The voice echoed down the long and dark tunnel as it screamed and pleaded. "HELP... HELP ME... PLEASE..." Sam knew that voice and he had to reach it. He ran towards it in the only direction he could. Towards the sole light at the end of the tunnel. A small silhouette darkened the centre of the light source in the far distance forever calling to him for help. He had to reach it. His lungs were on fire but he didn't stop. He couldn't stop. Suddenly out of nowhere a low rattled breath echoed down the tunnel. One of them was here...

Sam woke up suddenly and found himself already screaming. His face was on fire. His first instinct was to grab, to claw, to scratch, to offer any form of relief to the intense pain in his face but his hands were bound behind his back and those in turn were bound to an old radiator. He couldn't see a thing. Was he blind? He thrashed in pain and panic. The frustration and fear of being bound built up inside him. He tried to listen for any sound but all he could hear was his own quickening heartbeat pumping loudly in his head. He roared and thrashed more intensely until a heavy, painful thud to the side of his leg stopped him.

"I suggest you shut your mouth before you bring a horde of those things straight to us." A hushed, irritated voice said sharply. A woman's voice, he was sure of but it was hard to tell for definite. The sound was barely audible.

"Who's there?" Sam questioned the presence in the room trying hard to control the panic in his voice. His head turning from left to right not quite sure where to direct his question. "Please... my face... the pain..." His voice cracked. "It hurts so much."

"Stay calm and stop moving." The voice ordered. He sensed its presence move towards him.

It towered over him and he tried to recoil but there was nowhere to go. He felt vulnerable as hands fumbled at the back of his head. He flinched away but the grip was strong. After some fiddling Sam felt relief as pressure eased around his head. Padding and dressing were unwound and his hearing returned to its full potential. He could hear wind and rain outside as it hammered against the window. The bandages continued to unwrap and light suddenly pierced his eyes stinging them. He forced them shut, screwing up his face which only intensified the pain.

"Don't screw up your face or you will wreck the stitches." The voice spoke softly now. It was definitely a woman.

Sam relaxed his eyes and the pain subsided a little. He slowly opened them. His eyesight was blurry but they focused fast. The woman began to become clear in front of him.

She had short, choppy, uneven hair. Dark brown in colour. Her face held signs of grief and hard times, a look that Sam wore himself, though she wore it better. Her eyes were a dark brown. She was maybe a foot shorter than Sam and she was slim in physique. She was wearing tight fitting jeans and a black vest top that showed off ample cleavage that despite his injuries caught Sam's eyes. A silver cross and chain hung around her neck threatening to disappear between her breasts. It had been a long time since Sam had been this close to any living person let alone a woman. Desires long since subdued crossed his mind but the pain across his face quickly snapped him out of it.

"My face... How bad is it?" Sam asked her.

"You're alive. Isn't that enough?" She asked with a thick Scottish accent. "It's bad. Not going to sugar coat it for you. I did all I could but I'm no surgeon. There will be scarring." The tone of sympathy was clear in her reply. " Although I must admit I did do a better job than I give myself credit for." She approached Sam examining her work closely. "Some parts have already started to scab which is really strange."

Sam felt like a bug under a microscope as she eyed him over. Her breath was hot and sweet on his face. He felt his face blush.

What does she want me to say?

"Thanks... For helping me." Sam eventually said and the girl stepped back with a nod but did not reply. "I don't know what happened. How am I even alive?" He asked her.

"You walked straight into one of those things. It would have killed you if I hadn't killed it first. I thought it had killed you. It should have killed you. I don't know how you survived. You being here is impossible." She spoke these words with an accusing stare. "Are you alone or do you have a group nearby?"

"Alone." He replied. The word cut like a knife. "And you?"

"Same." Their eyes met for a moment and it seemed they shared the same pain. "Don't be getting any ideas. I do better on my own. Other people only slow me down." Sam thought her reply sounded like a well-rehearsed line.

"Can I at least know the name of my saviour?" Sam asked a little hurt and offended from her cold reply.

