Slid the card into the slot carefully.

The reader flashed green.

The door handle clicked.

The infected pounced.

Annaliese pushed down the handle and collapsed through the door. The two youngsters fell in after her. She managed to kick out and close the door with her foot once they were all clear of it. Less than a second later, the wood began to rattle on its hinges as dozens of infected maniacs crashed against the other side.

“W-what the hell are you doing up here?” Annaliese asked the two young strangers, between heaving breaths.

The male of the pair stood up. He was shaking visibly and his smart black shirt was crumpled and sweat-stained. “We’ve been up here for hours,” he said. “We snuck away from the party last night to – well, you know – and then we heard everything going crazy downstairs. We stepped out of the room and there were people being ripped apart and killed. People I’ve worked with for months had gone insane and were biting each other, tearing each other to bits. Me and Charlotte locked ourselves inside my room and stayed there.”