Until It's Gone

by SoulReaperNinja713

She lived her life to the fullest, spending all of her time outside basking in the sunlight of her island. She had it all, but now, it was all gone. That saying - "You don't know what you've got until it's gone" - is more powerful than one may think. This is the story of Abigail Mason, and how she barely survived the place she called home. [Later LoganOC; Mentions OCxOC] :Part 1/4:

4. Start of the Downfall

The Next Morning…

I awoke to the buzzing sound of my alarm clock going off at precisely nine o'clock in the morning for the fifth time this week, letting me know that it was time to get up to start the day once again. Hazel eyes slowly opened to find myself staring at the very same wall in which I stared at before falling asleep. When I remembered everything that had happened, I felt myself frown. I did not want to think about last night's events, not wanting to ponder anything that would bother me all day for an undetermined amount of time, and only worry about was going to happen today. Apparently, Nathan had some sort of "surprise" for me, something he had wanted to do for some time but never actually got around to finding a perfect day. Unsure of what it was as well as a little excited, I decided to go along with it and see what it was that he was up to. Last night's events were not going to ruin today if I thought about it, especially when I was actually looking forward to something interesting and worth knowing.

Realizing that I never covered myself with the blankets nor did I change out of the clothes from last night, I decided to get out of bed without the usual morning routine, which involved removing the covers and fixing my disheveled pajamas. Stretching a bit and hearing a few bones crack at the same time, I moved over to the nearby dresser that I had claimed as my own, pulling out a casual white tank top with a scoop neck and back line, and a sleeveless styling to help me cope with island's overbearing yet oddly comfortable humidity. The mesh overlay gave off a playful circular pattern, something that piqued my interest when I first got it, and had a straight hem.

Smiling, I draped the top on my arm, closed the top dresser, and opened the one below it to pull out a pair of blue jean shorts with a hip-hugging low rise and rolled up hem. It had the classic five-pocket construction to it and tonal topstitching to piece it all together. To top it off, it was equipped with a wide belt loop waistband, zipper fly, and double-button closure. Attire that would withstand the heat, I told myself. Besides, white goes with…pretty much anything from my understanding, and the color itself kept me from overheating too much while outside. Placing the shorts atop my tank top, I picked out a pair of matching undergarments – nothing special, really; just a simply a light pink shade so that it would not be seen as clear as day while walking around outside – and some thin woven socks to avoid sweating in my sneakers. Speaking of which, I looked across the room to find that said sneakers – a pair of All Star converse in the shade of blue on the outside, red on the inside and along the sides as very thin lines – sat right next to the bathroom where I had left them before changing for the party.

Pushing the thoughts of out of mind once again, I got to my feet, picking up a metal chain bracelet with a ruby red key chain attached to it; it was in the shape of rose, something that did not grow very much out on the island. It was given to me by Nathan, who believed red showed courage in a person (something I seemed to give off a lot). Speaking of the man who gave me such a wonderful gift, I looked back at the bed; only find that his side of it was untouched, as if he never even went to bed last night. Frowning, I looked towards the door, causing my frown to disappear and my expression turned into one of confusion. I had found my lover sleeping against the doorway of our room; the chair he had placed there still against the door, and his metal bat lying next to him. His grey jacket remained on his body, and his head hung low, giving me the sign that he was still sleeping. I sighed and shook my head. Must have been thinking about those zombies again, I told myself as I entered the bathroom. I wanted to take a quick shower before waking up Nate, seeing as how he seemed extremely tired from last night's ordeal. Besides, I hated bothering him when he slept; he was the most peaceful person when he was fast asleep.

Smiling, I stripped myself of the clothes from last night and tossed them into the hamper nearby; reminding me that it was Nathan's turn to wash clothes this week. Turning on the shower and stepping in, I allowed the water to fall against my body for just a moment, feeling as if all of the moments that had taken place were washed away with the pouring water from the shower head. It was when I started to wash my body that my mind began to wander outside of its normal comfort zone. Last night was one of the craziest (and worst) nights I had ever witnessed in my entire life. There was nothing that could compare to what had happened, especially between Logan and I. And to think, I told myself, that Nathan was alright with it. I was not sure if I should be upset with him that he was not upset with his idol for kissing me or cool with it because he had forgiven for falling for a ridiculous trick. Hell, I was surprised he even forgave me at all after what he went through with Rita!

