My Dear

BOOM! My body hits the wet ground and I tumble down a small hill. My ears ring while I see double then I look up to see a barrel of a gun pointing at my forehead.
“Get up! Now!” a static voice shouts as I regain my senses and comply with the voice. The soldier keeps the gun pointed at me and I keep my arms up in surrender but then we hear a screech. Runners. Their piercing cries distract the soldier enough to give me a five second window to escape. I jump and dodge tree branches while I try to find a way out of this deep black abyss.
I see flashlights and anxiously run the other direction. Finally I reach a road with abandoned cars and grass growing from the cracks and make a quick decision to go left. As soon as I do, I’m stopped by the soldier from before, but he shoots at the runner behind me. The soldier takes off his gas mask, revealing a real human being, a man no older than me with sandy brown hair sticking to his forehead and dark eyes that looked black and demonic. Olive skin and like everyone who is left in the world, his face covered in dirt. My uneven breathing begins to settle when he shockingly puts the gun away.
“Who are you working for?” he asks in between breaths and strain in his deep voice.
“No one, I’m by myself” I reply and drop my arms to my side in relief. Maybe he wouldn’t hurt me after all.
Before he could get another word in, a stampede of howling runners come sprinting our way. The soldier tosses me a pistol from his waist and without delay I begin shooting at them, I sprint to catch up to him and shoot behind me not aiming in particular just making sure they go down.
“I can get us a truck, follow me” he hollers as I follow him and continue firing. The run felt like it would never end. Then I saw the Quarantine Zone up ahead and I skid to stop, I can’t go back, the whole point was to escape, my plan from the beginning. Going back would get me in trouble for sneaking out and they would have no hesitation to shoot me. The soldier must have realized I stopped because he turns to look at me.
“What are you doing? We have to go!” he yells, startling me.
“I can’t go back, this was supposed to be my one shot to leave!” I yell back, running a hand in my hair from frustration.
Far ear splitting shrieks gradually grow closer to us and goose bumps rise on my arms, the soldier looks at me with anger then he glances behind towards the Q-Zone.
“You don’t need to come with me” I say then began backing away, I needed to go.

“No I can get you a truck, you just have to trust me okay? I can get you out” he says then begins running back towards the base. The garage doors were open revealing soldiers guarding or socializing, I guess the bomb was really my one shot out and now I was back with a soldier who may or may not help me. The soldier tells me to wait and I don’t hesitate to stay back, I take comfort on a big boulder and did as he asked.
I was a few miles away watching him lightly jog towards the garage. I gripped the pistol and soon the horrid screams gradually grow once more. I jump up with anxiousness and I feel my heartbeat get faster then I begin to pace up and down. Come on, come on, hurry up I need to get out of here. I repeat these words in my mind and then I see the headlights descending my way, I come out of the shadow and begin making my way over when a scream comes from behind, it was too close. The runner attacks me with stunning speed and I feel its rotten jagged teeth sink into my shoulder, a scream of agony escapes my lips. The soldier begins shooting but misses, anger boils in me and I find the strength to grab the runner’s head and smash it into one of the abandoned car’s window, blood splatters all over my jeans and white tank top. I get up quickly, slide into the SUV and the car speeds off away from the Q-Zone.
“Are you alright?” the soldier asks me and I nod, not even making sure if he saw or not. My fingers tremble as I touch my bite wound and my breathing becomes uneven from my sobs. Blurry visions, fever, hunger, vomit, and unstable walking are all symptoms of the MAD virus. I for some reason did not seem to be going mad. I felt absolutely fine, I don’t think the soldier realized I was bitten, and I did not want him finding out. I grab my sweater from around my waist and slip it on, concealing my bite.
“Where?” he clears his throat, “Where did you plan on runnin’ off to?” he asks keeping his eyes on the road and his body tense.
“Utah” I reply and I don’t look at him either.
“Why there? Have family or something?” he asks and I felt his body relax.
“Family’s dead. I heard there was a farm or something up there that’s Zombie free” I say not really wanting to continue this conversation. It doesn’t, he never speaks after the comment about my dead family. I feel my body relax and begin feeling aches all over, the headlights illuminate the road ahead of us and I felt an itch in my left hand as I held the pistol that he gave me. For a moment it was calming. Flashing blue and red lights show up in the rearview mirror. Patrols. They surround the area making sure no stragglers are out here running away and that was exactly what I was doing. This was it, we would stop and I would get murdered in front of everyone but the soldier speeds up.
“What are you doing?” I ask, turning to face him this time.
“You can’t get to Utah if you get dragged to prison or dead, can you?” he says then looks at me, relief washes over me and I suddenly feel my cheeks warm.

