Survival (ON HOLD)

c h a p t e r f i v e

"It is strange how loud little sounds become when you are in the dark and doing something wrong." 

-Richard Llewellyn

No protection. No mask, no body wear. I might as well be naked.

I break into a run and stick to the wall, carefully trying not to make a sound with my boots. I find a cut in the wall and immediately hide behind it. A Cemetery guard walks around as if searching for something, and after two minutes of investigation, he gives up and sits down on his seat, his eyes still attentive like a hawk eyeing its prey. I bite down a swear.

I look around from my hiding to see if there is any other way inside and I see that the extension of the cemetery boundary is beyond this wall cut, and all I need to do is to find a way to get inside.

The first lesson in sneaking: Don't be near any living being. At all.

I move towards the boundary wall and the choking smell starts to fill up my throat at once. I prevent myself from gagging, and then slowly inch forward, with my back to the wall, determined to get away from the main entrance. I can easily climb this wall; hence, the farther away I go, the easier it will be for me to sneak in. Yes, he may see me, but I'm fast enough and I'll quickly climb up the wall, so he won't be able to catch me.

Yes, he may tell the officials, but I'm a fast runner. I can easily sneak in and out. Also, the fact that a guard is there indicates that the workers are not present there.

Luck could not be more helpful than now.

My pace gathers speed, and I find myself running. My wit is being commanded by my eagerness.

The cut in the wall now seems like a small speck; I must have run quite a distance. This seems like a perfect place.

I do not see a living soul around, and that's good. I look around the wall and find the gaps between the bricks as I expected them to be there.

"One leg up, hand on one brick, lift yourself up and repeat the trick." This was my mother's instruction. She had drilled this into my head since I was a toddler, and I used to keep reciting them without understanding its meaning. Now I do.

Securing my leg on the lowest gap and gripping a brick, I heave a sigh and lift myself up and quickly repeat the trick till I am on the top. I take a good look around and see that the guard has seen me, and is now jumping to his feet to take some action.

Slow much, eh?

I jump from the wall and feel the air rushing past my face and in my ears. Just a second of bliss before I feel a stinging pain in my legs.

Ouch.

I look down and see that there has been no external damage, but the growing, throbbing pain indicated otherwise. I take off my boot and lift up my trouser leg to see a large, black spot, dangerously spreading. Internal bleeding.

I ought not to let this stop me though. I tear off a part of my sleeve of my shirt and tie it around my leg. That has to hold on till I reach my mother's grave.

I run again because the guard must have informed someone about an intruder.

I weave around various graves, finally understanding my foolishness. I don't know where my mother is. I need to look around these new graves to find my mother among them.

About the smell you ask? I've experienced worse odours in my life; these cemeteries smell is simply overrated.

By the looks of the covering, I'm walking around the old graves.

Just great. I give the officials more time to look for me.

I pass around so many familiar names; my classmates, acquaintances, some of my mother's friends, and incidentally, Alexander Levis, my ex-boyfriend.

Yes, ex-boyfriend. Don't be surprised.

I stop around Alex's grave, with a simple "I'm so sorry; you did not deserve me," uttered from my mouth and I move on.

The graves start to get newer, and my heartbeat faster.

I'm getting nearer the end, as there are only five rows left. She is going to be here.

I finally see my grandmother here. Her name etched over the cover. I kneel. My legs throb even more dangerously. In addition to that, my head has started to ache, my vision blurring now and then.

Perfect.

"Really, grandmother? Am I really worth your death? You could have told me. Your death was never an answer. I don't know. Is this what you wanted? I can't handle this; you know me. Remember one thing; I have never hated you. Just rest in peace knowing tha-" I stop and subside into a harsh coughing fit. I cup my mouth with my palm, and I feel it getting wet. I look at it. Blood.

I need to move ahead.

Finally, my mother.

She's right there. In front of me. Below me.

Does she know that her daughter is right there? The one she abandoned?

"I don't know. You know I have never felt this way on anyone's death at all. Why am I grieving? I have not done this ever, not even when my friend died, not even when Alex died! Then why you?"

My head starts swimming and my eyes start to blur our more and I hear footsteps. I look around and see fade outlines of two young men in trainee uniforms. I curse out again.

Why didn't I think of these trainees being present? I try to get up, but I'm unable to do so. I try again.

I look at my leg and see that it's stuck on the ground. Lifting up my trouser leg, I see that the piece of cloth tied there has done no help whatsoever.

A pain shoots through my body and I groan in pain yet again.

The trainees notice me and start running towards me while I fruitlessly try to get up. The face of one of them looks familiar. And worried.

The pain in my head overtakes me and I fall down on the ground.

"Alice!" screams a familiar voice.

A pair of hands lift up my head and in its lap.

"Alice, open your eyes, don't close, keep them open, don't close, look at me!"

I try to focus on the features of the person holding me; sharp cheekbones and a worried pair of eyes stare back. I still cannot function properly. With a last mumbled "Mother!", I see the world getting darker and darker to a point where everything disappears.

A/N: I'm so sorry for the late update, I've been busy enjoying my holiday. (Sorry not sorry.) I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I had fun writing this one particularly :D Do tell me your thoughts, I would love to read reviews, they make my day brighter :D Do comment and vote if you liked it!

Edit: Thank you all for your support, as Survival now has reached the highest rank of #9 in Science Fiction!