Breathless Bodies

by Brigit Levois

  "You're a pretty little thing, aren't you?" He squeezed my arms.

  "Don't tell them anything Alex." Michael wheezed. His right arm was still tied to the crucifix but was only attached to his body by a few pieces of skin.

  "Twitch, torch him again." He turned back to me. "So you're Alex, hu? I've heard there's a big reward out for you." He picked me up and threw me at Striker. He caught me and held my arms as the leader punched me in the gut. I wheezed and tried to bend over but the other man held me up right.

  "Darius has been looking all over for you." He backhanded me. "Said that if anyone found you, we were to bring you to him alive." He struck me again. My head swam with pain and anger. I looked at the leader and asked one question.

  "Why?" He seemed confused that I would ask him why Darius wanted me. "Shit, I don't know. But before we get to you, we gotta finish with this one." He turned back to Michael and looked at us both. "You two are camping together, aren't you? So you know where the camp is. I'd bet my left nut you'll tell me where it is." Michael tried shouting at him but it came out as a painful gasp.

  "Leave her alone. You need her." The leader laughed along with his cronies. I felt Strikers grip loosen and used the opportunity to break it. I elbowed him in the gut and ran for my sword. I picked it up and turned to see them still standing there, now laughing at me.

  "Look at that little wild cat, trying to save her friend. Ain't it the cutest thing!" They continued to laugh with each other. I looked at Michael and started to edge closer to him, hoping I could save him. He shook his head at me.

  "No, just run. Get everyone out of camp and run. I'll just slow you down," He gasped through his pain. My eyes welled with tears.

  "I can't leave you here. The other's will come and we'll all escape." I was still moving towards him when the leader spoke up.

  "So this is what's going to happen. You're going to drop that little knife of yours and come back over here or I put a bullet in your buddy's brain." He pulled out a handgun and aimed at Michael. I looked towards the hill, hoping to see some back up. No one was there. I threw my sword and walked unsteadily towards him. Striker grabbed my arm in a loose hold as the leader came up to me again.

  "By the way, the name's Demo." He leaned close and grabbed my hair and breast in a painful grip. "Now you know who's name to scream later." He shoved my head and turned back to Michael. "Alright bitch, you're going to tell me where that camp is or I start cutting up big boy again." Michael and I looked at each other, both questioning the right choice. He spoke first.

  "Don't tell them anything. No matter what they do to me, don't tell them." His face was red and covered in sweat, betraying the pain he fought so hard to hide. Neither of us saw Demo move behind him and draw his whip. The crack made us both jump, his cry of pain echoing through the trees. Demo asked again.

  "Where is it?" Again the whip cracked and Michael gasped, suppressing the pain. Demo struck again and again, turning Michael's back into little more than shredded beef.

  "Just tell me where the camp is and I'll stop, Alex. Are a few measly supplies worth more than his suffering? Just tell me and this can all be over." Demo was breathing heavily and dripping with his exertion. The only thing keeping Michael upright were the ropes around his chest.

  "Don't... tell him...anything." He wheezed, shaking. "It's...not...worth it." His head fell to the side and he blacked out. He was right. No matter how much I wanted to end his suffering, we couldn't risk what they would do to the rest of the group.

  "Is that your final answer?" Asked Demo. The words stuck, unable to make it past the lump in my throat. I nodded, my heart sinking. Demo sighed and shook his head.

  "Wrong answer." He chuckled. Going to the cab of the truck, he grabbed a black bag, walking back to set it on the tailgate and launched into a monologue.

  "I've always been a fan of torture, especially ways to end life. The Vikings had this one technique called the 'Blood Eagle'." He pulled out a large knife and walked behind Michael. "What they would do is cut off the skin and muscles of the back so the ribs were exposed. Then you cut the ribs and pull them outwards, kinda like you're opening a clam. And for the grand finale, you pull the lungs out and watch them suffocate. You have to do it quick though, ya see? Otherwise they bleed out. So, here we go!"

