Ampelius knelt beside Olivia, feeling even more grief until he could barely breathe. He wanted to say something, but the words refused to come out of his mouth. He has seen so much death and destruction, he couldn't explain how he felt, losing yet another person he personally knows.

  The sound of approaching boots echoed throughout the dark, followed by flashlights moving in on his position. He looked down at her, the moment was gone. With one last glance at her still face, he whispered, “I’m sorry, Olivia. Requiescat in pace.” Using what little Latin he knows to wish her farewell.

  A flashlight beam swept across him before he could run off. Gunfire erupted as he flung himself against the nearest wall. Concrete splintered where the bullets struck. He fired back on instinct, muzzle flashes lighting the tunnel like strobe bursts, then broke into a sprint as his rifle clicked empty.

  His heart hammered as he ran, his feet slapping through small puddles and ash. He risked a glance back, and saw three Roman soldiers who now filled the space where he’d just been. One knelt beside Olivia, his light shining on her lifeless form while the others fanned out.

  Ampelius dove into a narrow alcove, pressing his body into the cold stone. The beam of a flashlight swept dangerously close, painting the wall inches from his face. He held his breath, forcing his pulse to quiet, praying they wouldn’t see him.

  Seconds stretched into what felt like hours. Then a distant scraping noise echoed from deeper in the tunnel away from him, like a soft, wet shuffle. The nearest soldier turned his light toward the sound.

  That was all Ampelius needed. He eased out of the alcove, and bolted into the darkness. Shouts erupted behind him, followed by a burst of gunfire that sparked off the walls. He didn’t look back. The only thing that mattered now was what was in front of him.

  The screams that those soldiers gave off was unlike anything he had ever heard before. It was guttural and primal, like the sound of men being torn apart while still alive. His pulse quickened as he found himself moving at near sprint, while the darkness enveloped him. His instincts screamed at him to run faster, but he forced himself to stop, to listen. By now the screams had ceased, replaced by a silence, broken only by the sound of his ragged breathing.

  That was when he heard the sudden, bone-chilling screech reverberating through the air, followed by a shockwave that rattled the very walls around him. The tunnel began to collapse, with chunks of ceiling and wall crumbling away to reveal shafts of sunlight.

  The light spilled through the holes above, casting Ampelius in a spotlight of sun. As his eyes adjusted, he saw movement all around him. Hundreds of scorpion-like creatures, each the size of a dog, clung to the walls, ceiling, and floor, shifting and twitching just beyond the light’s reach.

  His movement drew their attention. Some recoiled from the sunlight, while others prepared to pounce. He quickly grabbed a jagged piece of debris, ready to defend himself. One of the creatures lunged at him, its high-pitched squeal filling the air as it hit the sunlight. It convulsed midair before Ampelius swung his makeshift weapon, sending it crashing against the wall in a splatter of dark tan blood.

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  They began to swarm, each creeping closer, testing the edge of the sunlight. One lunged forward, its shell smoking as the light touched it. Then several more followed. Two collided mid-leap, tumbling to the ground in the sun tangled together, partially fighting each other trying to regain their balance and get out of the light. But their bodies convulsed until they shriveled to ash. Ampelius could smell burnt chitin as they burned.

  For a moment, he felt a bit of relief, as the sun was holding them back. But that’s when the ceiling shifted, and a shadow dropped from above.

  The creature hit the ground in front of him with a wet thud, kicking up dust and and ash. Ampelius barely raised the rebar in time to block its strike. The impact rattled his arms to the bone. While its tail came down like a whip, striking the chunk of concrete he grabbed in defense, throwing him back onto the ground.

  He went down hard, feeling the wind driven from his chest, and his ears ringing. The creature loomed over him, tail coiling for another strike.

  He quickly rolled aside, narrowly avoiding the lethal tail, and swung the concrete chunk with all his might, crushing the creature’s fragile body. It's dark blood spattered as he pounded it repeatedly, ensuring it was dead before backing away.

  He glanced back down at the two ash piles, and saw the horde of creatures still paced, hissing in frustration. He realized the sunlight was his only shield, at least against the rest of them. “So, you bastards don’t like sunlight?” he taunted just as the light began to fade, casting the tunnel back into shadows.

  Panic set in as the creatures were no longer hindered by the sun. Every one of them charged him. Ampelius swung the rebar wildly, fending off the first wave, and backing up until he hit the wall. But his arms grew heavy, and the fatigue set in. He couldn't keep this up forever, there was just too many of them.

  Just as he was about to be overwhelmed, a series of bright UV floodlights blazed to life to his right. The creatures caught in the light convulsed, their bodies rupturing before collapsing. The survivors retreated into the darkness, leaving Ampelius to collapse in exhaustion.

  As he lay there, two human figures approached, their outlines blurred by his fatigue. “Are you okay? I’m sorry we couldn’t get here sooner,” one of them said in a thick Latin accent.

  “A second later, I’d have been their dinner,” Ampelius replied, looking up at the two soldiers. They wore grayish multi-cam uniforms with Roman eagle insignias on their armor, their weapons at the ready. They offered him a hand, helping him to his feet.

  “This is Sox 1; we found a survivor, status 7B yellow,” one soldier reported on his radio.

  “Copy Sox 1, standby for further instructions,” came the response.

  “Who are you?” Ampelius asked, still catching his breath. “You don’t look like the city garrison.”

  “We’re not. We’re professional soldiers of the First Legion Infantry Regiment. We’ve just besieged the city.”

  “Have you seen anyone else trying to escape? What’s the situation out there?”

  “You’re the first civilian we’ve encountered since the siege began. As for the rest of the city, it’s a mess. Most major cities on the West Coast are under attack, but it seems contained within the cities.”

  The radio operator interrupted again. “Copy Genetrix, proceeding as per your instructions. Tribune Paula wants this survivor escorted back to base for questioning.”

  The leader nodded, turning to his men. “Set up defensive positions and hold here until I return. Show diligence, and watch for those creatures. As for you,” he said, turning to Ampelius, “stay close. We’re taking the train car back.”

  “How long is the trip?” Ampelius asked, following them onto the train.

  “Not long, maybe half an hour. We’ve established a position here, so it should be a smooth ride.”

  Ampelius settled into a seat, exhaustion pulling at him as the train started moving. “You can rest,” the soldier said. “I’ll wake you when we’re close. By the way, you can call me Cicero.”

  “I’m Ampelius,” he murmured, letting sleep take him.