Spoiler
I got an inspiration to write a story based on the movie, I am Legend. It was an epic movie and I loved it. I just hoped that you'll enjoy the story and any constructive reviews are appreciated.
Death Wish
I glanced up and saw the crumbling Lady of Liberty. Her legs were all that remained of her once glorious form. It was a reminder for both of us. It was a grim reminder that the world had changed.
“Water?” my younger brother asked.
“No, thanks.”
The cars around us were abandoned. Long forgotten. There’s no more petroleum in New York. So were the people. Long gone were the noisy crowds and yellow taxis. We were the only left. Me and my brother.
I gripped my rifle and smiled at my brother to assure him that I’m fine. He frowned and took a sip from our already depleting water supply. I watched his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down as he drank. I swallowed my saliva.
“Move. We don’t have much time.”
“Alright, alright. I’m just thirsty.”
“And I’m not? Get your bag and let’s move”
I waited for my brother to pick up his bag while I looked at the yellowish map. It was the only map left in New York. I opened the folded piece of paper with care and glanced at it. We were still miles away from the safe house. We really overextended ourselves this week.
Once my brother was ready, we walked along the empty pavements. We could always spot the things that reminded us of the good old days. A Pepsi can. An empty Tupperware. Sometimes, even old video game discs. We missed those games. Yes we did.
My brother followed behind me as I led the way. I’ve memorized all the possible routes to the safe house. Some roads were off-limits while some were relatively safe. I had marked all the safe paths in the map. In case of an attack, I can’t be too careful.
My bag was a lot lighter than last week. Our food was running low. No deer or goat to be seen in the streets of New York. Even with the bright sun glaring down on the city, the animals refused to come out. They were smarter than us.
I stared at the large television screen attached to the decaying buildings. They were dark and dusty. Not so long ago, they were producing sharp videos and wonderful sounds. Now, they were a forgotten relic of the past. I caught a glimpse of my brother staring at them too. Even he missed the old days.
We continued walking till the sun was almost swallowed up by the horizon. Fear gripped me and I gulped. My brother went pale and followed closer to me. Dusk was almost here. No time left.
“Shit. We still have two miles left to the safe house,” my brother said to me.
“Shut up. I’m trying to listen. You should to.”
My brother closed his mouth and gripped the handle of his M-16. He was scared. And so am I. The monsters of the night were not to be underestimated. We had to get to the safe house. With any means possible.
I broke into a slow jog and I kept looking behind to make sure my brother was still alive. Those damn things were fast. Really fast.
The empty and crumbling shop houses were the perfect ambush positions for them to attack. We jogged towards the wide road instead of the pavements. One thing you first learned in this place was not to be at the pavements at night. Bad mistake to be there.
One mile left.
I jogged even faster as the hairs on my back prickled stiff and my skin paler. My instincts were often right than wrong. The ugly scar on my back was proof of when I doubted them. They were coming alright. They’re coming for us.
I almost fell when the road vibrated from the heavy footsteps of the creatures. My brother, went sprawling on the ground. I turned back and managed to get him back up. I noticed his water bottle was cracked and precious fluid leaked out. I didn't have time to grab it from the road. It would be the least of our problems.
Another round of intense vibration rocked the streets of the decaying city.
Then, I saw them. The monsters that were once humans. Twisted beyond imagination. They have no hair or fur. Pieces of clothing from a different era were ripped and torn. Their skin were almost white and only two holes to replace the nose. The teeth were brown with dry blood but were razor sharp. However, it was the eyes that were really freaky. Mad and hungry. Hungry for our flesh.
Millions of them were running towards us like homing missiles. Some were jumping over cars and trucks. Only pure instinct and hunger drove them. There's no leader or a boss among them as far as we know. So, the rules of chess don't apply here. We need to kill all of them.
"Run and shoot! Run and shoot!" I shouted at my brother.
I fired a few rounds from the AK-47. A couple of the creatures' head were blown off by the full metal jacket bullets. The others didn't even bother about their fallen brothers. They kept on coming.
"Fuck! Why there're so many?" my brother said.
"Shut up and run, asshole!"
