We Are The Hunted (Book 1): We Are The Hunted

by Matlin, Perry T.

  “It’s nice to meet you Dan. I am so sorry that happened to you” I say. I feel like my response was so inadequate, but I don’t know what to say. Is there anything right to say to something like that? I wouldn’t even know what to do if that happened to me. My chest begins to tighten in that familiar way it did last time I had that flashback nightmare.

  “Thanks man. I really appreciate that” he says, a small smile playing at his lips. His cold blue eyes, warming ever so slightly. I smile back at him, the feeling in my chest almost suffocating now. I know I’m about to lose it with another episode of reliving the moment I became a murderer. I need to get to a bathroom or something really soon.

  “I’ll be right back. Then we can go find the others in the store” I tell him, and he nods. I race to the bathroom as quickly as I can without them noticing. I close the door sharply behind me and fall to the floor in tears. I close my eyes, the memories playing again. I squeeze my eyes shut, as I watch Brooke die again.

  The bathroom floor is cold on my skin, as my arms shake against it, but it’s nothing to how cold my soul feels, as I once again relive the moment that my finger pumped the trigger, how the loud shot rang true in my mind. How his head snapped back, his blood splattered all over my face. I remember it all again, how the blood felt warm, sticky on my face.

  I remember how the blood started to thicken, how it felt like face paint dried on my skin, how his brains were in my hair, how the smell of his blood followed me the rest of the day. In my memory, I can perfectly smell the blood again. I barely make it to the toilet in time, before I lose everything in my stomach.

  *****

  “You okay buddy?” Dan asks me, as I stumble from the bathroom. I’m trembling head to foot, but we have to get moving. I feel unbalanced, like I may collapse at any second. I wonder if this feeling, this pain will ever go away, or if I’ll be reliving this moment for the rest of my days. I sincerely hope not.

  “Yeah, I’m fine. Let’s just get out of here. I want to see my brother and sister” I tell him, my voice shaking almost as badly as my body. He nods, before walking over to Emily. He helps her up, but just as they start making their way over to me, a loud noise fills the silence. I see both their heads snap to the side, as they take in the noise as well.

  It sounded like several shelves fell over, or that something heavy fell from high up. My mind starts to think of all the possibilities, but then I think of one. I think of Paul. What if he’s hurt, or worse? I look back to Emily and Dan, their eyes reflecting my own apprehension. I plead with him, my eyes sparking with emotion. He seems to get my intentions because he nods his approval, before motioning that he will take care of Emily. I take off running then. I’m reluctant to leave her behind with him, but what if someone is hurt?

  All I know, as my still shaking legs carry me to the double doors is that if something happened to him, I will not recover. I could not handle that. I pray for his safety, as I find the doors, and thrust them open. I rush into the darkness, no thought for myself, only for him. My only thought is for Paul.

  TWENTY-EIGHT

  The darkness is a thick blanket around me, as I navigate the unfamiliar store blindly. I feel my way, reluctant to make any noises, but frantic to find him, to find any of them. The loud noise sounded big, it sounded like one of the aisles fell. That could kill someone. I round a corner and find myself in sight of the front windows. The light is better here.

  Looking around, I try to find any sign of a mess, of something that could have made such a noise. There is nothing visible. I feel my stomach tighten again, unable to comfort myself from this panic. This whole apocalypse thing is turning me into a nervous wreck. I try to think logically, like the scientist I am.

  There is no sign of injury, there are no screams, no infected, so everything seems okay for now. Don’t panic until it’s time to panic. I try to push the creeping insecurities, the crippling fears from my mind, by recalling my technique. I need to tell myself everything I used to be, everything I am. It used to help me push Paul from my mind, until it didn’t help anymore.

  I am Benjamin Stuart. I am 24 years old. I am a Zoology major. I am gay. I tell myself all the things that define me. I am a cat person. My favorite color is purple. I’m a Ravenclaw. My dad owns a restaurant, my mom is a deadbeat. I’m in love with Paul, and I am losing hope that he’s okay.

