Ivan’s Camera were rolling, and he was glued to them trying to make out anything that might be going on elsewhere. He had been doing this for what was now a week since the black figure appeared. Complying a list of information and other could be sightings. Checking back old footage and pouring over intel that he have been writing out, something was definitely coming together, but he just couldn’t put his finger on it. Everything in the video of the recent account told him that, this thing, did this to keep him from examining the body, but why? What was so special about this body of this particular walking corpse? Ivan went over and over the footage, but he was drawing a blank. “The eyes”, he said muttering to himself. He watched the footage again and paused it just as the creature looked into the camera. He studied the eyes that glowed. That moment that he first saw them, he remembered that they reminded him of what he glimpsed as the head of the zombie spun around, but were they really the same. Then there was the fact the eyes themselves had turn black and void of any color. Most zombies he had seen definitely had something in the eye socket, might not have been an eye per say, but something was there.
Ivan stood and walked away from the office area to stretch his legs. The other thing that had been bothering him was the fact that there were no other zombies around. Zombies weren’t known societal gatherings, but usually where you found one, there were bound to be other lurking about. The food always kept them together, and if one called out they all rushed in. They all moved about the same pace, so one gaining so much ground and then being alone, seemed nearly impossible. Because of this though Ivan had made it a principle to walk the perimeter and see to it that everything was secure. That creature as well looked directly into the camera, as if it knew that he was there watching. Everything that Ivan had been looking at was pulling towards that fact that something, or someone was trying to get his attention.
Ivan headed up to the roof after seeing that everything was fine downstairs. It was night which surprised him. He had been in the office for so long that the day passed him by without knowing. He had a pair of binoculars and scanned the surrounding area. At first there was nothing out there, but then something caught his eye, but it wasn’t near him. It was to the left and away from the market center. A faint glow in the distance, like a camp fire. He quickly went to a storage building he had built on top of the building with anything that he might need up on the roof. Pulling out a high powered rifle with a high magnification, and a spotting scope Ivan when to the edge of the building and setup a tripod, then placing attaching the gun to it. The spotting scope to have a tripod and he readied that as well. Once done he covered himself and the gun and scope with a camo netting that would keep any unwanted light from being reflected. The moon was out three quarters full, and the sky was clear, so he made no risk in being spotted.
Looking through the spotting scope he focused in on the lite up area. It indeed was a small fire that was glowing, but there was no one to see. The area around it was void of any life or undead. Ivan peered around the area to see the kind of protection was offered in that area. He had scouted about that area long ago and knew the terrain, but needed to get confirmation that it was indeed the spot that he was thinking of. Finely he saw enough and knew that something was wrong with this picture. That fire was built in an area that offered nothing in the way as protection. This had to be a trap of some sort. Who else would build a fire in an open field? The creatures that would be attracted, would make for a bad night. Zombies wouldn’t really be that big of a deal, light didn’t really draw them in. Fire would actually force them back as it would burn them more easily, but there were a few out that would be drawn in for the curiosity of the dancing light. A werewolf might find it interesting, but be more cautious, and try and lure the victim away from the fire. A Bragin on the other hand would be one such creature to charge in. Lizard like, with blade like hands. Claws are one thing, but these boys had fingers that would cut through a tree not just leave a mark. Then there were Gravins, ghostly figures that plagued on the living for a time. The haunted certain areas, and stole the life force from living creatures. One such Gravin attempted to make a home in the city at one point, but Ivan saw to it that its stay was temporary. Something like that would see the light and immediately come to rid it from its territory.
Unless something had just moved in though, nothing of that matter was going to happen. Ivan had made it a mission to clean out the area and surrounding areas as well. He had become quite good at it. He wanted to make it to where he could walk around more easily without the extreme fear that something was out there around every corner. So far he had made it as so, but things lately seemed to be changing. That was why he was out gathering supplies a week ago. Something was changing and he needed to have everything stocked up in case something big happened. Then the incident happened with the zombie outside, which even further reinforced his feelings. Now this was going on. Movement to this area was on the raise, but why, why was this happening. He had noticed a spike in movement from watching his camera feeds and trail camera pictures getting snaps on a higher bases. Ivan decided that tonight was not going to be a night of rest, though his body was telling him otherwise. He was going to keep an eye on that fire and see what made it. Something was out there and it was either going to come back, or it was on the move heading this way. He hoped to get a glimpse early enough to hopefully thwart them, but it was going to be hard. With no sleep and working so hard the last week, he was weak and a conflict right now would have him in a disadvantage.