  Before I could move, Demo sliced Michaels back from his neck to his hips, then across his shoulders. Michael was pulled back to consciousness from the pain, screaming as blood flowed and gushed down his back. His screams grew louder as Demo grabbed both sides of his mangled flesh and tore his back open, ripping skin and muscles alike. As his bones became visible, Demo was soaked with blood and gore. Twitch handed him a set of bolt cutters and the sound of cracking bones tore through the air. Michaels was past screaming, his mouth open and face a mask of red anguish.

  "Don't worry, not much longer!" Shouted Demo with sadistic joy as he ripped into Michael's torso. He spread the broken bones and plunged both arms into Michael's chest from behind like some twisted puppet. I watched Michael's face contort into a mask of sheer terror, knowing that nothing could be done to save him now. He gurgled as Demo pulled his lungs out from his back to quiver in the sunlight. He was struggling to draw breath, his abused, blood covered body slowing loosing life. I tried to go to him but Striker held my arm.

  "Please! Let me go!" I begged him, turning back to Michael. He looked at me with relief in his eyes before he slumped forward in his final breath. Just then the others came crashing through the trees, Gunther in the front with bared teeth. The dog jumped at Striker and bit his shoulder, locking his jaws. Demo glanced at the group running at him before darting for his truck. Samuel fired his crossbow and nailed Demo in the thigh, dropping him to the ground. As the group reached us, Twitch fell to the ground with both hands raised in surrender.

  The men moved around me, yet I could only stare at the body of someone who had been my friend. A rage I had never felt before filled my heart. It clouded my vision and turned the world red. Malcolm had picked up Twitch and was holding his arms behind his back. Twitch watched me as I walked over to him, panic filling his eyes. He tried to run but Malcolm held him firm. Without a way to block, my blows rained down on him like hell fire. I punched him until my knuckles were red and bloody and his face was swollen.

  Kato came up behind me and held my arms, keeping me from breaking my own hands.

  "He did nothing to you! Why would you do something like that to him? You rotten bastards! You're going to fucking burn!" I turned my fury to Demo, who was still laying on the ground with an arrow in his leg. He started laughing like this was all a joke. Like my friend's death was a comedy just for him. When he finally stopped, his words caught me off guard.

  "Thank you Alex. You've just made it so much easier for me." He lifted his hand to his mouth, letting out a piercing whistle. The trees exploded with men a second time, but these people weren't in our group. They were dirty, tattered, and very well armed. They surrounded my friends and I with guns and arrows pointed for the kill. When they formed a circle, the tallest man walked over to Demo.

  "The camp has been raided. No one was hurt but we have plenty of supplies now. They have a little farm going on up there so I figured it would be in our best interest to keep them alive. They seem to be valuable assets to our land." He helped Demo to stand.

  "Good work Draco, good work. " Demo looked at me and smiled. "You should learn to be more quiet on the radio, Alex. We caught your transmission and knew you were going to have back up. So while you've been beating Twitch's face in, these men have been up at your camp. Don't worry, no one was harmed. But I think we're going to come back every few weeks or so for more supplies." He tried to hobble to the bed of the truck but the arrow in his leg made it extremely difficult. I was glad he was suffering.

  "If you think you can take what you want, when you want from us, you are sorely mistaken. If I ever see your face again I w
ill do to you what you did to him." I nodded towards Michael's body, still hanging on the wooden cross. A flash of worry crossed his face before he chuckled.

  "We'll see Alex, we'll see. Just remember, Darius isn't as nice as I am. Let's go!" He shouted. Some men jumped into his truck and others went off to what I assumed was another vehicle. Striker cut the binding which held Michael upright, letting him and his detached arm fall to the ground. Something inside me snapped and I was finally able to move. Kato was standing closest to me so I took the gun out of his hands and shot at the truck. Most of the bullets hit the truck body, but one caught Striker before he could get in the cab. The truck took off and left him there, scrambling to get up. Before he could, I walked over to him and kicked him in the back. He rolled over and grabbed my foot before I could kick him again, pulling me off balance and toppling me. He tried to roll on top of me but I used his momentum to keep him rolling, allowing me to straddle him. I swung the gun I still held at his head but he threw up his arm to block. Before I could swing again, I was lifted off of him by a set of strong arms.

