Outlast

     THE FIRST THING that Leila saw when she opened her eyes was blackness. Smoke swirled and danced before her eyelids, clouding her vision and fogging up her senses. It was beautiful in its ugliness; a consuming, burning thing with a mind and soul that seemed almost alive. As she blinked, the black faded to red, and that's when Leila smelt singed skin.

     The world was on fire.

     Am I in Hell?

     A frog shaped rock lay a few feet in front of her, and suddenly Leila knew this forest. When she was younger, she and her older brother would play hide and seek among the trees. But the forest had changed.

     All around her were dead bodies, husks of the people they used to be. Old and young alike splayed out around her, soot making their features nearly unrecognizable. But not enough.

     Oh my God.

     A tree fell over, fire climbing its branches and spreading like a disease. But Leila didn't notice. All she saw were the faces. Her geography teacher. Her neighbour. The boy who used to tease her in kindergarten. The little girl she used to babysit. Faces and faces and faces as far as the eye could see. And all that was left were the memories.

     Leila felt numb.

     She got up and limped around. Half her face was gone, and her right arm was missing. The rest was peeling away.

     Suddenly, out of the corner of her good eye, she saw movement. She stumbled as fast as she could, and when she got there she fell to her knees and cried out.

     Her best friend lay on the grass with her body bent at weird angles.

     "L-Leila?"

     "Fay, Fay it's me. I'm right here." Leila grasped her friend's hand with her left hand and squeezed. She refused to let go.

     "Are you-" Fay coughed. "Are you alright?"

     Leila laughed bitterly. "You're asking me that? What about you? Look at you."

     "Tell me about you first."

     Leila smiled a wry smile. It was just like her best friend to put others before herself.

     "I'm fine, Fay. I lost my arm, and I got burned, but I'm fine."

     "I don't think I can stand, and my body hurts all over, but that's because I'm pretty sure that all my bones are broken."

      Leila's face crumpled all over again. "I know," she whispered.

     "I think I'm going to die."

     "No, no. No. No, definitely not. Fay, you're not going to die, you can't die, I refuse to let you die. You're gonna live, okay? We're both gonna live. And we'll be okay."

     "Leila-"

     "No, Fay, no. We've been through too much. This isn't going to be the end."

     "This isn't the end," Fay smiled sadly. "It's only the end for me. It's your beginning."

     "Stop it. Stop talking like that - where is all this coming from? You sound like a Nicholas Sparks novel. This is nonsense, complete and utter nonsense. You hear me, Fay? Nonsense. You're supposed to be the logical one."

     "I am the logical one. And that's why I'm telling you that I'm going to die-"

     "That's it, I'm picking you up and carrying you."

     "With one arm?"

     "Yes, with one arm. Because I can't leave you here."

     She put her left arm under Fay's back and lifted her into a sitting position. Then she tried to sling her over her shoulder but Fay fell back to the ground.

     Suddenly they both heard a noise. The fire seemed to have gotten stronger, the sparks flying farther than before. Shivers went up Leila's spine, and uneasiness racked her whole body. Dread washed through her. Leila could sense a presence within the forest. They weren't alone.

     Stricken with fear, Leila put her arm back under Fay's back and tried to lift her again.

     "Leila."

     Panic was causing her to shake and move too fast. She tried again and again and again. They must not catch us they must not catch us they must not catch us they must not--

     "LEILA-Leila, listen to me. You have to leave me here. Remember that promise we made at the beginning of this? That no matter what happens, we'd complete the mission. No matter what. So you cannot give up. Okay? Leila, promise me you won't give up. Promise me you'll keep our promise. Promise me."

     Leila finally let the tears fall. They slid down her face like crystals that didn't want to let go. "We had just stopped running. Everything was finally good for once. I thought we could have a break." She half-laughed, half-sobbed. "Some break, huh? Why couldn't we have had normal lives, Fay? Huh?"

     The presence was closer than before. Leila tried harder to lift her best friend up.

     "Leila, you have to leave."

     "No, Fay, I don't care. I'm. Not. Leaving. You."

     "Leila, it's hopeless. You have to go. Now."

     Leila searched Fay's eyes. She didn't know what she was looking for, but she seemed to find it.

     "Okay," she choked out. "Okay."

     The presence seemed to grow. There was more than one of them.

     "Promise me."

     Leila got up shakily, and ran. She tried not to look back, knowing that it would only make it harder. But she looked back anyways. Just in time to see a flaming oak tree fall onto her best friend.

     She stifled a cry, and continued to run. Tears left messy tracks down her face, and her skin stung, but Leila didn't notice any of it.

     I promise.

     She ran and ran until her bones ached and her lungs screamed for air. Rocks and blazing logs and dead bodies seemed to move out of her way. The fire parted for her. Leila ran faster.

     They were coming.

[Hey, guess what, I'm back... with another short story. Sorry it's still not the full-length one, but enh, such is life. This one-shot is dedicated to my best friend, who was the inspiration for this story. Sadly, she does not have Wattpad.]