by C J Singh
“Shhhh. Relax. We need to get you better. You are strong. Stronger than the others. You must survive. For your Eden,” the woman soothed.
Eden. Yes, I must survive for Eden. As the cool wet cloth sizzled along my skin, I let sleep take me.
Chapter 15
Tristan
We tracked Eden in silence. No one had been alarmed at my early morning interaction, saying it was most likely due to lack of sleep and stress. Probably just a rabbit, Tate had said.
That was until we saw the carcass.
“What in the world is that?” Tate said, approaching the mutilated deer.
“I think it’s a deer,” Ellie responded.
We inspected the bloody ripped flesh that was once a deer. Its entrails scattered the ground around it, torn to shreds. The dirt had soaked so much blood that it became dark burgundy mud. Quickly looking away, I heaved and put a hand to my nose, attempting to block the wretched smell.
“What kind of animal would do this?” I asked.
Old Bob knelt. “Bear, wolf...”
Tate shook his head. “Are animal attacks always this... messy?”
Spotting something in the dirt near the carcass, I moved closer to get a better look. “Are those... ” Kneeling down, I examined the familiar imprint in the ground. “What the? No. Are those feet?”
Ash trotted over and sniffed the prints, letting out a growl. Old Bob and Tate knelt down next to me.
“Yeah, that sure does look like a footprint. Bare feet,” Old Bob said.
“Why on earth would anyone be running around in bare feet?” I asked.
Old Bob shrugged. “I don’t know.” He stood surveying the area again. “We should keep moving. Whatever did this may still be close, and I don’t think we want to meet them.”
Nodding, we followed him with Ash at the lead. As we walked, I trailed behind everyone, scanning the area looking for any sign of Eden. We had to find her. My eyes were on Tate’s pack when I heard Ash growl. Looking at him, I saw he was frozen with his eyes fixed on the trees. The others passed him, paying no attention, but I stopped, looking with him to the trees. Crap.
“Tate, Old Bob, Ellie... run.” I was still, eyes glued to the beasts that watched us. What I saw this morning definitely wasn’t a rabbit.
“What?” Tate looked back at me, then followed my eyes. “What the...”
“Run!” I yelled pushing him forward. He stumbled, bumping into Old Bob, who took Ellie by the hand and all three took off toward the river.
A twig snapped and Ash snarled. We sprinted through the trees, jumping over logs toward the river. I didn’t dare look behind us. Reaching the embankment, we slid down the rocks toward the river. The cold stones cut into my back, and I grunted. Ellie’s scream echoed through the woods.
She sat, clutching her ankle at the edge of the river. Her face scrunched in pain. Old Bob pulled her arms. “Get up!” She put her foot down to take a step but crumpled back onto the rocks. I could hear the beasts grow closer.
“Get up, Ellie!” I yelled at her.
“I can’t! I think it’s broken.”
Crap.
Rocks toppled down the embankment. Looking to the top, I saw the beasts—greyish skin, sharp teeth, ragged clothes, and bare feet. Human, but not quite. Sucking in a breath, I stared at the four sets of eyes, each had one gold. My heart sunk. Just like Eden.
Turning back to Old Bob and Ellie, I screamed. “Get her out of here!”
The beasts snarled and bounded toward us, stones spraying in every direction. Old Bob picked Ellie up and ran as quickly as he could downstream. Grabbing my dagger from my boot, Tate, Ash, and I charged.
Wham!
I took one down onto the rocks. Grunting at the beast’s unnatural strength, I was flipped on my back. My shirt and hair soaked up the cool water, weighing me down. Holding the snarling beast above me, the sounds of battle filled the air. The loudest being Ash, his snarls matching the beasts.
I kicked the beast over my head. It landed on its back. Jumping to my feet, I spun toward it. When it came back at me, I sliced its arm with my dagger. Throwing its head back, it let out a high screech, showing its yellow fangs. Instinctively, I moved my hands to my ears, but quickly recovered and lunged toward it. My dagger sliced into its chest. Thick, black blood dribbled out onto my hands. Take that, sucker.
