Dead On Arrival: Episode 13- Where There’s Smoke. There’s Fire

Episode 13: Where There’s Smoke. There’s Fire

I watched her disappear into the night. Into the crowd of the dead. Charging through them like a soldier in the midst of battle. She left a trail of corpses in her wake. Blood decorated the ground she walked on. I was relieved that blood wasn’t mine. That she had spared me for now, but they were more pressing manners at hand. I turned my attention back to Mark who was a spectator on the sidelines now. His eyes darting between me and the car before us.

I walked over to him puzzled by the sight of the wrecked junker. An obviously dead woman sat in the driver seat. She had been dead for awhile from the looks of it. She had already started the decomposing process. She looked like all the other walking corpses, but she was truly dead. She didn’t move. Instead, she appeared to be placed in a certain position. Her head rested directly on the horn of the steering wheel causing it’s obnoxious sound to attract more like her.

I carefully grabbed it by the hair and found a knife stuck in its skull with a piece of paper. A message in blood scribbled on it. I read it out loud: “Ask David.“

“Ask David what? What you need to do is get your ass over here!” Mark shouted over at me from the other side of the car.

I pocketed the paper and use the knife to dispose some hungry corpses on my way over to him. When I got around to the passenger side I was welcomed by the sight of a very alive male corpse reaching out for me from the passenger seat.

“Man, look at him. Hungry fucker ani’t he? You think this was a setup?”

I looked at the man studying him. I had seen him before. Somewhere recently. I stared at him thinking about the note and the mess before us. Then it made sense. I began to realize who he was and a sense of dread bubbled up inside me.

“He’s the guy who shot me in the forest. Roy…David…, I babbled.

“What? What the fuck are you talking about? You alright man?” Mark said perplexed.

I raised my newly acquired knife and plunged it into his head. Then I turned around and ran towards the shed leaving a confused Mark with the car and corpses. My mind solely on Audrey.

It didn’t take long for me to realize where the smell of smoke came from. As I got closer the flames grew brighter. The shed had been set on fire. I screamed in horror and called out to Audrey. Not only Audrey didn’t appear, but David came scurrying out breathing heavily holding a bag.

“Where is she? Where’s Audrey you bastard?” I exploded at the sight of him grabbing hold of him. He pointed to the shed trembling.

“You piece of shit you did this didn’t you? You did this,” I seethed as he wiggled out my grip.

He launched himself away from me and began running at full speed ducking and dodging the dead as he ran. “Come back here!” I yelled.

I started to run after him, but there was no time. Audrey could be trapped or worse hurt in the dungeon she calls a bunker. I looked at the inferno before me wondering it was all worth it. I was scared, to say the least. I took off my jacket, closed my eyes, and mumbled a small prayer while envisioning myself as some heroic firefighter or action hero. The good guys who were crazy enough to do this shit. I rushed forward knocking the door down with my shoulder. Unlike the good guys, I didn’t do it gracefully. I fell forward landing on my face right next to Audrey’s corpse uncle staring at me. I literally leaped out my skin as I flung myself backward away from the ugly mug.

I got up dusting myself off and putting out any embers that made their way onto my clothes. The heat was searing. Almost unbearable. I could barely breathe, my eyes watered and my feet felt like lead. I noticed the corpse had fallen on top of the trapdoor and I pushed it aside. I then pulled on the handle and instantly pulled away feeling the blistering heat.

“Audrey!!!“I called out hoping she could hear me, but it was no use. I tore my shirt and wrapped a piece of it around my hand lift open the door. It took more strength than expected, but I got it open and quickly climb down.

“Audrey?” I shouted out straining to see through the smoke. I was relieved when I saw her. She was standing right in front of me. Right in the middle of the room. She appeared be standing over someone with her sword. I step forward reaching out to her. She seemed fixated on the individual. Her face twisted in anger.

“Audrey?” I whispered as she raised her sword gratefully. “What are you doing? We got….”

She then brought it down like lightning splitting the individual’s head open like a melon. I jumped at the sickening sight. She continued to strike him over and over again crying out as she did. Blood spattered everywhere.

“Audrey? Audrey! What are you doing?! I screamed. I grabbed her into a hug from behind stopping her. I was half expecting for her to turn and slap me or worse, but she began sobbing.

“Are you OK?… I don’t know what happened here, but we need to go.”

She nodded staring down at the remains of her victim. One of the dead licked up its blood.

I grabbed her arm and guided her towards the exit gently. We climbed up into what look like hell on earth. The whole shed engulfed. Embers rain down on us and fiery boards fell at our feet. The thick smoke covered us like a blanket. I held onto her shielding her from the flames.

We moved forward till we were outside under the starry night sky. The cool air bringing instant relief. Audrey broke away from me and we both hungrily took in the fresh air breathing heavily. She looked up at me looking relieved, but her expression slowly dissolved into a mixture of anger and despair. She pulled out her sword.

“I’m not going hurt you. You’re safe now. I can leave if you want,” I said sadly, but her eyes seemed focused on something else. Something behind me.

I froze and suddenly felt the cold metal of a gun on my scalp. I didn’t turn around. I knew who it was instantly.

“Don’t you have anything better to do, Roy?”

No Poll this week, because this would be entirely too long if I took to that point of the story. Matt & Nate are up next. Then Audrey is back as narrator with a poll/decision.

P.S. All previous polls are closed!