Forsaken Dreams

That someone was alive...
I should do something. But what? He's already dead anyway. No! I should never think like that. He is alive, even if there is no chance in saving him in the end. Because the end...always gets us.

I looked everywhere for a diversion so I settled for a can tomato paste to throw at the mindless creature.

The zombie looked up with he black cold eyes and screamed at me as if to tell me that's his kill. Which it was. But I'm not going to let him have him. Next I threw bottles of Gatorade and he screamed more at me. This repeated until the fourth bottle. And that's when he started running towards me.

That was my queue.

I ran all the way back to the counter. Back toward my safe haven at this point in time. I ran behind it and raised my gun at his head. I held my hands strong, arms locked in place. I squinted my eyes just slightly, and shot him.

He slumped to the ground. I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding. I slowly walked out from the counter and checked on him. From all my training I get from movies, everyone knows from Zombieland to double tap. And that's what I did. I raised my gun once more, and shot my last bullet at his head.

Try waking up from THAT.

I smiled. But that smile disappeared once I remembered about the kill he was eating. The guy!

I ran back up the isle straight to where I was moments before. I saw his chest move slightly, and I sighed in relief. I ran to his side.

"Hey! I'm here."

His eyes were closing and opening. And although he was looking. He wasn't seeing. I needed to get him well as soon as possible. I got up and dragged him to the back room. There wasn't really anything there that could really save him. Just food in boxes. What I needed was a first aid kit. So I looked everyone on the walls for one.

When I couldn't find any I was starting to lose hope. And I kept thinking how a place didn't have one. I ran to the front by the cashier. There is bound to be a first aid kit there.

And to my luck, there it was, in all it's red glory.

I don't remember much from my first aid program before the apocalypse but it's needed now so all I need to do is try. I'm by his side and all I can think is how much I need to do this. Not just for him but for me too. To prove I'm not so worthless in the world. Because it is sure how I've been feeling about myself lately.

The aid to help save this guys life became a blur. A lot of bandages. A lot of needles and thread. A lot of bruises. And a lot of...blood.

Throughout the process, I tried keeping him conscious. I said things like "hang in there," "you're going to get better," "don't worry I'm here for you." I asked for his name but he only mumbled so I didn't really catch it. I did this with his age, the year, anything that would keep him awake.

Finally I was done. As done and best as I can get it. His wounds were cleaned and stitched. I took off his shirt to stitch him but I'm sure he won't mind. Most of the blood was cleaned off. There was still dried blood on his face, and arms. I presume were there before this attack.

Everything I could do...was done. It was time to wait now.

I folded my arms across my chest in attempts to keep warm. It had grown dark now. I kept as much light as I could with some flashlights but that's all I could manage now.

I thought about building a fire, because it would keep us warm and give us light but I hesitated. I would have burned the building down if I did mainly because I didn't know how to build it, and contain it in one place. Burning down our shelter that's keeping us safe was the last thing I needed.

Trying to escape my thoughts, I focused on him. I steadied on his face first. He has deep blue eyes and black hair that falls in his eyes. He has elegant features such as high cheekbones and long, thick lashes, as well as full lips. But his face seemed to hold so much sorrow. It made me sad looking at him.

And then I steadied his body next. Past the blood, cuts, and scars, he was very muscular and well built with broad shoulders. He look to be about six feet tall but I wasn't exactly sure.

After he finished staring at the ceiling, I think he was finally out of shock because he turned his face towards me. That's when I got a better view of his eyes and I inhaled as soon as I saw them. Besides the fact they were the most beautiful blue eyes I have ever seen but the fact that they were so wise and innocent at the same time. Eyes like that held many secrets.

Secrets I wanted to know.

His full chapped lips became to speak. "Thank you."

I smiled. "No problem."

He turned his head. "I really appreciate it, but you do know that I'm not going to stay like this for long. I will turn. Soon."

I looked down as my hands started to fidget together. "I know."

"Then why did you help me."

I didn't say anything right away. I knew what to say, I just wasn't sure if I should speak it. "Because it looked like you needed help. My help."

He looked at me then. His startlingly blue eyes stared right into mine. He was trying to read me. And he was also probably wondering why I was such an idiot. Of course he's going to change. But that didn't stop me from helping him back to almost health.

"That fucker came out of nowhere. Scared me half to death." He laughed at his own joke but then winced because he was stitched up which he just realized then.

"He kind of did." I said to him

And he smiled. But that smile disappeared just as fast. "I couldn't help it. I saw you. I was taking my routes, checking the area to make sure it was safe and I saw you."

"Oh?"

"Yes, and you were running. Man, you can run." He smiled again, at me.

I smiled back, mainly because I had no idea.

"When I saw you...you looked so different." He continued.

"What do you mean different?" I asked.

"Oh just different from all this. This life. This world. Different from everyday now."

"Oh."

"I just wanted to come see you. To make sure you were real...when all of sudden that fucker started gnawing my arm the moment I stepped into the store."

There was silence for a moment and then I realized he was crying.

"Hey are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just didn't expect it, that's all." He closed his eyes. "I wish I didn't have to turn."

Believe me, I didn't want him to turn either.

"Then don't."

He opened his eyes and bursted out laughing, which also made him wince once again. "You are way to funny. It literally hurts. And you know, that I can't change the inevitable. No one can."

I know. But maybe we can stop it from happening. "How much time do you have?"

"I don't know, how bad is it?"

"Pretty bad. Your forearm is chewed up." I replied.

"Big or small bite?"

"Mouth sized." I said, recalling when I was trying to stitch it up.

"Hmm. It's small. Which means...that the virus could still be in my arm. Which means...we could stop it."

"Really?"

"Yes but you need to get a couple of things for me."

I nodded.

"Okay, a towel if you can find one, rubbing alcohol, a saw, or chainsaw, and more bandages. I think that's all. Go hurry!"

I ran all around the store, but I didn't find a lot of the things we needed. Just food. I ran into the employee room and that is where I should have been looking all along because I found rubbing alcohol, bandages, and a towel in the bathroom. Now I just needed a saw or chainsaw. But why would he ever think 7Eleven would have that? Beats me but I looked anyway.

Finally after a lot of searching, I found a saw with tools I guessed that they used to fix and operate the place with. I ran straight back to the him.

His eyes were closed so I got worried instantly. "Hey!" I yelled at him.

He woke up at that. He smiled. And I was getting used to that smile. "I got the stuff." I told him.

"Good. Now what I want you to do next is leave the room. What I'm going to do next is not pretty. I don't want you to see it."

"Okay." I said and left the room. I was confused but I wasn't going to question him. Once I left. It was dead quiet. I couldn't even hear the dead outside. But it wasn't quiet for long.

The guy I had saved started screaming.