She hesitated before replying with. "Ailsa."

"Ailsa?" It's pretty. He thought. "Thank you again Ailsa for saving me and for fixing me up. I'm...

"Sam." Ailsa finished for him.

"How do you know my name?" Sam asked a little taken back.

"From this." She produced his diary from her back pocket.

A rage that did not belong to Sam instantly built up inside him and he struggled to free himself from his bindings but whatever she had used to restrain him cut deep in to his wrists as he fought with the restraints. Ailsa jumped back quickly, a look of brief fright on her face.

"Give me that NOW." He ordered the last word.

Ailsa laughed. "Not in a good position to be giving orders, are you?" She teased but stayed back far enough from his now thrashing legs. "There must be something really juicy in here for you to act like that. I have only read your little introduction page but I think I will read some more now and find out what's got you so riled up."

Sam continued to struggle as Ailsa flicked to a random entry and started to read out loud in a dramatic fashion. Not that one, Sam thought, anyone but that one. He fought violently against the bindings trying to ignore Ailsa's voice.

"Today I lost everything. I thought we would be okay but I was wrong. I knew it was a risk leaving the house but we were running low on supplies and we had no choice. I promised to keep them safe but I failed. We were working our way out of the city when we were attacked. We ran to a nearby building where I locked my girls inside before distracting those things away. It nearly cost me my life but I had to get them away from my family. I thought I had saved them. I thought we would all be ok but when I came back, the door was open and they had gotten inside. I found her body a little way inside, the woman that I love... dead. Time stopped as I broke down and did what I had to do. The ash on my hands and clothes are all that remain of her. I searched the building twice over for any sign of..."

Sam's rage reached boiling point and in a fit of anger he broke free from the radiator and launched himself at Ailsa. She backed away but she had nowhere to go. He grabbed her by the throat with his injured hand.

"Drop it NOW." He roared.

She obeyed instantly this time and he released her. She began to cough and clutch at her throat. Sam retrieved his diary and held it to his chest. He turned to Ailsa undecided whether to apologise or hit her but was met with a fist to the face before he could make his mind up. The pain was incredible. Pulsating, stabbing sensations shot through his face and he fell to the floor reeling in pain. Ailsa then proceeded to kick him repeatedly in the ribs.

"You... Kick! Stupid... Kick! Bastard... Kick!"

The rage in Ailsa's voice echoed in the room. Sam curled on the floor and continued to clutch his face as Ailsa kicked him. The pain from her kicks were minuscule compared to the feeling in his face. He struggled to hold back tears as the kicks continued to rain down on him. Eventually the kicking stopped and he heard Ailsa slump against the far wall coughing. It was a while before anyone spoke again.

"You okay?" Ailsa eventually asked. She was still coughing.

"What the do you think? You stupid bitch." Sam shot at her through stifled sobs.

"You had it coming. Grabbing me like that." She shot back angrily.

She reached for her rucksack and retrieved a bottle of water. Sam sat up and held out his hand to take it. Ailsa forced a laugh and drank deep mouthfuls spluttering some as she continued to cough. The pain started to die down in Sam's face and he got to his feet. Ailsa braced up a little giving Sam a small victory. She watched him closely but did not make any move towards him. He went to his own bag and retrieved a water bottle of his own. Less than half full. He sat on his mattress and drank it all only to make a point to the girl. He would regret that later. That was the last of his water.

They sat in silence for a while. Both of them just staring each other up and down. After a minute of this Sam looked around and suddenly realised they were in his latest hideout. He picked up his knife that Ailsa must have put beside his rucksack and he saw Ailsa tense up again from the corner of his eye which gave him another small victory but he simply walked straight out the room refusing to look at her. He headed for the mirror in the hallway. The patch of mirror he wiped earlier was sufficient enough space to inspect his face.