  With one thought, my defensive walls of facts about me crumbles. I’m left feeling empty, as I move back into the darkness of the store. I have to find them. Maybe, I’ll have better luck on the other side of the store. I pull my phone out then, remembering the built-in flashlight. I turn it on and shine the narrow ray of light down the next aisle. Again, I find the path clear. I hold my phone aloft, as I make my way down the empty aisle. The silence is unsettling.

  At the end of the aisle, I decide to go left, and turn down the next. I find myself face-to-face with two of the sickening figures I know now to be infected. I jump back, my voice escaping me in a squeal.

  My phone clatters from my hand, bouncing off the concrete floor and disappearing under the shelf. I look from the dim light still visible to the now dark aisle before me. That’s when I feel the beast’s fingers touch my arm. I recoil in disgust. The skin feels rough, dried blood creating an unpleasant texture. They are cold. The kind of cold that chills bones. They are dead.

  I move to get away, but the thing pulls at my arm, as the other infected lunges at me. We fall to the ground in a tangle of limbs, as I hear the snap of teeth. They’re trying to bite into my skin. I’m about to die in this dark place. That’s when I hear hurried footsteps. I cut my losses and scream out.

  “Help. Oh my God help me” I let the words fill the darkness, they shatter the silence. I can hear the footsteps getting closer, but I can feel the putrid breath of the monster on my face. I shove its face away with my hands, pushing with all of my might. A bright light fills the aisle then, and three people loom over me. That’s when the monster’s teeth find my skin. I feel the pain, as my skin is torn open by the infected teeth. I manage to get out from underneath it then because someone has killed it. I scamper to my feet, looking down at the two dead bodies before me. I grip my arm, where it bit me. Where it signed my death warrant. I begin to back away from them.

  “Are you okay?” Paul asks me, taking in my face. He hands me my phone, but I don’t meet his gaze as I take it. The screen is luckily not cracked any worse. My arms are shaking so badly, I might drop it again. I pull my sleeve down, before he can see. I have to tell him, before it’s too late. I’m going to die. I’m going to die and there is nothing we can do to stop it.

  “Yeah, I… Emily is hurt pretty bad, and… I made a … made a deal with the manager here” I say, my heart sinking at the lie. I can’t look at him, as I do. He reaches over to grab my hand, as we make it out of the aisle. Suddenly, the lights come on. I look around in surprise but remember that Dan must’ve done it.

  “We’re going to bring him with us in exchange… in exchange for all the supplies we want… from here” my voice is thick with emotion now. I can’t keep the tears from invading. He looks directly at me then, and I know he can tell something is really wrong. His eyes are pleading, as he takes in my expression.

  “What’s wrong?” he demands, his voice filled with worry. I turn away from him because I feel like I’m going to be sick. I feel like I’m about to lose it.

  “Can you please talk to me?” he asks me. “Can you fill the others in please?” he asks behind him. Lily and Lana run in the opposite direction, leaving us alone.

  “Can we talk in the bathroom?” I ask him. He nods, before taking me by the hand. He’s touching the arm I was bitten on. I almost snatch it away, but he’d think it was something against him. He pulls me into the men’s bathroom, before whipping around to face me. His eyes are searching, the blue depths murky with grey. I look away again, and he sighs.

  “Did something happen between you and Chase?” he asks me calmly. I blanch at his words. That
was the last thing on my mind. I actually snort with laughter at his words, his insecurities. He looks up then, just as I shake my head. He then looks closer, before his mouth falls open.

  “Did someone… is someone dead?” he asks, and I look down. Little does he know, it’s me. I’m dead or dying. I decide to end the guessing game then. It’s time for the worst moment of my life. Once I say it out loud, I can never take it back. I can never go back, once I make it real. Here goes nothing.

  “Paul, when I fell. When those… those things tackled me, I umm… I…” I can’t say the words. I can’t form them with my lips. My throat will not allow the words to pass, but he gets the message. He gasps audibly, before I look up.

  “Paul, I’m so…” I begin, the tears finally escaping, but he holds a hand up to stop me. He reaches forward and pulls my one sleeve up. That must have looked conspicuous.

