For charloft and <user site="livejournal.com" user="jurisimmort

[call_me_snake]

If there was one thing Snake despised more than the cops it was running from them. They never gave up. Plissken stopped to catch his breath while listening to the thumping of the helicopter. It was somewhere to his left and obscured by the buildings but the general approach was directly toward his direction. He had time yet. Plenty of time.

It wasn’t until the fifth or sixth deep breath that the stench hit him. “Fuck no.”

He whispered it breathlessly to himself and started scanning the area. All the cops on the streets must have stirred up the Crazies. They were sort of like bees in that too much vibration got them up and moving. They were the last thing that Plissken wanted around. The first sounds were far down the street like huffing or sniffing. They were hunting.

Pushing off the wall he stepped out in the street to have a look. Far down, a block and a half, maybe a bit more, the shadows were not staying in place. He threw a hesitant glance over his shoulder in the other direction just as the spotlight blinded him. Disoriented he spun to get away from the blinding light.

“This is the United States Police Force. Stay where you are. Any attempt to flee will be met with aggressive force.”

He was lit up like a buffet. He knew that when he heard the howls. Did they really expect him to stay still? They were out of their minds. Still half blind Plissken bolted toward the cops. Prison, even the electric chair was better than being eaten alive. As soon as he started running the bullets started ricocheting. He didn’t care about the bullets. He was worried about the stampeding sound of bare feet slapping on the concrete behind him. The Crazies were coming and coming fast.

Snake pushed his weary body even when the police blockade was visible. He kept right on moving toward it. Fear of the Crazies overruled every ounce of common sense as he ran right into the midst of the cops. No more than a few steps into the group he heard the “Thwump” and knew what was coming.

His whole body lit up with electricity when the shock net hit. Normally he fell with it to avoid the stinging pain but not today. Plissken struggled to get out of it until pain dropped him to his knees. Screaming and gun fire started while Plissken flipped around on the ground trying to get out of the net.

A Crazy ran past. Then another and another. Snake did the only thing he could. He curled up on the ground trying to be inconspicuous. The shock net was still jolting him. Every shock causing an uncontrollable twitch. Plissken prayed it kept shocking him. At least the electricity might keep the Crazies from eating him while he was bond up like a pork loin for the taking.

The ruse only lasted so long. Plissken couldn’t take the little bites from the net anymore and started struggling with it. There were Crazies and cops all around. Blood splattered on him with pieces of something or someone. That was all it took to reinvigorate his attempts to get free. Rolling the net finally gave way. People were all around him. Guns were booming, people were screaming and howling. His head felt pressed full like a near bursting balloon. He tried to move but he was too dizzy. He laid there clutching his head.

A Crazy tripped over him followed by the mangled body it was dragging. The body landed on him, wet slick with blood. Plissken shoved it away and started crawling. He jammed himself under a cop car. Feet were stomping around him in every direction. They were everywhere. Plissken curled up in a fetal position watching the madness from ground level. Blood curdling howls were rising up from the Crazies. They were hungry and feeding like a while pack of hyenas. There was a fight out there somewhere for the best parts of the downed people.

Plissken couldn’t function anymore. His skin was crisscrossed with electrical burns. He was slathered in blood and saliva and his head was to the breaking point. Snake gave in and just laid there beneath the car shivering. There was nothing sane here so why should he act the part of the sane man in Bedlam? Sometimes that act wouldn’t even push the world away and all you could do was fold up and go with it. Snake was afraid for his life and his sanity but all he could muster was the demeanor of a frightened child.