“Use that gun of yours and shoot their tires,” he says and I was already rolling down the window and I pull my body up ignoring the burning sensation shooting up my left arm. Then I shoot. The Patrol swerves in zig-zags, when it swerves right into one my bullets, popping a tire. I cheer for a few moments when I squint to see the soldier points the automatic gun out and fire right at us. Then I run out of bullets.

I slither back inside and toss the useless for right now gun to the side, bullets fly through the window and I duck my head and our SUV begins swerving as well. The Soldier grabs me, switching our positions so that I was in the driver seat and he was shooting out the window. My eye dart back and forth between the rearview mirror and in front of me watching as bullets disturbing the quiet forest, surely Runners would hear and make their way over to us. Then the patrol car swerves noticeably to the right, into a tree causing a small explosion. I continue driving watching as the burning car gets farther from us. The soldier pulls me back on to the passenger side and I gather up my feet, pulling my knees to my chest and keeping distance from him.
“Thank you for doing this” I say and I see the corners of his mouth crinkle into what looks like a smile.
“Ethan” he says a few moments later. His name, such a human name.
“Rose” I say back not even trying to hide my smile.
To me soldiers always felt like they did not have any soul in them left or a heart. I didn’t always think that though, I mean two years ago there were holidays to honor them. What they did made me feel otherwise. When the virus was just beginning to spread rapidly, I was at home with my best friend, Lana, she was spending the night and it was around eleven at night when soldiers barged into my house. It was only me and Lana at home that night. They took us outside the house in the snow, making us get on our knees and the little gadget that pricks you to see if you’re infected or not was pulled out. They used it on me and mine flashes green, Lana’s was red, I began screaming for our dear life, more for her than mine. The soldier does not even hesitate to point his gun at her and pull the trigger, leaving her dead body at the front door of my house. That was also the day I never saw my family again.
Ethan. It felt good to have another nice person with me, I wasn’t alone like had been since this whole thing started. In the Q-Zone no one spoke to each other, everyone hated you or each other. Being here with Ethan made me calm. Morning broke through the clouds and sleep slithered up like a snake for the both of us, then electricity pulsed through me as I made a realization. I was still alive. A regular person would turn within the hour, but I was three hours late. How can I not turn? I was supposed to be a walking corpse craving human flesh, I was human as far as I knew. A few minutes later he stops at an abandoned gas station and my first decision is to find medical supplies. Cleaning the wound with hydroxide, excruciating then I wrap the gauze making sure it wasn’t visible.
We were in New Mexico, I could tell from the desert surrounding us, I tie my sweater around my waist again and Ethan takes off his armor and coat as well, leaving him in a gray t-shirt that hugged his abdomen and any movement of his arms would flex his biceps.
“Looks like it’ll be a ten hour drive or so” he says as I get closer to the truck, he opens the door for me and this time I gaze into his eyes, they were no longer black and demonic but a subtle deep blue and a feeling I hadn’t recognized until it showed up in his eyes, Peace.
The radio surprisingly worked but it only played one song and I was pretty sure it was a Beatles’ song. After the tenth time, I shut it off.
“How long have you been in the military?” I ask, twisting my body to get a better view of his face.
“I was 22 when this all started just graduated high school going on my fourth year in the military then this virus spread and they needed us to control it.” His voice quiet, but still heard the strain in his voice.
“Have many people have you killed?” I blurt out and his hands grip the steering wheel making me feel bad for asking now.
“Surprisingly, I’ve been able to get out of that” he says a little too proud but I understand.
“Would you?” I ask.
“There was a man trying to escape with his young daughter in tow, but the orders were to shoot them and he did. That little girl died. So no I don’t plan to any time soon either.”
“Do you know if your family is alive?” I quickly change the subject.
“Why do you think I’m driving you to Utah? A zombie free farm in Utah sounds exactly like them” he says, his attitude becomes happier.
“You didn’t know until after you helped me?” I raise an eyebrow at him.
“I knew about it from one of the civilians, they told me about how some people were trying to escape, so I figured a 17 year old girl alone, that’s it.”
“Its 19” I say sternly, “and good observation skills.”
“I’d be stupid not to help a beautiful girl like you.” The drive was long and quiet after, the seven hour mark hit and I felt like I was going to go insane, being cooped up in this SUV. The sun was beginning to set one of those cat vomit colored sunsets and I felt my eyelids no longer open after they closed. We find one of those rest stops with the bathrooms and a nice view. I take the back seat and use his coat as a blanket and he sleeps in the front with the chair leaned back by my feet. I fall asleep for five minutes and realize I can’t sleep anymore, I step out and stretch my legs and watch the stars as the cool breeze airs out my hair. I head into the bathroom and peel off the gauze from my shoulder seeing the wound exactly the same, I graze my hand over it feeling throbs. I bite the inside of my cheek to keep from crying, what if I was going to turn but it was just taking time, I’d become one of those things.
