Death and Rebirth

Dripping noises could be heard from the dark, the ground was hard and sweltering. Pan‘s eyes slowly fluttered open, bright amber shinning in the shadows. She groaned slightly and tried to push herself up. Looking around she could not recall what past events had happened, but one thing she knew for sure. This isn’t where she was before. She sat up on her knees slowly getting up to her feet, her eyes darted back in forth in the dark, She could see, it looked like it was an old gas station, it was night time. Pan walked to the front of the station and moonlight flooded into the place. “A-Alice” Pan whispered, “…Valentine?” She called out yet again she looked around rubbing her arms, she winced as she did so she had two long scratches on them “….Leon” she whimpered almost like a small child. She stumbled out of the station and looked around outside. Her feet felt the sandy blacktop of the street, barefoot. Looking down she was in a hospital gown. Pan looked down at herself confused, Looking up the road she began to walk.

Pan looked every way possible as she walked down the road, not a soul was out, not even the infected. This made her worry. She tried to recall what had happened to her before, but all that came to her mind were fragments. Little bite sized clips that she couldn’t fit together properly. The wind blew softy and she trailed the open road. She could see something in the distance, to her right in the desert land was a sole figure hobbling along, and to her left she could see about 3 or 4 more. Pan began to panic. She began to run out of fear, her fast movements caught the eye of the infected and they made chase. Pan’s bare feet bounded the rough ground as she ran, she was faster than the infected but she would soon tire out she needed to find help and quickly. She could see lights blaring in the distance, far out into the desert, while the sand and rock would have been much worse than the street. Pan had to take her chances. Pan stumbled as she ran, it didn’t seem like she was getting any closer to the lights. She only had one last idea if it was help they would have to hear here. “Help!..Help me please! Is someone out there!” She called out, she feared no one could hear her, her voice was small it had always been that way. She gave up calling out and kept running the lights where closer now.

Claire & Carlos stood in the middle of the camp they had set up for the night with the rest of the survivors. Carlos looked towards a large rocky hill, “what is it?” Clair asked him casting her own eyes in the direction, trying to see what he was gazing at. “Did you hear that?” Carlos asked his gaze glued to the hill. Claire shook her head “nothing” she said listening in. A loud scream then ripped through the night air, the whole camp jumped to their feet. “Go watch over the kids and the others with Betty!” Carlos called running ahead of Claire “Mikey, Chase come with me” Carlos called pulling out his gun as he took off up the hill. He stopped and looked out, there was a small figure running through the desert with about 10 infected behind her. Carlos peered down at the figure and his eyes grew wide.

Pan’s run wasn’t as fast; she had fallen and hurt her toe on a large boulder which was now at an odd angle. She had stopped looking up at the horizon, her eyes were close “just keep going don’t look back…don’t look back” She thought but she could hear them growling behind her. “Alice” she thought closing her eyes tighter. “Pan?” A voice called to her from within. “Alice?” Pan breathed opening her eyes she looked ahead of her “pan!” A man called out loudly a guns hot fired and Pan heard one of the infected behind her fall to the ground. Pan looked up a familiar face stood ahead of her, aiming his gun hatefully at the infected. Pan smiled and ran a bit faster “Car-Carlos!” She called as she reached him he grabbed Pan by her waist and pulled her behind him “good to see you kiddo” He said quickly before he shot down another one of the infected. Two other men were with him, a blonde man whom looked like he was less skilled with a gun and a cowboy whom was very skilled with his riffle. “who?” Pan asked tugging lightly at Carlos’ sleeve “will explain latter” He said never taking his eyes off of the Infected. Pan nodded and watched as they shot the last few down.

Carlos scooped Pan up into his arms, “what happened to you? We lost you back at the facility…” He asked, “Alice was the only one whom got out..and even then, we lost her to” Carlos added as he walked back to Mikey & Chase. Mikey eyed Pan with slightly wide eyes; he then quickly turned his head away and blushed a bit. “I-I don’t know…I was in the umbrella corp. labs…but when I awoke…Ada was there…and she took me….and then…I can’t remember…” Pan said trying to put together the fragments of memory. “who’s Ada?” Carlos asked Pan smiled at him “she’s my friend” Pan said simply. Carlos shook his head “you haven’t changed” He muttered. “Hey Carlos, who’s the lovely lady?” The Cowboy said tipping his hat to Pan, “This is Pan…she’s an old friend of mine” Carlos said casting Pan a look of fondness. “Pan this is Chase…and that guy over there, with the bad aim, that’s Mikey” Carlos said poking fun at Mikey. “hey it’s nice to meet ya” Mikey said timidly Pan beamed “you’re an Aussie!” She said giggling Mikey blinked in surprise but then smiled “yeah, yeah I am” He said smiling himself.

