Survival

I'm Sorry

 We make camp in a small, dark alleyway. It has a dead end, so nothing can come behind. But then again, we also have nowhere to run.

I begin to set up my tent when Dan comes over and kneels next to me. He helps me set up.

“I'm...sorry about Charlie...”

I shrug and continue to work. Dan sighs.

“Listen, Alex. Charlie was everyone's friend too! We're just as sad as you are, but we can't let it get in the way of our mission! If we let our emotions out, it'll get us killed! We need to stay alive to find Carrie!”

“You think I don't know that?” I growl. His eyes narrow.

“For fuck's sake, Alex! She's your girlfriend! You know...that's what I'm talking about! That sort of shit will get you killed! You've got to bury your emotions! It's a risk to all of us!”

“Let me deal with it in my own time!” I stand up and he stands up with me.

“We don't HAVE that kind of time! We hardly have ANY time!” He's raising his voice at me now. I shove him away forcefully and he lands on his back. He scrambles back onto his feet. I've made him angry.

Dan pushes me back. I stumble a bit, but I regain my footing. I throw a punch at him and I hit him in the shoulder. He runs at me and we fall to the ground, punching and kicking. Phil and Tom hurry over to us and try to pry us apart. Bing and Jamie join them and they manage to tear us apart. Dan has a black eye and blood drips down his lower lip. My nose is bleeding, my left ear is ringing, and my lower lip is cut. Dan glares at me and walks back with Phil, Tom, Jamie, and Bing.

I go back to fixing my tent and I finally finish it. I crawl inside and go under a blanket. My stomach gurgles. It's hungry, but I'm not. I fall asleep rather quickly, only to be woken up to a male voice:

“Hey, Alex?”

It's Jack. I groan and roll over. I open my eyes slowly to see his silhouette.

“Whaddya want Jack?”

He hesitates, “Can I, uh, sleep in here tonight? I'd room with Dean, but he's sharing with Bing...”

“...Fine...” I sigh. I scoot over a bit to make room. He crawls inside and zips the tent back up. He slides under the blanket and rolls onto his side.

“Thanks.” He whispers. Not too long after, I hear him snoring lightly. I quickly follow in suit and gently fall into dream land.