I awaken on the ground. Light peering in and landing on my face. Warm and bright. I stand up in the elevator. And stumble as I walk out. Grabbing the side of the entrance to stop myself from falling. I see the exit and walk out of it. The sun is almost blinding.
"Dave!" I hear the familiar voice of Holly shout. I turn to her as she wraps her arms around my waist and hugs me. I pat her head.
"Hey"
"You ok Dave?" Ashley questions.
I think back to how I sacrificed Zeke. How I tried to shoot myself.
"No. No I am not alright" My voice trembles
"What's the matter?"
I walk away from them with my hand on my forehead. Hiding the tears forming in my eyes. I'm scared. I don't want to die. I miss my family. I wipe my face.
"Nothing lets go"
"Are you sur-
"IM ON LIMITED FUCKING TIME HERE ASHLEY!"
Ashley steps back. Shocked by my outburst. Her eyes shift from shock to annoyance.
"Ok" She huffs
We begin to walk down the road.
"We're going to a river" Ashley says. "Once we get there it will take us straight to Montana we just need to follow it.
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A few hours later
"What will it be like?" Holly questions.
"It will be great" I answer. "They have all you could want. Food, a bed, safety."
"So why aren't you staying?"
"...Because I'm dying Holly."
Her eyes widen
"I'm sick. And old. People get old and they die-
"But you said you were 42 that's not old enough! People- I've seen people who look 100!"
"Its not just that Holly. I got bitten by an infected. Its like a venom. Like when a snake bites you except you turn into one of them"
Holly stops walking "Then you need to get medicine! Like when you got for me- Medicine that helped- We could get it for you and- and- and-" Her eyes start to water
"Dry those eyes c'mon." I get on her level. "Now there aint nothing that can be done. I made my choices. Its brought me here. And it will end soon but for you its just started so I need you to be strong. No matter what happens you need to remember that you pick yourself up and keep going because there's always something to fight for. You hear me?"
"Yes" She says before sniffing her nose and wiping her eyes.
"Rivers down here" Ashley points down a hill. We walk down it and past a few trees to find a river. And a small wooden row boat tied to shore by a rope.
"We can use this" I say. "Should be quicker than walking and we wont have to stop.
"Works for me" Ashley says as she unties the boat
The next day
We travel down the river. Holly sleeping while me and Ashley sit talking.
"You never said much about your family. What are their names?"
"I have a wife. Her names Monica. And a son he's 12 names Connor."
"So how did you get separated? Did you not go with them?"
"They held evacuations at a supermarket. The military was evacuating people in trucks. Drove my family there and all of them were full and driving off. But there was one so we ran up to the guy loading it with people. He said there's only room for 1. We argued for a minute about how Connor wasn't man sized and that we could fit more and finally he decided that 2 could go on. It wasn't easy convincing them. They wanted to come with me but the military pushed them in so they could get moving. When they drove off I turned around to see hundreds of people. Families carrying their children, the elderly all of them chasing after that last truck. It was gone. We held up in the supermarket a while thinking more trucks would come but someone in there was bit. Spread fast. I'm the only one who made it out."
"Jesus. Is that how you got bit?"
"No I uhh... Went to my parents house to try and hold up there with them. But they were already turned."
"Oh my god I'm so sorry Dave"
"What happened with that girl in the clothing store? I saw you put something in your pocket"
"You said you were from the south?"
"Yeah"
"You're not a bigot are you?"
"I don't really care what people do"
She pulls out a polaroid picture.
"Her name was Millie. She was my girlfriend"
I look at the picture and see Ashley and another woman smiling.
"I know what you're thinking. Why do I have a polaroid picture? Well she was weird like that. Liked old stuff. Wanted something physical we could have around. She got bit climbing the ladder to the fire escape. Chomped right down on her ankle. We owned the clothes store. So I brought her there to keep her comfortable. When she started turning I just tied her up with clothes and ran I couldn't do it. I was an idiot but every day I would go back there hoping to hear her calling out to me. Saying she was ok. But all I would hear is moans and screams"
Ashley begins to cry.
"I'm sorry. That's...." I stop talking as she rests her head on my shoulder and cries. I'm not sure what to do so I just sort of hold her for a while.
