Amnesia

Run

We didn't have much time to think. Infected were already ungracefully falling through the window, landing on one another. The group is now up and grabbing their weapons and food supplies and blankets. They're panicked, yet organized. They must have a drill.

"What do we do?" I nearly scream.

"We need them up here. It's the only option, they'll die if they stay in there!" Chris looks down and says, "Get up here! Climb! Now!"

Anne is already at the bottom of the ladder with Dawn, helping her up step by step. Chris reaches down and pulls her up with all his strength. I help Dawn onto the roof, taking her bag off her shoulder and throwing it a few feet away to leave room for others.

Everyone is now coming quickly, panicked. I help Chris pull them up one by one. Soon there's only two left in the market, while the infected are now surrounding them at the bottom of the ladder.

"Climb!" I scream at them.

Anne and Jacob, the last two down there, give each other a quick look of fear.

Anne starts pushing Jacob towards the ladder, but Jacob shakes his head. He grabs Anne by the waist and lifts her onto the ladder.

"Follow me up!" Anne screams down at him. She begins to climb, but as soon as she was in our hands reach, she gets pulled down.

My heart leaps in my chest as I scream for Anne to fight back. I nearly fall trying to reach for her, my arms straining. I can feel someone holding my legs, preventing me from plummeting face first into the market full of infected.

One infected is holding her foot, pulling her down. It's neck stretches out and it's mouth opens, ready to chomp down on her ankles. Anne's face contorts into pure fear and she lets out a small whimper.

Jacob suddenly slams his fist into the infecteds face. It flies back from the force, falling into a few infected that were behind it. "Climb!" Jacob screams.

Finally, Anne darts up the ladder and falls onto the roof next to the rest of us. She breathes heavily, her chest falling up and down quickly. Chris's sister hurries over to her, checking for any scratches or bites. Once she's done, she looks up at us. "She's fine," she says in relief.

We look back down when we hear a scream from below. As we do, we watch as the infected surround Jacob at the bottom of the ladder. He bats his arms around, trying to push them away, but it's pointless.

He lets out a frustrated and pained cry as the first infected bites into his shoulder from behind. Another gets his arm. Soon he's just breakfast for the infected as they bite and pull him. He gives one more glance up at us. His eyes are filled with pain and fear, but somewhere in there, there was peace. I smile at him and mouth a thank you for saving Anne's life. Then he falls to the floor, and the infected pile on top of his dying body.

Anne turns onto her stomach, looking down into the market. "Jacob?" she calls. "Jacob?" She turns to us, fearful. "He ran out, right?" She gets to her feet and looks over to the side of the roof, as if thinking she'll find him running away from the market with no marks.

Chris walks over to her, helping her away from the edge of the roof. "He's gone, Anne."

Anne stares at him for a minute. Pain and shock flash in her eyes. She shakes her head repeatedly. "No, he can't be dead. He saved me, he can't have just died like that!"

Everyone sits in silence, mourning the loss of their friend and also the loss of their once decent shelter. Of course Jose is the one to break the silence.

"It's your guys's fault," he spits. "I told you hell would break loose! And it did! And now we're stuck on this damn roof for who knows how long!"

Chris walks up to him, furious. "Almost all of us voted to stay. Now if you don't shut up then we are really gonna be stuck up here."