text: Blackness. Devin could see nothing but could smell, feel and hear more than he had ever felt before. His senses were heightened tremendously that even his tongue writhed in the taste of decay of the stagnant air in the room of the apartment complex. His muscles ached with an increasing dulled pain as he remained poised, fixated on the door and whatever were to walk through it. Any hint of light and he would swing, only hoping to strike a creature. Devin had waited so long in the room that he became in tune to its nature, and he became one with its aura. Unless anyone was to see him directly in the room, his presence could go unnoticed with ease. It was a trick to staying hidden that Devin learned at a young age. Palms clammy with sweat as he gripped with his remaining strength around the thick metallic pole, holding it poised above his head, ready to swing in a batter's stance. His arms tiring as the blood drained from them. A thick mask of perspiration began to form on his forehead, slowly dripping down the side of his face. He desperately just wanted to relax and wash off this whole thing in a cooling shower, wash it all gone forever and begin a new day away from anxiety and danger. Oh, how he dreamed of such a day again, of ignorance and naivety. He could only hope that there was such a place outside Big Town where the electricity and plumbing still functioned and never had to worry about fortifications from the Crazies, or even knowing if he was awake or still dreaming. Days went by where didn’t know if he had slept at all. He was sure he had at times but still felt the fatigue of sleep deprivation. He had lost track of what time of day it was and how long he slept. Another creak came from the outside of the door. He raised his arms higher in spite of his screaming bones. He could not afford to let his guard down. The Crazies were much faster than he was. They were relentless and vicious when they knew of his presence, letting nothing stand in their way between them and him, which is why Devin didn't think this one knew where he was. He would have been dead by now...Just like everyone else. But just in case, if it did know, Devin would be ready. He just wished it would hurry up and just go away! Devin was already on the brink of tears before he heard the noise outside the room not more than ten grueling minutes ago. Devin felt like he was standing there for hours already, and he dared not breath, lest his muscles moved. His body had given in. The stress of holding the pole above him was too much. Devin would risk rising the metal object to swing for the few moments of rest. The sacrifice of those few precious seconds seemed worth it. However, he had just about lowered his arms when there came a growing light from the doorway. Devin was too startled to immediately react and a booming flash took him by even further surprise. He hesitated for just a moment then swung the metal in an arch, a wild swing that met flesh, but there was no recoil. The metal stuck, but to what, he could not see. He strained to pull but there was resistance and so immediately let go. Off balance, Devin fell to the floor and fumbled for any item he could use to fight against the Crazy. Too late. Devin felt a heavy weight above that trapped him to the ground... and a voice? It was! Not a snarl or a weeping wail, but a voice! Soothing and warm it was to him, yet simultaneously steely and stern. "Boy!" Devin didn't understand at first. It had been over a week since he had heard another voice. It took him a moment to understand it was female. The voice came down harder this time, "Boy!" Devin was too frightened to respond in words, only in whimpers. A hand grabbed the back of his hair, yanking his head back, upwards from the aged floor-boards. Devin winced, her body weight shifted from on top of him, she then let go and his head hit the floor with a light thud. Devin was again able to move. The room went dark again with the clicking of the door. Then with a lighter click a dim light filled his eyes. “This is not the place to be if you want to wait this out...” The voice said, calmer but still cold. It was nice to hear one again regardless. “D’you talk, boy?” the voice pierced the air again, challenging his very will to speak. Still bewildered, he managed to force the words, “Ye...Y-yeah...” he spat between gasps of saliva at the back of his throat as he struggled to pull himself up from the splintered floor. There was a moment of silence in the room. Devin became worried. “I’m sorry...” he uttered finally. Another voice came surprisingly. “We have to.” It said almost defiantly. It was male, gruff and heavy, as if the bass in his voice muffled his enunciation. “No.” Came her sharp, clear and cold voice. “We’re not gonna leave him here - I’m not gonna leave him here!” The male shouted. A thud came from down the hall after the man’s exclamation and the entire room became stiff as if it were possessed with rigamortis. The void was broken only by the sound of clicking metal shortly after. “How many bullets y'got left?” The quivering male voice whispered under heavy breath. “Not enough.” She replied determined but with a hint of fear. Devin gulped. “You take the kid, I’ll cover...” She said begrudgingly and almost too quickly a manner that made Devin feel ashamed. “Come ‘ere kid.” The male ordered. Devin stood and stumbled around the room. “Kid, you able to walk?” He said, slightly panicked. Devin could hear the direction of his voice but he had to find his rod first. He fumbled around the room looking for it when suddenly he felt something cold and narrow. “Found it!” Just then a heavy hand that gripped his shoulder and reeled him around violently, followed by a sinking shudder. “Shit...” The female breathed the darting curse a little ways off in the room. “He’s blind...” A calloused hand gripped Devin's firmly. The light in the room clicked off. The door inched open. To the left was the long hallway the thud came from earlier. To the right of them a staircase leading both up and down. The male breathed fully and slowly as he let the door swing open and ran directly to the stairs. Devin was trailing trying to keep up as best he could without tripping. They went downward, footsteps clumsy and loud. Between their thuds Devin could catch the sound of an inhuman yell that made his skin crawl and his chest tighten. But no gunshots. "Why are we going up? We could get trapped." Devin quavered. "Fire escape." "But there's one on my floor?" "Kid, trust me. Up is the only way out." He stopped, jiggled a door-handle and cursed in frustration followed by a loud boom at the door. And another followed by an angry grunt. For every boot-heavy kick, Devin shuddered in fear. Going up meant there were more Crazies below. They must have followed these two inside. Devin whimpered against the wall as a splintering crack of wood followed one of the loud thuds. Once more. And finally a shattering collapse. A heavy hand once more grabbed his shoulder, nearly dragging him inside. The dark room zig-zagged, the large man accidentally kicked over a table and he cursed. A few more steps and they stopped, a click occured and a sliding wave of cold struck Devin's skin, raising the hairs on his arms. The man yanked his arm with one hand and with the other, placed his palm on his forehead. "Watch'er head now." Devin stumbled onto the icy steel of the balcony, almost welcome from the damp stagnant heat he endured moments prior. "Go, go-go-go-go." A panicked voice came from behind him. It was the female. Followed by breaking glass and what he assumed was furniture from the room they just exited. The male grabbed Devin's left arm and pulled once more, but as he followed he couldn't know where to step. As his right leg fell to meet the metal balcony, it kept falling, lost his sense of balance and fell onto the metal step below, twisting his ankle at such a degree that shot an electric pain through his lower leg. He let out a painful howl as the weight of his body collapsed on top of his twisted foot and in one single disoriented second, his balance fell left toward the wall off the building where he felt a loud thud and fell once again into blackness.