I sigh through my nose impatiently, my hand reaching up to grab one of the straps of my backpack for the tenth time. I shift in my seat uncomfortably, having long since given up the effort of not fidgeting in my chair.

Another huff of air leaves my mouth as my other hand adjusts my headset. I hate waiting. For years I have been praying to God to help me with patience, but still it's a daily struggle. With the zombie apocalypse going on one would think I'd have my thoughts and prayers focused on other things, and while they are, patience is still at the top of my list.

"Abel Township is just on the horizon. See it now?" My partner asks. I blink, returning back to this cruel reality. I look over at... Sierra? Yes, that's her name, I think. She brushes back her black hair as sapphire eyes dart over to glance at me for a split second before returning to what's in front of her.

"Not much more than a few fences to keep the zoms out. I don't know how they live like that."

Me neither, I think to myself. Seeing the town at first glance I can't help but think... pathetic. If I could, I would voice my thoughts, but I can't and signing it would take too much time. Besides, I don't feel like starting up a conversation anyway.

"Guess they won't be living like that much longer." She presses a few buttons before speaking again. "Abel Township, Jolly Alpha Five Niner from Mullins Military Base. We're five miles out, approaching from the East, bringing med supplies, shelters, and loan of one of our people. Abel Township, Jolly Alpha Five Niner requesting permission to land."

"Got that," A male voice replies. "I uh, mean roger that. You're clear to-yeah, you can-you can come on in."

I bite my lip as a smile slowly spreads across my face. He's nervous. It's... cute in a way...

In a very small way.

"Roger that, Abel," Sierra confirms. "Heading down now."

Then she looks over at me. I blink, then rub my brown eyes as Sierra continues her intense gaze, making me shift in my seat for different reasons than boredom.

"Level with me. You and me both know we haven't got half the usual supplies. We've lied to the township."

I fiddle with the ends of my hair, shrugging, and my partner sighs.

"Yeah, I know, you don't know anything. Someone at Abel's going to come up and say, 'I'm here to brief you on project Greenshoot,' and then you'll find out what your mission really is."

I swallow, silently wondering if I want to know what my mission really is. The secrets and whispers are usually what causes trouble, and if this mission is so important I'm getting briefed by someone outside Mullins... The thought makes me feel uneasy.

"I just-" Sierra's words cease and she looks ahead with wide eyes. "What the-Someone's shooting." I feel my pulse quicken. "That's not from the township. Who the hell has a rocket launcher in this-"

I'm suddenly jerked to the side and the second after we're shaking. My teeth are rattling and I clench my jaw painfully as one of my hands grab the bottom of my seat to steady myself. It doesn't do much really, but my thoughts on my rattling brain and shaking bones are put to a halt as I hear a loud reoccurring beeping noise and red lights flash. It burns my eyes. And Sierra's words shake me to the core.

"We're hit. I've lost the tail rotor."

I can feel us falling, getting closer and closer to eventually hit the ground with a loud crash and painful splat. With my racing thoughts I instantly grab for a parachute, slipping it in and pressing it against my thin backpack.

My throat is dry and my chest is tight.

My heart is hammering in my chest so hard it's actually painful. I can't breathe properly. I can't-

Don't panic, My brain screams, shaking me from my fear. Don't breath too quickly. Don't freeze up. Don't do anything stupid.

And don't die.

I am not going to go in a helicopter crash.

Heaven will have to wait.

"Mayday, mayday, mayday," Sierra says urgently, handles fiddling with the controls, desperately trying to gain control of the helo only to be unsuccessful. "Jolly Alpha Five Niner going down, three miles east of Abel Township. Two souls on board."

"This is Abel Township calling. Supply Copter, can you hear us?" He breathes out. "You're coming down fast."

I know that. I'm out of my seat before I can even give myself a second to think about it and then I'm heading for the exit-racing with quickened breaths and fear pulsing through my veins. My mind is racing at a hundred thoughts a second, all revolving around one word.

Survive.

"Can any of you hear us? Open your chute. Jump. Jump."

Way ahead of you, Abel Township.

I take the leap, and I want to scream as I see the ground so, so far away.

But I can't scream. I can't make a single sound.

It takes everything in me not to release the parachute immediately. Tears of terror spring to my eyes, but I blame it on the wind hitting my face and stinging my eyes.

Only seconds pass, and then a minute, and I grab the string of my shoot and pull. The sudden pull startles me, but the tightness in my chest lessens.

I'm falling still, but at a slower speed than when I was in the copter. I hear an explosion so loud I think my ears start to bleed, and there's a blazing heat from above. A small strike of fear hits me in the heart.

God, help me. Help me, please.

I hit the ground hard, stumbling just the slightest bit, but my balance is forgotten when a voice comes through my headset.

"Hey, hey. I uh, this is Abel Township calling, over? If there's anyone, if any of you got your parachute open, this is Sam Yao from Abel Township." Sam groans, "I'm just a-I'm just a radio operator, man. I'm not supposed to handle this stuff."

I look around quickly for Sierra, but she's nowhere to be seen. My eyes scan around the area of falling metal and debris but see nothing?