  "Let me go!" I screamed, fighting Malcolm as he held me tight. Kato and Ragnar grabbed Striker off the ground and held him upright.

  "Alright little sis, have some fun." Ragnar said. Malcolm let me go and I kicked Striker between the legs. He groaned and slumped in their arms.

  "I should torture you like you tortured Michael." I said. Blood exploded around my hand as I broke his nose, dropping him to his knees. "I should make you feel every agony you put him through." Punch to the throat. "I should make you beg for death, if only to be saved from the unbearable pain of living." I bent down and picked up a good sized rock, tossing it between my hands. "But I'm not like you. Malcolm, can you open his mouth please?" Striker gave little resistance as I shoved the rock into his mouth. "I'm not going to kill you. None of my men will either. But, you are going to suffer for the rest of your life." I lifted his head back and brought his chin crashing down on my thrusting knee. His teeth sounded like walnuts being smashed, flying out of his mouth with a gush of blood.

  I stood back and looked at Kato. "You can let him go now. Without teeth, it's going to be very hard to live." The men looked at me like I was crazy, and I didn't blame them. The raider looked at me with such hatred I took a step back. Then I swung my leg and smashed his jaw with my shin. "You should run now." I said to him. He scrambled to his feet and ran as fast as his wounded leg would allow.

  "Are you really going to let him get away?" Samuel asked in astonishment. I turned and looked at him with a small smile that I could tell unsettled him. Without breaking eye contact, I spoke.

  "Gunther, go for a hunt." I didn't turn at the sound of him taking off, I didn't have to. I knew that he was going after the man. A few seconds later, the sound of Gunther growling and Striker screaming filled the air. While Samuel looked between me and the carnage taking place in the distance, my gaze never wavered. The only change in my expression were the tears that ran silently down my cheeks.

  We didn't want to bury Michael's body, as the smell of death could attract walkers. Instead we built him a funeral pyre of the very lumber he had come down to collect. As the men stacked the wood, I did the best I could to clean and dress him. Washing the blood off of his left arm and placing it next to him was a grueling task, not because of the physical exertion, but the self-control it took not to break down and sob. I washed the dirt and blood off of his face, speaking to the corpse of cherished friend.

  "I'm so sorry Michael. I should have jumped in sooner. Maybe then they wouldn't have heard me radio the camp. Maybe you would still be here." My throat ached and my eyes welled. I didn't know why I wanted to talk to his corpse, but there were things I needed to say. "You didn't deserve this. But you're in a better place now. And besides, at least you're not a zombie. I know you dreaded that." I tried to give a small laugh but it only released the grief I had been holding in. I crumpled onto his chest, letting my anguish run. I cried for Michael who would never again make us smile with a story. I cried for men I had killed without mercy. I cried for Sean who might already be dead. Finally, I cried for my children who I might never see again.

  I felt a hand on my shoulder as my tears came to a stop. Sniffing, I looked up to see my mother. Her eyes were sorrowful as she told me two words.

  "It's time." I nodded and stood up. The pyre was only a few feet tall, but would burn for hours. Malcolm walked over to me with a torch in hand, covered in sweat and scraped from the wood. Handing me the torch, he knelt to lift Michael's legs, Ragnar lifted his torso. I lifted the severed arm and followed an ancient processional rite. Every so reverently, our friend was placed on his pyre. Fighting tears, I placed his arm next to him and stepped back.

  "I'm sorry Michael, you didn't deserve this." I tried to say more but the lump in my throat made it impossible. Instead, I walked over and lit a corner of the wood. Passing the torch around the pyre, everyone set a part of it ablaze. We all stood there and watched as the fire crept towards him, cleansing his soul of the tortures his body endured. Ragnar stepped forward and did the last thing I think anyone expected. He started to sing. It was in a language I couldn't identify, but the tune was sad and soulful. The faces around me reflected the fire on which our friend was laid to rest.

  Ragnar finished his song and Malcolm stepped forward. He cleared his throat before he could speak.

