To Die Unknown

My restrained hands reached, trying to grasp onto the clumps of rocks and roots that whirled past me. I felt my foot being grabbed from below me.

My body began falling backwards. I was wrong, my foot was snagged in a cluster of roots. My body came back, smashing painfully into the barren side of the cliff. My head hit against something sharp and hard. A rock.

I reached my tied hands out, feeling the back of my head. It was wet. Bringing my hands to my face for close inspection, I saw that they were bright red, sticking with my own blood.

My vision was blurring. The moans below me grew louder. I was very close to the infected, but I was terrified to move my body too much. I prayed my leg wouldn’t slip from the roots holding me just barely from harms way.

I tried to blink my vision back into focus. It wasn’t working.

“The sacrifice has been made! Now we will turn our backs to the scene, God wouldn’t want us to witness the monstrosity that lay below us. Tomorrow, we will gather when the sun has reached the highest point in the sky. The other will have to wait for his return to Hell”. The priest’s voice above me was fuzzy. I could barely make out the excited chatter of those above me.

They must have been unaware that I hadn’t completed my fall. A lazy smug grin crossed my lips as I slipped into unconsciousness. Take that Fuckers.

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My eyes fluttered open. I gasped, jerking awkwardly as a hand reached for me.

“Oh my God.” My voice was barely a whisper. Infected hands were reaching for me, just barely missing my long dark hair. My head felt fuzzy from the newly acquired injury, and all the blood that had rushed to my head.

I tried to look up at my foot, which felt almost completely numb.

The cluster of roots holding me in place were straining with the weight of me, pulling from the earth they were planted in.

The length of rope restraining my hands was loosely draped over a rock above me. If it dropped, the infected would be able to pull me to them.

I jerked my hands quickly, pulling as much of the rope to me as I could. The end landed on my outstretched arm. I tried to shimmy it down my body, where it dropped into my gaping mouth. This was the only way I could ensure that the end didn’t drop down.

My next objective would be to clearly find a way out of this position, and somehow, climb up the side of this cliff.

As much as I didn’t like Brian, I was going to have to rescue him. I’m sure he wouldn’t be as lucky as me and land like I did. Besides, he knew where the others would be going for safety, and that was my safest bet at finding Victoria. I had to hope she hadn’t been infected.

I must have been unconscious right through the rest of the day. The sky was dark with few stars.

I knew what I had to try, and if I failed, or wasn’t quick enough, my body would be forfeit to the hungry horde below.

Inhaling sharply through my nose, I angled my body a little better. Quickly sitting up, I attempted grasping onto the roots holding my feet.

They snapped.

My legs slipped out from under me, sliding against the cliff face as they tried to find stable footing. My hands, tied, clenched around anything they could touch.

I had only a light grip on a sharp rock. The jagged edge was cutting into my fingers, making my grip slippery with blood. I tried to find positioning for my feet, kicking against the cliff face for stability.

Stupidly, I risked a glance down. The infected hands were just barely out of grasp. If they were smart enough to jump, they’d be able to pull me down by my feet. I breathed deeply through my nose, my teeth clamped around the rope in my mouth.
There was no way I was letting that drop now.

My only option to free my hands, and to climb back up, would be to get this rope off. Slowly, I started bringing my wrists back and forth over the sharp rock.

I ignored the pain in my head, the awkward position I was in, and the infected horde below me. I focused only on cutting through this rope binding me. I focused on my breathing, letting it flow in and out steadily.

My mind wandered.

How had I found myself prisoner of various groups of humans now? If I could, I sadly admit I’d choose the first group I’d come in contact with. Yeah, they were killing and experimenting on a dying race, but they never tried to sacrifice me.

And the crazies here, well that thought answers it there. They’re clearly nuts. What kind of a God do they believe will forgive them if they throw innocent people to the infected. Yeah, smart thinking there. If anything, Hell will have a special place reserved for them.

Was there anyone normal anymore? Victoria and I were. Well, as normal as we could be, I’d like to think.

What about the others? Brian? No, he’s too big a douche. My Uncle? Certainly not. Shadows? Anyone that strong is bound to be on some sort of drug. Sophia? Hell no. The bitch locked me in a room and left me for dead. Diana? Sure she’s alright. Johnny was pretty nice.

At least I’d yet to come across humans eating other humans. I think I’d rather be an infected happy meal than one for the living. The thought was barbaric.

It was shocking that so much could happen in only a matter of days.

I felt a release on my wrists and looked down, snapping back into the present. The rope had finally been cut through. I opened my mouth, letting the stupid thing drop to the reaching hands of the infected below.

My wrists were raw and bloodied, my fingers also stained red.

The stars were gone and the sky wasn’t so dark anymore. It had taken on a blueish hue. Dawn was approaching.

I raised my eyes to the cliff face before me. There was a rock sticking at an odd angle. I reached up, gripping it with one hand.

Before I knew it, I was climbing up. The infected getting further and further below me. Small clumps of dirt and rock tumbled after me.