Did she ever even get out of the copter?

I bite my lip in worry as I run a hand through my dark brown hair. I don't know her very well (She has only been my partner for one other mission) but she could still be out here. She's not a runner like I am. I can't get anymore blood on my hands. Not anymore human blood.

"You've landed in a horde of zombies," Sam says, interrupting my thoughts, and I internally groan. Just when I think I've hit rock bottom someone has to hand me a shovel. "They've heard the noise. They're coming. There are thirty? No, forty. Aw, crap. Your only safe path is towards the tower. If there's anyone alive there just run."

I can hear the groans of zombies. They're coming, and quickly. It's a familiar noise, but not a pleasant one. I shake off the shock of the crash, my will to live stronger than the fear that could keep me frozen to my feet. I cast one more look around for my partner.

Nothing. Nothing but fire, smoke, and ashes.

Another sigh through my nose and a silent prayer is sent up for her.

"Run!"

Then I obey. I listen. I run.

•

After about ten minutes of running to some music Sam put on for me-not that that makes me feel any better-I hear him speak again.

"Wow, there's-there's someone alive down there... running. Hey, can you hear me?"

I would reply if I had a clicker for morse code but I don't, and my headset is already damaged from recent events, so I just continue to run silently. My heavy breathing and pounding feet are the only other sounds I can hear besides his voice.

"No answer," He says, and I huff.

Sorry, I think to myself. It wasn't my choice.

"But still, look at 'em go. Straight for the tower, just like I said."

That's the plan. Follow the guy that leads me to safety.

Sam tells me where to go, and I obey and change directions, which fully assures him that I can hear him. He seems nice, and his voice sounds nice as well.

Is it weird to think that?

"No, we can't ask 'em that," Sam says to someone else I'm assuming. "She... she might be injured."

"All the more reason to ask her that," A female voice replies. "This is Dr. Meyers, only Medicare at Abel Township. Lord knows I'm sorry to ask this but your route will take you almost past the old hospital. We know there are still medical kits from the first wave of infection. If you could pick up even one or two it would be a great help."

"You can't. It's too dangerous," Sam interrupts. "You know what happened to Runner Five."

What happened to Runner Five? I think to myself, although I have a feeling I already know.

"The zoms have all followed the noise of the crash," The doctor argues.

"But what about whoever fired that rocket launcher?"

The two continue to argue about the routes, the doctor saying that if someone wants to kill me taking an unusual route will make it harder, then she tells me something really pisses me off.

"Look, everyone pulls their weight around here and-and if you can't bring us anything useful then," She sighs heavily, "then I'm afraid we won't be able to let you in when you get here."

I clench my fists in irritation, one hand slowly moving up to grasp the strap of my backpack. She must be joking, right? I wasn't sent here to retrieve med kits that have medicine that's most likely outdated. I'm here for... well, I don't exactly know why I was sent here but still. It's been three years since the first wave of infection!

But I guess bandages don't go bad, so off to the hospital I go. I try to keep at a streaky pace, with my breathing regular. I keep an eye out for any passing zoms, but thankfully find none. But even though I see no zoms, I can't help but have that eerie feeling that they're all around me, watching-waiting, I shudder and push the thoughts away.

I reach the hospital a few minutes later, and once I do Sam begins to speak to me again.

"That's great. You're making good time." I raise a brow at this. I've never been told this. At Mullins and... well, at Mullins I was always called an average runner, sometimes a below average. That's why I was so surprised when I was sent for this mission.

My age, my speed, even my height doesn't match up for an important mission like this, whatever this actually might be.

"Hey, listen," He says. "I'm gonna call you Runner Five."

That's nice.

"Um, just cause... I don't know your name..."

And you're not going to.

"And because we lost a runner. In that same hospital you're running in actually."

Well, that's just peachy. I think to myself as I run down the dark and creepy hallways of the hospital. It's cold and dark and I can't shake the feeling that a guy in a clown mask will jump out at me any second. A shudder runs up my spine at thought.

Spotting a couple of medical kits in a nearby corner, I race over to them, grabbing them and then shoving as many as I can into my backpack. And off I go again, wanting to get out of this place as quickly as possible. I'm not exactly one to believe in ghosts, per say, but I still don't like being in a place like this.

"She was so fast," He says in a dreamlike voice, and I can't help but roll my eyes. "Really funny. And clever. Me and her we sort of..." His voice trails off and he sighs deeply. "She was amazing."

I slow down to a light jog as a frown appears on my face. A dull ache pounds in my chest. I know exactly how he feels. I close my eyes as his name-his voice glitters though my head.

You're never going to leave me be, are you? I wonder, although I already know the answer to that question.

"But hey, you can be our new Runner Five," He says, trying to lighten the mood. I pick up my pace again, trying to shake the feeling of emptiness that threatens to consume me.

"You know the runners are pretty important to us, here in Abel. They get us everything we need basically. And since you're one of our runners that means you're important too, not to say you weren't important before but uh... yeah."

I nod. I already know this, since I am a runner, but hearing is nice. I don't get called important a lot. At Mullins you're all the same really. Easily forgotten, easily replaced. It's simply routine and mechanics; You just try to make it to the end of the day.

