The Tragedy

A quiet curse escaped his lips as he felt his foot sink into the indistinguishable muck that littered the tunnels. Once widely populated and used for transit, the lone man used his hand to help guide him along the darkened highway tunnel. Cars were still littered through the pass, large tears and dents telling the story of what happened here months ago. Some of the vehicles had deep gashes of varying numbers; some with only one line torn through it and others with three, as though an animal had run rampant through the tunnel. A very large and terrifying animal that could rend metal and throw hundreds of pounds of vehicle across the spacious passage.

The figure, bundled in furs and cloths to protect against the near constant winter chill, continued forward. The only sound was the soft steps of his boots and the muffled breathing behind the gas mask that covered his face. A gloved hand trailed along the concrete of the tunnel, using the surface to help him navigate the darkened corridor. In his free hand, a pistol was held comfortably at the ready, safety off and hand on the trigger if needed at a moment's notice. At his back, the blackened metal of a hunting rifle was strapped to his back should the pistol fail him.

The wind howled from the outside, a thankful event to cover the sounds of his movement. It was hard to remind himself that there was no sound over the pounding of his heart that seemed to be all encompassing for the man. The tunnel was not far from what used to be his home, but it had been the furthest he had traveled since the Cataclysm had struck.

It had struck suddenly in confined spaces. A beast appeared that seemed to be out of nightmares. No one seemed to know where it came from, but it was soon learned as the tragedies piled up. People would change, growing claws and fangs. Some bodies broke, bending in unnatural ways as they seemed to evolve into these monsters at unknown intervals. No one could figure out what was causing it, but any that survived lived with the fear that they would be next. They couldn't even rely on their fellow man when, at any moment, another monster might be added to the fold. It was a terrifying life to live in, but it was one that Aiden found himself trudging through.

A rough cough escaped him as he came moved around an abandoned sedan, the trickle of liquid obvious on his lips. He froze on the spot, eyes wide behind his mask. Shit, that wasn't good.

He heard the low growl from above before he registered the body, crouched at an unnatural angle from atop a cargo truck. The head was bent, twisted to stare at him upside down. Limbs were cracked and stretched, clutching the metal with claws that dug deep into it. Tattered clothing barely covered the emaciated form. A drip of saliva slipped from its lips, the metal sizzling on impact. None of this registered for the man, though. His eyes locked on the dangling silver around its neck; a small heart-shaped locket.

Aiden's handgun was pointed up in the next instant, firing his fire two shots in quick succession. It moved with the man's movement, leaping away. He grit his teeth, moving to follow it. As he began to climb atop the hood of the next sedan, though, the beast lunged forward. He felt the claws rip past his side as he cried out. He lost his footing, crashing back to the pavement and backing away to the wall. The monster moved quickly, lunging for him again.

He ducked down, the claw catching his mask as it did. The protective equipment was torn from him in one swift movement. He fired another shot blindly, but the creature was already on the move. He felt claws wrench into his shoulders before he could see it again. His body was forcibly jerked back into the wall as the beast lowered itself over him. Rear legs dug into the concrete of the wall, arms gripped into the man's shoulders. Its fanged face came into view as it looked into his eyes, as if searching for something.

From this angle, he could look into the face of what was once his wife perfectly.

It still hurt to see her in this state, but Aiden knew he was the one to put her out of her misery. A claw released one of his arms as it let out a deafening screech. The gunshot drowned out that screech a moment later.

Aiden let out a gasped breathed as he felt the claw sink lower into his chest. He stared into his wife's eyes as the light left them, the gunshot to her head being enough to finish it. She had been one of the less terrifying beasts to emerge from this whole thing, luckily. It was still enough that he couldn't come out of this unscathed.

The clatter of the gun echoed through the tunnel as he let go, reaching up to the pendant. His fist tightening, he yanked it free, dropping to the ground himself. Her claws kept her stable against the wall, even as what life was left faded. He brought the pendant to his lips gently before placing it back over his head.

His hand came to his chest, covering his wound tightly as he coughed again, more of the red liquid splattering out. He let out a ragged sigh. He wasn't making it out of this. This had been what he wanted, though. He had seen his wife this one last time.

His mission was over.