The thought of 'prostitute' filled my mind with anger for just a moment before disappearing immediately. Was what Nathan said true; did some infected Rose, who was once our friend when we arrived at the Royal Palms Resort, attack and possibly kill Rita? If it was, what was I supposed to make of it? Should I be happy that the crazy stalker would no longer bother our relationship again, or frightened over the fact that some creature had killed her? A frown spread out on my face as I rinsed the soap off me and began washing my hair. Now I'm starting to sound like Nathan, I laughed to myself as I washed out the shampoo and moving on to the conditioner. The whole "zombie apocalypse" idea was just a figment of his imagination. Too many scary movies about zombies was what caused it all, and as the saying goes: "Curiosity killed the cat." The cat, in reality terms, was referring to Nathan, who was curious as to whether or not such a thing as zombies could be possible. After too much researching, he immediately became paranoid, thus starting the endless epidemics of "There's a zombie on the island!"

Sighing, I rinsed out the conditioner before turning off the water. Now I started to feel like all those people who poked fun at him over in New York City, where he lived and worked. He was always laughed at or shut down by everyone about his false accusations. I did that, too, but I was able to tolerate his outbursts and panic attacks unlike everyone else, who would bother him and mock him for believing such a thing. I may not have believed that zombies could exist, but I was not going to stoop so low as to mock someone for believing something outlandish. I suppose that was why he started to fall for me; because I was not like others who would constantly laugh at him and call him an idiot whenever the opportunity arose. Even Rita laughed at him when he had one of his zombie panic attacks! I did not want to be like them, always putting someone down for believing something that others did not. I allowed him to believe what he wanted, but that did I mean I wanted to follow alongside him. I, for one, did not agree with anything relating to the undead. Once someone was dead, that person was dead. End of discussion. Still, there were days when I wondered if Nathan's findings could be true.

Exiting the shower, I grabbed the towel that I had claimed for myself and began drying off my body. I was returning to reality once again and remembering the day Nathan and I were going to have. It was something I was looking forward to since he brought it up a few weeks ago. Smiling, I began drying off my hair, wondering what he was that he was planning for us today. Just as I was thinking that, though, I suddenly heard the sounds of faint screaming coming from the other side of the wall. I froze in my spot as I stared into the mirror with widened hazel eyes. It sounded like someone had left on their TV while watching a horror movie. That raised a single question: Who and why the hell would someone watch a horror film at nine in the morning? When I started to ponder that single question, the screaming abruptly ceased, leaving a long, eerie silence in its place. I waited for anymore sounds to come through, but still heard nothing more. Probably turned off the TV, I told myself as I finished drying off my hair. People and their oddities these days. It's just getting out of hand now.

Pushing those thoughts off, I brushed through my hair quickly, getting any knots that remained in my hair and smoothing it out. Satisfied, I put down the brush, took a few pieces of hair on my right side, and began braiding it back into a bit of a loose waterfall braid style, only it did not go completely around my head and remained on one side. It was something I usually did whenever I went out; I learned it from my mom who learned her from her mom (and so on). It helped me remind myself that I had a good life; a family, friends, a lover, and a beautiful home. In a way, although it did not make me stand out from a crowd, it helped me know that no matter what happens, the people I love will always be there even if I could not see them. It was reassuring, I guess, to have the braid there; in a weird sense, it reminded me of the people I loved.

After finishing the braid, I put on my undergarments before throwing on my tank top, fixing it a bit to make sure it looked decent. Then, I picked up the shorts and slipped them on. Once I buttoned the pants to complete the looked, I picked up the bracelet that Nathan gave to me, admiring it in the light for just a moment, before slipping it on my left wrist. After slipping on my socks rather quickly, I tossed the towel into the hamper, allowing my hair to air dry (since it did so rather quickly); I exited the bathroom and shut the door behind me before picking up my shoes. As I stood up, I looked over to find Nathan had finally woken up. Just as I he looked at me, I sent him a warm smile.

