Virus

Four

The fires that consumed the forests around us crackled as if it was laughing malevolently. A terrible cackle of the evils of nature.

Barrel-size bombs fell from the planes. About three hundred of them clouded the sky. The scene reminded me of some world war movie I watched where in one scene, this exact same thing was happening.

Gary drove forward until we found a patch of forest not touched by flames. He stopped the van and we filed out, taking all our weapons with us. I grabbed my automatic while holding Jasmine to my chest. She had finally woken and was crying and coughing.

Travis stopped the Humvee behind us and Michael hopped out and began helping Gary get Hal out of the van.

Bombs rained down around us, sending tremors through the earth as each one fell.

Just as Sara, Travis and I reached the forest. Gary and Michael a managed to pull Hal out of the van. Gary three Hal over his shoulder and began running.

Horror shook through my like the earth was shaking on impact as a bomb hit the road not too far away. Chunks of asphalt and dirt we flung in every direction. Smoke billowed from the gaping hole in the highway.

The bombs were getting closer. Another fell. This time it came in contact with the back of the Humvee. For ten seconds all I saw was fire. The entire world turned orange with flames.

When my vision cleared, I saw that the highway before us was torn apart and the two vehicles were now pieces of charred scrap medal.

Michael was lying on the asphalt, clutching his leg. Chunks of flesh had been torn away from his leg, revealing blood and bone.

Travis sprinted out and scooped up Michael as another bomb exploded up ahead.

Michael screamed and clutched Travis's shirt as we ran deeper and deeper into the forest.

We stopped to rest in a clearing. The planes overhead stopped dropping bombs. They began to fly off. As they fly away I saw that each of them had a picture of black butterfly on the door. The butterfly wasn't even, it looked as it someone had taken a bucket of oil and tossed it against the door.

Once the planes were gone, I allowed my guard to drop. I walked over to where Sara and Gary hovered over Michael. Travis was holding Jasmine now.

Michael was unconscious as Gary stitched and Sara scrubbed the blood away.

Then something tore through the flesh on my forehead and stuck into the tree beside me. A bullet.

The graze on my forehead stung but I quickly began firing at the shadows scurrying about in the foliage around us.

Travis sets Jasmine down next to Hal, who is now awake fully and firing away with Sara's shotgun.

The fires around us raged, we needed to leave before we got trapped.

Bullets crisscrossed through the clearing, forming a net of tiny jet streams around us.

When one of the bullets his Gary in the back of his shoulder, and another in Michaels side, Sara went insane, she drew a knife. A man wearing a black sweatsuit stepped out of the trees, aiming a weird-looking gray rifle at Sara. One his chest was the same butterfly design, but white. Sara wasn't phased by the gun or the uniform. She slashed the man's throat with one swift but fierce strike.

Then a crackling sound surrounded us. I saw bolts of electricity shoot through the trees. Men screamed and soon the only sound left was the snapping of the massive forest fire around us.

Two men stepped into the clearing. They wore matching black leather jackets and Levi jeans. Around the left leg a white bandana was tied. They both wore gas masks over their heads

"Come with us," the one on the right said. His voice was warped and horse through the mouth of the mask.

No one was willing to argue. Each of them picked up Gary and Michael and guided us through the maze of flames.

Hal ran by my side. I couldn't help but notice that he was avoiding my eyes. It was no use to dwell over that right now. I looked ahead and ran through the fires around us.