Chapter 25: Lexington Charter: Second Floor
"Now," I whispered, easing the door open just wide enough for us to slip through.
In the short time since this chaos had begun, I’d already learned crucial information about our enemies. The infected were drawn to sound like moths to flame, but their vision had deteriorated significantly. They could still see you if you were directly in their line of sight, but their peripheral vision seemed completely shot. It was a weakness we desperately needed to exploit.
My eyes quickly catalogued the threats ahead—five infected wandering aimlessly through the corridor, their movements jerky and unnatural. The closest one had his back to us, swaying slightly as he stood near a row of lockers. What remained of his school uniform was torn and stained with dark patches I tried not to think about too hard.
Dropping into a crouch, I moved forward with careful steps. My knees were slightly bent, weight distributed evenly to minimize any sound. Behind me, I could hear the sisters following, their breathing carefully controlled despite what I knew must be overwhelming fear.
The first infected never knew what hit him.
Moving with silence, I approached from directly behind, my knife gripped firmly in my right hand. In one fluid motion, I clamped my left hand over his mouth and nose, pulling his head back as I drew the blade across his throat in a deep, decisive cut.
But even as the warm blood spilled over my fingers, a realization struck me—what if that wasn’t enough? What if they could still function even with their throats cut? I’d heard conflicting reports about what could actually stop these things permanently.
The infected in my arms was still twitching, still trying to move despite the grievous wound. I couldn’t take any chances.
Fighting back waves of nausea, I adjusted my grip and pulled the head further back, working the knife with grim efficiency until I’d completely severed the head from the body. The wet, tearing sound of flesh parting and the metallic stench of blood made my stomach churn violently, but I forced myself to remain steady.
The decapitated head rolled across the floor with a sickening thud before coming to rest against a classroom door. The body crumpled silently.
"Uugh..." Elena’s disgusted voice reached my ears, barely contained. When I glanced back, I saw her covering her mouth and nose with both hands, her face green around the edges. Alisha was using her arm to block the sight and smell, but her eyes remained fixed on the corridor ahead, watching for threats.
I admired her focus even as my own stomach threatened to rebel. There was no time for weakness now.