"Morning, sleepy head," I teased, moving over to the edge of the bed and sitting down. "I'm guessing you slept well?"

He looked around briefly, staring at the bat for a little longer than he should have, before sighing.

"A little…" He muttered just as I began slipping on my shoes.

"Did you forget about our date today?"

He looked at me and smiled.

"How could I forget when I'm the only who planned it?"

I giggled and said, "I suppose. But if you were the one who planned it, shouldn't it be you who is up and ready to go, not me?" Nate remained silent for a long moment before looking away, pretending he did not hear my question. I simply laughed at him before going on. "If I may inquire," I started, tying the first shoe so that it was tight enough to feel comfortable but not too tight to suffocate it, "why exactly did you fall asleep in front of the door?"

He sighed, running a hand through his hair lazily.

"You'd think I was an idiot if I told you the reason," he said, picking up his bat and placing it on his lap.

I looked at him as I began tying my other shoe.

"Try me."

Sighing again, he got to his feet and rolled up the sleeves of his thin grey jacket.

"Well…" He slowly started, appearing embarrassed as he began approaching me. "I can't lie to you, so I'll just come out and say it."

Before he had the chance to do so, I raised my hand to stop him. When he remained silent, I finished tying my shoe and got up.

"Let me guess. You were waiting to see if the zombies would come to this floor and attack us." When I received no response, I kept a warm smile. "Nathan, I love you, but I just know these things. And one thing that I do know is that there are no-"

I was abruptly interrupted by guttural and animalistic screech resonate throughout the hotel, stopping me dead in my tracks. The bone-chilling scream that echoed through my ears was enough to freeze me solid and cause Nathan to turn around – bat in hand – and stare at the door. I felt speechless, as if something entered my body and froze me from the inside out. It was a sound I had never heard of before in my life, and not only did it scare the daylights out of me, it made me want to hide in a corner and cower like a frightened dog. My heart race began picking up, pounding on my chest like a set of drums at concert.

"Son of a bitch…" I heard Nathan mutter. "I had a feeling they were closer than I thought…"

I looked at him, unable to find the words to speak, and simply looked back at the door. It was then that I suddenly heard the sounds of moaning and groaning…just outside the door that Nathan had leaned against. It sounded like a disembodied female, but I was unsure if my thoughts were true or not. The blonde looked at me, motioning for me to keep silent even though I was way ahead of him, before turning back to the door. Then, as quiet as a mouse, he slowly began making his way to the door, bat held securely in hand. Feeling the ability to move my legs once again, I, too, began following him, but at a much slower pace than him. By the time I had started walking, he was already in front of the door, patiently waiting for whatever was outside to respond. Silence was met as we both stopped simultaneously, waiting for something – anything – to happen. Nathan remained in his spot, staring at the door while holding onto his bat in case someone or something tried to break down the door. Still, the silence that had met us once before remained intact as if in a permanent state of mind. My heart continued to beat hard against my chest as I waited for whatever was out there to make some sort of sign of its presence. After another few minutes of silence, I watched as Nathan's bat lowered a bit, but not too much as he was still cautious. Then, he slowly looked back at me; his eyes held a look of terror, yet face remained calm.

"I don't know if it's gone," he whispered so low I thought I would not be able to hear him, "but I need you to go to the closet and-"

SMASH!

I screamed at the top of my lungs and took several steps back as Nathan swiftly turned back toward the door again, only to find a sight he had heard so much about. The middle of the door had been smashed to pieces, leaving a big enough hole to see who it was that created it. On the other side was something that nearly made me pass out of shock and rising anxiety. There stood a young woman, eyes a near white and dazed shade, with familiar, red colored side-swept bangs and short, choppy black hair. Part of her cheek had gone missing, and dried blood started to form around her lips and under her eyes. Her hands were covered in what appeared to be fresh blood, as if she had dug her fingers into someone who had recently died. She snarled at us as if she were some rabid dog ready to bite us if we got too close to it. I felt my face pale as I recognized just who the creature was; it was the same creature that had attacked and possibly killed Rita last night at the party, the one Nathan tried to protect me from.

