Age of zombies

[17] Betrayal

We crossed the empty schoolyard in silence, the weight of Kenji's death hanging over us like a dark cloud. The only sounds were the scuffing of our shoes on the pavement and Malcolm's labored breathing. He was still limping from the fall in the parking lot, and Raul was helping him walk, but the strain was clear. Every step Malcolm took was slow, painful, and it was slowing us down.

The darkness felt suffocating. With the streetlights still out and no moon to guide us, the only light came from our flashlights, the beams bouncing off the surrounding buildings. But as we moved through the yard, something caught my eye. Shadows. Long, twisted shadows moving unnaturally fast.

"Shit," I muttered, my pulse quickening. "We've got company."

Raul turned his head sharply, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the area. "Where?"

I pointed toward the far side of the yard, and that's when we saw them—two groups of zombies, one closing in from the left, the other from the right. Their twisted figures moved faster than we expected, their groans rising in the air like a chorus of the damned.

"They're coming from both sides," Ethan said, his voice shaking with fear. "What do we do?"

"We fking run," Raul snapped, his grip tightening around Malcolm's arm as he tried to quicken their pace. "Move!"

But Malcolm was struggling, his limp worsening with every step. His face was twisted in pain, sweat dripping down his forehead as he gasped for breath.

"I can't... I can't go any faster," Malcolm wheezed, his voice hoarse.

"Try!" Raul growled, dragging him forward, but it was no use. Malcolm was slowing us down, and the zombies were closing in fast. We weren't going to make it if we kept moving at this pace.

"Come on!" I shouted, glancing nervously at the approaching hordes. "We're running out of time!"

Just as the first zombie came within reach, Raul made a decision. Without a word, he let go of Malcolm's arm and stepped away.

"What the hell?" I shouted, stopping in my tracks.

Malcolm staggered, trying to stay upright, but his balance gave way, and he crumpled to the ground. "Raul... wait!" he cried, his eyes wide with panic. But Raul didn't wait. He didn't even look back. He just kept moving, his eyes fixed on the path ahead.

The zombies swarmed Malcolm in an instant, their rotting hands clawing at him as they piled on top of him. His screams pierced the night, raw and full of terror. "Help! Help me!"

I stood frozen for a second, my mind racing, my heart in my throat. "We've gotta help him!" I shouted, but before I could take a step, Raul grabbed my arm and yanked me forward.

"He's done for," Raul growled, his face hard. "Move, Jake! We can't save him!"

I pulled my arm free and stumbled forward, my feet moving on instinct. Ethan was already running ahead, his face pale with fear. The three of us sprinted to a safe distance, far enough that the sounds of Malcolm's screams faded into the background, replaced by the low groans of the undead feasting on their prey.

When we finally stopped, panting and gasping for breath, I turned on Raul, fury bubbling up inside me.

"You just fking left him!" I shouted, my voice trembling with anger. "He was right there, and you just let him die!"

Raul's face was expressionless, his eyes cold. "He was dead weight."

"Dead weight?" Ethan said, his voice cracking. "He was our friend! You didn't even give him a chance!"

Raul snorted, crossing his arms. "What chance? Look around you! We're in the middle of a fucking apocalypse, and you want me to carry a guy who can barely walk? He was slowing us down, and if we'd stayed, we'd all be dead right now."

"You didn't even try," I spat, my hands clenched into fists. "You just left him to die. He trusted you, Raul. We all did."

"He trusted me to get us out of this alive," Raul shot back, his voice sharp. "And that's exactly what I'm doing. I'm making sure the rest of us survive."

"By throwing people away like trash?" Ethan said, his eyes glistening with tears. "That's not survival, man. That's murder."

Raul glared at us, his jaw clenched. "You don't get it, do you? This is what it takes. You think we're gonna survive this by playing hero? By dragging along people who can't pull their own weight? If we don't make the hard choices, we're all dead."

I shook my head, my stomach turning. "You're wrong, Raul. You didn't have to kill him."

"He was already dead," Raul said, his voice low and cold. "I just made sure the rest of us weren't."

We stood there, staring at each other, the tension thick between us. I could feel my blood boiling, my fists shaking with the urge to hit him, to make him understand. But before I could say anything else, Raul took a step closer, his eyes locking onto mine.

"We can still make it, Jake," he said, his voice softer now, almost coaxing. "You and me. Ditch Ethan. He'll only slow us down. The two of us can make it if we leave him behind. You know I'm right."

For a moment, I couldn't even process what he'd said. My mind struggled to comprehend how Raul could be so cold, so calculating. He had just left Malcolm to die, and now he was suggesting we do the same to Ethan.

"No," I said, my voice firm, disgusted. "I'm not leaving anyone else behind. You're on your own, Raul."

Raul's eyes narrowed, his face hardening again. "Fine," he muttered, taking a step back. "Suit yourself. But don't come crying to me when you're the one slowing us down."

Without another word, Raul turned and walked away, his figure disappearing into the darkness. I watched him go, my heart pounding in my chest, a sick feeling swirling in my gut.

"Jake..." Ethan's voice was shaky as he stepped closer to me. "What do we do now?"

I sighed, running a hand through my hair, my mind racing. "We stick together," I said, my voice steadier than I felt. "And we keep moving. We don't need him."

Ethan nodded, though his face was pale, his eyes haunted by everything that had just happened. I didn't know how we were going to survive this, but I knew one thing for sure.

We weren't going to do it Raul's way.

Q: Have you ever been betrayed by a loved one?