  Forcing the sleeve up, the bite mark becomes visible. A bloody raw crescent shaped wound. The skin around it looks a sickly green color. The infection is already starting to spread. I draw a deep shaky breath, holding the sob tight between my lips. He continues to stare at it, but then his eyes find mine. He is crying. Paul is crying uncontrollably.

  I pull him to me, as his body shakes against mine. We cry together, the tears running down our cheeks, the sobs bouncing off the walls, our bodies shaking into each other. Two pieces of the same soul, realizing one half is about to be extinguished. I pull away after a few minutes and wipe my eyes.

  “We have to get everyone prepared to leave, then we can tell them that I’m staying behind” I say suddenly, knowing he will argue. I refuse to turn. I refuse to be a danger to anyone, so when it is time for me to sleep, to die; I will not be near anyone. I will neutralize the threat myself. I will assure that I never harm another human being, even beyond the grave.

  “What the hell are you talking about?” he demands, his voice growing angry. The mixture of grief and outrage swirl around, separated by barriers like water and oil.

  “We are not leaving you behind?” he tells me, his tone biting. I knew he would react this way, but I have my argument prepared for this one. It’s not up for negotiation.

  “Look, I’m not going to risk turning in a car, or whatever. I don’t want to hurt anyone. I just want to help” I say, my voice cracking at the end. He pulls me to him again, resting my head on his chest. I can feel his sobbing still. It’s less pronounced, but he’s still shaking.

  “I just want to protect you guys” I continue, my voice muffled in his chest.

  “If we leave you behind, you will turn. If we take you with us, then we can control the situation” he explains. I realize then that he won’t leave me with one of the only guns they have. I nod in defeat. I know it was too easy for him to win, but it’s not a game, there is no winner. These is our lives. My life.

  I lean into him once more, my tears slowing. I listen to his heartbeat, his breathing. He holds me, as we cry together. We eventually calm down. We are sitting alone in the bathroom, no tears left to cry. We know this is the end. The tragic end of what we could have had. Nothing will ever be the same again because tomorrow when he wakes up, I’ll be gone. I’ll be dead.

  Tomorrow, when he opens his eyes it’ll be different. His eyes will be peering out at a world where I no longer exist. He will exist in a world where I am not there. The rest of his life will be lived without me. I know that I’m the one being left behind. I am the one who will be forgotten in the past. I will be his history, not his future.

  *****

  We are just coming out of the bathroom, when I look forward. The windows are showing the brightly shining sun. I’m lost in the beauty, as two men walk in front of the window. I try to step behind the fixture, but they look directly at me. We stand there, transfixed in the existence of each other. Then they take off running. I turn on the spot and follow suit. This feels bad.

  “Dan, two guys just saw me at the front of the store, and they took off running” I say, panting as I come to a stop before him. He is helping Riley gather supplies into the loading dock where we have parked our vehicles. Dan looks at me with shock, fear in his eyes. He turns back to the open garage door.

  “That was the local gang I was just tellin’ you about. They’ll be getting’ backup. Now they know we’re here, they’ll want our stuff” he explains, and my blood pumps faster. We need to get out of here. We need to get out of here right now, or I won’t be the only one dying today. I know instinctively that I will kill them all. I will wipe them from the face of this earth, before I let them kill Paul.

  “We need to finish up, before they come back with friends” I say, my voice shaking ever so slightly. Riley seems to notice because she turns to look at me. I take in her soft expression, the forgiveness, the apologies in her eyes. I know she’s forgiven me, but I can’t deal with any of it right this second.

  I make my way down the aisle, leaving them alone. I head to the opposite side of the store, where the others are gathering toiletries. I’m about to turn down the shampoo aisle, when an infected comes around the corner. We haven’t done a full sweep, but he is likely the only one left wandering. I move effortlessly, pulling a small flag off the shelf. I pull the cloth off and use the pole to shove through the monster’s eyeball. It drops like a puppet without strings. It’s the first zombie I’ve ever killed, but it was so easy. I guess when your life is forfeit, it’s easier to do what needs to be done. If there is one plus side to this fiasco, at least I won’t have to relive Drew’s death much longer.