That creature – that monster – was Rose.

"Oh my God…" I muttered, taking a few more steps back as my hand fell upon my lips. "Nathan…that's…that's Rose! She's…she's…"

"One of them, I know…" He finished my sentence, sounding calm and serious the whole time. "But it's not her anymore. It's a creature that has to be put down for good!"

The moment he said that, the infected Rose screamed at the top of her lungs and began tearing away at the door, not even bothering to try and break it down. Within seconds, Nathan had begun jabbing her roughly with the bat, trying to push her back. Unfortunately, it was not working and only enraged her further. After several more jabs – one landing right in her face – she screeched again before reaching out and grabbing hold of the bat, pulling Nathan toward her and bringing his arm through the hole in the door. He screamed at about the same time I did as I realized what was about to happen; that thing was going to tear him apart!

"ABBEY!" He shouted. "WEAPON! FIND A GODDAMN WEAPON!"

The moment he said those words, I ran over to the kitchen area and began looking through to find some sort of knife or anything that could easily remove her from Nathan's arm. My heart was racing in my chest and I could feel tears welling up out of the fear that began coursing through my veins. The sound of Nathan's screaming meant he was trying so desperately to get away from the creature, but was unable to, yet he continued to fight without rest. After what seemed like an eternity, I found a large knife big enough to possibly kill the demon. As much as I did not want to hurt Rose, I had no choice. I quickly ran back over to where Nathan was just as he pulled his arm back into the room. Unfortunately, he brought the creature along with it as it began eating his arm hungrily. I abruptly stopped the second she…it looked at me, teeth bearing and ready to kill in an instant. I noticed a huge chunk of its bicep was missing entirely, as if it was torn off by some animal. Blood splattered on its two piece bikini as well as on its skin. I wanted to avoid it, but the sound of Nathan screaming caused it to return to eating the flesh off his arm.

"DO IT! KILL THE BITCH!" He screamed, and that was all it took.

Screaming bloody murder, I raised the knife and slammed it into its head, causing it to release his arm and screech in pain. Before it started to move again, I ripped out the knife once more and slammed it into its head again, watching as it fell back outside the room and onto the floor. Fortunately, I was able to pull the knife out of its head once again before it fell back. Panting, I took several steps back and looked over myself, noticing the blood that now splattered my white top. Realization soon came to pass over what just happened; I had killed Rose – no, I had a killed the demon that tried to murder Nathan.

Speaking of which, I looked over at Nathan, who had slid to the floor while leaning against the dresser. He was gripping his arm and shaking violently as blood seeped out of his arm. He kept his eyes closed and gasped for air as if he were drowning.

"Oh my God! Nate!" I exclaimed, dropping the knife and running over to him, dropping to my knees in front of him. I wanted to help him off the ground, but I was too afraid to even touch him. "Jesus Christ! I…I'm so sorry!" I could feel the tears my eyes.

He looked at me with a pained expression, a smile slowly forming on his lips. How could he smile when he just got bitten by that thing? Was he insane?

"Don't worry…" He spoke, his voice shaky. "I'm…I'm fine. Just a couple of bites."

"Well, let me see it so I know what I'm dealing with," I said, taking hold of his bleeding arm gently. He hissed for a moment as he removed his hand from the wound slightly. The sight made me want to vomit on the spot. An open gash was what I found on his arm, blood pouring out of the wound at an alarming right. For a moment, I thought I could see bone, but I looked away before I had the chance to figure that out. "Holy shit…" I muttered, trying to keep whatever insides I had in me. "It looks…horrible."

"Yeah…I, uh, guess it does…" He chuckled weakly. I looked back at him, his smile still eminent on his face.

