Rabid

Leah's brows furrowed in frustration.  A thin line of sweat threatened to drop off her grimy forehead. With every second that passed her feet pounded harder against the barren dirt field that was filled with a chilling emptiness.. Her legs ached as if she had been running forever, perhaps she had. Maybe not physically as she did now, but the idea that she’d always have to run prodded her brain annoyingly. Leah quickly brushed the thought from her head, choosing instead to focus on her increasingly rapid breathing. Her breathing slowed as she alternated between breathing out of her nose and mouth. 

It had been ages since she was able to settle down anywhere and relax. It had been ages since the Virus escaped. And still the world was in ruins. She had been twelve when the first batch was stolen from the lab and the first Rabids were created. The image of the half crazed men with faces that looked like they were melting still haunted her memories. The news ran 24-7 for days as they reported on the feral beings whose mind the Virus had corrupted, at least they reported until there were no more people left to run the station. The efficiency at which the virus spread was mind-boggling. As each Rabid closed in onto their victim the radiation from the Rabids would infect the person in minutes. Although, as the human population declined, so would the Rabids' speed. They were becoming lazy. A tinge of jealousy bit her at the thought.

Yet when Leah risked the peak over her shoulder, she realized the Rabid chasing her in uneven strides was not as lazy as she had hoped. Her feet now hit concert, leaving the soft grey field behind. Still the distance between her and her attacker was closing. It had been months since her last attack, and that one was still an easy escape. It had been years since she had last gotten so close to being infected. Her heart beat faster at the thought, her adrenaline coursing through her veins. 

One, two, three, one, two, three. Her feet beat in an even rhythm. A rhythm her brother had taught her. He was the one that originally got her interested in her school's track team, the team her brother was known for leading to the state finals. Leah frowned as she wondered if her brother had this in mind when he said her training would come in hand later. She knew that he had never wished this for her. One, two, three. One, two, three. She has control. She had control.

The pavement Leah ran on twisted into an abandoned street, filled with potholes and rotting leaves. She could hear the Rabids breathing now. Its short, unnatural breaths sent chills down Leah's spine. This wasn’t fair. She was faster, stronger, smarter than the Rabid breathing down her neck. The constant rhythm in Leah's feet fell silent as she willed herself to run faster, abandoning her dwindling calm in the process. Leah twisted her head around, desperate for one last look at her attacker when she fell. Her knees scraped gruesomely against the asphalt, leaving angry red marks on her legs. 

Her attacker was now only a few yards from her face, the ominous buzz of radiation pierced the thick silence. The Rabids mouth was set in a thin line, its eyes empty. One, two, three. The Rabid slowly marched closer to her, copying Leah's rhythm she had recklessly abandoned in her panic. The power dynamic had switched. Leah laid on the street helplessly as the Rabid towered over her, choosing the pace at which Leah's life hung in the balance of. All of Leah's resolve was gone, only fear raced through her veins now. 

And somehow she was okay with that. The hot tears that streamed down her face smelled like an old friend. Even as she sobbed the Rabids expression did not change. It had been ages since Leah had last cried, and somehow in the company of the empty shell of a person she felt safe enough to. Or maybe it was the company of certainty that let her tears fall without shame. Nonetheless, she welcomed the fear with open arms. She had missed the vulnerability. And now the Rabid was upon her, breathing in her last breaths of humanity. Its retched face lowered to meet Leah eye to eye. As if to say goodbye.

Clunk! Both Leah and the Rabid jumped. The heavy sewer drain aside her leaped from its perch in the pavement, revealing two grimy arms reaching out. She was surrounded now. But as the arms grew in length, a head appeared. A face. A friendly face, a human face.

“Get in here!” The mud caked arms reached for her, pulling her into the darkness, leaving the Rabid to cry at its lost meal.