  Paul comes around the corner, just as I pull the flag staff out of the dead thing’s eye. He looks at me, his eyebrows raised. I wonder what my face must look like. I ignore his searching gaze and finish my path to the others. We hurriedly finish packing up the important stuff. It only takes us a couple minutes. Then we are ready to leave.

  Dan gathers his photos, and a small bag. He joins us on the loading dock. It is time for us to leave, before the gang gets here. Maybe we can lose them if we get a head start. I hope they don’t pursue us, but I know better than to hope for things to go the way that I want. I just hope we can get away.

  “Can I talk to you?” Riley asks suddenly, her hand resting on my arm. I nod, pulling her off to the side. I guess now is the best time to tell her about my bite, my death. She looks at me.

  “I’m sorry about yesterday. Drew would not have wanted me to blame you” she explains, her eyes swimming with tears. I feel myself getting emotional again. I need to hold it together, or I’ll fall apart completely.

  “Look Riley, there’s something I need to tell you, but you have to…” I begin to tell her, but then Dan interrupts us. I turn to look at him, unsure of what has changed. Riley is looking at me questioningly. I look from the running cars to my sister. It can wait. It needs to wait. I’ll tell her soon.

  I walk over to Paul’s car, refusing to waste my last amount of time without him by my side. I feel a bit dizzy, as I open the passenger door. I almost fall in. I know the infection is starting to spread. I feel really cold all of a sudden, which means the fever has started. I sit down, closing the door. Then Lana makes a comment.

  “You don’t look so good Ben, are you okay?” she asks, her voice dripping with concern. I just nod, pulling down the visor to look at my reflection. I am pale, a slight green tinge to my face. I look like I did the week I had the flu last year. I’m about to say something else, when Paul slides into the car beside me.

  “Do you need anything?” he asks me. His face is full of pain, his lips pressed tightly together. Lana watches our exchange, before she looks back to my face. I watch as comprehension dawns on hers. Her lip trembles, and she bursts into tears. Paul pauses to explain to her what happened, but she just continues to cry. I feel like crying again too. I try to listen to their words, but I can’t focus, so I miss it all.

  “Okay, guys. Let’s get out of here” Chase calls from beside us, the moment is over. Lana looks at me again, straightening in her seat. I know things
are changing much too quickly. I know my life is ticking to the end. My heartbeats are numbered. My moments with Paul are limited. This is the end.

  TWENTY-NINE

  I look around, as Paul cranks the engine to life. I close my eyes briefly, trying to muster the energy to continue. I’m starting to feel weak. I hear Paul’s seatbelt click, but before we can move, Dan comes up to my window. A sharp rap on the glass causes my eyes to fly open. I look at him confusedly, before rolling the window down.

  “What’s wrong?” I ask, jumping to the worst-case scenario, but he shakes his head with a small smile on his face.

  “You can’t be visible Benjamin. They saw you. They’ll stop us for sure” he explains, and I look to Paul. Panic is rising in my chest again. I can’t be alone, not now. Now when I could die on the way. I can’t die alone.

  “Okay, well we can change the driving arrangements then. Thomas!” Paul calls, waving my brother’s friend over. Thomas comes to a stop just before me.

  “Will you drive my car with Lana, so I can go with Ben?” he asks, and Thomas nods immediately. Dan seems to accept that offer because he nods for us to follow him. I turn to Lana. She’s looking right at me now. Her eyes filled with tears.

  “Thank you, for everything” I tell her, my voice thick with emotion, my chest heavy with our goodbye. She tearfully nods, before pulling me into a tight hug. I embrace her lovingly. Part of me wishes I had time to say goodbye to everyone, but then we would all die.

  We follow Dan over to his truck. I look around, but I don’t see anywhere for me to hide. That’s when I notice the tarp pulled back in the truck bed. I know his plan, even before he begins to tell us. We have to hide. We have to be out of sight.

  “If you’re under here, then it will look like I’m driving by myself. They’ve seen me dozens of times. Maybe, if we’re lucky; they won’t stop me. Maybe we can get out of this mess” he explains, and my stomach flips nervously. Will this even work?