The Defender - Chronicles of the runner

Alive?

Everything ached, my skin stung from the burns, I could feel every inch of my body screaming at me in agony. The weightless feeling of falling, had long since been replaced as soon as I came into contact with the ground. I didn't open my eyes yet, instead feeling my surroundings, the air felt heavy in my lungs, dust floating around in it, making me want to cough. Underneath me was Teresa's body, she had absorbed all the impact, saving my life, I could no longer hear her heartbeat, it had stopped shortly after the fall.

I must have hit my head pretty hard coming down, my thoughts were foggy and clouded, I wasn't really sure who I was or what I was doing here, but I could remember the girl underneath me, for some strange reason. Maybe we were close, sisters? Or maybe we lived in the place were the building came down. All I could remember at the moment was falling from the roof of a tall building, I was doing something important, I just couldn't remember what. It was as if I were looking through murky water that was slowly clearing.

I decided despite the pain I needed to get out of here, but wait, wasn't there a zombie virus thing going around? I couldn't be sure, losing my memory, hopefully temporarily was really starting to annoy me. Who was I, why was I here and was there really a zombie virus?

I sighed, it was now or never, I forced my eyes open, searching for a clue to show me where I was, the sudden change of light blinded me for a moment, I blinked rapidly, trying to clear my vision. I was encapsulated by rubble, but there was still natural light getting through, I could get out!

I made up my mind to further explore the cave like structure I was in, pressing my palms into the ground I pushed myself up. I groaned, as I looked down at myself, I looked awful, one of my feet was twisted at a strange angle, must be broken, I surveyed the rest of the injuries that were littered over my body. Scrapes and burns, covered my legs where my trousers had been burnt away, the same covering my exposed arms and the top part of my chest. There was also what looked like a gunshot wound in my calf. I looked over my shoulder, looking at the girl behind me who had cushioned my fall, saving my life, she looked as if she was sleeping.

I gingerly shuffled off the girl, wincing in pain at my ankle and my raw skin chaffing against the stone. I moved from lying on top of her, to opposite her. I sat with my back leaned against a wall breathing heavily after my short journey accros the floor. I wasn't used to this kind of exercise.

Ok it's time to stand up, you need to figure out how to get out and find some help

I placed both palms against the wall, parallel to my back and planted my feet shoulder width apart in front of me.

3...2...1...GO

I pushed as hard as I could against the wall, lifting myself off the ground. My jaw tensed, I could feel my body throbbing but I kept pushing.

Just...a bit...further

I was up, but there was something wrong, my head was spinning wildly, I felt out of control, I flailed my arm around, frantically looking for something to hold on to, but it was no use, I collapsed back down on the ground, my head making a loud thump against the concrete. Darkness clouding my vision once again.

~~~

My head was throbbing along with the rest of my body, I wonder if this was what it had felt like for newt. Newt? If I could remember newt, and I remembered who I was, and I remembered why I was here...I COULD REMEMBER EVERYTHING. I had never  felt so happy in such dire circumstances before, but there is always a first time for everything. I felt a smile tug on my face as my eyes opened up to the sight of the cave of debris for the second time. I could tell I had been out for a few hours the sun was no longer softly filtering in through the gals in the debris, it was right overhead, making beams of light into the formation straight down into the ground. It was also hotter now, the sun that had scorched the earth so terribly was now making its way into my dwelling, raising the temperature by a few degrees.

I sat up slowly, wanting to avoid the awful spinning feeling from earlier. Once I was up I decided to check my pockets, clearly in my dazed state I had neglected to check my pockets and see if there were any snacks, I was starving. I dug through them but to no avail. The joy I had felt when I realised I was alive was starting to wear off, I was stuck in this blocked off cave, I was terribly injured and with no food or water.

Maybe it would have been better if I had died from the fall

I sat back down, clearing my head and finding a way out was my only option now, there would be nobody coming to save me, I had to pick myself up and finish the job on my own. For now however, I just wanted to sit and think. If I charged into this headfirst, then who knows what would happen.

I closed my eyes, emptying my mind of thoughts and just listening to my surroundings, creating a plan was much easier when you were calm. I could hear the sound of birds, the occasional crumbles of concrete falling and breaking... wait...there was something else now...what sounded like a woman's voice.

I stood up, following the sound to one side of the rubble cave, peering out through the jagged slabs of concrete, I saw a figure, the woman that was calling out.

"HELLO ARE THERE ANY SURVIVORS"

"Yes here help!" I called out to the woman, my voice quiet and raspy, I tried again louder this time, "Help over here please!!"

She turned towards me, all she would be seeing was a the ruin of WCKD tower, but I prayed to anything that was listening that she would come and have a look.

She started pacing towards me, I couldn't make out her face very well, a hood was casting her face into shadow.

"Is there anybody in there?" She yelled, she took a step closer and kneeled down, peering through the concrete, that's when we made eye contact. "Holy shit, wait there I'll help you out" she said to me. I still had not seen my saviour's face, but her voice sounded oddly familiar.

She slowly shifted away the debris until there was a big enough hole I could crawl out of. I groaned in pain as I slid over the debris, the burns scraping against the concrete, small rock and dirt catching in my cuts but worst, my bad leg with the gunshot and the foot that I was sure was broken.

Once I was almost out, my saviour pulled the rest of the way. I sat against the rock panting, not looking up at her after my incredible feat of making my way through the tunnel, I didn't have the energy to lift my head.

"Wait...Tilly is that you?"

I finally looked into the face of my saviour, I almost jumped back in shock, it wasn't someone I had seen in many years, someone I thought was dead, it was my best friend, Isabella.

Idk if u guys remember Isabella but if u go to the chapter when Tilly and newt have the heart to heart where she gave him the serum, she talks about her there.

😘😘