Home Sweet Tainted

Adam defeated the last Tainted. White mist rose from the corpse as it slowly slid off the vehicle's body. The bridge was clear, at least for now.

[You gained a level.]

The world grew a little clearer in his eyes, but there was no time to check his Status Window, as the growls coming from the bus grew louder with each second.

The group approached the vehicle carefully and saw pale hands reaching from the inside, trying to grab them.

"We have to go!" Ted shouted. The group circled the vehicle and began to run. They had just gotten off the bridge when they heard a loud crash coming from it. The imprisoned Tainted must have found a way out of the bus.

They picked up the pace to put more distance between them and the monsters.

Ted stopped Adam a few minutes later and pointed at his wife.

"We need to take a short break. The Tainted are too far to follow us anyway." Emily was even paler than before and was panting hard. As soon as they stopped, she took out a bottle of water and started drinking greedily.

"Just give me a second." She murmured weakly.

Adam took in their surroundings while the group rested. They were at the side of the road, a few abandoned cars visible in both directions.

What caught his attention were not the vehicles though, but a pair of pigeons observing the group from a nearby tree.

"Ted, it may be a strange question," Adam spoke hesitantly.

"There are no strange questions, friend. Especially now. What's on your mind?" Ted joined Adam and lighted a cigarette.

"Exactly what I need to take the edge off," Ted smirked as he inhaled the smoke. He was slowly reverting to his cheerful persona, at least on the surface.

"Did you notice any animals, or birds, when we moved through the city?" Adam continued, pointing at the critters and looking at them intently.

The birds took flight when Ted looked at them and quickly vanished between the trees. "Now that you mention it, no, I didn't see any. Maybe they all died from the aftershock," Ted replied.

"It's possible. But what about the animals that survived. Did they awaken too? Did they acquire any abilities?" Adam wondered loudly.

"I don't know. But I think there's no point worrying about this for now. I doubt the risk of being eaten by a pigeon will become a problem any time soon," Ted smiled and patted Adam reassuringly on his shoulder.

"Yeah, you are probably right. Also, this is a very bad habit," Adam responded while throwing one last look at the trees.

"Again, I don't think the risk of getting cancer will become a problem any time soon. We should get going. Emily looks ready to move." Ted turned away from Adam and went to his wife to help her get up.

The group finally reached their destination. Ted and Emily brightened a little when they saw a line of low houses emerging in the distance.

Adam noticed someone waving at them from a nearby building when they approached the village. He brought it to the other's attention. As soon as Emily saw the figure, she rushed to the building.

"This should be Mark. Her uncle," Ted explained his wife to Adam, "I'm glad he survived. Come, I'll introduce you."

Emily already reached the building and embraced the man.

Adam took a moment to inspect Mark when they were coming to greet him. He was tall and burly, with short grizzled hair and an unkempt beard.

His posture and clothes indicated that he was a physical laborer. Both of his arms were bandaged and a long, deep scratch ran through his face. The man didn't escape the Impact unscathed.

The man returned Adam's gaze, his eyes lingering on his bloodied clothes and bat. Emily released him and turned to Adam, "Uncle Mark, this is Adam. Adam, this is Mark, my uncle."

Adam felt his hand creak painfully when he shook Mark's hand. The man had a vice-like grip.

Mark explained the situation in the village after they were introduced and it looked grim. Over half of the population had been transformed into Tainted and immediately attacked other survivors.

The first minutes after the Impact had turned into a bloody carnage and only a small part of the awakened had managed to survive the onslaught. They had formed a few groups outside the village that later had banded together in a local school.

"Donna turned as well. I had to put her down," Mark breathed heavily and when he spoke, tears welled up in his eyes. "Many of our friends are no longer with us."

"I'm sorry Mark," Ted approached him and gave him a quick hug.

"Did you see Georgie? We left him home with Jane when we went to the city" Emily asked, her voice hoarse from emotions she could barely contain.

" I didn't see them, Emily. I'm sorry," Mark replied, weighing his next words carefully.

"We didn't explore that part of the village yet. They might be just stuck at your home, safe and sound."

"We have to get to them!" Emily grabbed Mark's hands and looked at him pleadingly. "Please, uncle, will you go with us?"

"Sure honey. We'll have to circle the village and go through the backyards. The way should be safe."

Mark returned to the building to fetch his gear. When he showed up again, he was armed with a scythe blade and carried a large backpack.

Mark led the group carefully through the village. He was flanked by Ted, who checked every house they passed. Adam and Emily stayed behind them, ready to intervene at the first sight of danger.

The group shared their experiences with Mark while walking, who in turn narrated the state of the village in more detail.

"I heard gunshots when the massacre started. They most likely came from the police station. It drew most of the Tainted to the main road, where they created a large horde. This is why the rest of the village is relatively safe," Mark pointed out. "We explored some of it, looted some supplies. There are only a few of us willing to leave the school, though. The rest is too scared to do anything."

It took the group around a quarter of an hour to get to Ted and Emily's house. They didn't encounter any survivors or Tainted along the way, which confirmed Mark's information.

They saw the remnants of the brutal carnage though. Broken doors and fences, smudges of dried blood on the walls, and finally the corpses.

Adam thought that after wading through Tarnow he had grown accustomed to such sights, but the reality proved him wrong. He was sickened.

Everyone breathed in relief when they finally saw the place. Ted ran to his house and peeked through one of the windows.

He frowned as he saw the living room in disarray, a bloodied corpse lying on the couch. The rest joined him quickly.

"This isn't Jane. She must have invited someone," Emily said with relief. "Maybe they're hiding upstairs."

The group heard a steady knocking when they reached the front door. Something was behind it, tapping on it gently.

"It's most likely a Tainted," Adam said, eyeing the door warily.

"I agree," Mark confirmed and began giving orders.

"We have to deal with it quietly or else we'll have the whole horde on our backs. Ted, on my sign you open the door and hide behind it. Adam, stay around the corner and wait for the Tainted to come out. I'll draw its attention and create an opportunity for you to strike."

Emily hid behind the corner of a building on the village's main road. Mark had asked her to keep an eye on the horde and she had a clear view of it from her chosen hideout.

She looked at the road with dread, the mass of bodies swaying slowly from one side of it to the other.

The horde consisted of hundreds of Tainted and spread through the whole street, spilling into the back alleys. They were inert, limp even, but she knew it was a false appearance.

If she made the slightest sound, she would die a horrible death. As she watched the horde, despair and doubt overtook her mind.

"What are they supposed to do? How will they survive in this new world? Do they hide and run from the Tainted for the rest of their lives? Do they somehow kill them all? Questions ran through her mind, and just as he was about to panic, she recalled her boy.

They were nearly there. She would have him in her embrace in just a few minutes and she had to stay strong for him. Emily looked at the Tainted again. Her eyes were filled with cold determination this time.

At that moment, she promised to do whatever was necessary to ensure her child's safety, even if she had to face a whole world full of Tainted on her own.