Burning daylight

The silence in the small building was unbearable. I was infected, I wouldn't be making tomorrow. I would be walking around as a flesh-eating corpse, unless Nick would kill me before it could happen, but he'd been forced to kill his mother before, would he be mentally strong enough to do something like that again? I couldn't ask him that.

'Well what now?' I asked. I sounded tired, but not just because of my lack of sleep. I was tired of all of it, tired of the fucking apocalypse, tired of how every time I thought it couldn't get worse it did. Maybe dying wouldn't be that bad after all.

Nick hesitated. 'I- I don't know…' he finally mumbled with a defeated expression on his face.

'Then leave.' I said, but it hurt. I didn't want him to.

He sight heavily, slowly blinked once, as if he had to man up to tell me what he was about to say, and looked up at me, 'I won't leave you. He said, 'for once in my life I won't be a weakling.' He made an attempt to check the wound again, but I recoiled. 'Don't come near me!' I yelled, 'I don't want to feel the sudden urge to bite your face of…' I added quietly.

'Listen' he started,

'No!' I screamed as I backed away from him until I felt the wall against my back. 'Just go, leave me, and don't come back!'

He grabbed my shoulders, his hand accidentally touched the skin below the wound, and I felt the stinging and burning get worse, but I ignored it.

'Cammie listen to me!'

I looked at his light eyes and calmed down, 'What?' I asked as I sighed.

'The wound has had no direct contact with lurkers right?' he asked.

'No… I don't think so.' I answered. 'But like you said: this,' I pointed at my right arm, 'is a big open wound.'

'An indirect infection spreads much slower then if you would've been bit. If we find a way to clean it before the infection spreads, there is a chance we can safe you.'

'How would you know I'm not already infected?' I asked.

'Before my friends,' he hesitated, 'moved on, we helped a little girl with a bite on her arm, she claimed it was a dog bite.'

'Dog bite?' I asked, 'I think dogs are pretty much extinct nowadays…'

'That's what everyone thought,' he continued, 'but she cleaned it, stitched it up, and never turned. So I guess it takes a while before the virus is actually in your bloodstream.'

That girl must've been Clementine…'How big was her wound?' I asked.

'Bit bigger then yours.' He answered.

'Bigger?' I asked as I gave him a surprised look.

'Yeah, but yours is deeper.'

It was quiet for a while.

'We just gotta find a way to clean it…' Nick mumbled.

'Well there's plenty of water underneath that bridge.' I tried.

'That water is just as infected as the blood running through the lurker veins.' He said while chewing his nails.

'Yeah of course…' I mumbled, 'That makes sense…' I felt light in my head. I could only guess this had to be what it felt like to be drunk. None of my ideas made any sense and I felt stupid.

Nick's eyes widened, 'There's a ski lodge up the mountain!' he said as he got up and started pacing through the room. 'There's gotta be some sort of first aid kit there somewhere!'

'Or not…' I mumbled as I tried to ignore the fact I was starting to lose the feeling in my right arm.

Nick ignored me, 'but will you make it up the mountain?' he asked.

'Well that lodge is our only chance I guess, apart from that there's only forest here. But if you're sure you want to check that place maybe I should wait here?' I asked. 'I would only slow you down otherwise, I'm pretty much useless right now.' I knew that was true, and it annoyed me I was so dependent on him, more then I was willing to admit.

Hi! I'm Cammie the burden. I get people killed!

'No way.' He said in a determent tone. I could already sense I wouldn't win this argument. 'I'm not gonna lose you again.' He said as he walked towards the window to check if the coast was clear.

I blushed.

'C'mon.' he said as he walked towards me. 'We're burning daylight.'

I smiled as I tried to move, bad idea.

'Can you walk?' he asked as he helped me get up.

Of course I could, but that didn't mean it wouldn't hurt like hell. I nodded and limped towards the door with his supporting arm around my waist. The dizziness got worse every step, and it was as if someone ht my head with a hammer every heart beat. But I was going to make it. I had to, because I now had something to fight for again. Or rather, someone.


'Aagh!' I screamed as I almost fell, Nick caught me before I could though.

'It's okay, I got ya.' He said as he helped me up. He blushed when he realized how closely he held me in his arms. Nick had just let me go, hoping we would speed up like that, but walking got more and more difficult, and I had the feeling I didn't have full control of my own muscles anymore. I looked back and saw the vast river was no more than a cute puddle now.

'Ya know what?' he said as he bend over, 'I think we'll be faster this way.' He picked me up and started carrying me.

'N-no!' I yelped, my voice sounded raspy. I tried to free myself from his strong arms, but he wouldn't let me go.

'Please don't make this harder then it has to be.' He groaned.

'Nick, I can walk!' I said but I stopped struggling.

'Of course you can…' he soothed me. He really made me feel like a five-year-old toddler he was trying to calm down, and it annoyed me.

'Fine.' I gave up. 'But as soon as I attempt to bite you in your neck, you drop me and get the hell away from me. Got it?'

'Sure.' He said, seemingly pleased with this agreement, even though it had to be tiring carrying someone up a mountain. I felt guilty. I had been looking for him the past few days to help, but I really was a burden now.

'What happened to your rifle by the way?' I asked as I now noticed he wasn't carrying it anymore.

'I lost it.' He said. It was so calming when I pressed my ear against his chest and he spoke with that low voice. I closed my eyes, listened to his hart beat and focused on the rhythm of his steps.

In my head I sang the song my mother always sang to me when I was younger.

Love is so risky,

I don't know where to start,

But the moment I met you,

You protected my heart.

I need you by my side,

I can no longer hide,

It is a feeling I once was affraid of

But

You… taught… me… to… love


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