3 Acquiring Arms

'I can't be stupid…'

This is the furthest I've ever gotten in my attempts and my heart was racing. Suddenly the alley seemed brighter than it was just a moment ago.

I place my hand on my chest and take a few deep breaths until my heart rate slows down. Getting ahead of myself would only put my life at risk. There is no way to know how long the voice will put up with my failures, and I can't give it a reason to abandon me.

'Hmm, left or right?"

The alley jutted off in two directions. Neither one looked particularly appealing, but a choice had to be made.

Walking towards the exit to my left, away from the corpse of the creature I just killed, I nimbly advance, avoiding the trash cans and debris that litters the narrow passage.

My view of the street barely changed as I advanced, the constant sound of silence filled my ears.

There was no resistance group fighting the creatures in the street and there were no explosions to be heard. The only noise that existed were my faint footsteps as I traversed the dank alley as well as the beating heart in my chest.

I feel like anything could appear and take my life.

It feels like an eternity, but only a short while passes as the corner of the street becomes more visible.

The grit of the soiled bricks from my apartment building digs into my back as I press against it and edge closer and closer to the street.

I take a gulp, not knowing what to expect. A part of me is hopeful that salvation will exist in the street and I'll be able to get assistance. But, another part is confident each step will be my last.

Finally, getting a look at what has occurred outside of the apartment complex for the first time, I look down the street and my heart drops. The world is over!

Cars are flipped in the middle of the road, making it impassable, and trash is scattered everywhere. It seems like a bomb went off during the evacuation.

Looking to the left outside of the alley shows the same destruction, thankfully there were no corpses in sight on either side.

In fact, there isn't a single person in sight, except for a police officer near a giant pile-up of cars that burst into flames about a block away down the right side.

'That's the way I have to go if I want to save her…'

'He's probably turned.'

My first iteration I learned about being turned the hard way. After being injured engaging the small beast outside my door, I hid and cowered in my room…

Eventually my consciousness faded in and out…

I lost control of my body, but I wasn't dead. Not until eventually somebody saved me. I didn't know how long it took, time was a mystery in that form, similar to how it passes when I'm in the realm after death. But, eventually someone busted into my apartment and shot me in my head while I attempted to attack them. It wasn't a drawn out fight.

I never thought I'd be so thankful.

Perhaps I could show this officer the same mercy.

'He should have a weapon on him that I can use. Something better than this stupid knife.'

I look at the knife in my grip and notice that it already had a slight bend in it. The point had broken off when it impacted the skull of the tall lanky creature in the alley, and I'm not sure how it will hold up.

Crouching to make my silhouette as small as possible, I cross the alley and press against the building on the other side.

I didn't notice any beings, but that doesn't mean there aren't any creatures that wouldn't notice me. I'm starting to think the identity of the stronger monsters isn't a mere coincidence. Something has to be causing it.

The fire was massive, and the heat radiated so far that I could feel it the second I stepped into the street. It wasn't painful, but definitely noticeable.

'There's no way he's there on his own, he's definitely turned…'

The fact that the warmth could be felt a whole block away likely meant that it would be extremely painful to be where he was standing.

'Hopefully he hasn't mutated too much…'

I creeped through the street, avoiding the sidewalk as I approached the officer. The smell of burning debris started filling my lungs, but the clearer sidewalk would allow me to be spotted more easily.

There's no way it would be safe to fight the man where he was now. I remember my own transformation, and the first thing that left was the sense of pain. It wouldn't take long before he had a significant advantage.

'I did want to test this during this run anyway.'

*Snap*

My finger snapped and the sound echoed through the street as loud as a gunshot going off. I gripped my head and fell to the ground, the sound of the fall was amplified by the ability and was sure to draw his attention.

Even my heartbeat could be heard as if it were a subwoofer sitting on the street.

I quickly snapped again and everything got quieter.

'Damn it, my knife!'

My hands quickly searched the ground blindly as I scanned the surroundings looking for any new dangers.

Pulling my savior back into my grip, I quickly re-establish my stance and lock eyes with the officer that I had seen previously.

A pile up to my left, and a behind me ensured that nobody would sneak up on our skirmish, and hopefully any newcomers would think the roving officer was the source of the noise.

Thankfully, the cop was able to approach without much of an issue.

His face and front of his uniform were melted by the intense heat that it was exposed to standing so close to the flames earlier.

The smell of burnt flesh made me want to vomit.

'I knew I made the right decision.'

I readied myself as he staggered toward my position.

He let out a low growl as his unsteady steps brought him closer and he lunged forward with a single swipe of his arm.

'Great, he's weak!'

It reminded me of the beast that was trapped in my apartment building and bursting on my door. It wouldn't be an easy fight, but I could definitely win.

I dodged to the side, and kicked him in the ribs.

The officer stumbled, but it wasn't enough to topple him.

It took the turned man awhile to make a full turn with his body, but I keep my distance.

'Accidents can't happen now.'

He stepped forward with his supernatural limp and lunged out with a growl, narrowly missing me.

'This is so much easier in an open space!'

Side stepping him was even easier now that I could anticipate his movement. Staying close to his back had become my best form of defense.

I struck toward his temple with my knife, and the handle broke as the man fell forward onto the ground.

'Was that really it?'

Examining the corpse for a moment before making any decisions, I ended up noticing a small movement in his arms.

'It's not over.'

Not having my knife anymore, I couldn't use a weapon to stab him any further, so I used my feet. I kicked at the skull until I was out of breath.

It wasn't clear how much effort it would take. The corpse wasn't moving, but there wasn't an indication as to when that happened. It may have been on the first kick, or it could have been on the last one.

I raise my hands to the back of my head as I crouch down next to the corpse in an attempt to catch my breath. It wasn't safe, but I needed to catch my breathe.

'Looks like I hit the jackpot!'

I remove the officers handgun from his belt, and notice that he has black medical gloves and handcuffs as well. All the other pouches seem to be empty.

'I'm not sure what they'll be used for, but I may as well take them!'

The gloves and the handcuffs were uncomfortable in my pocket, but it was better than wearing a heavy belt to which I wasn't accustomed.

I quickly released the magazine and counted the bullets in the handgun…

'five shots, including the one in the chamber… It seems like he went through a lot!'

Holding the pistol in my hand, I stand up and smile—I had accomplished another goal! With this weapon I'd be more likely to save her.

Preparing to depart from the scene of the fight, I crouched against the pile of cars and looked at the surroundings one more time… I need to ensure that I don't miss anything important. Any tool that can increase my survival in this situation is a godsend.