The Blood Key

Zaki was running upstairs, pacing up his run to the terrace as more and more adernalin was getting injected into his blood stream. The terror of what followed him had set his body to perspire. There was a helicopter ready to fly away as soon as he and his family...the last one left in the building boarded it. His mother and his little sister were ahead, his father was behind him looking how far had the riot reached which was chasing them no less than the bloodhaund beasts. His father was ready to partake any opportunity to save his family, even if it meant dying.

It was late in the afternoon, but black clouds overcast the sky accompanied by roaring thunder strikes. The rain drops fell like bullets as they flew along with the stormy winds, rattling down on earth.

The pilot started the engine and the rotors began to swirl as he saw the mother and the daughter had appeared.

"Give me your hand!" Shouted one ranger on the helicopter.

They got in and now their eyes were waiting upon the arrival of the son and his father. Soon appeared Zaki who dashed and threw himself into the helicopter. His father showed up in no time, but he seemed reluctant to board the helicopter which was just seven metres away from him.

He looked down and calculated that he would have to sacrifice himself to protect others...his family.

His gaze was fixed upon them, trying to embrace them in his invisible arms. His eyes were filled with horror and pain.

"Dad! What are you waiting for? "

Shouted Zaki in worry.

"Don't do it Rohit, please....!" Zaki's mother cried, as she figured it out what her husband was up to.

Zaki looked at his mother's tear struk face and turned back to his father. Rohit's face spoke everything. His daughter, Kritika ,sat quiet who was probably small to process the situation or she was shocked by the incident that happened just a while ago.

The scary noise became audible which triggered his father. He pulled the grills and tried to lock the entrance to the terrace when there was a loud thud which set the gates to vibrate, and blood stained hands and faces came out from the gaps.

Tearful screams filled the air.

The helicopter began to lift off and edge away.

"Nooo........!" Shouted Zaki.

"Father!"

He couldn't suppress the sudden urge of his instincts when he saw his father struggling against the undead, and jumped off from the helicopter just when a lightning streak lightened the place.

At the moment he propelled himself out in the air, he realised what he had committed. He was thirty feet away from the ground. He let out a sream as he felt his heart pumping fear into his arteries. His mother's cries echoed in his ossicles, he felt few hands slipping away from his limbs and he eventually felt the gravity.

Descending down, he prepared his legs for the impact and he rolled on the ground on landing. His knowledge of acrobatics saved him but, he could feel a sudden rush of pain in his ankle and his shoulders. He used his momentum to disconnect his father from the hands of thoes blood thirsty maniacs. He kicked the intruder throwing her into the others who were all pushed back. It bought him ample amount of time to successfully lock the gates along with his father.

His father had somehow been able to lock the gates but, he collapsed to the floor at the moment. The saviours were not close enough to notice that, anymore. They went away with the agonised mother and the other civilians.

"Father, are you alright?" Asked Zaki.

"You fool! What have you done!" Shouted his father with a painful voice.

"No....what did you do!" Answered Zaki.

His father was breathing heavily. Zaki noticed that warm, red liquid comming out from his father's arm. He was bitten by one those animals in his strrugle to protect his family.

Zaki was avoiding to look at that haunting zombies trying to break through the gates.

"You have committed a great blunder son....." He was angry on Zaki but, was unable to sound the same because, he barely had any energy left.

"Don't say anything. Be quiet."

He tore a part of his T-shirt and tied it tightly around his father's arm to stop the blood loss.

"My body...its...its burning!"

"Arrrhhhhhh......."

His father spilled out blood from his mouth as he spoke. Zaki saw his father's veins were protruding out when he sreamed.

Zaki knew very well what was happening but, he was unwilling to accept it.

"Clam down Dad! You are alright. Your gonna be fine." Zaki tried to convince his father.

Rohit's hands started to tremble and all the muscles in his body were tightening.

"Dad I am here with you. I promise-" before Zaki could complete, his father interrupted.

For the first time. Zaki saw tears trickling down his father's face.

"I love you son... I.. I love you all and I shall always do!!" Saying this his father pushed him away. With the last bit of consciousness left in him...he raced to the edge of the terrace.

By the time Zaki could process anything, his father had already jumped off from the terrace.

Three seconds latter Zaki heard a squashing thud......