Marks

The six 6's

Ava's POV

"Ava?" I titled my head towards the door. "I think I found what you have,"

"Really?" I asked, looking at the door, which Dawson was on the other side of.

"Yea... Although it's bizarre, I think you have two sicknesses which have grouped into one... I'd have to get a microscope and a blood sample to tell..."

I rolled my eyes at his on going mumbling and pondered over the fact that I have two sicknesses. I mean sure, nasea and headaches go together sometimes and so forth but not entreme sicknesses. Not often anyway.

"So? Take my blood and ask Cheif for a microscope. You guys are all buddy-buddy anyway," I could almost smell the awkward embarrassment rolling off of him in waves.

"I'm not- I mean we're- ugh. Fine, I'll ask. Talk to you later, Ava." I heard Dawson's footsteps as he left, leaving me in silence. Again.

"I. Am. So. Bored." I stated to no one as I moved my feet up and down with each word. 

Soon, Abbi came in and took some of my blood, saying she was going to give it to Dawson. I willingly gave it to her and asked if I could leave. She declined like I knew she would, and left.

I would have gone on my phone, but phones weren't needed at the base, and I qoute, "Are a distraction."

So, I found myself thinking about my situation. I was sick, a weird sickness that might have never been a thing until recently. Or maybe many others have died of it.

How many poeple have died due to this apocalypse? The zombie apocalypse seemed like a joke, movies and books being written about something that would never happen.

Something we didn't have to worry about, something you never thought twice about. I'm sure more than just the people in the base are alive, right?

But the entire town is dead. Probably everyone around it, too. Aside from us. How many of us have died?

The white wall started to turn black, and for a moment I was confused. Than the almost familiar feeling of a memory returning hit me.

It was one of our first runners missions. Back then, we stayed together for safety in numbers. We had no idea that we were better off in small groups. There used to be six of us. We were the six 6's.

Sometimes it got confusing with two 6E's around. Emma, and Ella. But we started to call Ella E2, so we could tell the difference. Cheif didn't mind suprisingly.

Carter had been found shortly before this mission, and Dawson shortly before that. Two of us were newbies, but we thought we'd be fine.

Like I said, humans have a way of tricking themselves into thinking they won't be the ones something bad happens to. We should have learned our lesson.

"We should hit the utility store, there could be some useful stuff there." Carter suggested, pointing in the direction.

We started that way, and when we got there the building was clear. So, we just started to stuff our bags with metals and woods. Our guards were down.

We heard the scream and headed towards the sound. Ella, who was getting wood instead of metal, was surrounded by zombies.

There were so many of them. How we never noticed will forever be a mystery. We started to shoot but it barely made a dent.

"Go! Run! If we all die, what use will that be?" Ella threw her walkie talkie at us and let out a frustrated "Go!"

And I regretfully say that we did go. We left her there to die a horrible death. Now, we were just 5 and would never be the six 6's again.

I blinked multiple times. Ella. She was in the other class, I only saw her a few times. Miraculously only our class made it out alive with a few exceptions of people from other classes.

Ella was one of them, and she had been a runner. She was surprised when she was given that job, but was actually really good at it.

We held a funeral for her. We even put flowers on her grave. That was also the day Cheif explained to us why she would prick her thumb and put her blood on their crosses.

"We cannot expect someone to spill their blood for us and not return the favor."

For some reason, it made sense. Cheif represents all of us, and I've never seen her blood spilled aside from  funerals.

Although Dawson did say she had gotten shot. I wish that memory would show itself. It sounds like a pretty important event.

Dawson's POV

"A microscope?" Cheif asked, as if she didn't believe what she was hearing. I shifted my weight from foot to foot and lowered my gaze.

"I think I know what 6A has. But I need a microscope and a blood sample to tell for sure. I already have the blood sample."

Cheif gave me a doubtful look before she truned to her guard. She spoke quietly to him than he nodded and left.

"6D, you know as well as I that getting a good mircoscope would require time that we don't have." She looked at me with what I thought could be sadness. Maybe it was just my hopes. "But, perhaps I can make an exception."

I smiled brightly. "Thank you, Cheif!" She nodded and turned away from me. She started to walk away, but I spoke.

"And Cheif?" She turned, a questioning look on her face. "I wanted to ask you something."

She gestured for me to go on. "When can I tell her?" I tell Ava everything and not telling her was killing me.

"Soon." Was all she said she she turned and left. I sighed, running a hand through my hair and it bounced right back.