This War of Ours

“You can’t go.” Mac says, trying to hold Ellie back. She’s persistent and no one’s going to tell her what to do.

“I’m sick of everyone thinking they can tell me what I can and can’t do.” She grits her teeth and pushes through him. "I'm capable of doing things on my own."

“Your dad would want you to stay behind.”

She stops dead in her tracks, turns around, fists clenched tight and hits him right in the jaw. "Last time I checked, you didn't run the place. Don't walk around here like you can tell me what to do."

Ellie bursts through the front door of her house and onto the street where Tamin and a group of Athena security await her. Among the team is her best friend Lucy, a bright young woman that’s stuck by Ellie’s side since the beginning of her presidency. She gives her a reassuring nod and looks towards Tamin.

“We leave at dawn.” Her voice stern, letting the group know who’s in charge around town.

“I’m having a truck sent over tonight.” Tamin says, jogging to catch up with Ellie as the team scatters.

“Great. So we’re actually doing this?” She asks, her voice sounding nervous.

“Yeah. It would really benefit the colonies.”

“You’re right. I’ll see you in the morning.” Ellie makes her way up the small set of stairs and into her house. Mac sits quietly on the couch, rubbing his jaw.

“What the hell was that for?” He asks, jumping to his feet.

“Listen here.” She turns quickly and walks close to him. “Never speak of my father, you sit up on yoyr high horse and think you can give me rules. No, you can't. Get the hell out of my house."

“I’m sorry, Ellie.” He slams the door behind him, leaving her in a pool of tears and despair.

Birds chirp as Ellie zips up her puffy blue jacket and throws her dark red hair into a pony-tail. She slides her brown combat boots over her tan pants and heads out into the living room. Today is the day they take Military Station Zeta from the zeds. It’ll secure a neutral point for all the colonies, well the good ones at least. She grabs an apple from the table and bites into it, then stuffs the rest in her coat pocket. The sun is just rising, a beautiful purple sails across the quiet sky. There’s been no streaks signifying planes in seventeen years, Ellie sometimes lays in the grass behind her house and watches, hoping she’ll see signs of life elsewhere.

“El.” Mac says, stopping her before reaching Tamin. “I wanna come with you.”

“Okay. But I don’t wanna hear any bitching.” She smiles slightly. “I’m sorry about last night.” She shivers in the cold air, her hands slide deep in her pockets.

“It’s okay. I was in the wrong.” He throws his arm over her shoulder and pulls her close. “Cold day, isn’t it?”

“Tad bit. Let’s get going.”

Tamin and the others load up the bed of the truck with weapons and some food. A wide smiles crosses his face as Ellie arrives in his eyesight. “Truck is loaded up, ready when you are.”

“Ready as I’ll ever be, Tamin.” She hops into the passenger side and they’re off.

The gates swing open and their tires hit the cracked and ruined road. Seventeen years of no maintenance, but they still look partially decent. The truck zooms through an old town that used to be so full of life, now the buildings are reduced to nothing but sad piles of wood and bones. Ellie looks in amazement, she forgot what the war did, she forgot what the zeds finished. She swallows a lump in her throat as they pass by the killing fields, where millions of dead bodies in trash bags stack up like towers. They were supposed to be burned but the infection got to everyone before anything could be finished. The war started when biochemical company released something toxic into human subjects, just like every cliché zombie movie, they escaped into the streets. They were coming through the windows, busting down doors. Just a week after the outbreak, the war started. Military versus the Infected. I’m sure you can guess who won. The vehicle stops on the top of a hill that overlooks Zeta. Zeds surround the area like ants at a picnic.

“How the hell are we gonna do this?” Ellie asks, her fingers gripping the armrest.

“We’ll figure it out…” Tamin says. “Sit down and buckle up.” He steps on the gas and they go flying down the hill.

Ellie quickly buckles her belt; he’s driving straight into the wall of zeds. The truck slams against what seems like a million bodies. The fumbles with the steering wheel and they eventually tumble sideways. The truck slides across the asphalt, taking out a few more monsters along the way. They have no time to thing, they grab their blades from the backseat and kick open their doors. Ellie and the others pile out onto the side of the truck, the infected surrounding them, reaching for them, trying to claw their way up.

“This plan fucking sucks.” Mac says, climbing out of the car.

“Tamin, what are we gonna do?” Ellie asks nervously. “Tamin!”

“Let me think god dammit!”

A zed grabs Lucy’s ankle and pulls her off the side, her head slams against the metal and instantly gushes blood. Ellie pushes Tamin to the side and grabs his machete then swings it down hard at the infected, severing its hand from its arm. She pulls Lucy back up and reaches into her bag for a the medkit. Mac kneels down and helps Ellie with the bandages.

“How bad am I fucked?” Lucy asks, laughing a bit.

“You’re not…we’re not.” Ellie says, reassuring her that they are not in fact fucked.

“This was a brilliant idea, Tamin. Really just inspiring. Let’s take back the military checkpoint, let’s drive the truck into a bunch of zeds. Fucking amazing!” Mac laughs sarcastically.

Tamin stands there, frozen in place, not even sure what his next move is. None of them were prepared for this.