  "You were an amazing person, always going out of your way to make others smile. You always had a story up your sleeve and a willing hand to help. I'm...we are sorry. There was so much more we could have done. If we had run a little faster, we would have gotten here in time to save you." His eyes filled and tears flowed down his cheeks. I went to him and wrapped my arms around his waist. It was a comfort to me as well as him.

  One by one, our group stepped forward and said our goodbyes. It was a long day, followed by an even longer night. But as the day broke, our group became stronger. When the fire was gone and only the ash remained, we said a final farewell and headed back to camp. The walk was slow and sorrowful as we remembered Michael. By the time we made it to the camp, we were all filled with a need for vengeance. We made a plan to go into town and restock the supplies that were lost, knowing it would be impossible to survive without them. Ragnar and Samuel proposed a training program for everyone to become better fighters. It was unanimously accepted.

  We all went to bed early as we had a long day ahead of us. I had a bad feeling the whole night, but I just chalked it up to the loss of a loved one. Of course, that's not what it was.

  Chapter 19

  And this is where I lay, in a field of grass at the bottom of the hill. Is this really how it ends? After all the fighting, the pain, the deaths. Do I give up now? No, I can't. If I do, then the people that I cared about will have died in vain. Okay, I thought to myself, that's enough of that. Time to get up and see who else is hurt. It was hard to sit up but I managed after a few tries. The RV was behind me and there were bodies scattered everywhere. I looked down at my own leg and saw a large piece of glass in my thigh, seeping blood everywhere. Great, I thought, this is going to suck. I tore my shirt up to my chest and tied the pieces together to make a tourniquet. Time for the hard part. I grabbed the piece of glass and pulled it out with a loud scream. The blood rushed out and flowed onto the grass. There was movement beside me as I tied it off, looking over just in time to see Niobe swinging a tree branch at me. She struck me in my left shoulder, sending me rolling. She screamed at me as she attacked again.

  "You took away the only man I have ever loved, you selfish bitch!" She struck me on the back. "It's not enough that you think you can boss me around. But to take what is mine? I don't think so." She drew back her leg and kicked me in the ribs. Trying to roll out of the way again, my cracked ribs were sore anew. "I'm going to kill you, you little slut!" Niobe had pulled back to kick me in the face when there was a loud thunk and she gasped. I looked up to see an arrow sticki
ng out of her chest. Her face showed her astonishment, as if she couldn't process what it was. With a gurgle she fell to her knees. Niobe gave a final cough, sending blood spatter all over me, and fell to the ground. The blankness in her eyes will haunt me forever. I stood up and looked behind me to see Samuel standing there, his crossbow at his side and blood on his forehead. I smiled at him as he walked over.

  "You're a sight for sore eyes. Thank you." I tried to take a step towards him but my leg gave out, sending a fiery pain through me. Samuel was there before I hit the ground, catching me and holding me to him. He helped me to stand again, taking most of my weight as I hobbled over to a large rock. He knelt down and examined my leg.

  "This needs to be stitched up. I'll go see if I can find the first aid kit." He stood to go but I stopped him.

  "No," I said, shaking my head. "Let's check on the others first. I'll be fine." I stood and forced myself to walk to the closest body. It was Liz. I knelt to check for a pulse. As I reached out to touch her, she stirred and opened her eyes. When we locked gazes, she rolled into a ball and started crying again. I wanted to comfort her, but the others needed to be checked on.

  "Son of a bitch, my head hurts. Get this fucking thing off of me!" I looked around for Ragnar and saw the camper shaking. Samuel and I hurried over to see Ragnar pinned under the back end of the RV.

  "Push it a bit and I can get my legs out." We braced ourselves against the side and pushed while Ragnar pulled his legs out. With a mighty groan, he was free. Ragnar stood up and bellowed with rage, looking for something to destroy. We moved out of his way as he rampaged. Then he saw her, lying in the grass with an arrow in her lung. He slowly walked to her, staring down in silence. I thought he was going to pick Niobe up. With a roar he raised his foot and stomped her head until it was a pile of bloody mush.