While I thought that I was learning how to live, I have been learning how to die.
- Leonardo da Vinci
/
My fingers lightly touched the window bar, I was so close. I was nearly free.
Should I jump for it?
Looking down at the monster's faces, I regretted even thinking about it. Shit, I was in deep.
I groaned as I attempted to reach closer; my whole body was straining, shaking with the pressure. I only had one choice.
Jump or die. Jump or get ripped apart.
I guess the answer was staring me straight in the face. I had to jump for the bar and open the window.
Breathing in deeply and getting myself ready to lunge. I knew I couldn't back out, it was now or never.
I leaped. Everything happened to slow down, I could feel my feet leave the book shelf. I reached out and grabbed.
I swung on the bar, my sweaty hands managed to pull myself up. I had reached it! I bloody reached it!
The undead moaned in excitement, maybe they could hear the race of my heart. Did that drive them crazy?
Grabbing onto a nearby air vent with my other hand, I managed to get a good grip. Pushing the bar up, it was stiff but managed to move. Fresh air seeped through, it felt amazing. I opened the window up further and with my other arm, I pulled myself up onto the roof.
My body was shaking and wet with sweat. Outside it was cool, which felt amazing on my hot skin.
I closed the window behind me and screamed out in happiness. Thank God! Thank God!
"Kid! Kid, we're down here! Coming on, get here quick!" Kamesh shouted from below.
I climbed off the bungalow's roof and managed to fall safely.
The Land Rover's passenger door was open, ready for me to get in.
We had been driving for at least an hour. Nobody had spoken for a while. It felt odd to be in a car without the radio on, my mother would always have music on while she drove. She said it relaxed her.
Quinn began whistling a sweet tune. He had his eyes locked onto the road and hands firm on the steering wheel.
Carter was snoring in the back. At least he is alive.
We drove past many dead bodies that had been abandoned by the road side. Most of them were adults. We had to dodge empty cars and bikes, which was difficult as there were so many.
"Where are we going?" I asked Quinn.
He coughed then replied "we have decided to move to the coast. See what it's like there. Florida is close."
"How long will it take to get there?"
"A day."
I looked round the car to see that most people had fallen asleep. I guess I could have a nap as well. My eyes were sore from the lack of rest, it was driving me crazy.
It was then that I notice Mona. She was stroking her stomach, and staring out the window. She was also crying silently to herself.
I hope she is alright, and the baby.
Quinn stopped off at a gas station to top up the car. Benjamin filled up his Toyota.
I jumped out the car, bring my rifle along with me. We were short on food and had a long way to go.
The station's shop was open. The lights were off and the shelves were mostly full. I grabbed a bag from the till and went to the snack shelf.
There wasn't a lot, apart from candy and chips. I filled the bag with bags of nuts, dried fruit and anything else I could get my hand on. I also picked out a few bottles of drink. This will do.
I loaded up the truck and kept watch while they continued to fill up gas cans. In the distance I could see wandering undead. They hadn't seen us just yet, but I kept my eye on them.
"We have to go now. We aren't safe here." Quinn warned, pulling on Benjamin's shoulder.
"Okay, let's go."
I stared down at the old map in confusion. We were defiantly lost. All the roads looked the same, and I swear we had been going round in circles for the last twenty minuets.
"Quinn, I have no clue where we are." I confessed, but he waved me off.
"No, keep your eyes out and study that map. We must be nearly there." He murmured
We passed a cabin which was surrounded by a swarm of weeds.
"I swear we have passed that before!" I pointed out. Quinn groaned and stopped the car.
"Give the map to me."
He grumbled as he tried to figure out where we were. He was no better at reading it then I was.
Suddenly there was knock at the window. It was Benjamin.
Quinn wound down the window to hear what he had to say.
"We need water for the car's engine. I'm sure there is a river near here, I think we passed it a mile or so back."
Quinn nodded, but warned him to take a gun and a knife.
"Stay safe"
He wound the window back up and diverted his attention back onto the map.
"Right I swear we are on this map somewhere." He moaned.
I heard Carter cough behind me. I turned round to find that he was awake.
He smiled at me before looking out the window.
"Where are we?" He asked
I told him we were lost.
Benjamin had been gone for three hours, and we have repetitively said that we weren't going to leave without him.
"I'll go out to find him." Quinn volunteered
I handed him my rifle and the few bullets I had left. He took them gratefully and then disappeared into the darkness.
"I don't like this" Roselyn wined
Kamesh put his arm around her and whispered something into her ear. She giggled and suddenly her worries seemed to fly away.
I never can understand women.
The girl with the glasses joined us from the other car, she complained she didn't want to be in the car alone in the dark and without a gun.
"I'm sorry, I don't know your name." I explained to her
She smiled and told me it was Melissa.
"How old are you, Isaac?"
I told her I was sixteen.
"Such a sweet age." She laughed
I could see her scar underneath her glasses lens. I told myself not to ask about it, to stop staring, but I was interested how she got it. A battle scar, maybe?
She looked out the window "they have been out there way too long."
"Shall we go search for them?" I asked, forgetting I no longer had any ammo.
"I don't think you should go. Isaac." Roselyn warned, she reached out to grab my shoulder, this time I didn't avoid her.
Melissa asked if I wanted to go out and look with her.
Agreeing to, we jumped out the car and walked slowly round the perimeter.
Crunch. Snap. The sound of breaking twigs made up jump. We moved closer to the sound, investigating the source of the noise.
Even in the darkness we could see a moving shadow behind the trees.
Melissa reached for her knife, keeping her eyes on the silhouette as she did so. She was like a cat, swift and alert.
I tried to move closer but she pulled me back.
Suddenly the shadow moved and out from the trees came Benjamin, but he wasn't himself.
He growled and hissed. Blood seeped from a giant whole in his stomach, showing us he had been turned.
Melissa ran at him screaming, her dagger ready in her hand. She threw it into his head. Blood exploded in a artful curve. She kick him to the floor, where he stayed when she pushed the dagger in deeper.
I stayed back and watched as she repeatedly stabbed his head open. Blood covered her face, her hair was soaked in it also. Melissa screamed like a angry bird and started to attack with her fingernails. She began scratching at his rotting skin.
I knew it had to stop there.
I tried to pull her back but she refused to stop. Tears ran down her face as she decapitated his head from the neck with her dagger. Ruby liquid drained out like the Nile in flood season, seeping into the ground around it. Benjamin's head was in bits, his brain looked like the insides of a pumpkin, stringy and mushy.
"Melissa stop! STOP NOW!" I screamed, pulling hard on her shirt.
She then froze. Tears stained her cheeks and her lips were soaked in blood.
She didn't know what to do.
I didn't know what to do.
To find out what happens next, read 'We Don't Live Forever', which is now up! Hope you enjoyed reading!