One Left

Opal and Zero

     After a few days of feeding they guy, he was able to stand up and walk a little. He needed help to walk, but at least we were moving.

     "I still cannot thank you enough for saving me," the guy said with a soft voice. I did not like that he was thanking me, and I did not really trust him. So I just shrugged and then looked around to make sure there were no Changed.

     "What is your name?" he asked before taking a piece of cooked rabbit of the fire. I looked at him narrowing my eyes. His gaze did not back down from my glare. My cold silver eyes backed down from his warm dark chocolate gaze.

      "Opal," I replied looking at my surroundings again before taking some rabbit for myself.

     "Opal, like the stone right?" he asked. I nodded. "That's a cool name, I'm Zero." I looked at him with a blank face while he smiled in the midst of this depressing world. 

      "Zero, like the number?" I asked. 

     He ran his had through his messy medium length jet black hair before saying, "Yep. My father said he wanted to name me from something he was a part of." Zero's smile faded for a minute before coming back and looking at me. "So how long have you been alone?"

     "About a year, maybe?" I replied unsure of how long it had really been. He nodded.

      "So what happened to your husband, or boyfriend?" Zero asked with a concerned voice. I wrapped my arms around myself to calm down and remind myself that thoes memories are behind me. "If you don't want to tell me, I would understand. I am a stranger to you of course, and who can you trust in a world like ours," he said before taking another bit out of his rabbit.

     "He was not my husband or boyfriend, he was the leader of this group I was apart of. They forced all the girls over fourteen to get pregnant. I refused, so they made me," I replied. I looked at Zero and he had a blank stare on his face. I was not surprised at all, but this is the world we live in now.

     "I am so sorry, Opal," he said as he got up from his spot across from me and sat next to me. "Come here," he said while pulling me into a hug. I pushed him to get away, but he was stronger than me which was surprising given his weak state. So I gave up. I buried my head in his chest and then feel asleep.

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     Dreamed. I had dreamed of my sister, mother, father, and I all sitting at a picnic table. No this was not a dream, but a nightmare. I saw the Changed coming from every corner. People running, screaming, and dying all in one place.

     Fear. Fear woke me up. I looked around quickly and say that I was still wrapped in Zero's arms. No wonder I was so warm. I don't know how I feel asleep in his arms, but his embrace was comforting.

     Warmth. I forgot what it had felt like. Maybe he is like me. He was wandering this land to find food and shelter just as I was. And he was going to die of starvation just as we all might do since all the can food will eventually be no good in a few more months. 

     Close. Maybe we can be a pair of some sort. We can stick together him and I. I know I said that I would not join any more groups, but he was not a group. He was just him. He is the one good thing I have in this world as of now. He has not even made an attempt to have sex with me.

     Good. Another word I had almost forgotten. Everything in this world had turned to shit and that word almost was erased from my mind. Good was not an easy thing to come by. Now a days it seems that there are no more good people in the world. There are only the survives and the Changed. That is all that is left. However, Zero seemed different.

    Zero. What an odd name? I always thought that my name was dumb, but his I think is worse. Who names their child after a number? Then again, I would have had a crush on a guy like him. With his dark hair, tall stature, and a probable  jock, along with his edgy name, I would be hooked.

     Crushes. Another thing of the past. I use to have a lot of crushes, but they were all jocks or bad boys while I was the invisible girl. Now one would ever remember who I am after they graduated. Zero probably would be one of those guys who would never have noticed me, but he does now because I saved him.  

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     A few moments later, Zero woke up and opened his eyes. I had been watching our surroundings and him. He seemed so peaceful when he slept. He looked down at me and smiled before moving a way with a little bit off brush on his face. 

     "So no attacks," he said looking around at the forest. 

     "Surprisingly not," I said while getting up and collecting my stuff. "We should probable leave before the Changed come," I said throwing his back pack at him. He grabbed it and put in on while I stomped out the fire. 

     We walked out of the forest and headed down the 101 freeway again looking in abandoned cars for supplies. Usually there would be some, but it seems that many of them were taken by other survivors.

     "Got anything?" Zero called out from behind a small blue Honda Civic. 

     "Nothing, this area has been looted. We should move on from here," I replied back as I walked over to him.

     "Damn, thought there would be something," he said looking around. "Shit." He was looking at where we came from and out came a hoard of Changed. They must have heard us.

     Zero and I run for it. We zig-zaged through parked cars and dead bodies to get to the forest with the hoard chasing us. The forest was dense with trees so we had to slow down to get past them which only meant that the hoard got that much closer to us. 

     I ran through two trees that were close to each other only to get my foot stuck in between them. Why is it that the girl always gets stuck in something during a chase scene? I looked back at the hoard that were closing in on me. Was this really the end? I wouldn't mind if it was. I had been through so much. Maybe it would be better if I was dead. If I was dead then I would join my family in the hoard of mindless Changed.

     Changed. Why did we call them that? No one knows, but at least they had a name. Maybe it helped us make sense of our given situation. The truth. They are just like any zombie. Undead bodies searching from someone to infect with their disease. Now I was next. I would be the next person to receive their gift. I am sorry everyone, but this is the end of me.