eke out a life."
Anna grins back at him, "Smart woman. Can't say I blame her. You seem long winded and fairly down about a lot of shit."
He laughs again and it makes me think of Jake. I give Anna a sideways glance, "You said you got separated from the others? Where did they go? Who was there?"
She maintains her grin, "Jake and Will. I made Meg stay behind, she was all mad. She said she was almost sixteen so she should be allowed to say. I told her no. Jake and Will went to find food and some infected came, so I ran. I couldn’t get back to them, so I kept looking for you. Then I met him."
Will and Jake are in the same city as I am. They're nearby. That makes my heart skip a couple beats.
I freeze when I hear a noise that's not coming from us. Vincent looks at me with panic in his eyes.
I press my back into a wall and wait. They do the same.
Voices echo off the broken walls. I don’t know which direction they're coming from.
I don’t breathe. I listen. Men talking, laughing. Not infected obviously.
"How many weapons you got?" I whisper.
He shakes his head, "Not enough."
I sigh, "Great. Do I have any magical powers like the superheroes?" I mutter and glance past the wall. Three men are leaning on the cement wall in the area we were walking to.
Vincent shakes his head, "No. Your kind heals faster. You have incredible strength and speed. That, combined with your lack of control over your temper, is obviously dangerous. You learn faster and remember things better. You process things quicker and feel things stronger. Nothing that’s going to get us out of this mess."
I glare at him, "How are you scientist types this stupid? I thought the scientists were the geniuses, but you aren’t. You're crazy. This is why Lenny hated you all. Why would you make something like that? Just stupid." I glance around the corner at the men. One of them is suddenly missing from the three. My heartbeat picks up slightly. Where did he go?
"Gun, knife, anything?" I whisper.
He pulls a long blade from behind him. I still feel like death, but taking the blade makes me feel a tiny bit better.
I grip it and look back at Anna, "You stay here with him."
She scowls, "I can help you."
I roll my eyes, "Not this time, okay?"
She looks angry, but I flicker my eyes on him. She nods. She knows she has to stay with him and make sure he's legit. Really I just don't want her near anything. She could get infected. I'd rather it be me.
I look back at the men and see the third man is back and zipping his thick pants back up. The warmth of summer is upon us. I wish I could close my eyes and be back at the swimming hole at the retreat. Instead, I'm in the middle of the broken city, surrounded by bad possibilities. I wish I had those handguns. I watch the men for a second and give up on the mini plan I had. I abandon it and point the opposite way, "Let's go the other way. They have guns."
"We can get out on the other side of the parkade, but there are more infected that way. I saw them earlier." He gives me a sideways glance.
I feel the annoyance and fear coming off me. At least it will fuel the fire inside of me.
He puts his hands up, "Hey, I'm just telling you. It's not going to be easy that way. When I brought you here, I came this way." He points towards the men.
I shake my head, "We won't stand a chance with them." I wish we could happen upon Jake and Will. I don’t like not knowing where they are. It feels like they're on my to-do list.
We walk around another corner and down another level, into more darkness. The broken concrete and thick vines make it hard to see. The levels above us collapsed, at some point, and made a huge mess in the dark where we are walking. I climb over a large, broken pillar and try to make my animal eyes work. The dark moves, even when nothing is there. I hate this place. I miss the forest. I miss the birds. Here in the dark, nothing warns you. It waits for you to die so it can eat you too.
My feet crunch and kick
Anna grins back at him, "Smart woman. Can't say I blame her. You seem long winded and fairly down about a lot of shit."
He laughs again and it makes me think of Jake. I give Anna a sideways glance, "You said you got separated from the others? Where did they go? Who was there?"
She maintains her grin, "Jake and Will. I made Meg stay behind, she was all mad. She said she was almost sixteen so she should be allowed to say. I told her no. Jake and Will went to find food and some infected came, so I ran. I couldn’t get back to them, so I kept looking for you. Then I met him."
Will and Jake are in the same city as I am. They're nearby. That makes my heart skip a couple beats.
I freeze when I hear a noise that's not coming from us. Vincent looks at me with panic in his eyes.
I press my back into a wall and wait. They do the same.
Voices echo off the broken walls. I don’t know which direction they're coming from.
I don’t breathe. I listen. Men talking, laughing. Not infected obviously.
"How many weapons you got?" I whisper.
He shakes his head, "Not enough."
I sigh, "Great. Do I have any magical powers like the superheroes?" I mutter and glance past the wall. Three men are leaning on the cement wall in the area we were walking to.
Vincent shakes his head, "No. Your kind heals faster. You have incredible strength and speed. That, combined with your lack of control over your temper, is obviously dangerous. You learn faster and remember things better. You process things quicker and feel things stronger. Nothing that’s going to get us out of this mess."
I glare at him, "How are you scientist types this stupid? I thought the scientists were the geniuses, but you aren’t. You're crazy. This is why Lenny hated you all. Why would you make something like that? Just stupid." I glance around the corner at the men. One of them is suddenly missing from the three. My heartbeat picks up slightly. Where did he go?
"Gun, knife, anything?" I whisper.
He pulls a long blade from behind him. I still feel like death, but taking the blade makes me feel a tiny bit better.
I grip it and look back at Anna, "You stay here with him."
She scowls, "I can help you."
I roll my eyes, "Not this time, okay?"
She looks angry, but I flicker my eyes on him. She nods. She knows she has to stay with him and make sure he's legit. Really I just don't want her near anything. She could get infected. I'd rather it be me.
I look back at the men and see the third man is back and zipping his thick pants back up. The warmth of summer is upon us. I wish I could close my eyes and be back at the swimming hole at the retreat. Instead, I'm in the middle of the broken city, surrounded by bad possibilities. I wish I had those handguns. I watch the men for a second and give up on the mini plan I had. I abandon it and point the opposite way, "Let's go the other way. They have guns."
"We can get out on the other side of the parkade, but there are more infected that way. I saw them earlier." He gives me a sideways glance.
I feel the annoyance and fear coming off me. At least it will fuel the fire inside of me.
He puts his hands up, "Hey, I'm just telling you. It's not going to be easy that way. When I brought you here, I came this way." He points towards the men.
I shake my head, "We won't stand a chance with them." I wish we could happen upon Jake and Will. I don’t like not knowing where they are. It feels like they're on my to-do list.
We walk around another corner and down another level, into more darkness. The broken concrete and thick vines make it hard to see. The levels above us collapsed, at some point, and made a huge mess in the dark where we are walking. I climb over a large, broken pillar and try to make my animal eyes work. The dark moves, even when nothing is there. I hate this place. I miss the forest. I miss the birds. Here in the dark, nothing warns you. It waits for you to die so it can eat you too.
My feet crunch and kick
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