I turned back to Tate and Ash who were fighting off the remaining three beasts. Old Bob still carried Ellie downstream, much slower than expected.
“Run, Old Bob!” I screamed.
The stones were slippery from the rushing waters. Old Bob’s face scrunched in concentration, struggling with her weight as he tried to stay upright despite the slick stones.
“Tristan! Watch out!” Tate yelled.
Whack!
My head hit the rocks. I tried to push up, but the pebbles split in two. Squinting, I brought my hand to my eyes when a sharp pain stabbed me in the shoulder.
“Aaaah!”
I shook my body, but the weight of the beast and pain made it hard to move. It held tight with its claw-like nails and fangs digging into my shoulder. Clutching my dagger, I sucked in a few breaths and swung the beast over my shoulder. A loud pop rang as the blade penetrated its skull. As I released its jaw, more thick, black blood sprayed my face, and it fell to the ground.
Ellie’s scream jerked me to my feet; the world spun. Resting my hands on my knees, I watched Old Bob fight off two creatures in the shallow waters of the river. Tate and Ash continued to fight them as they came.
Shit. They keep coming.
“Watch out!” Ellie screamed, scurrying deeper into the water.
I ran toward them, but my uneven sight made the world tilt. Sharp stones dug into my knees when I fell. I brought my eyes up. Crap! I was facing the wrong direction. Everything spun, and darkness sat just on the edge of my vision, threatening to take over. My shoulder ached and my stomach threatened to expel my meager breakfast.
Slowly turning around, I spotted Old Bob fighting two beasts. He used two daggers, blocking and ducking away from their claws and dripping fangs. His twists and twirls looked like a dance, but the sprays of blood from each cut he made brought me back to reality. Flipping one creature over his shoulder, he lunged forward toward the other. His front foot hit a large stone, and it slid out from under him. His knee hit the ground and he caught himself with his elbow. The splash from the water muffled his cry. The beast was on him again.
“No!” Ellie screamed, trying to stand, but the stones were too slippery, and she fell back into the shallow water.
Everything slowed. The beast was in the air. No, no, no. I stood and ran, only to end up back on the stones. Ellie’s arms reached up and a beast was on her. Her arms flexed from the strain. No, no, no. Snarling, it snapped its fangs inches from her face, drool dripping onto her cheek.
“Ahhh! I can’t... hold it!” she screamed.
“Hold it, Ellie!” I yelled, crawling toward her.
“No!” Old Bob pushed the creature off him. He crawled toward her too, but the beast jumped on his back. Its shriek rang through the trees as it pulled Old Bob’s head back.
Ash yipped and snarled. Tate grunted.
“Fight, Old Bob!” I yelled.
A beast jumped at me. I flipped to my back and kicked it right into the water. The fast river took it downstream.
Ellie’s arms were slightly bent. She was growing weak. “Hold on, Ellie!”
Old Bob twisted and turned, trying to get out of the beast’s hold, his eyes never leaving Ellie.
Standing, I stumbled toward Ellie, clutching my dagger. My vision zoned in on her. Her exhaustion came through her screams and grunts.
I had to get to her.
My foot caught a rock. Flying forward, I threw my hands down to catch myself. My palms cut on the rocks as I wat
ched my dagger disappear into the rushing white waters.
“Shit!” I slammed my hand onto the rocks. Water splashed onto my face.
I had nothing to defend Ellie. Helpless, I watched her struggle. She screamed and the beast pushed harder. Her arms weakened. She squeezed her eyes shut, pushing all her strength out, but she was done, too tired. Her arms gave way with a snap, and the beast’s fangs were in her throat.
“NO!” Old Bob and I screamed in unison.
My jaw dropped. No, no, no, no. This wasn’t happening. Ellie batted at the beast gnawing on her neck. I ignored the stones cutting into my knees and hands as I tried to crawl faster toward her.
Old Bob got a second surge of energy. He pulled the beast off his back, swinging it forward. The beast landed with a thud. Taking a stone, Old Bob smashed its head and rushed to Ellie.
