Closer. As they were getting closer with each passing second, the sounds of their chattering teeth grew only louder behind him, sometimes covered by their never ending wheezing. Still, he ran, away from them, into the unknown of the deserted streets.
He felt it coming far ahead, the weakness in his knees, his breath getting short, his heartbeat becoming unbearable as it resonated in his whole body, pulsating with the inevitability of a deadly countdown. He rushed faster, yet they could now nearly grab him.
He was at his breaking-point when...
"Mike!"
He woke up with a jump, panting heavily.
The woman who had called him let out a sigh and he heard her walk away. His vision wasn't clear yet, blurred by his sudden awakening state, and wouldn't be completely until he'd... there they were. Having reached for his glasses on the side, he pulled them toward him carefully before picking them up.
The glasses on, he could distinguish the thin filthy blanket he had tossed to the side during the night, the hard and cold floor, the four white walls all around. The warm sunlight greeted him through the holes in the rooftop. Mike didn't answer. He was done with the sun already.
He got up though, groggy, tired and hungry. Mike made his way out of the room, to find most of the camp awake, busy or eating what passed as breakfast here.
The dozen of them had found this remote building to stay and organize themselves. It had an exterior fence to protect them, and was big enough for everyone to have their own room, but they still had to do without proper beds. Hence, the horrible sleep he was getting every night. It has been weeks now.
Mike took up some snacks -ketchup flavoured!- and a bottle of water from what was left of their food stock, piled up in the centre of the room. He was really starting to wonder what the fuck they'll eat when they run out of snacks and cans.
Well, him at least. He was pretty sure some people here had access to better food, but hey, inequalities existed just the same at the end of the world.
Mike was about to leave when a strong hand grabbed his shoulder. As he turned, he recognized Tim, a tall and bald individual, towering over him in a friendely way.
"Wassup Mike?"
The man with the glasses hid behind his teeth, with a grin, all the disdain he had for Tim.
"I'm okay man. What are the news?"
"We're getting low on food and water. You mind coming with me today so we can bring back some?"
Oh, not for the world, motherfucker.
"Actually, I had already planned to go in town. To, huh, pick up some personal stuff, you know? So I'd rather be alone," Mike tried to explain.
But Tim's sudden frown was a clear clue that he saw right through his bullshit.
"No way. It's dangerous out there, you'll need me with you. Gather your stuff, we'll go when you're done eating."
Mike knew it would be useless to protest, and let Tim walk away in order to get ready.
The young man tore open his bag of snack with a swift motion testifying the rage this brief encounter had built up within him.
He didn't really hated Tim. He thought of him as immensly obnoxious though. The first reason was his irritating demeanour. The man acted like he was the boss around here and loved to shout orders at everyone in the camp. He was efficient, for sure. But Mike never got along with people of the commanding, high-and-mighty type.
The second reason...
"Ha, so you're up now?" a feminine voice asked mockingly from behind him.
Mike turned around, munching the last bits of his snacks, when his sight met the hypnotical blue stare of Joanna.
He gulped down the snacks.
"I am, early enough to be recruited by your guy," Mike answered, barely containing his growing bitterness.
"Too bad. Try to make it out alive, it'd be a shame if you'd get eaten," she teased again.
So that was the second reason he couldn't stand Tim: Joanna.
Among the camp, aside from himself, who was a man in his early twenties, there were a few teenagers, a kid, two guys of undefined age, an elderly woman, Tim and two women about his age, Kim and Joanna. Kim was definitely hot, if you liked the toned, short-haired, impulsive kind of girl, but also definitely a lesbian.
The point being that he could only bang Joanna if he wanted to release the seed accumulating in his pants since the Apocalypse. And God knows he would love to.
Joanna was this tall, curvaceous blue eyes beauty, constantly walking around the camp in crop top and stupidly small shorts that showed off white legs of divine crafting as well as a round ass. But that wasn't it. Part of the irresistible appeal she had on him came from the fiery torrent of red hair cascading all around her face and down on her naked shoulders. Every time she spoke, Mike suffered a painful longing for the touch of her thin lips on his skin, her frail hands that could caress him for hours.
But no. She was with Tim, and there was no way around it.
"Excuse me, I need to get prepared."
Mike suddenly walked back to his empty room. He couldn't look at her longer, as less than a minute of interaction had already made his cock throbbing in his pants, his hard member rubbing against the fabric.
Son of a bitch.
He drank a mouthful of water to cool himself off, with only little effect.
Still cursing silently, Mike grabbed a bag pack to carry what he'll find and a hand axe to defend himself.
This better go just fine, or things could turn really ugly in no time.