My arms were getting sore and my patience wearing thin. I decided I really don’t like other people. I was never a loner, but now I wished I was.

My fingers wrapped around dry grass. I pulled, dragging my body up over the edge. I crawled a little from the edge before flipping onto my back. I inhaled sharply, trying to catch my breath.

And then I laughed.

I laughed because this was all so fucked up. I laughed because my Uncle was not the man I’d thought he was. I laughed because my stupidity was the reason my sister could be dead. I laughed, because I realized how much I’d missed my parents. I laughed because maybe it was easier just to have fallen. Then, this would have all been over.

Tears were spilling from my eyes, sobs and hysteric laughter leaving my lips.

Sometimes, living was just waiting for a more painful way to die.

I quickly shook that thought out of my head. I felt pathetic. Laying here, crying about things I couldn’t control. I wasn’t going to be a coward and take my own life. What would Victoria do?

If Victoria was even still alive.

That thought caused a painful ache in my chest. No, she would be fine. She had to be.

Sitting up, I quickly took in my surroundings. There was no one. It was eerily silent. I wiped the tears from my eyes as I stood up.

I was dragged down a straight path, so I knew Brian would be at the end of that path. I took off, running as silently as I could. Each breath that left my lips worried me with its sound.

The little huts on either side of me were dark, makeshift curtains covering empty spaces where windows should have been. My shoes made little clapping noises against the ground as I ran.

The building that Brian was in came into view. I ducked out of site when I saw the shorter of the two twins guarding the door. He was leaning back against it, his head lolling and eyes fluttering as he tried to keep himself awake.

I ducked behind a shack, running behind them to get as close to the building as I could. Sliding along the wooden siding of a particularly shabby one, I inched my body closer and closer. My body was shrouded in shadows.

I was only feet from him now. Darting forward, I jumped up, tackling him to the side. He gasped in surprise, arms flailing as he tried to understand what was happening. His body hit the ground with a thud, me falling roughly on top of him. I slammed my knee down into his groin, making him shout out. Quickly, I slammed my fist into his mouth with all the power left in me. He groaned, spitting blood up at me.

His eyes finally settled onto my face.

“You.” He gasped, alarm and fear on his face. “Impossible.”

I frowned, grabbing his head and slamming it down into the ground. I repeated the action until he stopped struggling. My hands were covered in his blood and I suddenly felt sick.

Scrambling up, I stumbled from his still body. I hunched over coughing up whatever was inside my stomach. The vomit burned my throat on its way up. I had no food in me, so it must have been my stomach lining. The thought made me cough up more.

I waited for a moment, catching my breath. I refused to look back at his body. I wasn’t sure if he was dead. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to know. Wiping my mouth on my shirt, I pushed open the unlocked door. I let it close behind me, walking into the dimly lit room.

I heard a groaning and followed it to a form huddled against a far wall.
“Brian?” I asked cautiously, kneeling before him. He looked up at me through one eye. The swelling in the right had come down a little. His left ankle was still twisted awkwardly.

“You’re alive?” He croaked out. Surprise thick in his tone. I gripped onto his shoulders, pulling his body up into a sitting position. I moved behind him to untie the rope. Letting it fall onto the cold ground below us. I crawled in front of him, watching as he flexed his wrists.

“Brian, I need to do something about your ankle.” He looked down confused, as if forgetting that it was broken.

“I’d rather you didn’t.” He said, a glare taking over his features.

“If I don’t, it’s going to heal like that. It could get an infection, and you may lose your foot.” His eyes widened as he listened to me.

“Fine, be quick about it.”

“It’s going to hurt.” I said.

“Just fucking do it!” He shouted, shoving me toward his left ankle. I scowled at him, grabbing his ankle into my hands. With a quick jerk, I twisted it back into proper alignment. He cried out, kicking out at me.

“Asshole.” I murmured, sitting back up.

“Would I really have lost my foot?” He asked, staring at his ankle.

“I don’t know. I’m not a doctor.” I shrugged, standing up. I gave him my hand, helping him stand. He leaned heavily onto me.

“Wait. I have a gun.” He said, stopping me as I started walking.

“What? You have a gun? And you’re only mentioning this now? Fuck.” I shouted, wanting more than anything to hit him.

“Neither of us could reach it.” He shrugged, seemingly unfazed. “It’s in my right boot.”

I crouched down, reaching into the boot of his unharmed foot. My fingers closed around the cold steel of a gun. I pulled it out, taking notice of its small size.

“The rest were in the truck. They didn’t bother frisking us.” I rolled my eyes, keeping a tight grip on it as I stood. I wrapped my left arm around his waist, struggling with the weight of him.

“Thanks.” He said, so lowly I almost didn’t catch him.

“For what?” I asked baffled. I wasn’t sure why he’d be thanking me.

“For coming back for me.” I raised my eyes, looking up at him. He was staring off to the left, refusing to meet my glance.

“Don’t mention it.” I responded, walking slowly to the door with him. He stumbled and I tightened my hold.

“I won’t.” He answered. I narrowed my eyes, choosing to keep any snide remarks to myself.