The Burning Of Pages (Now Complete! Yay🗣️)

a hunt. akomori

Jade's screams are cut off and only the sound of flesh tearing, and bones crutching fills the void of silence. "we have to go." Kara croaks out and then Harry looks around. He seems panicked, his hands find his hair and he tugs at it. but I see a look in his eyes as he walks over to Kate. who whispers in Marlen's ear, and he runs over to me. Harry's glare is intense. "what the fuck happened up there!?" a strange surge runs through my veins and I start to take a step closer. but Marlen tugs on my sleeve. "whats that man gonna do to Kate??" he asks as I hear Harry start to yell at Kate. "I said what the fuck happened!" I crouched down meeting Marlen's eyes,"he's mad at Kate." Marlen looks confused. "did Kate hurt him? Or did she break a rule?" I shake my head as harry explodes "answer me god dammit!" Harry screams his voice booming, and some crazies hear the sound. "talk you fucking bitch!" he says as tears come down his face

     "I couldn't do anything Harry." she says  as she looks at the ground. ''he wouldn't move. I told him we had to go. We had to jump. But he didn't move. I had Marlen. I had to get across' ' there is a pause that's seemed to last a lifetime but was only but a second "with or without him' ' my voice comes out gravely. Kara's sobs, Riley's quiet reassuring words, with marks pacing and Sarah's ever lasting silence weighs heavily. "fucking lies! '' Harry's voice is outraged and filled with anger. "I bet you just didn't want to! I bet you would leave that kid if he slowed you down!"

     His words are sharp and spiteful.” How could you! You didn't even try to go back for him! I hate you! And you hate me. Jade was my friend! We didn't see eye to eye all the time. But I knew him better than you." he says as he takes a menacing step towards her "shut the fuck up Harry. you haven't had to make the decisions I have had to make. so far all you have done is sir and judge!" Kate's voice bursts out of her and it echoes and crazies start to stir again. Their menacing screams and moans grow louder and I start to look around. "and another thing!" she shouts and Harry brings his hand up. and time slows down

     My first instinct was to run and stop the fight, but Marlen had already seen too much violence. so I should probably protect him but then Kate would get hit. In a second I made up my mind to leave Marlen. “w-where are you going!?" he shouts but I don't turn back.  I make it to them and Harry's hand is half way down, and Kate starts to take a step back bracing for it for the slap. I jump in the middle of it. I open my mouth to say something, but I am silenced by a sharp stinging pain in my cheek as my head jerks to the left. It causes tears to spring to my eyes and my hand instantly cups my cheek, and I turn my head back and I look at him. Harry's expression contorts to shock and regret. "Akomori I'm so-so-'' Kate pushes past me and like a lightning strike her fist flies through the air,  and lands on his right cheek right below his eye. it knocks him back, and the she follows up with one to his left temple. The group erupts. "Kate stop!" "Don't do that!" "Someone grab her!" I find my voice at last and I shout.

     "Kate! Stop, jade just died to we need to lose more people!?" Kate pauses and stands up. She turns blood on her hands. It's Harry's. He gets to his feet and he lunges at Kate i run and get in between them, but kim rushes forward, and grabs him. he stops. Marlen appears at my side hiding his face in the shirt of my uniform. "why did Kate do that?" My heart aches listening to his confusion. I crouch and look into his eyes “Kate did that because....... She was protecting me" he looks at me then back at Kate. "you protect people by hurting others?" I shake my head "only if they are hurting you. We only hurt the crazies, and we try not to have to fight each other." Marlen nods and I stand he walks off and stands near the edge. "careful kiddo" I say as I follow his line of sight, and I see a man behind him are other people with guns. he stares at us but not at me or Marlen someone else. "there's a man over there" Marlen states as he turns back to me "he has friends'’

     something about him is different; he stands there in a black jacket with the hood on covering his face. "Kate came to look at this'' I turned and I saw Kim caring for Harry's wounds, and his cheek was bleeding. My eyes flicker over to Kate and she stands frozen. I feel the fear chilling off of her. Kate's eyes wide and shaking as she takes a step back. "is that?" I ask her as I take a step closer. "it's that man" she says as her eyes dart over to me. “No.hes not supposed to be here. He's supposed to be gone!” and then back at the man "Marlen come here" she commands, and Marlen follows. I look back over and the man points a bony finger over at our direction. He says something to the group behind him and they nod. Then they disappear into the building.