Carlos carried Pan back to the camp, as her feet where in bad shape. He sat her in the back of the supply truck and wrapped her feet with gauss. “how’d you get up here?” Carlos asked as he wrapped her feet. “I can’t remember I woke in a gas station back down the road…What happened to the others? Where’s Alice & Valentine?” Pan asked Looking up at him with Dig doe like amber eyes. “I can’t say we all got split up about a year ago..” He said Pan gasped “it’s been a year” She whispered Carlos looked up at her and tenderly slid his hand on her face, his finger tips in her jet black hair “Glad to have you back” He said softly Pan’s eyes locked onto his brown one and she smiled trying to conceal her blush. Her smile faded as a memory popped into her head, she could see cloudy blue eyes peering at her “stay here” The owner to them said. “Leon?” Pan whispered Carlos looked at Pan worriedly and stocked her hair back “what? Leon, who’s Leon?” He asked softly His eyes darted to the dried blood on the side of Pan’s head, and the scratches all over her arms. He went to speak “hey Carlos…I can talk to you for a minute?” Claire asked almost harshly. Carlos looked at Pan one last time before heading over to Claire.

Carlos walked over to Clair taking a glance back at Pan whom sat at the edge of the truck with her hands in her lap as she kicked her legs back and forth as they dangled. He couldn’t help but smile. “we can’t take in another person Carlos…we’ve not enough room or supplies” Claire asked eying him and the girl. Carlos smiled slyly at Claire “don’t worry, trust me she doesn’t need much….she’s not like us…” Carlos said trailing off into thought. “Still she’s got to eat sometimes right? We’re running low as it is” Claire added with a sigh and she brushed back her hair. “Well I won’t send her away” Carlos almost snapped walking off Claire rolled her eyes and shook her head following him. “so you know Carlos?” Mikey asked walking around to the back of the truck. Pan nodded “yeah he help me and my friend…back in Raccoon city…He helped us escape” Pan said looking up at him. “Yeah he’s cool…he’s the one who gathered all of us together…and holds us all together” Mikey said, Pan watched him as he talked her eyes stuck on him. “You look like a friend of mine.” She said with a smile Mikey smiled timidly “yeah I guess I have a familiar face” he said in an almost flirtatious tone, He got locked onto her pale amber eyes they were almost banana yellow or like water color yellow “your eyes are out of this world.” He said blinking twice. Pan giggled “thanks” she said Mikey began to blush again at what he said. He sat next to her on the truck. “I feel bad for just showing up here like this…” She said not realizing she was voicing her thoughts. “Don’t feel bad…we’re always glad to see another survivor…gives us a bit of hope” He said quickly. Pan looked at him “well I’ll try to be more handy than I have been in the past” She said.

“Hey Mikey” A slender girl with blonde hair called sweetly to the blue eyed boy. “Who’s the new girl” She added almost dejectedly. Pan quickly looked down at her hands. “This is Pan…She’s a friend of Carlos…the Infected were chasing her” Mikey said. The girl eyed Pan’s arms “she looks like she’s been bitten…” She said Pan looked at her arms “they are scratches.” Pan muttered softly Mikey touched her arm gingerly “I don’t think infected made those…there far too big.. to deep to, here let me bandage those up for you” He said reaching into the truck to get some wrapping. The girl looked down at Pan dryly “I’m K-mart..” She said, pan looked up at her and tilted her head “K-“ “they found me in a K-mart” the girl cut in quickly. Pan cast her eyes back to the ground. “got them here let me see your arm” Mikey called plopping back down next to her. K-mart shook her head before stalking off. “She doesn’t like me…” Pan muttered. Mikey looked and Pan and then up to K-mart who was farther off. “K-mart she doesn’t mean it…just takes her a while to cozy up to people.” Mikey said as he continued to work on her arms.

It was now late, and most of the Convoy had packed up and headed to bed. Pan stood by the truck unsure of what to do with herself. Carlos laid a hand on her shoulder, Pan jumped a bit startled “I’m sorry I didn’t mean to scare you” Carlos said with a chuckle he smirked at her, Pan leered playfully “yes you did” she said laughing herself. Carlos grabbed her hand. Come on you can sleep in the truck with me.” He said leading her to the truck. Carlos laid down in the truck across the large seat Pan crawled in beside him and shut the door. She felt awkward, but she was glad to be with a familiar face again. He tucked his hand in her hair. “you can rest well, nothing going to happen to you here” He said pulling her closer to him. Pan adverted her eyes away from his and slowly drifted to sleep.