When Your Hope Is Gone... Just Hold On.

A zombie latched onto his foot and I watched as he struggled to kick it off.
"Annamolly run!" He yelled as he continued to try to fight them off.
I stood there frozen at first. My eyes widened in fear as I watched as hands continued to grab at him. He yelled in pain as it looked like they were trying to pull him apart. Another began to reach for his chest as he struggled to get his arms and legs back.
"Get out of here!" He yelled again. I looked back to see the others still running.
How could they not hear him? How could they not be helping? Was it all the commotion.
"Annamolly!" His voice was getting lower. I held the bat loosely in my hand as I watched most of the go for Joe. Their easiest target. Some went towards me but when they saw the easier target they soon passed me. I wasn't understanding any of this. another scream of pain came from the crowd. It was getting harder and harder to see Joe as more came to surround him and drop to their knees. My body remained frozen as I watched in fear. My throat too dry to scream for help. Why couldn't my body move?

A zombie grabbed onto my throat from behind me. I gasped for air as it slowly was taken away from me. My hand clenched on whatever strength I had left in my body. My other hand clasped onto the top of the bat and sent it jutting back into the zombies chest. I turned quickly as it stumbled backward and swung for its head. I ran to Joe as the adrenaline pulsed through my veins. I swung at every single one around him not caring about my safety.
"Help!" I finally had the strength to scream and saw them turn. Jesse ran at a fast pace towards us with Nick following in hot pursuit. I swung ym hardest as Nick and Jesse shot the other zombies off. I quickly dropped the bat and crouched beside Joe.
"I'm so sorry. I'm sorry." I repeated over and over as tears fell.
"Annamolly, shh." He tried to calm me. "I'm just swore thats all. They've got a hard tug."
"You're not bitten?" I basically begged.
"No, a lot of pain though." I sighed in relief at his response.
"Come on help him up, we have to get out of here." Nick said and helped me support Joe as Jesse protected us.

We made it to the door with the clear path from Jesse. Linzi unlocked the door for us and we rushed in. Nick and I set Joe beside Alexis and Kevin.
"Is everyone in?" I asked as I sat beside Joe and he kept his arm around my shoulders.
Linzi looked away and shook her head no.
I looked around and saw Mrs. Pattison sat with one arm around one of the boys. Her head was tilted up as she looked at the ceiling and tears streamed down her face. The other boy, which I found out to be Jake, was shaking uncontrollably with his face in his mothers shoulder. My eyes widened and I looked and Linzi, almost to say "Please be lying."
When she gave the same expression and couldn't look me in the eye, I knew he was gone.
I stood up and slammed the wall before walking away through the "empty",so we assumed, mall.

"Its not safe Annamolly! We haven't sweeped through this mall yet." Jesse called.
"I don't care!" I shouted never looking back.
My hand glided the wall just in case I needed support. My hand slid down the wall along with my body as I sobbed uncontrollably. I cried for the pain, I cried for the last of the survivors that were here who were afraid of losing their lives, I cried for missing my family and friends, I cried for Allie, I cried for the dead.

Survivors:Daisy LementDavis Lement
Linzi BurdeauBlake Pattison
Mrs. Pattison
Jake Pattison
Jesse WatersinDerick LoustinAngela "Angie" Loustin
Nick Jonas
Kevin Jonas
Joe Jonas
Alexis Mendell
and Myself...
Back to nine.

I heard quiet footsteps walking towards me. They weren't regular footsteps though it sounded with a slight limp. I turned my head quickly only to have my fear turn to relief when I saw it was Joe.
"Annamolly..." He spoke softly.
"Look at you..." I whispered softly. "I'm sorry." I barely got out.
Besides his slight limp, he had slight bruises forming in the noticeable areas.
He sat beside me. "They could have killed you. I'm so stupid." I said as my vision stayed blurry. It was hard to look at him the way he was.
"You're not stupid. You should have ran. They could have killed you." Joe replied.
I looked at him like he was on drugs.
"What?" I asked him to repeat to make sure I wasn't hearing things.
"I already told you Annamolly. I'm trying to keep you alive. Why do you keep risking your life for me?" He asked.
"For the same reasons you're risking your life for me." I answered honestly.
"You should hate me." I said and he gave a soft smile.
"No. You still saved me didn't you?" He said and kissed my cheek softly.
"Are you alright?" He asked and I gave him an incredulous. Here he was bruised, limping, and in pain and he was asking me how I was. He grinned at the look I was giving him.
"You're crazy Joe, did you know that?" I asked.
"Yeah. I've been told that once or twice." He smiled and wrapped an arm around me. "It was just the look on your face. The shock, the fear, it wasn't exactly how I wanted to picture you if that was my dying moment, I knew how much that had shaken you up. Now with Blake dead... I wanted to know if you were ok." He asked.
"I'm just scared. Whos going to be next? Linzi, Kevin, Alexis, Jesse, Mrs.Pattison, Nick, m-?" I continued until he pressed his lips to mine. I quickly kissed him back savoring the moments I have with him. Only god knew if there were few or more to come.

My hands moved to around his neck as my fingers tangled into his hair. His arms wrapped around my waist as he pulled me closer. The kiss went from soft to passionate to rough as our lips never detatched from eachother's. His lips broke from mine as he hissed in pain.
"Hit a bruise." He muttered on my lips.
"Sorry." I said softly as I rested my head on his forehead.
"Not your fault." He whispered.
I rested my head on his shoulder as he leaned his head back and closed his eyes. I held onto him as he wrapped his arms around me.
"Do you think we'll find zombies in here? Maybe even.... Survivors?" I asked.
"Its a possibilty of both. This mall is large, but its quiet. Its too quiet for my liking."
"Far too quiet..." I said taking in the silence.

"Get... The fuck... Up." Each word was spit out venomously as I stared into the barrel of a shotgun.

If the whole thing of "Seeing your life flash before your eyes before you die" really happened before you were going to die... then people lied.