by Lanza, Marie
Jim continued over to the trees and Emma followed. Climbing into the highest branches that would hold their weight they situated themselves to what was most comfortable and began to relax. Jim pulled out a can of beans, opened the metal lid with his knife and served dinner.
“Tonight I’m going to pretend we’re having steak.” Emma took a bite.
“A rare filet mignon.” Jim chewed in delight.
Their dinner was quickly interrupted with the echo of splitting branches and crackling leaves. Emma and Jim looked out below them to find whatever was making the noise.
“Jim, there’s movement at ten o’clock.” Emma squinted trying to get a better view.
Shadows moved slowly through the trees.
“Carriers?” Jim whispered.
“I’m not sure.”
The shadows began to form into dark figures as they grew closer but not yet close enough to make out what they were. The movement was slow and they made no sound but their steps crunching the dry ground.
Emma and Jim waited.
“Let’s get higher.” Emma began to climb.
“That’s a really big group…” Jim trailed off.
“Of Carriers.” Emma sighed.
They pressed against the tree peeking around to see the group making its way towards them. Emma and Jim barely breathed, making no movement in order to keep from shaking even a single leaf. As the Carriers grew closer they could really see how big the hoard was. It began to sound like a swarm of bees approaching with their humming moans.
Emma’s heart was pounding in her chest and a choking lump sat in her throat. She caught Jim’s eyes, he looked as scared as she did.
The Carriers just roamed around with no particular direction. Then the worst scenario they could imagine…Some of the Carriers began to stop.
Emma and Jim gave each other a glance of pure worry.
What are they doing? Emma asked herself as she watched some continue forward while others just stood still like the virus hit the pause button.
Night was coming and darkness was settling over the woods. Emma and Jim still stood in the tree holding tight, barely able to see the flesh-eating beasts below them, only listening to the deadly groans. It was going to be a long night. Emma and Jim brought their bodies slowly down to sit on the branches. Their eyelids were getting heavy as the hours passed, Jim began to doze but would wake each time Emma gently reached out and kept him steady on the tree.
Stay awake… Emma thought to herself.
Don’t fall out of this damn tree. Stay awake.
Emma’s body ached from exhaustion and it made it harder to keep her eyes open knowing Jim had passed out.
Stay awake Emma. Think of something. Anything.
Stay…. She drifted to sleep.
The sun was barely rising bringing little light through the trees. Emma’s eyes slowly opened to see Jim’s body still pressed against the tree. She was thankful neither of them had fallen out during the night.
Emma looked down spotting a few Carriers still in the area but far enough away that they could make a run for it. She rubbed Jim’s shoulder to wake him.
“Oh my god did I sleep through the night?” He tried to get his bearings.
“We both did.” Emma kept her tone low.
Jim looked around and spotted the Carriers in the distance.
“We need to make a run for it,” Emma continued.
“Yeah, ok,” Jim agreed.
Emma and Jim climbed down the tree as quietly as possible. Jim was to the ground first, then Emma. As they cleared the tree, Jim’s bag caught a branch causing it to snap, jolting both of them at how piercing the noise was in this silent forest. Then the growls followed. The Carriers heard and turned in their direction.
Emma and Jim didn’t hesitate another second and made their getaway in the opposite direction. They ran as fast as their legs could carry them. This was one of the biggest problems running from the Carriers. The living would eventually get winded, the Carriers would not.
Emma took brief glances behind her to see the small group giving full chase.
“They’re getting close Jim!”
“Don’t stop Emma!” Jim looked back.
They crossed over the creek splashing in the water and up the embankment hoping it would slow the Carriers down. But it only slowed them down. They continued to run.
Emma turned around and fired her gun blasting one of the Carriers in the shoulder sending it to the ground then kept running. The Carrier howled in anger and got back to its feet. The others were still getting closer to Emma and Jim. Jim turned and fired missing them.
“We can’t outrun them Jim.” Emma stopped and turned toward the Carriers firing her weapon.
Jim also stopped and fired.
The Carriers dropped one by one just feet from Emma and Jim.
Catching their breath, Emma looked around at their surroundings. She could only hear their breathing, both trying to suck in the oxygen they lost.
It was just for a second she turned and she heard Jim’s scream from behind her.
When Emma turned to Jim a Carrier was on his back and both where toppling to the ground. It came out of nowhere. Emma raced to Jim, kicking the beast from his body. The Carrier rolled away but quickly gathered itself and lunged back at them hissing from its gurgling lungs. Emma fired a single round to its head and it was down.
