In The After Life

Chapter 21

When you're born lower class, you run expecting to save yourself. Being chased is as potentially lethal as it gets. You escape at any cost. You focus. You think. You deal with the trauma later, or don't.

Survival comes at a cost... one you pay because you have to. Running was a way to feel power in a life where we all had none.

We all kept hunched as we sliver in and around cars. We were moving too slow! If only they left us be maybe we could've spared ourselves the time it cost us for them to catch up. As I look at all the concern on our faces.

I wonder of the perspective of the chaser, if they can fathom the fear of the chased. For in this need to escape my head and heart go to the place that is crushed. I feel the screaming of my lungs and the will of my muscles to go far beyond what exercise could ever demand.

"The cars will block them. It's best if we just run." Draven whispers as we continue. He's right at least they don't have brains to be able to jump and go around they kinda just bump into the cars until they find a way forward.

I watch as Mateo and Jordan take the lead and then stop. They're panting heavy and waiting by a car. I grip onto Dravens shirt before he can stand. What were they doing? They're clearly talking but I don't know if they realise they don't have time for that.

It wasn't long until Mateo peeps up infront of us then grabs onto Jordan and starts to push her underneath a car. The two of them hurrying to get under it. Adriano passes us and I'm about to kick his ass as he grabs onto Evelyn who was running behind Miles and Daniel.

He hushes her and pulls her to the ground shoving the two of them beneath it. This could work if they don't hear us or see us go under they could walk right past us.

Miles looks back and I start to sign for him to get under. It takes him a few seconds to catch on before he runs faster up to Daniel and they both drop and roll under.

The lorry that was just near where Evelyn was is my target. I go onto my knees when I'm not far from it. I feel a push on my leg as Draven is coming under it with me. It hurts a little from scraping across the concrete to get fully concealed.

Both of us are trying to control our breathing so it doesn't give us away. Adriano has his arm around Evelyn as she stares across at me. Her body is shaking and I think he's trying to help her calm down.

The scuffle of the multiple footsteps gets louder and louder. The first pair of shoeless feet drift past and I back up and into Draven scared that it can see me. The dirt and cuts on the feet make me want to throw up.

I can feel his heart against my back and it's not beating that fast not like mine. Multiple soon follow the first and I cringe at the grossness of them all.

It was horrible just waiting for them to pass by and no one seemed as if they wanted to check if they had all gone afraid they'd just walk into them. "I'll look" Draven whispers yet I find myself wrapping my arm around him to stop him.

He stares down at me waiting for me to let go. "It's safe. They're gone." Jordan's voice calls and I couldn't feel more relieved. Draven gets out first and then helps me out from under the van. I dust my hands off letting the Little Rock's drop leaving patterns on my skin

I look off to where I can still slightly see the zombies but they're too far to hear us talking. "We should cross to the other side save us running into them again" Mateo says and I'm not sure if he's talking to his group or all of us.

"I take it you guys are heading in the same direction as us? Gives me time to figure out what happened to you to cross paths." Jordan asks me as she blanks Mateo but is still following what he suggested. I nod to the others to follow. We are all heading in the same direction but it doesn't mean we're staying with them.