3 hours later
"We're nearly at Montana Holly!" I tell her.
"Already?"
"Well yeah you slept most the way kiddo"
"We should reach a bridge in a few moments. From there we follow it to Montana. Should only take a few hours.
We see a concrete bridge appear from around a corner. Cars parked atop it.
"I don't like this" Ashley comments
"Me neither" I reply
She slings her rifle from over her shoulder as we see men appear from both sides of the surrounding woods. Weapons drawn.
"Come with us please. A man commands aiming his assault rifle at us.
"Ok calm down" I respond as we steer our boat to land. Men surround us aiming their guns at our heads. "Follow us" One of the men orders.
"Dave what's going on?" Holly questions
"Calm down Holly everything will be fine. Everything is not going to be fine we're gonna die oh shit.
We're taken to the bridge where dozens of men stand waiting. "What have we got here?" One of the men gestures to Ashley as he walks up to her.
"How are you pretty lady?" He says as he puts a hand on her face.
"Don't fucking touch me" Ashley says as she punches the man causing him to stagger back. Multiple men run in and restrain Ashley. The man she punched walks up to her and punches her back.
"HEY!" I shout drawing my machete as I charge them. Multiple men grab around my arms and shoulders to keep me in place. "Get the fuck off of me!" I shout. Some men begin to walk up to me and punch me. I feel pain in my chest and stomach before being hit in the head. Causing my ears to ring.
I hear a loud BANG And turn to see men restraining Holly.
"Bitch fucking shot me!" The man slaps Holly causing her to scream.
"You don't fucking touch her! You don't fucking hurt her!" I struggle to free myself from the men.
"STOP THIS!" I hear a voice shout from the crowd. I turn to see Hank. "Stop this men. I know these people" Hank walks up to me. My teeth clenched from rage.
"You are a stupid man Dave. I give you a chance to join us. You deny me. Then you kill my men. Then you talk down to me. Refer to my new family like they are savages!"
All the men start nodding their head in agreement and start to shout.
"Yeah!"
"Yeah that's right!"
"Damn straight Hank!"
"SILENCE!" Hank shouts. Before turning back to me. "You have committed many crimes against me Dave. But you can be saved. Because through the lords judgement. He can decide"
"What the fuck are you talking about Hank?" Blood dribbles from my mouth.
Hank pulls out a revolver and opens the cylinder.
"You denied my help" He inserts a bullet
"You murdered my followers" He inserts a second bullet
"You insulted me. Spoke down to me like I'm a piece of shit" He inserts a third bullet and spins the cylinder before flicking it shut.
My eyes widen "Oh shit Hank what the fuck!?! Hank wait!"
He puts the gun to my head
"Hank oh my god what are you doing think for a second!"
"All can be forgiven through the lords judgement! How he decides to forgive in which plain of existence is for his picking! For he is all! For he is the deciding force!"
"FUCK YOU HANK JUST FUCK YOU!"
Click
Hank opens his mouth with a look of shock and euphoria
"And the lord has forgiven you! We're going to take you to Montana Dave! So you can be with your family!"
"Really? I want Ashley and Holly to come with me too"
"That is not an option Dave"
"What?"
"If you look around Dave you can see its a bit of a sausage fest" I look around and see an overwhelming majority of males. I think I might see 2 females in the crowd.
"We need women if we want to continue our community" Hank says
"You're fucking sick Hank!" I yell
"Just take me!" Ashley yells. "Holly is just a girl she cant even provide that sort of thing!"
Hank turns to Ashley. "But soon enough she will. So if we keep her safe all of you can be provided for as members of the new order!" Hank smiles genuinely.
"You're a fucking psycho Hank!" I struggle against the men's grip. "What the fuck is wrong with you!?! Please Hank. Just let them go!"
Hank looks at me. "I need to do what's right weather you like it or not. Make him sleep" Hank points to a man who runs to go grab something. He comes back with a syringe as I am pushed onto my stomach by the men. I thrash my neck to no avail as the syringe is stuck into my neck.
"Dave!" Holly shouts
"ffff fffuck youuu Hank-" Everything goes black
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