"Alright…uh…I-I'll go look for some bandages," I frantically told him. Just before I got up, he took hold of my shoulder with his bloody hand and forced me to stay. I looked at him, noticing his smile was now gone. "Nathan?"

"I'm…I'm sorry, Abbey…" He muttered. "But…but bandages won't heal what's happening to me…"

"W-what do you mean?" I questioned. "It'll keep you from getting infected, Nate! Then, we could find a doctor and-"

"Doctors won't be able to heal me, Abbey!" He shouted, making me flinch out of surprise. Then, he sighed shakily, as if something was starting to possess him. "I'm sorry for shouting…but there's no one who can help me. Doctors won't know, bandages won't keep the infection out…" His head lowered more. "There's nothing you can do…"

I felt my heart drop into my stomach at his words, feeling an overwhelming sense of helplessness. There was…nothing I could do? No, there had to be something! I was not going to let whatever was wrong with him take him away. There had to be someone who could help him. I knew my way around the medicinal area, but it was not enough to actually be of some use. Bandages and painkillers could only go so far and I was still learning how to stitch people up when needed. Unfortunately, it would not be enough to heal whatever was inside of him, making me feel helpless toward him. I could hear in his voice, though, that he wanted someone to help him, to get rid of the infection, but at the same time knew there was nothing neither I nor anyone else can do to save him. He was a lost cause, and eventually he would become the creature that was Rose; he would eventually become a monster just like her.

"No…" I felt my voice choke up as that realization began to dawn on me. "No, Nathan…you can't do this. Someone needs to help you!"

He shook his head.

"No, Abbey, there isn't…" He said, his voice sounding weaker and weaker with every passing minute. "Once a person has been bitten…there's…nothing you can do to help them…" He paused for a moment as he inhaled a shaky breath of air. "Except…except for one…"

"What is it? I'll do anything if it means helping you!" I frantically spoke.

He remained silent for a long period of time, contemplating on whether or not he should continue his idea. After another minute or so, he sighed once again before looking me in the eye. His next words nearly brought me to the brink of tears:

"The only other way to help me…is to kill me."

I gasped and moved back a bit; shocked he would even say such a thing.

"W-what? N-no! No, I can't do that!" I exclaimed. "I can't kill you!"

"It's inevitable, sweetheart…" He murmured, sounding as if he was succumbing to the beast. "I'm becoming one of them…If that happens, you'll have to kill me to…to keep yourself…safe from harm…"

"But I don't wanna kill you if that's what it takes!"

"And I don't wanna hurt you if I start to lose my mind. That's the…the last thing I want to do…"

"Nathan…"

He looked at me, his blue eyes slowly turning dull as his life began to fade.

"I know that it's…it's a hard thing to…to do, but…but it must be done…" He spoke slowly. "In the closet…there are weapons you can use…to defend…yourself from those…things…" I whimpered with sadness and fear, which caused him to place his still bloody hand against my cheek, staining it with his own blood. "Abigail Mason…I love you…so, so much…I would never try to do anything to hurt you…It's the reason…why I was so afraid of this happening…because I thought..." He coughed a bit. "I thought that…I would not have the strength or…the courage…to protect you…" He smiled a saddened smile. "Unfortunately, protecting you is costing not just my life but your safety. At least…I was able to try and protect you…"

It was then that I started to feel tears roll down my cheeks at his words.

"I love you, too, Nathan Rodgers," I muttered. "And not matter what happens…whether I am forced to kill you or watch you die…I will always love you."

He closed his eyes.

"You may…think that…but things will start to change soon enough." He said.

Confused, I blinked twice.

"W-what do you mean?"

His eyes started to close.

