Outbreak! Virus 'Z'

Final chapter: Goodbye

Recap: The apocalypse is a cruel and painful place. Especially for a group of preteens. It started at their school. They managed to survive and escape. They lived in their town for awhile until it was too dangerous to stay there. In hopes of finding a new home, they head for the countryside. After walking for the longest of time, they find a new town. But it doesn't last too long. After some drama they leave. Then they head to the woods. Their final destination as a group. This is the final resting place for two of their friends so far. Panicked and terrified the raised close in to devour the rest of them. Will they survive?

Samurai's POV

Everything was going in slow motion. Bobo was swinging her bat around in an attempt to kill the raised. Cathy was fighting off a raised that had sunk its teeth into her forearm. I heard my sibling scream from behind me. No. No more. I can't handle anymore deaths. I become a fury and attacked all the immediate threats in quick lightning fast slices. The raised drop to the ground as we look for an escape route. In the distance I can hear Sam-Sam barking. I look around for her to see a clearing where she stands tall and proud. I cut down a path and tell the others to run. They don't hesitate as they race out of deaths grasp. Bobo was with Cathy, helping her stay standing. Cathy's arm was bleeding out pretty badly. All my family was safe. We all run through the woods. Away from our burning base. Into the darkness, being led by a dog. No one questioned this.

Once we made it into a small clearing we decided to rest for a little. Cathy looked terrible. The bite was really deep. I solemnly bow my head, knowing she's not going to make it out of these woods. "I'm fine, really. Let's just keep going." She says, out of breathe. No one buys it, but we continue anyways.

-time skip-

We have been walking for hours, hopelessly lost. Cathy has had a few episodes in which blood spills, her blood. Everyone looks so tired and at the same time no one wants to rest. This entire experience has been extremely enervating. The cloak of death hanging over this forest is too thick. I don't think I'll be able to handle it much longer. Then suddenly, Cathy stops. We all turn to her and question why she refuses to walk any farther. She looks at us solemnly. "I'm not going to make it." We don't say anything because we know it's true. "Just go on without me. I don't want to hurt you." No one moves for the longest of times. "Okay. Emma lets get moving." Bobo was the one to break the silence. I was honestly surprised that she was accepting this. I didn't show my shock and just nodded. We all walked away from Cathy, who stood in the middle of the clearing, showing a bittersweet smile.

-time skip to a few years later-

It's been ten years since we left the forest. When we left we headed back to Shadow town to see if we could find shelter. We managed to clear out a small neighborhood. We secured a few buildings and made rope bridges that connect the houses by the roof. And in case of emergencies, there is always a sharp knife nearby to cut down the bridge if need be. After years of working on our new home, survivors from all over started to appear. We would provide shelter as long as they contributed to the regrowth of Shadow town. I'm a lot stronger now, and Willow has grown up quite a bit. I've been teaching her how to defend herself and how to survive. She's my little ninja with her sword and awesome skills I taught her. As if by miracle Bobo lived through everything and ended up being a teacher for the children of Shadow town. She does surprisingly well, considering how crazy she is. Sam-Sam is the same. She's like a guard dog for the entire town. She patrols the town at night and sounds an alarm in case we have a breach. Clever. Time has been flying by, right in front of our eyes. We've all grown so much since that incident. That incident in the forest. I'll never forget it, never in my life.

It was only until now that I remember every little detail about that day. How my best fire died. How my other two friends died. How the fire licked the sky, searching for more fuel. How Willow cried for her life. All the blood. I don't ever want to go back there, but... someone once told me that if I ever wish to continue in life, I must first conquer my past. I don't entirely understand, but I think I have a general idea. I have to brace the forest once again and go back to that place. It must be done. But I can't. I just can't at the moment. It's too much. Maybe one day I will go, but for now, it's Willow's lesson time.