To Die Unknown

I crossed my arms, not realizing the rate at which my hands were shaking. Now that I felt like I could breathe, I noticed how terrified I’d been. It was as if I was so frightened, by body had somehow managed to block it out.

I pulled my knee’s to my chest, staring out the window beside me.

Zacky was driving very fast, and I was surprised with how quickly we were making it through the horde’s of undead. The vehicle would jerk when we’d slammed into one, which occurred quite frequently.

There were lots of infected ambling around – some ignoring us entirely. So many people had been killed, and not given the chance to rise again. Groups of infected feasting upon the fallen corpses.

I hadn’t seen this many infected in a long time. It was unnerving, knowing that this was what awaited us. Never again could someone live a normal life. Well, what normal to begin with?

I felt a frown graze my lips when Victoria crossed my mind. I must’ve been the worst sister imaginable. I was supposed to protect her – keep her safe. But I had failed. I’d selfishly entered this vehicle, not continuing my search for her. I’d put my safety above hers. I don’t think I’d ever felt so low.

I closed my eyes and tried to block out the sight of the infected. The loud siren was still wailing, giving me a headache.

Before I knew it, I had managed to fall into an exhausted sleep.

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When I opened my eyes, the sun was at his brightest peak. I squinted my eyes in irritation.

“So you’re awake.” I glanced up, eyebrows raised. Zacky had switched placed with Brian. Zacky stared at me from the front passenger seat.

“It would seem so.” I responded. He grinned brightly.
“I never got to thank you.” He said, running a hand through his hair. His vibrant green eyes moved to stare at his wife.

I, in turn, glanced at Jane. Her head was resting against the window – eyes closed in sleep.

“Without you, she probably wouldn’t have made it. I know you’re upset about Victoria,” I narrowed my eyes. “But, you managed to save Jane, and our unborn child. Stop beating yourself up about it.”

“Well if you hadn’t of left her by herself, she wouldn’t have needed help. And I could’ve saved the person that actually matters to me.” I retorted rudely. His green eyes darkened. He turned around in his seat, grunting in annoyance.

I rolled my eyes and looked out the window. We had left the compound and were driving down a road I didn’t recognize. We must had lost any infected that would have been trailing us.

It was strange to have previously been somewhere – where no matter where you turned, you looked upon green forests. Now, the land surrounding the road, were large never-ending grassy plains.

I felt eyes burning into me. I looked up, my eyes landing on the rearview mirror. Brian’s chocolate brown eyes were narrowed, glaring at me. Childishly, I stuck my tongue out at him. He looked back at the road.

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The silence in the SUV was beginning to irritate me. We’d been driving for so long, although the landscape was still the same.

“Where the fuck are we going?” I demanded harshly. I was beyond exhausted, barely getting any sleep the night before. My mind was overwhelmed from the disturbing things I’d discovered. And my body was feeling sore from wielding the axe. I was, officially, in a terrible mood.

“Drop the bitch attitude. I don’t have the fucking patience for this.” Brian responded, his voice thick with irritation. Zacky turned his head to look out the window, choosing not to be a part of this argument.

“Climb off your high horse. We’re stuck in this situation together, and must regretfully make the best of it. I want to know where we’re going!” I said, my voice rising in anger. I clenched my hands in to fists at my sides.

“I’m your superior an-“

“My superior?” I scoffed, cutting him off. My face masked into one of outrage. “How dare you! Look around you. Are we in your little compound? No. We’re in an SUV driving to God know’s where – fleeing for our lives. You have no one to boss around anymore, Synyster Gates. If anything, you’re the one to blame for this.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” He asked, responding to my accusation. He pulled over on the side of the road.

“I have to go to the bathroom.” Jane whispered, her eyes downcast. I didn’t take the chance to feel guilty for my behavior before the pregnant woman.

“I’ll come with you.” Zacky said. He got out of the vehicle, slamming his door behind him. He helped Jane down, shaking his head at us when he closed her door.

I watched as they walked into the grassy plain – hand in hand. They walked a little slower, her large belly causing her to waddle.

“I know what you did to Sebastian.” I said.

He undid his seatbelt, turning to look at me.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. He was infected.” He stated, his voice lowering.

“No. He wasn’t bitten. You did it. You,” My breath caught in my throat. I exhaled slowly. “Did things to him.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He narrowed his eyes.

“The Time Machine.” I said simply. His eyes widened, although he tried to cover his shock with a cough. “I found the infected chained up down there. I also found a binder, with comments about Sebastian. You did things to him. You created a stronger, faster, smarter infected. You just fucked over the rest of humanity. Good job.”

He ran a hand over his face, sighing. Shifting a little in his seat, he tried to make himself more comfortable.

“You don’t understand-“

“What don’t I understand? You were experimenting on living people!” I exclaimed, throwing my hands into the air.

“It wasn’t just me.” He said, his eyes downcast. “There was a group of us. I didn’t do the...the experimenting. I was there to keep them contained. It’s not something I’m proud of. But it had to be done...We had to at least try to find a cure.”

“Why Sebastian though? Why not me, or Victoria?” I was bewildered that he was actually admitting this.

“There aren’t nearly as many women as there are men alive anymore. We needed to keep all the women, that we could, alive. How are we supposed to rebuild this world without them?” He explained, he refused to meet my eyes.

“Looking for survivors? You’ve only been searching for us. Women. To use us to carry children?”

“I-“

My body slammed against the restraining seatbelt as the SUV was hit with a sudden and unknown force. Brian’s body was slammed into the opposite side of the vehicle, his head hitting the window wit enough force to crack it. Blood dripped down his forehead.

The SUV was rammed into again, knocking it over and onto its side. My head banged painfully against the window beside me. My vision blurred. I groaned as my head throbbed unbearably.

The door beside me was pried open. A blurry form used a knife to cut me out of the seatbelt. My body was dragged out of the vehicle before it could drop.

Another form was attempting to pull Brian from the vehicle.

Two heads poked above the grass in the plains. They were hiding.

My eyes flickered closed.

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“Hayley” I cringed, trying to run faster. The harder I tried, the faster the infected were. Their grimy hands always reaching, constantly grasping the thin fibers of my shirt. I could only imagine the marks they would leave on it. The shirt clung wetly to my body. It would give a painful slap against my skin when it slipped from their grasp.

Rain poured down, blurring my vision. I blinked rapidly, my eyelashes dripping water into my eyes. My feet were bare, tripping clumsily over fallen branches and twigs. My toes sunk into the muddy soil.

A hand reached from within the mud, grabbing hold of my ankle. I gasped as my body was pulled down. My hands curled around the mud, trying to push my body back up.

Infected tumbled over me, losing their balance. It was quickly recovered when they started clawing at me. Hands pulling my hair, my arms, my legs. There wasn’t aspot left untouched.

“Hayley." An infected man who wore the face of my younger, deceased brother, grasped my face.

“Please, no.” I cried, struggling to pull my head away from his gaping jaws.

“Hayley!”

My eyes snapped open.

A rope rubbed uncomfortably against my stomach. I couldn’t move.

“Hayley, are you awake?” A voice asked from behind me. I tried to turn, but couldn’t. “Stop struggling, I’m going to get a rope burn.”

Brian’s voice was in pain. I realized I was tied to him.

“Are you alright?” I questioned.

“I’ll be fine.” He avoided the question.”We need to get out of here. These people are nuts.”

“What are you talking about?” His voice was panicked.

The room we were in was cold. The floor was hard, cracked stones. The walls matched. There was no window. A wooden door was directly across from me. One candle, lightly illuminated the room by the door.

The door creaked open.