But I reached Ellie first. I grabbed a stone and beat at the beast’s head. Its hold didn’t budge from her throat.
“Get off her!” I screamed.
Tate and Ash slid down the embankment to us. Tate’s dagger shone in the light. Without hesitation, he dug the dagger in the side of the beast’s neck, and it released Ellie. Her blood dripped from its mouth, and Old Bob threw it into the river.
“Ellie, God, Ellie. My love.” He pulled her to him. A pool of her blood forming on the wet rocks below her. “My love, my love.” He pushed his hands to her throat, blood pulsed between his fingers. Using his free hand, he worked to pull off his shirt. His eyes turned to me filled with tears. He was saying something, but all I heard was the rush of the water. The water that was washing Ellie’s blood away. A lot of blood.
Ellie’s mouth gaped open and shut as she tried to speak. Old Bob moved the fingers of his free hand along her cheek. He gave up on taking off his shirt. When he looked at me, my heart sank. I never wanted to see that face again. Ever.
“Get something! We need something to patch her up!”
I stared at him, my mouth moved, but nothing came out. How could I tell him it was no use?
“Get something!”
“There is nothing,” I whispered.
“Get my bag!” He pushed harder on her throat as her face grew paler, eyes drooping.
Tate put his hand on his shoulder. “I’m sorry. There is nothing we can do.” His eyes were soggy.
I looked down at Ellie’s wide eyes. The same eyes that watched me run, swim, dance, sing, laugh. The eyes that were always kind, always loving. I would never see them again.
I put my hand on her arm. I needed to feel her warmth, just one more time.
Old Bob let out a sob. “No! I can’t let her go.” Pressing his forehead to hers, he said, “Ellie, Ellie. I love you.”
A tear escaped her eye and she reached out her hand. It was a silent plea. Tate took her hand and knelt next to her. My grip tightened on her arm. “It’s all right,” I managed to whisper.
My chest cracked. A wound so painful and deep I didn’t know if it would ever heal. My mother. Gone.
We watched the light fade from her eyes. Saying a silent prayer, I embraced Tate in a brotherly hug. I buried my face in his shoulder and we both shook. A piece of my heart was gone and would never be full again.
“Ellie?” Old Bob choked, moving his hands over her cheeks. “Ellie? No, no, no.” His tears mixed with her blood as he kissed her nose, eyes, and cheeks. I put my hand on his back, letting him know I was there. She was everything to him.
The woods were silent, except for the sobs of a heartbroken man who lost the love of his life and the howls of a wolf.
***
We buried Ellie near a large oak tree close to the bank of the river. I carved her initials in the trunk, so we would always know which tree it was when we visited.
Old Bob moved methodically, not speaking, barely breathing. Sitting around her freshly covered grave in silence, we listened to the leaves rustle in the trees. Ash nuzzled his nose in the dirt, letting out quiet, pitiful whines. The smell of fresh flowers filled the air as we laid them along the top. Ellie loved fresh flowers.
“I know this is hard, but we have to keep moving. We still need to find Eden. With these beasts, or whatever they are, we need to make sure she’s safe.” I spoke quietly.
“Those beasts won’t take anyone else I love,” Old Bob said.
“What were they?” Tate asked.
Old Bob shook his head. “I don’t know. They were human, but they sure didn’t act like it. It was almost like they were... infected.”
“The virus?” I asked.
“No. We all had the virus, but none of us changed to... that. ” Old Bob stood. “It’s like they were all scourged.” He took a silent moment to gaze down at Ellie’s grave, tears welled in his eyes.
“I’m going to miss her too.” I placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.
“We all will,” Tate said. “She was the heart of our home.”
Old Bob wiped his swollen eyes. “Come, we need to find Eden.”
Ash barked and sniffed the area. He took off back toward the trees with intent. Quickly gathering our belongings, we followed Eden’s wolf into the woods.