"I don't want you to stay attached to me forever…it'll…it'll only hurt you in the end…keep you from truly being happy…" He inhaled, trying to keep himself awake and alive just for a little while longer. "I want you…to find someone…someone who will make you as happy as you were with me. Someone who will…keep you safe, even when the world is falling to pieces…" He smile grew slightly. "That's the kind of person…I want looking after you while…I'm gone…" I felt myself choking up as I placed my own hand atop his, gripping it tightly and never wanting to let go. "When I…when I pass on…take my jacket…and use it to protect yourself from those things…It's not much, but I'm hoping it'll help keep them from infecting you…" He closed his eyes, causing my chest to clench. "Don't ever forget us, Abbey…and never forget to find happiness…once again…"

With those few words spoken, I watched as his head started to hang low, lower than when he did so before. His hand began slipping away from my cheek and hand, smearing his blood against my caramel cheek, before dropping to his side limply. He exhaled one last time before becoming silent, unmoving, lifeless right before my own hazel eyes. Immediately, I felt my world come crashing down around me as I began moving away from his now limp and unmoving body. Hazel eyes were wide with devastation and horror. My body began shaking as my tears slipped down my cheeks. It was over; Nathan was gone forever, and there was nothing I could do to bring him back. I allowed him to die such a painfully slow death, a death no one should ever have to go through. Hell, I watched him die before my own eyes and did nothing to help! His words said that he was not upset with anything at all, and that his only regret was leaving me behind to fend for myself in this hellhole without help. I wanted to scream out, just scream so anyone nearby could hear my pain, but I feared that there was more than one creature on this floor and held it in. As painful as it was to hold it all in, I had no other choice but to do so. And to think…that everyone, even my parents, was wrong this whole time.

I felt my face turn pale at that thought entering my mind. Holy shit; my family! They were on the island, and there were these things wandering about! That only meant one thing; they were in serious danger and close to losing their life, or worse becoming one of them!

With my family in mind, I quickly got to my feet and ran over to the closet Nathan spoke about, where he stashed most of his weapons in case of an emergency like this were to occur. Who would have thought that I would have listened to him and actually gone to grab one of these weapons? Pushing that thought out of my mind, I reached the closet and nearly ripped open the door, spotting the other weapons he had stored in there. Several bats – metal and wooden – leaned on the wall of the left side; while a couple of machetes and other assorted knives leaned against the right side. On the floor were a four one shoulder bags filled with medical supplies – like bandages, painkillers, even medical kits. Falling to my knees, I began rummaging through the bags, finding at least three dozen bandages, twenty bottles of painkillers, and eight medical kits - each contained a needle and thread to stitch up wounds. They were all separated evenly into each bag, making it a little convenient for me.

For a moment, I thought he had it all planned out and just knew when this was all going to happen and what to have, but I pushed the thought out of my mind as I grabbed a light blue, one shoulder sling bag and pulled it towards me. Wanting to make sure I would have enough in case there were other survivors, I rummaged through the other bags, taking three more bandages from the others before taking out two bottles of painkillers from two bags and one from the third. After taking another medical kit from each, I did my best to store the bottles in the zipper pockets that were there while stuffing the med-kits and bandages inside the bag itself. I wanted to make sure I had enough room to store some food and water before making my way out into the open. It was going to be difficult, but it was the only way to keep myself from being enclosed with monsters like the creature that was once Rose.

Sighing, I was just about to pick up a machete and some knives, when I heard a low growling sound come from the doorway…where Nathan's body was located. My body froze at the sound, my chest clenching with fear and my heart pounding. Slowly, I began moving my head in the direction of the sound, my body once again shaking with fear and terror coursing through my veins. As my eyes fell upon the broken door, they immediately fell upon a pair of eyes, eyes that were once familiar to me but now were no longer the things I used to cherish. Instead, they were clear white, no trace of color other than the grey-ish yellow hue that was its pupils. What frightened me the most was that those eyes were locked onto mine, entrancing me in a gaze that turned me cold like the eyes of the mythical Medusa. I felt my breathing hitched as my mind clicked, figuring out what was happening and what it was that I was looking at: I was staring into the eyes of my deceased lover; I was staring into the eyes of the now infected Nathan Rodgers.

"N-Nathan…?" I whimpered helplessly, but it was the biggest mistake I ever made.

