These things used to be human? Clarisse doesn’t see how. The thing coming after her is so fast that she can barely get herself out of its way. Ellie hits the clicker again with the crowbar and it stumbles to one side, down but not out. When it comes back up, it’s Clarisse it goes for again.

She’s ready for it. Thinks she is, anyway, except her arm hits an end cap as she steps back and steadies herself to take another shot, and that’s all it takes to knock her off balance. The shot goes wide, grazes the clicker’s shoulder, and that’s all she has time for before it’s basically on top of her.

She hits the ground hard, air driven from her lungs in a rush, and tries to scramble out from under the weight of the thing on top of her. It’s putrid and screaming and has her legs in its grip, and the only thing she can think is don’t let it fucking bite you—

She draws back one leg and kicks as hard as she can. She’s not as strong as she was a few days ago, but it’s solid, and her combat boot hits center of what used to be the clicker’s face. Clarisse sees teeth and blood hit the air, and the toe of her boot’s in the thing’s mouth. She feels pressure as it tries to bite through the leather.