Sam gasped at the sight. Three deep gashes marked his face from above his left eye, down across his nose and ended on his right cheek. Blood seeped from the stitching which was probably caused from Ailsa's punch. The pain was bearable if he never moved his face. She had actually done a good job with the stitching. He hated to admit it but she was right, he would be scarred for life. He marvelled at the scabs that had already started to develop. How is that possible? He raised his hand to touch the wounds and noticed that she had also stitched up his hand.

"You will need to keep those stitches clean to stop infection." Ailsa advised from the doorway of the room he has just excited.

Sam chose to ignore her and continued to further inspect his face in the mirror.

"I'm sorry." Ailsa mumbled.

"What was that?" Sam said sarcastically and turned to face her. "I didn't catch that." He did but he wanted to hear it again.

"I'm sorry." Ailsa spoke again, putting emphasis on the sorry. "I guess my manners are a bit rusty. I've not had any need for them the last couple of years. I shouldn't have read your diary."

"Don't worry about it." Sam replied. "You have a mean right hook by the way."

Ailsa laughed at the compliment. "Thanks."

Sam smiled at her and winced the pain it caused. "Let's start over." He held out his hand and walked towards her. "I'm Sam." He said in his friendliest tone.

She eyed the knife in his other hand suspiciously before accepting the handshake and said. "Ailsa."

BANG!

The front door shook forcing them quickly apart.

BANG!

It shook again. Someone or something was trying to get inside.

BANG!

"Damn it." Ailsa shrieked as she ran back into the room emerging mere seconds later with a bow and quiver of arrows around her waist.

BANG!

The door swung open as one of the monsters stepped in to the hallway standing tall, its head almost touching the ceiling. It was followed by another then another then another. They all sniffed the air as one before rushing straight towards Sam.

"SAM! GET OUT OF THE WAY." Ailsa bawled at him but Sam stood frozen to the spot, his mind empty of any possible means of escape.

They closed in on him. Time seemed to slow down as he closed his eyes expecting imminent death when suddenly he felt something strange stir inside of him. A flooding mixture of emotion. A reminder of why he was still here and something he had never felt before, something much stronger. His eyes sprang open and he pounced forward forcing all of his weight into the first attacking creature. The thing was thrown back as Sam landed on top of it piercing the beasts head with his knife. Pain shot through his wrist from the impact. It exploded in a cloud of ash as another of the monsters took a swing at him but Sam seemed to sense the attack coming and quicker than he thought himself capable of he was out of reach of its deadly strike. The creatures continued their approach unfazed by the loss of one of their own.

"SAM! GET DOWN." Ailsa ordered from behind him.

Sam responded this time and ducked out of the way as an arrow shot over his head and penetrated the closest creature's skull showering the hall in more ash. The two that remained were still not hindered by the loss and continued their approach. Their rattled breaths filled the hall as they closed in on their prey. Another arrow shot overhead taking out the next creature. Sam crawled rapidly towards Ailsa who was stepping back towards the room as she readied another arrow. She released it just as Sam reached her and he heard the sound of another one of them exploding into ash behind him. He crawled past her and stood up and watched as more entered the house.

"We have to get out of here. There are too many of them." Ailsa spoke unable to control the shaking in her voice.

She fired two more arrows in quick succession killing two instantly before stepping backwards into the room and closing the door. Sam was there in a second with the old mattress. They placed it behind the door in an attempt to hold them off but they both knew it wouldn't hold them off for very long.

"Main door is a no go." Ailsa stated before suggesting. "What about the window?"

Sam ran to the window, ripped back the curtains and looked down. Dread hit the pit of his stomach like a rock dropped in to a pool.

"The window is a no go either." He called to Ailsa.

The street below was crawling with them. At least fifty in total. Rattled breathes filled the air as the beasts piled in to the stair entrance. Their synchronised breathing sounded like thunder and Sam felt his legs go weak. There is no escaping this, he thought.

Ailsa was beside him in a heartbeat. He could sense the fear radiating from her as she surveyed the street below. The room door was suddenly burst violently open behind them as a series of those things filed into the room literally knocking the door from its hinges and made straight towards Sam and Ailsa without stopping to sense where they were. The stench of fear directing them straight towards their prey.