Adrenaline pumped into my bloodstream. My pupils were dilated and I could see in the dark like a bat. With my night vision, I noticed some of the creatures were surroundings us from the sides. They were jumping across the roofs, determined to outsmart us. My heart skipped a beat. They were never that smart to coordinate this kind of organized attack. They've changed.
"Joel! Split up and meet me back at the safe house!"
"What?!"
"Just get your ass away from me!"
I changed course and ran to the right along John Street. I saw Joel running to the left and I thank God that he followed orders for once. The creatures screamed. I winced from it. Some of them tried to ambush me from the front but I shot them before they could do anything. I reloaded and ran even faster. I said a short prayer that Joel would survive the night. He may be annoying but he's still my brother.
I took a sharp turn to the right. I almost tripped when my leg got caught at a loose rock. My good sense of balance saved me from an almost imminent death. A few seconds were all they needed to rip my throat apart. I fired a full clip to slow them down a little. They were getting a little too close for comfort.
I pulled out the empty clip and slammed in a new one.
Three clips left.
I held my gun and sprinted across the empty street. I was almost there. Salvation awaited.
I heard another scream and almost fell from the pain in my ears. I breathed in deeply and fired at a group of mutated humans directly behind my back. I welcomed the familiar bursts of blood as their heads got blown off.
I saw the safe house. It was right in front of me. Joel could not be seen anywhere. I cursed and ran straight onto the lawn. Flood lights were placed around the house. I have to fucking switch them on.
Desperate, I kicked the door open. I screamed as one of them clutched my arm when I tried closing the door. I panicked and slammed the door close. The arm got severed and blood gushed down onto the floor. The fingers were still wrapped around my arm. I pulled it out and dropped it on the floor. I hurried to the switch box and my leg got caught at a table. I fell and hit my head. Darkness almost swallowed me but fear brought me back.
I got up like a drunk man and flicked the switch up. Bright light flooded the lawn. I smelled that familiar cooked meat odor as the creatures' skin burned under the light. I wobbled to the reinforced windows and took a look.
The creatures were running away now. Defeated, some tried sprinting into the lawn but I was rewarded when they shrieked in pain. Their cries were so good to listen.
Joel......
I opened the steel door and peered outside. They were gone. Some bits of skin were scattered around the lawn. It was quiet. Too quiet.
"Joel! Joel! Where are you?" I called.
I saw a tiny dot in the dark horizon. It was heading towards me. I squinted and looked at it.
I closed the door behind me and I heard the automatic locking system activating. I jogged towards the dot and hoped for the best.
***
"Run! Run! I'll hold them!" I shouted at my brother. He was covered in crimson blood and he didn't looked too good. Me either. My left arm was barely working at all. Something bit off a large part of my flesh and it was not pretty. At least my trigger finger still worked.
"Fuck you! And leave you here? You must be crazy," Joel replied.
More abominations appeared from all four corners of our stronghold. We were back to back. Shooting all the bastards were the only reason we're alive. I found him, almost dead fighting them off. The situation didn't looked too good.
"For once, follow my orders! Go! Go! I'll be fine,"
He looked at me with his dark eyes and frowned. I thought he would be an asshole and stayed here but instead he slung his rifle and ran off. I breathed a sigh of relief and reloaded.
I had no intention to get away. I had to kill a lot of mutants to give my brother enough time to escape. It's a suicide mission and I knew it. I silently wished my brother good luck and turned to face my enemies face to face.
Why? My brother was the brave one. Even during the Day of Coming, he would always go out in the open and search for food while I took care of our parents. Sometimes, he would even cover my ass while I hunted for deer.
He was the one that found out that the creatures were afraid of light. He's the one that set up the defense system around the safe house. He's the one that should survive this bullshit. I'm just a dumb bigger brother. I didn't say it out loud but I loved him. The best brother a person could have.
I closed my eyes for the last time and fired. Darkness overwhelmed me. There was no light at the end at all. Just black.
Read it all the way through without any disappointement. I think parts could be fixed as far as grammar and things go, but I'll be back to do a more full review for you so that you can clean this piece up a bit. ^-^ I'm limited to an iPod as of right now, so you can see my dilemma. But I'd really love to come back to this. It was nicely written and I enjoyed reading. Nice job
)