     "fuck we have to go, Harry get your ass up we are leaving!" Kate says her voice filled with urgency as she takes Marlen by the hand, and walks around pacing looking for something. "what's going on!" Harry shouts as he stands and Kim. Sarah starts whispering to Mark, and Mark says "are we still going to the police station?" Kate nods quickly and she spots a building. "We can make it if we jump." Then there are gun shots in the street and I look over the edge. The group of people are making their way to our building, and they'll be here any second. "what's their deal Kate?" I  run over to her "I don't know!" Kate exclaims and she looks around panicked. "Why does he want to get over here?" "He wants me!" She shouts her voice shaking and her grip on Marlen becomes stronger "he wants me! And usually no one would stop him, and I could never get away! now I can and I'm taking all of you. He'll. fuck. shit. we have to go!" She says her voice is filled with panic. “I'll get everyone ready.”

     I turn around. Kara is staring up at the building where Jade used to be. His crazed self is now wandering around up there shuffling. "Kara we have to go," Riley says as she leads Kara away. Mark brings Sarah over and we look off the edge. "then we should just give her over! Save us the trouble!" I look over and it's Harry, of course it is. "look give it a break man, we don't know what this man will do to her.'' Ethan says as he puts a hand on Harry's shoulder. "you cannot be serious about that" Sarah says. Speaking up her soft voice came out like a squeak, and it made everyone jump. I hear footsteps ascending the steps. I turn to the group. "we jump now!" I say in a commanding voice that surprised most people.

     The doors burst open and the group of adults appear. along with the man. He's tall, and boney. His skin, pale and his hair short and needle thin, his piercing blue eyes shoot daggers into Kate, she doesn't say anything. but scrambles like a scared wild animal, and she jumps, Marlen in her arms to the next building over. The adults raise their guns. It's now or never I jump to the next building. I am followed by harry and kim gun shots ring out as the rest follow. Ethan jumps with Riley and Kara and then Mark jumps off with Sarah hidden in his arms. We land on the building and Kate is already sprinting to the other side. I scurry over to her and she runs her eyes over the horizon. The screams and rapid footsteps of the crazies close in, and I turn "hurry! Class we got to go!"

     Harry limps over blood pouring out of his leg and Mark runs over blooded,  and Kara gasps at their state. "Kate we can't jump anymore! Harry and Mark have been shot.“ she looks at me with the first acknowledgement since the man has shown up. him and his group run over to the edge of the building we were just on, and stare at us. A woman tries to jump but falls short, and falls down off the edge. She lands with a sickening crunch that echoes past the craziest screams. A man tries and makes it. He leans over the edge and sticks his hand out. He then speaks in a low voice. "come on! I'll catch you!" He shouts to the group of adults, and the man nods to his group. They get ready for the jump. I see a chance

     The time seems to slow and I turn and I see Kate starting to send the class down the fire escape. they start the descent Kim first. no one sees the guy except for me and Marlen. Marlen looks at me. He speaks in a hushed whisper. "what are you gonna do!?" I look from Kate to the guy and one of the group members gets ready to make a jump with a second to decide. I run over putting all of my strength into it and push him. The group of adults gasp as he wobbles on the edge. Then he screams and falls. I look up and there's four adults left. In the beginning there were six. women in a hat and sun glasses screams "no! What the fuck is wrong with you!?" She raises her gun and shoots. I feel a shearing pain in my right arm as the bullet goes right through my forearm. I grab it, blood starts pouring out and I fall to the floor.