Suddenly, the infected Nathan screeched like a banshee, a scream that would forever haunt me, as it suddenly got up and started running towards me at what appeared to be lightning speed. I screamed leapt into the closet, just barely missing him run past me and crash into the table that was nearby. After quickly grabbing three diving knives and stuffing them into the already opened bag, I took hold of a machete closest to me before getting to my feet and running out. I looked at the demon for a split second, realizing it was quickly returning to its feet, before sprinting over to the destroyed door. Before I even had the chance to get close, it was suddenly on my back, causing to scream once again and fall to the ground. The second mistake I made that morning took place as I accidentally dropped the machete and watched helplessly as it landed at the foot of the door. Falling onto my chest with a thud, I was able to turn myself around and stare up at the being that was once Nathan, shivering violently as its teeth bore at me like a wild animal. It wasted no time in trying to attack me, leaning down in an attempt to latch onto any piece of flesh it could grab with its teeth. Fortunately, I was able to place one hand on his shoulder and the other against his face, keeping him away from me with all the strength I could muster.

He's too strong! I shouted in my head as I looked up toward the machete. I have to get the machete and…and kill him!

It was that thought that caused me to make a third and fatal mistake.

The creature, suddenly, turned his head in the direction I was pushing it towards, causing my own arm to slip just as it turned its head back to me. I looked back at him at the wrong time, watching in horror and screaming bloody murder as it sank its teeth into my forearm, tearing into my muscle and close to ripping it off. However, just before he could tear it off, the hand that held onto its shoulder slipped off when it moved its head and landed on the floor as it sank its teeth into my forearm, landing on the knife that was used to kill Rose a while ago. Gripping it tightly, I quickly (and painfully) jammed it into its neck, which ultimately helped me keep the flesh on my arm. It screamed in pain, releasing my now bleeding arm and giving me the opportunity to kick it back and off my body.

Without hesitation and more on instinct, I rolled onto my stomach and got up, running toward the machete. The monster screamed as I heard it chasing me once again. This time, though, I was able to pick up my weapon and, in one swift motion, turned back around swinging. Screaming, I watched as the machete landed right into the side of his head, cutting smoothly through his skull and into his brain. Even a part of his eyeball cut in half upon impact, yet it was unplanned as it was just an uncoordinated swing to the head. It groaned in what I assumed was pain as I placed my foot against its chest and pushed it back, holding back the contents of my stomach as a few pieces of its brain slipped out of its head as I removed the machete.

All became quiet after the body collapsed onto the ground, blood seeping out of his head as well as a few more pieces of its brain. My heart racing, I stared at the body for a little while longer, registering what had just happened and making sure it was real and not some fantasy. After a long moment, I felt myself fall onto my knees, dropping the bloody machete in hand, before sobbing my eyes out. All the pain that had well up inside of me was starting to boil over, and the realization finally came to pass. Nathan was right; the only way to cure him of the infection was to kill him. It was the only way to free him from the pain he was possibly enduring inside. He may not have been himself anymore, but it was still Nathan to me. The man I had fallen in love with just five years ago, the man who treated me like a queen even when I told him not to, the man I wanted to be with for the rest of my life. It was the same man that I brutally murdered without a single ounce of hesitation to stop me. I felt like a murderer, a killer, but at the same time I felt as if I had helped him of his ailment as well.

My sobbing slowly started to die down at the one particular thought. Yeah, I thought to myself. I did save him…sort of. It may not have been in the fashion that I had hoped for – in fact, it was one I wanted to avoid altogether – but it was a way that saved him. Granted, I did not want to use the last resort as he had wanted before he died, but it was better that way than to remain undead and feeding on the flesh of those whom he had known and loved.

Speaking of those who were loved, my mind clicked once again back to reality. My family was still out there, possibly fending themselves against the demon attacks. Wiping the tears with my uninjured arm, I pulled the bag that remained on my back and rummaged through it, pulling out a bandage for my bitten arm. Not even bothering to clean up the seeping blood, I quickly began wrapping the bandage around my arm. I watched as the blood continued to seep through the clean white cloth despite how many times I wrapped it. Despite that, I continued to wrap it, moving up my arm a bit and stopped just below my elbow before moving back. I would have to bite through the pain, since I thought it would just waste my time when I knew my family was in danger. When the end of the bandage appeared, I quickly shoved it under the rest of the cloth covering my forearm, knowing it was secure enough to keep it from bleeding out. Unfortunately, not only did I feel a bit lightheaded from the loss of blood (since I realized it was partially ripped off my body), I feared it was only a matter of time before I became a demon like Nathan. How much time I had was beyond me, but I had to make the best of it while I still could.