“Oh my god Jim.” She tried to breathe through the adrenaline pumping through her veins. Her eyes widened with fear. Fear for Jim when she noticed all the blood covering his chest.
Jim looked down at his body and frantically began wiping the blood. “It’s not my blood. Emma it’s not mine. I’m fine.”
Emma was lost for words.
“No. Jim it got you.”
“It’s just a scratch!” Jim wiped at the wounds covering his shoulder.
Emma just stared. She knew he was doomed.
“This is where we say goodbye Jim.”
“What are you talking about? Emma I’m fine, it’s scratch!” Jim pleaded.
There was nothing else she could say. So she merely turned and began walking away.
Jim followed in a panic, “Emma!”
“Don’t follow me Jim!” Emma turned back to him. “Do yourself the favor of using your gun or die from the virus. Your death is up to you. But I don’t want to be around for it.”
“You’re just gonna leave me here?” Jim looked around at their surroundings.
Behind them from a far they could see movement of Carriers approaching. Emma began a slow jog away from Jim.
“Emma!” Jim began to follow her.
Emma turned back to Jim, “If you follow me I’ll have no choice.” She pulled her gun and aimed directly at him. “Don’t put your death on me. We both know you’re infected.”
Jim stopped in his tracks, his eyes swelled with tears.
Emma turned around again and began to run. Jim didn’t follow.
It was about a minute later she heard a single gunshot and cringed. She stopped and took a moment. Emma wasn’t going to cry over this loss. It was another loss like so many others.
Emma knew her only hope to survive was to find the Colony.
***
END OF PART ONE
The story continues in part two, The Colony: Isolation
For more information on Marie Lanza
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Copyright © 2013 by Marie Lanza
http://www.MarieLanza.com
As They Laid Me Down To Die is an original work of fiction by Marie Lanza, who holds the sole rights to all characters and concepts herein.
This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are productions of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organizations is entirely coincidental.
All rights are reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced i
n any manner whatsoever without written permission from the author.
As They Laid Me Down To Die
I watched my death in a mirror. A reflection before me so gruesome the only thing that seemed real was the pain.
The first bite was excruciating as the monster ripped through my flesh. Its teeth sank into my shoulder sending a throbbing agony straight to my gut and the sound of squishy crunching filling my ears. My stomach reacted with the need to vomit but nothing came up. The second monster wasn’t far behind chewing at my arm with such a strong bite it felt as though it punctured straight to the bone.
My body crumbled to the ground as my legs couldn’t hold me up anymore with the dead weight of these two beasts leaning on me.
I’m not sure how long I screamed before those screams were silenced. Silenced by shock I assume. If this is what going into shock is like.
Everything was getting quiet around me like I was traveling farther away down a tunnel, and I was looking back at the reflection in the mirror, being torn apart by flesh eating, rabid monsters. My insides burned and ached as the blood poured from my body.
There I lay, watching my death in a mirror.
It was a simple choice to die but not one taken lightly. It was me or both of us and no mother in this world would willingly allow their child to die such a death.
So there I lay, as my body was ripped open and consumed, my mind was able to escape and shut down the torturous pain. The saying is true about life flashing before your eyes. I saw my beautiful memories. I saw my little girl. It was all so bright and a serene peace cast over me.
This is where I wanted to stay; this is where I hoped it would end. But then I reminded myself my little girl was still hiding behind that mirror.
I put her back there trying to hide from these creatures but there was no room for both of us and nowhere else to hide. So I put her there hoping my death would save her. I hoped she would stay quiet. I hoped she would survive.
There I lay, watching my death in this mirror.
Will I bleed to death? Will I come back as one of these creatures? I lay there wondering what would become of me. I wondered what would become of my little girl.
It didn’t take long for my vision to get fuzzy and my mind began falling into darkness. I was slipping into a shallow hell. My body numb from the pain, I listened to their chewing, my blood and muscles sloshing as they satisfied their hunger.
There I lay, trying to fight the darkness.
Did this darkness mean I was turning into one of them or was I dying? Maybe it was the same thing. Maybe death was still living but in this new form.
The air was shallow, wheezing each last breath from my lungs. It was so dark.
There I lay, wondering, if this burning was the sickness rushing through my veins. If I come back as these creatures, will I remember me? Will anything be left or will I be a shell of something I once was. If I hunger like they do, will I remember my little girl is hiding behind this mirror? As my last conscience act, I prayed that I would not.
As they laid me down to die, I watched through the mirror until darkness settled in, until soon everything was black.
Everything was silenced when they laid me down….
* * *
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