Don't Let Me Go

Did We Really Escape Unscathed?

"Mark, we need more food." Nate says softly.

Mark looks around, "Three of you, loot that house over there. Three more will loot the house on the other side of the street. I'll stay here with Amy, anyone else can either stay or help the others."

"I'll go with you," Felix offers to Nate.

"No, you won't," Nate replies, walking past him. He walks up to Matt and Stephanie, "You two want to loot that house with me?"

Matt shrugs, "No problem, let's go."

Nate, Matt, and Stephanie head off to the right, to the nearest house to look for food. Tyler sighs, "Felix, you can come with Ethan and I."

Felix follows them silently to the left side of the street. Mark stands there in the street, an arm around Amy's waist, keeping her standing next to him, his other hand holding a small pocket knife. The last house they had looted yesterday had a stash of different assortments of knives, which the group now uses as their primary weapons. Marzia and Jack hang around Mark awkwardly. Mark sighs, "Amy and I will be fine for five minutes in the middle of the street. You two can go help if you want."

"We're fine here," Jack replies, looking around to ensure their safety. Marzia just stands there, gripping the hem of her ripped skirt. All her clothes were in a suitcase in Mark's living room. There was no going back for them. In the silence of the day, Mark becomes lost in thought, going over how they barely escaped his house with their lives.

"Go!" Mark commanded, his gaze constantly shifted between the door and his friends as they slowly climbed out the window. Ethan was the first to get out the window and Tyler was close behind. Matt ushered Stephanie out next, he instructed her on where to grab and where to put her feet in order to get to the roof safely. Once she was safely on the roof above them, Felix approached the window with Marzia.

"Let Marzia go ahead of you." Felix said, almost glaring at Matt, almost daring the Theorist to try and go ahead of Felix's beloved girlfriend. Matt frowned, but nodded. He helped Marzia get out the window, instructing her as he had Stephanie. Stephanie took Marzia's hand, helping her the rest of the way up.

Mat turned to Felix, raising an eyebrow, "Can I go now?"

Felix nodded, looking away. Matt climbed out and up onto the roof as quickly as he could. Stephanie was still waiting for him and she grabbed his hand and pulled him the rest of the way up. Matt then pulled her along with him to make room for the others, and to figure out where they should go from there. Felix climbed out next, leaving only Nate, Jack, Mark, and Amy behind. Felix's foot slipped as he tried to pull himself onto the roof and he almost fell, left hanging too far from the window. He held on to the roof with just his hands, screaming, "Help me! I can't get up!"

Nate was the next in line and he climbed up as quickly as he could. Crouched on the roof, he looked over at Felix, watching the man flail, screaming, barely able to hold on to where he was hanging. Nate's eyes narrowed as Felix locked eyes with him, pleading, "N-Nate, help me!"

Nate stood and walked away, meeting up with the others on the roof. Felix continued to scream and cry, one of his hands slipped off the roof. If he didn't get help, he would fall to his death. Mark saw this and groaned, handing Amy off to Jack quickly, "Hold on to her!"

Jack nodded, holding Amy awkwardly. His eyes were wide, the bedroom door was cracking. They didn't have much time, and Jack didn't want to be left in the room when the door broke. Mark climbed out the window, keeping his eye on Felix as he moved carefully. He got on the roof and slowly made his way over to Felix. He holds his hand out, "Felix, give me your hand!"

Felix tried to grab Mark's, "Don't let me die.."

"I won't. I promise." Mark leaned down a little more, grabbing Felix's arm. He then pulled as hard as he could, slowly moving back, trying to stand as he pulled Felix up onto the roof. Once Felix was on the roof, he hugged Mark then went over to the others. Mark frowned, Nate could have helped him. He turned towards the window, "Jack, you'll have to help me get Amy up here!"

Jack moved to the window, looking out. He stared up at Mark, still holding Amy, who was losing consciousness. He looked down at Amy and shook her lightly, "You need to stay awake. Can you move?"

Amy stirred, opening her eyes a little more as she nodded. Jack set her on her feet and she slowly climbed up onto the window. Jack did his best to keep a hold of her so she wouldn't fall. Mark held his hand out for her, "Come on, just climb up high enough for me to grab you."

She nodded, climbing up very slowly. Jack kept looking between her and the slowly breaking door. Amy reached up and Mark took her hand. She climbed a little more, with Mark pulling her up. The door broke and infected quickly filled the room. Jack screamed and climbed out the window, almost knocking himself and Amy to the ground. Amy slipped off where she had been standing because of Jack and Mark almost fell down with her. Matt grabbed Mark, keeping him up. Mark, with Matt's help, finally pulled Amy onto the roof. Jack started climbing, the infected grabbed at him from the window.

Jack was pulled down by the infected. He screamed, flailing as he hung upsidedown from the windowsill, the only thing that kept him up was the infected trying to eat his legs. Mark screamed for his friend as he climbed back down, far enough away to avoid the hands of the infected. He holds on to a pipe running up along the house, reaching out for Jack, "Jack! Take my hand!"

Jack reached back for Mark while he kicked at the infected. Mark grabbed Jack's hand and Jack kept kicking until his legs were released. He falls, shrieking, but Mark didn't let go of him. Jack hugged the pipe tightly and they both slowly climbed their way back up to the roof. Once they were safe, they regrouped and Mark, once again, was silently named leader.

Mark brings himself back to the present as Amy starts coughing up blood again. He looks down at her, pained, as she holds bloody tissues to her mouth. He hates that there's nothing he can do for her. There's no known cure for this illness. He stares at her, taking in the changes in her appearance in the four days since their escape from his house. Her skin is so sickly pale, her veins are becoming more evident, her eye color is getting darker and duller at the same time. Amy is really sick, she can barely stand on her own and she keeps having nose bleeds or coughing up blood. He looks away from her, his eyes wide as one of his friends screams. Jack and Marzia take off instantly towards the house the screaming came from. Towards the house Tyler, Ethan, and Felix went into.