“I think this was a general store of some kind. It’s pretty slim, but there’s a chance we’ll find shoes.” His deep voice carried in the stillness.
It was dark in here, just a few shafts of sunlight sneaking through holes in the walls and ceiling.
The air was different back here. Heavier.
“Holy shit, I think I see some shoes.” The smile he flashed my way stole my breath.
The length of his strides grew until I wasn’t able to keep up with him, but I tried. He was almost at the end of the aisle when the blood in my veins buzzed with that familiar, uncomfortable feeling.
No.
“Cain, wait!”
A throaty snarl sounded in the dark, the sound of shuffling echoing from the pitch black.
No!
How could I have missed this?
I sprinted down the aisle, then went flying forward onto my hands and knees when my shoe got caught on something. Cain shouted, and I ripped my head up to see one of the Corrupted with its teeth clamped around his hand.
“No!” I cried, my blood filling with pure terror. I pushed to my feet, nausea roiling in my gut, and shot toward him. I couldn’t breathe.
I drew Cain’s machete from his waist and brought the blade down on the back of the Corrupted’s neck, severing its head from its body.
“Get back, Bowen!”
No. I wouldn’t get back, I needed to protect him, this was my fault?—
More. There were more, there were?—
I swung at the next one that came out of the darkness, the scream pouring out of me saturated with raw fury. The blade caught it on the shoulder, barely halting its approach. I drew back and swung again, hacking at its leg, this time hitting the mark. It reached for me with a hiss, snatching the front of my shirt and dragging me down with it as it fell.
I yelled and started smashing the handle of the machete into its face. It caved in almost instantly, black blood spattering across my face and getting in my mouth. I kept hitting it until there was nothing left to hit, then staggered to my feet, looking for the next one.
This was my fault.
It was my fault, all my fault, all my fault, all my fault, all?—
“Bowen!”
Cain’s body was curled around mine, those big hands covering my own and holding me still. His chest moved against my back like a heartbeat as he panted in my ear.
“They’re dead. They’re gone. It’s done. You can put that down, it’s done, you’re okay,” he rasped, smoothing his thumbs over my knuckles.
When I saw the blood beading on the back of his hand, a sob burst out of me and I dropped the machete to grab his hand.
There was a roaring in my ears. Cain spoke, but it was muffled. A choked sound erupted from my throat, and I delicately held his hand in my trembling fingers, staring at the bite.
No. No, no, no, this was all my fault. If I’d just?—
What if he cut off his hand? Would that stop the virus from spreading? We had to do it now, to?—
“Hey. Hey, hey, hey, calm down. It’s okay. I’ll be fine. It doesn’t affect me.”
He swiveled me around and splayed his hands over either side of my face, but his hand, we had to—to?—
“Cain?” I gasped.
