The Light At The End Of The World

Mistakes

"Hey June, can I talk to you?" Katie asked, shaking me awake.

"Sure, just give me a minute," I said. I was just itching to get out of this tank top and into regular clothes.

My backpack was sitting propped up in the corner along with my bow. I sifted through the contents until I found what I was looking for: just a simple t-shirt that I found in some young teenager's room. I try not to break into the abandoned houses that much; I think it's rude and an invasion of their privacy. But... I face the corner away from Katie and Grace and take off my tank top, throwing it beside my bag. I slipped on the new bra and a shirt over that.

"Yes, Katie?" I asked as I followed her into the hallway. She turned and faced me when we were out of hearing range of Grace.

"June, Grace developed a fever last night. And June.. I'm sorry but her fever is getting worse," she said. She paused so she could let her sharp words sink deeper in my chest. "I know these aren't the words you want to hear right now but, she needs a doctor. If we don't act soon the fever will take her, and it will be too late. We'll have to put her down."

"Stop! Just stop. She's not bit. She'll be fine Katie," I shot back.

"I'm sure she will be fine; we just need to be sure. We need to find her a doctor," she said, raising her hands in defense.

"I'm sorry for yelling. It's just the winter and we'll all get cold." I said letting out a shaky breath seeing my breath leave a vapor cloud of condensation.

"They turn when they die too."

"You don't think I fucking know that already??"

"I know you do June, but she's different. She's a small child and she can catch the diseases faster than we can. Her immune system might not be able to keep up.."

My blood was starting to boil as she continued to talk about child sickness. Then, as if I remembered that I had six full magazines in my cargo pants, I pulled out my gun, dropped the clip, and slid in a new one before the old one even had a chance to hit the ground. The barrel was pointed right between her eyes before she could even blink and realize what I was doing.

"Leave her out of this. Are you a doctor, Katie Kenny? You don't know anything about me and Grace. You couldn't possibly begin to imagine what she feels. She lost her whole family. She had to put a bullet in their brain to keep them from turning. Do you even know how hard and how much stress that would put on a thirteen-year-old girl? She's alone, Katie. She had to survive without the support and love from her parents for all these years. Don't you understand that? ."

My eyes stare with pure hatred into Katie's, who stare back in horror. I could feel my finger tighten around the trigger and before I knew it there was a loud bang. I startled myself and dropped the gun. My stomach churned on the inside as the last bullet shell hit the floor, and I backed away slowly, just in time to see Katie's body fall down like a rag doll, a small hole between her eyes. A deep crimson red splattered all over the dirty tan wall. Small fragments of skull and brain bits filled the area. My heart raced as more blood spilled from the bullet hole, soaking the carpet. I looked down to her face, and eyes, once full of life, now gone. Instead, a dead, blank stare stared up at me from her now pale and slightly foggy green eyes.

My hands shot up to my tangled hair as I realized what I've just done. I killed her. I'm a killer. What have I done? "What have I done!" I screamed as I sank down to the floor across from Katie's body.