Sam gives some instructions to go through the ground floor since some zoms were swarming about in the parking lot, and he says something about getting anything that looks official for the doc, but I wasn't really listening since my attention was on the folder that said CDC on it.

Well, what do we have here? I grab the folder and search through it, but I can't understand a single thing. All medical terms and medicine I've never heard of. I shove the folder into a box with the same letters and don't even attempt to look at the other things inside said box. Even with the curious nature, I know I need to get to the Township as soon as possible.

Good thing this thing is light weight so I won't be slowed down too much.

More music plays as I leave the hospital, and it seems like an eternity before Sam speaks again. I don't like silence while running, and I've found that music only helps when you know you're safe. When I'm safe I'm perfectly okay with silence, but while on a run...

"I've got you on camera now, although you're a little blurry," Sam chuckles but then pauses. "Hey, what's that you're carrying? Doc, check this out. Runner Five picked up something from the hospital."

"Is that the Centers for Disease Control file?"

I feel a grin spread across my face. I think I've just found Waldo.

"Runner Five, I don't say this lightly but that box might be worth your life to protect," Dr. Meyers says. "Don't drop it."

"What is it?" Sam asks curiously.

"It might be nothing. It might be everything."

Like that helps. I think sarcastically, rolling my eyes. There are many things that could be described like that.

"What's that shadow over there?" She asks. I turn my head and while no sound comes out since I lack a voice, I mouth out a string of curses when I see the shadow the doctor is referring to. Then I make a mental note that I need to read my Bible and pray for forgiveness when I get to Abel.

"Oh no," Sam groans. "That's what they did to her. That's what happened to the old Runner Five."

Well, I have no intention on following the old Runner Five's footsteps... In any ways. Wait, what?

I shake my head and do the only thing I know I can do.

I run.

•

"They're so fast," Sam says after another agonizing moment of silence. "Why are they so fast? They never run. Why-why are they running?"

I push myself to run faster, fear pulsing through my veins; Their moans drowning out any sarcastic thoughts in my head. Sam tells me they're gaining on me, which makes my heart beat faster than it already is. My lungs are burning and my head is pounding in the same rhythm as my feet as they hit the ground for a split second and then leave again.

Dr. Meyers speaks through my headset, telling me that there are people waiting for me at the gates with guns.

"There's only one zombie that's close to reaching you," She continues. "Just put on a burst of speed now!"

I obey, sprinting as quickly as possible and trying to ignore the first pain in my muscles. I hear a moan behind me, and that's all I need to forget the pain and oncoming burning sensation and keep running.

"Oh, God," Sam says, his voice just barely above a whisper. "It's her. It's Alice. It's the old Runner Five. She's the one that's chasing you."

That empty feeling fills my chest as the bitter taste of bile rises in my throat. I swallow it down, telling myself to quit being a pansy and freaking run. I have to keep going. I have to live.

I can't die, not now. Not after everything that's happened.

Another voice comes through the coms link. One I don't recognize. The voice identifies himself as Runner Seven, Head of Runners, and he then proceeds to inform me that if I keep going I'll receive help.

"Don't look back," He instructs. "She's right behind you. Just run."

Fear floods through my mind-through my veins and into my heart. My chest is aching and my lungs burn, and I pray that I'll be able to make it back to the Township in time.

Barely a minute later I see the township walls. And I smile despite myself. They're even more pathetic looking up close.

I hear gunfire, and only then do I notice the men with guns.

Great job, Runner. Great job. We all know who'd be the best at helping Dora find Swiper the fox.

"This way," A man says. Runner Seven. He points to the gates, and I obey.

The sounds of gunfire rings in my ears, blocking out the sound of my heart beating in my throat.

"They're going to shoot her," Sam says with pain in his voice, and I cringe. "I can't watch. I-I don't want to."

Dr. Meyers tries to offer some comfort, but I only grit my teeth angrily when I hear them. Words never help. Not really. But maybe I'm just thinking that because I can't speak, and the silence has healed me, and broken me.

"Raise the gates. Raise the gates!" Sam yells, and then a loud, annoying sound fills my ears as the gates open and I run inside the township.

And then I'm surrounded by people.

They all welcome me kindly, commenting that's nice to see a new face.

"Good to see you in the flesh," A red head says to me. "The 'unbroken not bitten by zombies' flesh, right?"

A brunet elbows him in the side.

"Jack!"He hisses, but I still nod in reply.

"Hey, at least I didn't mention the fact that she looks like a ten year old."

"Jack!"

I blink, looking down at my body. Jeez, I knew I looked younger than my current age of fifteen because of my height and my nearly flat chest but a ten year old? Gosh, I need to do something about that.

"Step back. Step back," A voice instructs, the owner of it pushing through the crowd.

I smile as I recognize the voice.

Looks like I'm going to get to meet the radio operator of Abel.

"Give Runner Five some space. She can't take in so many new faces right now." His words stop when he finally lays his eyes on me, and I blink when I see him as well.

His dark hair and eyes...

He's a lot nicer looking than I'd imagined