ENKAUSTON CONTEST [ OPEN TO ALL ]

There was no way he could have planned this any better.

Kevin stood with his back to a double-door. A long, solid and thick metal pipe was jammed in between both doors' handles. He stood at the end of a service corridor, the door behind him serving as the only maintenance entry into the Downtown subway station. It could have been silent if it wasn't for the thunderous beating of his heart, a pipe dripping onto the cement floor down the halls, and a frenzied banging on the other side of the door. There was enough force to rattle the pipe that served as a barricade between Kevin and the force that desperately wanted to break through. Through frayed hair hanging over his line of sight, hazel eyes glared at the door over his shoulder with disdain. "Just quit tryin', already!" Kevin screamed at the top of his lungs before gritting his teeth.

After taking a deep breath, Kevin tugged at the ends of a well-worn and filthy black tee, trying to relieve some of his anxiety about the matter. The door continued to rumble and rattle against the force that was applied to it from the other side. There was the long corridor ahead, dark and winding. Kevin heard a round of incoherent screaming and shrieking through the door; he couldn't make out words, but responded in kind. "JUST GO SOMEWHERE ELSE!" There was a moment where Kevin simply stared at the door, anxiety and nerves welling up.

Then he heard the howls. Those guttural, ominous cries.

Kevin swallowed dry air, a sense of urgency welling up in him as he dug into the pockets of his tattered and distressed blue jeans. Hard, chapped and calloused hands managed to fish out a silver rectangular lighter. He was almost out of time...Kevin uncovered the lighter and placed his thumb to the flint wheel as if to start a flame, but then closed the top. Both hands took turns while the empty hand furiously scrubbed against his ragged denim to dry them. His left hand grazed the fabric for only a short moment before he drew it back. He winced as he examined his palm---he agitated a wound. A series of punctures sat along the butt of Kevin's palm in an oblong, semi-circular pattern. He turned his hand over to see similar marks. They were bite marks...roughly the size one could expect from a human. The wounds themselves were incredibly dark, looking almost charred. The flesh surrounding it was yellowed and terrifyingly swollen.

Another loud trembling came from the door as Kevin overheard more feral screams in the distance. Kevin's eyes darted back and forth between the door and the corridor ahead, his view of which consisted of examining the walls. They were slick and damp. A satisfied grin crept across Kevin's face as he wiped his sweaty brow with his forearm. That smile faded quickly when the door rattled once again. "Jesus," he shouted in response. There was yet another crash against the door, only this time more vehement and with enough power to shift the pipe that held it shut. "Dammit!" Kevin heard growling and it only grew more intense as whatever attempted to break through the door continued to beat and bang against it. Only this time, it wouldn't end. Fervently, it shook and rattled in rapid succession before it came to an abrupt stop. Kevin almost believed it was over and returned his attention to the hallway in front of him, preparing for what lay ahead.

His train of thought was cut short when the double doors parted.

Kevin almost broke his neck looking backwards. To his horror, his barrier between himself and the subway station was gone---almost. The pipe remained, although it bent under the stress of the door bursting open on it. As a result, The door was only partially ajar. He witnessed that which tried so hard to break through, and the sight There he was, pale, afraid and desperate as Kevin and Anthony locked eyes from each side of the door. "Kevin!" Anthony shouted. "Kevin, don't do this! We can...we can figure out something! Maybe there's a treatment, a cure! We can get out of here! We can escape together! You don't have to---is that..."

"...Kevin, is that the gasoline?"

Anthony caught sight of two canisters of fuel that were apparently empty. A weak smile made its way along Kevin's features. Sure, there may have been a cure...unfortunately for him, they likely wouldn't find it in time to save Kevin. He was changing, he knew that the infection would take him before an opportunity to save himself became a possibility. He and Anthony promised to protect themselves and anyone they came across at any cost. On Anthony's side of the door was a small but resilient band of survivors that didn't want to die. The grunts and groans of the infected horde that gave chase reminded Kevin of what was on his side. A lumbering pack of walking dead threatened the survival of the few friends Kevin had. He took one more look at his left hand as he still held the lighter in his right, glancing down at his clothes. The walls were soaked with gasoline, and so were his clothes. "Y'know," Kevin began as he turned his back to his comrade. "You should just...get the fuck outta here and go plant a fuckin' rose." Kevin would protect him and the rest of them all the way to the end and he knew that he was no use to them alive. With his thumb, Kevin flipped the top off of the lighter. He heard Anthony screaming for him, begging him to reconsider. However, the sounds of the horde grew louder, footsteps now audible as one, two, and now several turned a corner and advanced on the two. Anthony was trembling, hollering for his friend one more time...but when he saw Kevin's thumb rest upon the flint wheel, he shut the door behind him.

Kevin lit the flame and had one moment to admire the flame before it consumed everything.