The Burning Of Pages (Now Complete! Yay🗣️)

goodbyes and skipping school kate

"Up! up! Please Kate I want up"  Marlen begs me, and so I scoop him up again. "I just put you down little man" he laughed and nuzzled into me. It seems he has forgotten what has happened. or has found happiness. I look over at akomori and their eyes are fluttering open and closed. She's tired. I wonder why? I walk in a circle keeping Marlen entertained and then I hear someone approach. and I whip around but it's just Ethan "hey Kate who's the kiddo?" He says his tone neutral but there is excitement in his eyes when he says it "I'm Marlen! Who are you?" martens chips as he turns to face and i set him on the floor and Ethan drops down onto one knee and looks at him with a warm smile on his face

    "I'm Ethan and what are you doing here?" Marlen's face turns grave. and he says "momma brought us here after she saw a crazy man attack an old woman that was next to us, and then there were more crazy people, and one of them bit Jackson. m-my brother, and a crazy man bit him. and my momma brought us into the kitchen. and she told me to hide in the closet, and not come out. Then she screamed. I was there for a long time. until Kate found me"

     Ethan pulls Marlen Into a hug "it's okay now little man your safe here with us, right Kate?" I wipe away the tiny bit of tears that had formed in my eyes, god this kid, so young and going through that? It's awful. "Yes you're safe here, where's your father?" Marlen perks up a bit "he was a teacher here his name is " he says with a smile “do you know what his last name was. " Ethan's voice is softer than usual "uhm green yeah!" He smiles and then like a train hit me

     I'm back jake’s scream. Mr green tearing into his neck. me banging on the door. It's so real. I seem the blood and fear.i see the blood soaked door. Jake’s scream. God his scream. then just as fast as it happened it's gone, and I'm back in reality breathing heavily and Marlen is look up at me questioningly and Ethan stares at me. "uh sorry" I apologize hoping that they won't push further "it's okay?"  speaks his voice laced with innocent confusion. and then Marlen reached up for me and so I picked him up.

     "You're very clingy" I say with a soft laugh and Marlen looks at Ethan as he pats Marlen's head, and then walks away. I walk over to the window and look out. it's gore everywhere. blood splatter. And dripping down the sides of vehicles and people stumbling around all missing parts. Others lay on the ground dead and the crazies gather around the body's eating. There is fire and smoke in the distance. And the faint sound of guns and missiles. Must be the military fighting the crazies. I wonder if we are winning?

     I keep Marlen tucked into my jacket so he doesn't have to see the carnage, and then the street lights come on as the sun sets. Shining brightly on everything. I continue to look down at the street, my eyes darting to the building that's in front of us. it's only one story while this is two, and on the roof stands a man. My blood runs cold and I breathe heavily. He stares right at me, his eyes boring into mine and I want to run, scream, but I'm frozen suddenly there are gun shots down below.

     It's a group of people. The crazies rush them and the people shoot them.  The crazies don't stop till they are shot in the head, and the group of people go into the building that the man is standing on. The crazies rush it, they bang on the walls, claw at the doors and even try climbing it, but the man doesn't break his gaze, not even a flicker; he just stands and stares at me. "Kate? Kate? What are you doing? '' Marlen says as he tugs at my jacket. I put him down on the ground. "Go run to Akomori '' he scurried off to Akomori and I returned my gaze to the window. but he's gone it sends a shiver down my spine.

     "We can't just sit here the whole time! We have to find a place to go." Harry says as he takes a step forward, "I would feel way safer if we got the help- '' I glare at him and I yell before he finishes "language! We have a little one here." he sighs, rolls his eyes and crosses his arms. "if we got the heck outta here" jade feeling braver says "but where would we go??" Harry shrugs "anywhere but here I say the police station they can help us there.'' The police station seems like a good plan. "how would we get there?" Ethan asks and Kim crosses her arms ''it's not that hard dumbass. we just walk out" I glare at kim ''i need all of you guys to stop cussing.” I let out a long sigh. “I don't want Marlen picking up bad habits.* Ethan nods “yes kate. We'll try.” He then turns his attention to Kim again.