Chapter 16
Eden
Panting, I dropped to the ground. “I’m getting faster.” Lying on the lush grass, I looked up at the bright blue sky. The light breeze moving through the leaves created a soothing sound that drowned out the daily life within the camp. It almost reminded me of home. Almost.
Most people here were very welcoming, only a few wary eyes. Thankfully those few keep their distance. I enjoyed walking through the camp, talking with people. I had never met so many new people, and I loved learning about their lives. But every time I saw a mother brushing her daughter’s hair, I thought of Ellie, and every time I saw a father with their son, I thought of Old Bob and the boys. Guilt built within me. I chose to leave. I chose to stay here.
“How many people live here?” I asked, watching two girls walk hand in hand between two rows of tents.
“We have thirty tents. Families living in each. I don’t know the exact amount, but it’s a good number,” Brian said.
“And you just let anyone in?”
“Wouldn’t you?” He looked at me and I blinked. Sighing, he continued. “Of course, we make sure they don’t mean harm, but it was hard... in the beginning.” He lay back onto the grass, linking his hands behind his head. “When people are scared, they turn... violent.”
“So, you have been here the whole time? Since the outbreak?”
He turned to me. “No. Since the rebel bombing.”
His eyes watched me. I looked back to the blue sky, following the flow of a white puffy cloud. The bombing. The same bombing that opened the door for my family and me to run from the city before the virus killed almost everyone in our group. Why had we run? Given the fear of the virus outside the city walls, I don’t know.
“No one here gets sick then?”
His eyes roamed my face. “Not anymore. Most people who left the city during the bombing died, and anyone who was still living outside the walls had already survived.”
Brian watched me as he played with a blade of grass. “No more talk. Back to work.” He jumped up. “Drop and give me twenty push-ups.”
He narrowed his eyes at me, taking a step forward when I gave him a defiant look.
“Why am I not sick?” I asked. “I came from the city... a long time ago, but why didn’t I get sick?”
“Drop now, little one.”
Continuing to glare at him, I stood, taking a step toward him. “Tell me why. Then I will continue my training.”
Brian took another step toward me, mouth open to scold when Derek chimed in from behind him. “You will continue your training.” He walked toward us, and the thick wave of dominance had me stepping back. I fought the urge to bow my head, but I wouldn’t. I couldn�
�t. I don’t bow to anyone. He stopped in front of me. “You will get information, but let’s finish one thing at a time.”
I stiffened my body. I wanted to stomp my foot in frustration, but I had a feeling that wouldn’t have the same effect on these two, like it did with Old Bob. “Just tell me why I haven’t got it? That’s all I want to know.”
Derek’s lips tightened when he met my eyes. The sounds of the camp drowned out, and I focused all my attention on him, trying to pull any information I could from his head. He blinked and shook his head. “Interesting.” He looked back at me and sighed. “You’re immune. We’re immune.”
I took a step back. “What? How?”
“We don’t have all the information, but when we were in the city we were... prisoners.” He watched my face a moment before continuing. “As prisoners, we were given the virus and then a doctor gave us something else. We are unsure of what it was, but we survived and became what we are.”
I blinked at him a moment; a breath caught in my throat. Shaking my head to clear it, I spoke. “So, I was a prisoner as well?”
Brian furrowed his brow. “Did you come from the city?”
I nodded. “Yeah. I was a baby when the bombing happened, but my family escaped.” I paused a moment watching them. “Both my parents died. Most of them died. Only five of us survived.”
They watched me solemnly; no one sure of what to say.
Breaking the silence, Derek walked away. His back a signal that the conversation was over. Still, I took a step toward him, opening my mouth to ask more, but Brian grabbed my arm. “Drop down and give me twenty.” I turned and saw Brian’s determined face. He wouldn’t give me any more information either. He smirked at my snarl, knowing he won. “Your enemy won’t wait for you to mourn. You need to be prepared to fight at any moment in your life, good or bad.”
I dropped down grumbling, but after I finished my twenty push-ups, I sat back on my knees. I wasn’t a prisoner. I was here voluntarily. “You know what?”
“What?”
“I think I’m done for the day.” I stood and walked toward my tent.