Life with Hunters

Ch 4: I won't leave...

I watched wide eyed as my old friends from my school days before the infection, ran around collecting gas canisters and pouring the gas in the Jimmy Gibbs Jr stock car. I have to admit I'm impressed they've all survived this long. The hunters were all eyeing them hungrily.

   "No." I whispered to them. They backed down. I watched as my friends poured the last gas canister into car, and were about to climb in when a random and spontaneous horde appeared. The hunters and I jumped down to the ground floor and hid as my old friends fought the horde. I heard special infected join the fight, as the horde started to get smaller. A tank emerged from hiding at the other end of the mall. He picked up a giant piece of the floor, and hurled it at the girls. Luckily they dodged it, but the tank was determined to make sure they didn't get out alive. He gorilla ran his way over to my old friends. I didn't want them to die because they were the only humans I felt no hatred towards. I wanted them to survive and make it to a safe zone. I pulled my hood on and unsheathed my katana. The tank ran by my hiding spot, which was the precise moment I jumped onto his back stabbing my blade through his ugly head. The tank swayed before falling dead to the floor. I ripped my sword out of his head as I jumped off his back. The girls looked at me, clearly not recognizing me. I know they could tell I was a survivor like them.

   "Thanks for the save. Who are you anyway?" Breezy asked. She had a look on her face that said 'This survivor looks familiar.'

   "Yeah, and how were you able to jump on the tank like that without getting hit?" Da'Nitta had a bright smile on her face, as if she wanted to ask me to go with them. I couldn't help, but smile at them and giggle some.

   "I thought my hoodie would've given me away. Though you guys probably thought I was either dead, infected, or in a safe zone all this time." I pulled my hood off and watched as my friends eyes widen in shock.

   "You're... You're alive! But... But how?!" Jasmine trembled a little. From what, I don't know.

   "I had some... help if you'd like to call it that." I shrugged a smile on my face and my mismatched eyes half lidded. They looked at each other then back at me.

   "What kind of help?"  Breezy asked, suspicious.

   "This kind of help..." I inhaled deeply and closed my eyes. I released a hunter like call from my lips with my head thrown back. The entire pack pounced out of hiding and herded around me. My friends stared in disbelief. I simply smirked at their shocked expressions. In a way I felt kind of guilty, but also satisfied.

   "Emiko... I know that you haven't lost your mind completely. Come with us. We'll all head to the safe zone together." Jasmine took a brave step forward.

   "No. I will not live in a safe zone with other humans. I despise them. You guys are lucky to be an exception." I tightened my grip on my sword a tiny bit.

   "You can't honestly wanna stay out here in the midst of the infection do you?" Breezy slightly glared at me.

   "I do. Because I won't leave my pack behind. And if that means going against you guys, then so be it." I narrowed my eyes.

   "We won't fight you. We care too much to do so." Da'Nitta said looking disappointed and a little sad. I could literally feel the anger radiating off Jasmine. She glared fiercely at me, and switched her M-16 out for her fire ax. Breezy and Da'Nitta stared at her with expressions clearly stating 'You're really going up against your best friend?! Have you lost your mind?!' She ignored them and sprinted at me. I jumped at her blocking her swing with my own.

   "WHY WON'T YOU COME WITH US?! WE'RE YOUR FRIENDS! YOUR FAMILY!" she screamed, swinging her ax like a sword. I remember teaching her the basics of swordsmanship, but that was all. She'd been practicing clearly. But she didn't know everything I knew. I dodged another swing, raising my right leg and round house kicking her in her stomach. She dropped her ax as the half of the air was kicked out of her, and fell to her knees. Jasmine coughed and choked on air a few times. She looked up at me as I stood over her.

   "I won't leave..." I gave them all one last look, before sheathing my katana, and running off with the pack.