The Phantom teens

Our survival torn to shreds

Keeping an eye on someone as energetic as a 24-year-old can get, is a very difficult thing to do. Especially when you are living in a very big, multiple-story building like Canal Walk.

The boys and I planned to take turns to keep an eye on Blake and try to figure out what he is hiding from us, but for the last two days we either took a shift together, accidentally and ended up losing Jerico in the process or we completely lost Blake due to all three of us thinking it was the other person's turn.

This was getting exhausting.

Then we all get to have a horror marathon every night due to Jerico's nightmares. I haven't had a decent night's rest in the last 5 days and it was deeply needed, but as much as I'd love to climb back into the warmth and comfort of my bed, today was only beginning.

The boys and I decided to skip our morning obstacle course session and instead take the day off, but when you are living in the zombie apocalypse...

You don't get a day off.

We decided to have lunch in the food court with Jerico and Blake and that's when we heard someone shouting: "Is anyone here? I need help!"
It was a boy's voice and he was heading our way. He got closer and we all looked up to the railing above us on the second floor where he was standing with his dirty blond hair and a scared look in his eyes.

"Dudes, I may have made a big mistake." He said in a hurry.

"What do you mean by that?" I asked with worry etched into my voice.

"Well, you see, like I was completely just walking around before I saw this weird dude chasing after me and so I ran into this place. The other dude got his arm stuck in the door and then I ran here and I heard a whole bunch of screeching while running here, which I feel isn't normal." He continued.

"You didn't think to maybe check behind you to see what it was?" I asked as I started to panic.

"Oh, darn. I guess I should have." He says with wide eyes as he scratched his head.

"This is bad!" I said to myself. I turned to the boys with a stern look. "Damian, get to the first entrance with Jerico and wait for Blake, Gerhard, and me there. We will go to the weapons room and get all our gear, weapons, and ammo into duffle bags and we are gonna hold back the swarm as much as possible. If we aren't there in 25 min, run and go hide, we will find you." Damian nodded in understanding and ran off with Jerico who had tears rolling down her cheeks. I turned to Blake and Gerhard with seriousness in my tone: "The weapons room is near to entrance 3. I haven't got a clue what we are up against, so be smart, be fast, and be silent."

"Hey, what about me?" Asked the man from above us. "I can help." He assured. Blake looked at him and then back at me then back at him again.
"Do you know how to shoot a gun?" He asked. The man shook his head.
"I'm a pacifist, man. No bad vibrations or violence for this guy." He said while waving his thumbs in his direction. We all stared at him blankly and then looked at each other and we all agreed he is dead weight, but we also needed someone to throw in zombies' path if things went sideways.
"Okay you can join us, but stay close at all times."

We started making our way to the weapons room and then around the fifth corner that we turned, there was a whole load of zombies that waited for us on the inside of the entrance, but we didn't slow down to give a greeting to our new dead friends, but instead, we continued running and didn't even look their way. It was strange to see them just standing at entrance 3 as if they had orders to wait for us, but were we successful in slipping past the deadoes defenses? Not by a long shot and it was all because of that deadweight of a hippie who managed to trip over thin air right in front of their eyes and managed to sprain his ankle.
"Darn it!" I ran back to pick him up and dragged him to the weapons room.

Once we got there, we pulled down the gate at the entrance before the Deadoes arrived at our destination. We started to wipe everything that was on the shelves into duffle bags but kept a few guns and ammo straps out in order for us to create a deadoe brick road that would lead to our safety.
Everything that was in that shop added up to 4 duffle bags and a whole load of ammo that will never go to waste. Once every shelf was wiped clean and our guns were locked and loaded, we started to kill off all the deadoes that were banging their fists and gnawing on the barricade. One by one, we watched them fall and once they had all fallen, we opened up the barricade and made a run for it. Blake was carrying the hippie on his back and Gerhard and I were carrying the duffle bags and running ahead of Blake to keep an eye out for any more Deadoes. We were almost at entrance 1, but not out of harm's way yet, because just as we turned the last corner and saw the doorway to our freedom, a being started to form from black dust right in front of us. 

A Shredder!

"Blake, you go and get to safety. Gerhard and I will hold it off. Go be with your daughter and keep the others safe. It's been an honor living with you." I said and charged at the solid version of the Shredder with my swords drawn and screaming out a battle cry. I sliced and dodged and lunged and tried my best to cut it, but I was up against the fastest creature alive. I was no match. I was growing tired and sweating like crazy and the Shredder wasn't even breaking a sweat.

Gerhard was behind me and firing bullet after bullet, but he soon ran out of ammo and so it was just me and the monster in a one on one fight to the death. I was cutting it close, but I managed to slice it on the arm when it was in its solid form and once my blade had made contact with it, it dissipated. It was gone for a few seconds and I thought the fight was over, but then it reformed...

Behind Jerico.

It wrapped its arm around her small neck and dug its teeth into her arm and she cried out in pain before they both disappeared out of sight. I watched as Blake fell to his knees as tears streamed down his cheeks and Damian stood in shock, a few steps away from where Jerico had stood a few moments ago.

"What have I done?" He asked himself softly as he too fell to his knees and grabbed at his hair.

Tears started to roll down my cheek and Gerhard went to comfort Blake, but he slapped Gerhard's hand away and placed his face back into his hands, and that's when a screech came from behind us. It was the Hippie. Blake looked unfazed as he picked up the ak47 that laid in front of him, got up off of his knees, and shot off the screecher's head with a blank expression on his face.

"Never mess with a greaving father," he said and slung the gun over his shoulder as the Screecher collapsed to the floor.

"I always knew he was dead weight," I said in hopes of lightening the mood.

I sighed in defeat and started walking to the exit of Canal Walk. "We need to keep moving. The Shredders know where we are now and they know that we have an adult with us. They will return with more of their buddies and won't stop until all of us are dead."

"Have you no compassion?" Blake asked, "Jerico just died and you are behaving like it didn't just happen." Blake grabbed my shirt in an effort to make me look at him. "You want us to continue moving and pretend that this never happened? My baby girl just died. She was the last thing I had. My last hint of a dream in this never-ending nightmare. Do you understand how that feels?"

I grabbed his arm, put my foot behind his leg and threw a palm strike to his chest, pushing him to the ground. "You think I don't know pain?" I asked as my tears dropped onto his face. "My little sister was bitten on the second day of global extinction. My parents got taken the day before, so guess who had to put a bullet into her head in order to end her suffering?" I got to my feet and wiped my tears away. "I'm sorry that your daughter died and I promise that it won't be in vain, but we need to keep moving cause the Shredders will be back, and if it's all the same to you, I can't afford to lose another friend today." I held out my hand to help him up and he took it.

"Then let's get moving." Blake agreed.

"Where do you suppose we go now, Captain?" Damian asked and suddenly all eyes were on me.

"I'll be honest in saying that I haven't got a clue, so you're going to have to trust me to find a safe place," I said and they all nodded.

"I hope all you ladies packed an extra pair of underwear because it's going to be a long night and an even longer morning," I said as we each picked up a duffle bag and started on our path to somewhere.