Taking a deep breath and stretching his neck, he was starting to get stiff sitting still so long. Sleep was starting to gather in him and the night had been passing by quietly. The fire had started to die and lose its light. Looking through the scope he saw nothing, and decided to get up and stretch a little more and try to wake himself up. Moving away from the edge and getting to a place he couldn’t be seen moving around, he walked about standing and taking in deep breaths. He looked back towards the fire and saw that it was almost gone. Sighing a bit of relief that nothing happened, he moved back to the scope to take one more look.
The fire was just about to be embers, when suddenly something moved. Ivan jumped slightly as he had to adjust to see what was there. He blinked and stretched his eyes and what sleep was there he was quickly throwing it off. A figure human like was moving about the fire that was now pretty much out. Something was thrown onto the fire sending embers out into the night sky. Then it was poked at and prodded sending more embers. Then the fire started to flame up once more. As it did the light revealed not something, but someone. A girl was standing around the fire and working on it. He zoomed out slightly and looked around the area to see if there was anyone else lurking in the shadows. Nothing seemed to be moving. Was this person stupid, or wanting to die, and where the hell had they been this whole time.
Ivan was getting frustrated as he starred through the scope. Nothing but this woman was down there. Something in the wind seemed to change suddenly and a familiar smell crept into his nose. The smell of death and decay. The fire hadn’t attracted anyone, but whatever that woman had been doing surly did. She must have been wondering about the area. Ivan began to wonder how the hell she was even still alive moving around like she was and creating all this havoc. The night seemed quiet and still, but Ivan knew from that smell in the air a horde of zombie had gathered. They were making their way to that location.
Ivan was torn to leave and aid her, or stay and let the unfortunate idiotic person die. From the smell in the air that was growing, he knew he had around thirty minutes or so to get over there and do something. Standing up and throwing the camo netting off of him angrily he walked away from the edge and packed his rifle and spotting scope up. Slamming the door to the shed he then leaned against cursing his luck. Taking a deep breath he ran to the hatch to the lower level and jumped down it. Running quickly he grabbed his pack that was ready to make an assault in a moment’s notice. Heading over to the exit the never looked back and never hesitated. Once his mind was made up he lived with it. If this was the time for his death, then there was only one option, to accept it.
Running from the building he moved about the parking lot taken a specific route that would give him the least amount of resistance. After the parking lot he moved past a few more smaller building and towards what use to be a raising road that turned into two over passes. Ivan was still not going to give himself away as he made his way over there. Keeping himself to the shadows and traveling the length of the overpass’ shadow he moved quickly and quietly towards the other side of the large concert covered ground of a once heavily traveled freeway. The other side was where the fire was at. There were some abandoned building over there. Not much left of them, but there were still some remnants left. Crossing the freeway was going to be the hardest part. The road provided no cover and was vast in size. Luckily since human kind went to the way side however, the ditches were not well maintained.
Ivan crept to the edge of the tall grass and looked about and up and down the road. No sound and no movement. He stayed bent over and moved on towards the divider that was there in the center. Once there he rolled over it quickly and moved on towards the other side. Sliding through the grass he once again made himself vanish. The Fire was only a few hundred yards away at this time.
The crackle of the flame could be heard as he made it to the perimeter of the area that the woman had set the fire. He moved closure making sure that he looked about carefully staying hidden as much as he could. The corner of one of the buildings that still stood created a dancing shadow on the ground. Ivan moved slowly and quietly to that position. Looking around the corner once he arrived. He saw the fire, but the woman was nowhere to be seen. He squatted and pulled out a small extending pole with a mirror on the end. He held it low and just around the corner to see keep a look on the fire. Better to see a little than to be seen. Watching, finally someone appeared as they through another log on the fire.
Suddenly in the distance to the left, he heard crack and shuffling of grass. The woman was not alerted to this. He looked back at the area that the sound originated and studied the darkness. A shadow lumbered slowly forward. It couldn’t see him as the light would make the area around him darker, and the grass was surrounding him. The lumbering figure moved on towards the left side of the building making it’s way towards the fire. Ivan glanced at the mirror and saw that she still didn’t know what was coming towards her. “Shit”, he said through clinched teeth.
Slowly Ivan got up and moved in the direction the zombie had been moving. Making his way to behind it, he moved in slowly. The girl was now visible in front of the zombie. The thought on Ivan’s mind was, come and move girl, but he couldn’t say anything as he knew it would cause the zombie to alert the others heading this way. His hands moved to the ready and he slide out his Katina. The fire light gleamed off the shinning blade. For a moment he thought he could see a twitch in the girl as if the gleaming light caught her attention, but she held it in. just when the zombie raised its arms to grab out at her, he struck sticking his sword through the brain stem causing instant death, or in its case motionless decay. He pulled the sword out and looked up to see the woman standing pointing a pistol directly at him. “About time, I’ve been waiting all day”, she said.