I stared in the mirror, my hazel eyes lost color, brown hair looked like dead snakes, my body covered with sweat and dirt, and sun kissed skin, pale chapped lips. Not exactly a princess. But it’ll do
“What the hell is that?” Ethan’s voice startle me and I find him in the reflection of the mirror.
“You’re supposed to be asleep” I say.
“When were you going to tell me?” he asks walking towards me, staring at the bite the whole time.
“Never, I was hoping it would heal,” I reply and wince as he places his fingers lightly on the wound.
“You’re immune” he says with hope in his voice, “Rose, we should take you to the base maybe then a cure can be found.” Even if he did escape with me, he was still a soldier.
“No! They can find some other vaccine or cure” I shove him away and begin walking away but he pulls me back.
“Rose, you can save everyone, isn’t that what you want?” he pleads and I move away once more, I didn’t want to be research. Ethan pulls me towards him again making me gaze into his eyes. I was new to this whole boy thing but I only had one thing on my mind at this moment. Ethan, kiss me, like clockwork, he leans down and our lips touch, fireworks explode all over in my head. This was that feeling that everyone craved. Love. Or maybe it was all in my head because I haven’t interacted with someone for so long. I pull away but I wanted to keep kissing him but he restrained me so I couldn’t but he just kept his eyes on mine.
The famous Iron Gate that keeps all the people imprisoned from the outside comes in sight and my stomach does a flip. The soldiers guide us inside, “Ethan Bates” he says showing them a badge that he must’ve kept this whole time. We go through metal detectors then they scan fingerprints and then the little gadget that caused thousands of people their lives gets pulled out. It pricks my neck and the red light flashes and at that moment I knew exactly what Lana felt when she was red lighted.
“She’s infected take her out” the soldier says and I yelp.
“Wait! Stop! SHE’S IMMUNE!” Ethan’s voice cracks as he cries for me and suddenly a syringe plunges in my neck, I lose all feeling and then darkness took over me.
I awake and blink the grogginess away, I find myself in a hospital room with a hospital gown, my hair was pulled into a ponytail, and dirt washed from my face. The door opens in front of me and a women steps inside, she was old forties, small wrinkles, smug smile, blazer and skirt, and a badge with the name, Sharon.
“Rose Lincoln, born December 22, Daughter of deceased parents Richard and Viola Lincoln, siblings John Lincoln, and six violent assaults to my men, illegal rations, and take one as hostage, am I missing anything else?” she asks, still smiling then pulls up a chair.
“Rose, how long has it been since you were bitten?” she asks, actually looking concerned.
“About a day or two ago” I reply hoarsely.
“Well we poked around finding a large mass about three weeks old, which is what keeps you immune” she says nonchalantly, “When we operate, too much off your brain will be gone for you to come back to life.”
“You mean I don’t get a choice?” I ask, with anger building in each word.
“Don’t worry, we’ll call it the ‘Rose Vaccine’” she adds then leaves me alone.
Several hours later, the door opens and Ethan grabs me into a kiss and pulls away, “We have to go” he says and hands me a pistol. The door opens and then a siren blares, he takes my hand and we make our way through the building. Soldiers fell dead one after another, as I let the bullets fly into their foreheads. I almost believe we can make it, almost. Sharon and her minions all blocked the exit. I load the gun and point it at her and seven point at me and Ethan.
“You won’t shoot me, you need me” I say, grinning.
“You’re right” she pulls out that smile and a gun, too fast for me to do anything, she pulls the trigger and a bullet goes right into Ethan’s chest. I scream and he falls into me, he tries hanging on but his body gives up and those blue eyes no longer have life. I grab my gun and shoot her right into the fore head. Then a bullet goes in me.
I awaken in the same position that I fell asleep in, like sleeping beauty. The nurse wakes me up and takes me to the cafeteria so that I could eat our grossly cooked breakfast. Then it was time to go see my doctor. Ms. Lisa.
“Rose, did you remember anything new today?” Ms. Lisa smiles smugly and I twitch.
“I’m immune, I told you what happened” I say.
“You have quite the imagination Rose” she says, still smiling.
“It was real, I promise” I say running fingers in my hair from frustration, “No one ever believes me.”
“Oh no, my dear, it wasn’t.”