Run

I run into the village and dart behind a building as a monster crashes by. I don’t pay attention to what it is and run in another direction. I have to find the spot where Adrian stood and find where he went. If I have to leave the only place I’ve ever called home, I’m leaving with him.

Turn right here, dart left, STOP, run run run!

After a few minutes of dodging monsters and navigating my way through the village, I make my way to the spot Adrian and I stood. I rush to the spot and look at the tracks, and I feel dumbfounded.

Our footprints walking over to the spot are mostly intact. But then his footprints disappear. I can’t tell where he ran off to, and I don’t see any monster tracks around. It’s like he just disappeared.

I turn back to the village and a cabin next to me bursts. Without thinking, I grab my blade and hold it up, but it doesn’t do me any good. I don’t have any chance of defending myself with a knife. I sheathe it again and turn to run.

Across the yard I see some people cowering under remains of a shattered building. Monsters block their way and I know they won’t make it. I make my way over, and I see that they don’t have any supplies. Not good.

“I’ll get you some supplies, and then I’ll lead you out of here! Take this,” I say as I hand them my knife. “If any monsters try to get you, use this. It’ll repel them.”

The oldest person, a girl about my age, nods, and shields the others. I stand and glance around before running to a cabin. I want to go to one that’s still intact, since those will have undamaged supplies and unharmed people, but those cabins are becoming less and less frequent as time goes on. I spot one at the opposite edge of the village.

I hesitate to run over and consider going back to the kids and leading them out without anything. Since they have my blade, I don’t have any way to defend myself. And if I die, the kids are dead too. I know I don’t have to be responsible for them, but I feel like I have an obligation to. I’m here and I’ve already helped people leave. Why should they be any different?

“Fuck,” I curse. It takes a second to get my courage up and I make a run for it. Somehow I make it over to the cabin unharmed and I rush inside. No one’s inside. I hope whoever lived here got out alright.

I shut the door and immediately start looking for any kind of supplies I can give the kids. Shoving whatever I can find in a spare bag, I rush back out and run along the edge of the village.

Getting back to the kids is an easier trip than leaving to get the supplies. I hand the bag to the girl and she gives my blade back.

“Thank you,” she tells me.

I don’t have time to reply before I grab her wrist and lead her and the other kids out. I stop everyone just before a wolf can crash into us. It’s larger than a regular wolf and bares its teeth at us. I instinctively take a step back.

“Turn around,” I tell the others.

They do so, but I don’t hear them leave.

“What are you still doing here?” I look over my shoulder and my heart falls as I see what looks like a banshee blocking the way. I turn back to the wolf.

What do we do?

I nudge the girl and hand her my blade again and she doesn’t hesitate to use it. Meanwhile the wolf takes its chance and lunges at me. In a split second, I grab a broken board from the cabin next to us and swing it as hard as I can. It hits the side of another cabin but that doesn’t stop it.

“Run.”

“But—”

“Run!”

I push the girl and she takes off running, the other two kids in tow. I head in another direction, making sure the wolf doesn’t follow them. My legs burn as I head for the edge of the village but I keep running. Maybe I can lose the wolf in the forest.

Then I trip and I land face first in the snow covered ground. Fear courses through me and I’m sure that this is how I die.

But it never happens.

I turn over and see the wolf running in a different direction, its tail between its legs. I don’t stick around to question what happened; I stand and head to the edge of the village. Then I circle back to where I’d last seen the girl. She’s standing at the start of the treeline, looking for me. Her eyes light when she spots me and runs over.

“I have your knife.”

She hands it back and I take it, careful of the blood-soaked metal.

“Thanks for getting us out of there.”

“No problem.” I turn to leave but she grabs my wrist.

“Aren’t you coming with us?”

I shake my head.

“I have to head off on my own.”

“But you’d be safer with us.”

“It’s just...it’s easier this way. You should take your friends and go. The sooner the better.”

The girl wants to argue but she realizes that she can’t convince me, and turns back. In a few minutes, they’re gone. I hope they’ll be alright.

I run back to the edge of the village and look at all the damage done. The scent of blood is becoming more prevalent and impossible to ignore. It’s starting to quiet down as the chaos settles and my wrist starts to return to normal, but it’s difficult to be happy about that.

The village will never come back from this. I’ll have to find another place to call home. I turn to leave and prepare to run back to my cabin.

Then more screams ring out and I can tell they’re close. I want to leave, but I know I can’t just let innocent people die.

Someday my humanity and sense of morals is gonna get me killed, but right now I don’t care. I rush into the cabin and see a small family being cornered by something. It turns when I come in and from the blood dripping from its mouth, I can tell it’s a vampire.

I go to grab my blade again, but the pain in my wrist worsens and I find myself unable to use my hand. I stumble backwards and fall, and I hit my head on something. Then everything goes dark.

Even unconscious, I can hear the screams and sounds of wood breaking. As much as I try, I can’t force myself to wake up. The village is helpless, and I can’t help but feel like it’s all my fault.

Images start to become clearer and I can see me and Adrian, but from a different angle. Like I’m watching the two of us from outside my body.

The memories of him play out in front of me: from the day we met to just today, before the second attack. I can’t help but worry about him and wonder where he could’ve gone. That question lingers in the back of my mind.

The image of us together about to kiss stays in front of me, and I feel that emotion stirring in my chest. I now know the feeling is love; I love Adrian.

Why do emotions always have to be so difficult?

The image changes, and it shows when Adrian kissed me on the cheek. I know that was when I started to realize how he—and I—felt. But I wouldn’t admit it yet. I want so badly to go back to that moment and live there. We wouldn’t have to be separated and we wouldn’t have to suffer the monster attack. Everything would be the way it used to be.

Why did that need to change?

I feel warm. The feeling starts in my chest and moves throughout my body and soon I feel warm all over.

Then, even in my unconscious state, I feel someone next to me. The images in front of me disappear and I try to open my eyes. It proves difficult, and when I finally get them open, it’s only a sliver.

Cold air hits my exposed skin and I come back to reality, or as much as I can. I can’t move, and I’m too exhausted to open my eyes any more. I try to look at the person next to me, and for a moment I think it’s Adrian. But they move and I can’t make out their face again.

I feel myself getting moved somewhere and the soft light of the stars disappears. Something gets placed over me and I feel warm again. My eyes close despite how much I fight to keep them open, and soon I fall asleep.

Birds chirping wakes me up in the morning. My eyes flutter open without any problems and I find myself under a makeshift shelter. It looks like it’s made from the remains of the cabins that were destroyed. I look down to make my way out and I find a blanket over me.

I feel confused, until the memory of the night before comes back. It doesn’t explain who put me here or why, but I consider myself lucky that I’m safe.

I stand, leaving the blanket under the shelter, and I look around. The village is practically decimated; there’s no hope for recovery. I’m probably the only person here that’s still alive.

The thought is upsetting. Tears well up in my eyes and I wipe them away.

Get it together. You need to go back to the cabin and leave.

No time for tears now; it’s time to pack up and move on. I look over the village once more and say a silent goodbye. I’m really gonna miss it.

I head to the edge of the village and circle back to where my cabin is. I can just barely see it from where I stand, but it comes into view as I head up the hill. The sight is bittersweet, but I try not to focus on it as I continue walking towards it.

Change has never been kind to me. Why should that stop now?