Returning to my feet, I stepped over the dead body and made my way over to the kitchen. During that time, I had taken the diving knives that I had recklessly thrown inside the bag when Nathan attacked me and moved them into the zipper pockets along with some of the painkiller bottles. Once that was done, I opened the fridge, pulled out some water bottles, and placed them into the bag. After that, I moved on to the cabinets, searching for food that was small enough to carry, but enough to fill me up for a while. Searching through nearly every cabinet, I was able to find a box of Nutri-Grain bars unopened and still fresh in the box. Sighing, I grabbed it, tore it open, and dumped it into the bag as well. It may not have been much of a find, but it was worth it in the end. Feeling the need to find at least one more piece of food, I scrounged around once more, only coming upon some bread, which I chose against taking as it would spoil too easily. Just before I decided against leaving without anything thing more, I opened another cabinet to find a second box of Nutri-grain bars. This one was already opened, but appeared to be a well enough amount to last me a while. Not long, but enough.

After placing the contents of the box inside my bag, I zipped it up and returned it to lie on my bag. Glancing around the room for a minute, my eyes fell upon something near the alarm clock that had woke me up this morning. I decided to walk up to it and see what it was, only to discover that it was my wallet. I picked it up and opened it, finding something that broke my heart, but at the same time motivated me to leave. There were two different pictures – both of them including me – each with a piece of my own heart sewn into it. One of them was a picture of me and my family, the family that lived here, sitting on the couch and smiling for the camera. The second was a picture of Nathan and I near the beach just as the sun was starting to set, holding each other and smiling for the camera just like the first one. I remembered a friend of mine taking that picture and smiling the whole time; it made me wonder if she had survived as well. Still, as bad as it may sound to some, I always put my family first before friends, so finding them was my top priority.

Closing the wallet and placing it into my bag, I sighed before making my way over to the door, once again stepping over the deceased Nathan. Picking up the machete I had dropped moments before I ran to the kitchen, I turned back to look at the body of Nathan, staring at it for a long moment and remembering the events that had taken place. Suddenly, I remembered something that he had asked me to do before passing away. He asked me to take his jacket! How could I have forgotten such a simple, yet important task? It may have been a little late, since I had been bitten, but I wanted to hold onto to something that would remind me of him in the years to come.

Slowly, I moved back over to the body, dropping onto one knee and placing my machete next to me. He almost looked like a wax statue that had fallen over and was unable to get itself back up. Holding my breath, I placed my hands on the open jacket and began removing it little by little. Pulling the sleeves off him, I realized that there was going to be some blood on it. However, it no longer mattered, seeing as how I, too, had blood on my clothes as well. That being said, I was able to pull off his jacket, trying to keep at least most of the blood off although it was pretty futile. Removing the bag that was on my bag for just a moment, I slipped on the jacket, immediately smelling not only his blood, but his cologne, cologne that I had grown to love over the years. It was his scent, a scent I would never forget. I chose against zipping it up, since it was going to be hot, anyway (and I did not want to get winded in case another one of those things came after me). Pausing briefly, I looked at his face one last time, watching as it stared into nothing with just one eye and picturing the face of what used to be Nathan. Despite feeling myself tear up, I held it back, fighting against the sadness that ached to break through again.

"I love you, Nathan," I muttered, knowing I would never hear him respond to my words ever again. "I'll never forget you."

With that, I picked up my machete, got to my feet, and walked back to the door. Removing the chair from where it once was, I stared at the opening that trickled with some blood spatters from Rose's infected body. After another moment, I inhaled deeply before placing my hand on the handle and turning it, opening it to enter what was just the beginning, the portal into Hell.