Caution Is Calling
Life As We Know It.
"Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you..."
It'd been six months since we left the field. Six, long months since we'd last seen Riot and Zack. The days were dragging by, a blur of things I'd learned to forget. More killing, more fighting and so many that I spent wide awake, wondering if she was alive..
The infected that we once believed were dying out had grown stronger. Starvation had led to a primal instinct to survive. City after city, we realized we could never out-run them, nor could we fight them off. The handful in every town that had gone without a body to feed on were far more dangerous than those that had kept a constant source of food. The color of their eyes had changed. Now they were red, with blood-shot lines of yellow to remind us that they were angry. What had once been groans and grunts had turned into a screaming to sharp it could shatter glass. To say we were still running for our lives was an understatement.
We didn't have a life anymore.
We'd gone back once to search the area for our lost friends. Tori learned to take aim and she was fearless with pulling the trigger, but even with the natural talent she'd gotten from her sister, it wasn't enough. No matter how fast we were, no matter how quiet we'd been, we could never stay long enough to find any sign of Riot and Zack.
As for Jack and Alex, we'd searched for them, too. When we realized that, if Zack and Riot had survived, they'd been smart enough to jump ship.. We tried to find Cassadee, to bring her along for her own safety and for Rian's mental health, but their apartment floor was stained in blood and her pretty face was nowhere to be found. From there we'd agreed it'd be best to travel. Honestly, we were hoping to find more survivors, somewhere safe to lay our heads at night, but the infected were in control now. We were running low on gas, so we settled in Baltimore for a few days, looking in every place we knew we'd be likely to find our friends, but even they were a ghost in the wind.
Today is the first day in weeks we'd found a secure place to set up camp. A small town in Virginia. There wasn't much left for us to seek hope in, the only possible solution to our current heartbreak was driving through every state we could, begging a higher power to give us something to believe in.
We sat outside of a park, listening carefully to the chains of the swings moving in the breeze. The hot sun was beating down on our bodies, but we welcomed the feeling, knowing it could be weeks before we get to feel it again.
There was no life around us - Dead or alive - We were all alone, placing a slice of boxed cake on used napkins as Rian shoved a single pink candle in the top of the bigger slice. It was, after all, Tori's birthday. The fact that she's even still alive is something to celebrate, even if the rest of the world is falling apart.
We took our seats. Rian and I were beside each other as Tori was on the other side. Our guns were placed in front of us, in case we had to use them on short notice, and I stretched my body across the picnic table to strike a flame for Tori's candle.
"Happy birthday dear Tori, happy birthday to you..."
A glint of hope flickered in her eyes. For a moment, I'd thought she'd found hope, or peace, but the reality was she was nostalgic for the past. When her mom, maybe even her dad, would stand around and sing to her. When Riot would give her the best gift of all and when she was the star of the show. Now this just felt forced, like it was an obligation to celebrate for the simple fact that she was still a kid and she needed some connection to her inner child.
"Well, blow it out," Rian motioned to the candle, a small smile tugging at his chapped lips.
"You have to make a wish."
"There's only one thing left to wish for," Tori murmured, her pale face hanging low. I watched her suck in a sharp breath, her lips parted slowly and the air killed the flame.
Tough I'd never say anything, a pang of sadness filled my heart as she licked the fudge from the tip of the candle. I knew exactly what her wish had been, because it'd been my very own.
To find Riot.
It'd been six months since we left the field. Six, long months since we'd last seen Riot and Zack. The days were dragging by, a blur of things I'd learned to forget. More killing, more fighting and so many that I spent wide awake, wondering if she was alive..
The infected that we once believed were dying out had grown stronger. Starvation had led to a primal instinct to survive. City after city, we realized we could never out-run them, nor could we fight them off. The handful in every town that had gone without a body to feed on were far more dangerous than those that had kept a constant source of food. The color of their eyes had changed. Now they were red, with blood-shot lines of yellow to remind us that they were angry. What had once been groans and grunts had turned into a screaming to sharp it could shatter glass. To say we were still running for our lives was an understatement.
We didn't have a life anymore.
We'd gone back once to search the area for our lost friends. Tori learned to take aim and she was fearless with pulling the trigger, but even with the natural talent she'd gotten from her sister, it wasn't enough. No matter how fast we were, no matter how quiet we'd been, we could never stay long enough to find any sign of Riot and Zack.
As for Jack and Alex, we'd searched for them, too. When we realized that, if Zack and Riot had survived, they'd been smart enough to jump ship.. We tried to find Cassadee, to bring her along for her own safety and for Rian's mental health, but their apartment floor was stained in blood and her pretty face was nowhere to be found. From there we'd agreed it'd be best to travel. Honestly, we were hoping to find more survivors, somewhere safe to lay our heads at night, but the infected were in control now. We were running low on gas, so we settled in Baltimore for a few days, looking in every place we knew we'd be likely to find our friends, but even they were a ghost in the wind.
Today is the first day in weeks we'd found a secure place to set up camp. A small town in Virginia. There wasn't much left for us to seek hope in, the only possible solution to our current heartbreak was driving through every state we could, begging a higher power to give us something to believe in.
We sat outside of a park, listening carefully to the chains of the swings moving in the breeze. The hot sun was beating down on our bodies, but we welcomed the feeling, knowing it could be weeks before we get to feel it again.
There was no life around us - Dead or alive - We were all alone, placing a slice of boxed cake on used napkins as Rian shoved a single pink candle in the top of the bigger slice. It was, after all, Tori's birthday. The fact that she's even still alive is something to celebrate, even if the rest of the world is falling apart.
We took our seats. Rian and I were beside each other as Tori was on the other side. Our guns were placed in front of us, in case we had to use them on short notice, and I stretched my body across the picnic table to strike a flame for Tori's candle.
"Happy birthday dear Tori, happy birthday to you..."
A glint of hope flickered in her eyes. For a moment, I'd thought she'd found hope, or peace, but the reality was she was nostalgic for the past. When her mom, maybe even her dad, would stand around and sing to her. When Riot would give her the best gift of all and when she was the star of the show. Now this just felt forced, like it was an obligation to celebrate for the simple fact that she was still a kid and she needed some connection to her inner child.
"Well, blow it out," Rian motioned to the candle, a small smile tugging at his chapped lips.
"You have to make a wish."
"There's only one thing left to wish for," Tori murmured, her pale face hanging low. I watched her suck in a sharp breath, her lips parted slowly and the air killed the flame.
Tough I'd never say anything, a pang of sadness filled my heart as she licked the fudge from the tip of the candle. I knew exactly what her wish had been, because it'd been my very own.
To find Riot.
Notes
Hey guys! I started the sequel!
Don't expect this to be updated very often. I have a lot of stories that I need to work on, but I thought I'd give you a taste of it. All forms of feedback are welcome! Vote, comment and subscribe. Love you guys!
Update! I absolutely love this! :)
7/29/14