The Infected [A Zombie Story] {COMPLETE}

4 - Behind the Garden Wall

Nothing. Darkness. Muffled sounds. The only things I felt, saw, and heard. I started to feel a warm and painful sensation in my stomach, as I lay on the grass. Suddenly, I felt someone pick me up in a bridal style. At this point, my vision had started coming back. Jason has been carrying me, which was surprising, I didn't know we were on good terms in the first place. I saw a large sign reading "PRESCOTT UNIVERSITY" for a quick second.

This was confusing. How far had we walked to reach another university? How did I not bleed out? My vision left me once again. It went for a while this time. When I woke up, I was in a grimy, yet well kept nurses office. I got up, but immediately fell off the bed I was on. I winced in pain, slowly getting up. Quickly after, a boy walked in. "Woah... you're up." He said.

"Yeah. I am up. Where am I, exactly?"

"You're at Prescott university. This used to be a really popular college, but ever since the outbreak everyone either left or died. A few friends and I stayed though, it seemed like a good base. My name's Max. I'm kind of the medic around here. I fixed that wound and bleeding forehead. That black eye will take a while to heal. If you wanna find your friends, two of them are down the hall in the counsellors office." Max explained. I thanked him and walked down the hall. When I reached the office, I saw Andy and Jason arguing with two other girls.

"You led bandits to our base?!" One brown haired girl asked.
"We lost them! Our friend was wounded, did you want us just die out there?!" Jason replied.
"Look, we need to calm down. We lost them..." Andy tried, but was cut off by more arguing.

Andy and the other other girl, with messy black hair and glasses, started to try and break up the argument.

"Megan, why can't you back me up on this?" The brown haired girl asked.
"Kara, just calm down and let's take a different approach to this!" Megan said.
"Seriously? We've been so fortunately silent, and off the map, from bandits! Now, these people come along and end that!" Kara yelled.

I looked out a window, and saw Saddie and Gabe outside with brown haired boy, with deep hazel eyes. His mostly fluffy, and messy, hair was hidden under a beanie. I decided to leave the argument, and walk outside. Once I did, the warm sunlight showered me in that cold misty air. The breeze twirled through the air, making my hair dance around. I walked over to them. Gabe wrapped his arm around Saddie, comforting her. That's when I realized, Pepper and Brian were gone. The realization loomed around the small group, like a dark, black fog.

"Hey, Katie. How have you been holding out?" Gabe slightly smiled.

"Ok"
"Good"

"This is Eddie, he's been comforting us a bit." Saddie said, with eyes full of tears. I waved slightly, still wondering how I could've failed Brian and Pepper like that. They didn't deserve it. Tiredly, I rested on the small picnic table they were gathered around. Saddie looked up at me, with a sad cold, yet somewhat genuine smile.

"I'm glad I'm alive." She said, the smile wobbling into a slight frown. I hugged her, assuring I'd do whatever I could to protect her. I looked at Gabe, smiling at him. I brung him into the hug, as we all smiled at how far we've come. "I'll do whatever it takes to keep you guys safe."

The hug broke into pieces as I looked up at Eddie. He had an uneasy look on his face, as he stared deeply into the forest surrounding the school. "Somethings wrong." He explained, making back up. He pulled out a radio, talking into it. "Raiders, get your rifle Kara." He muttered. He pushed us back to the side of the school. Gunshots rang through the air. It's really the only thing you hear nowadays.

"Get to safety!" I whispered to Saddie and Gabe. I looked up at a pull-down ladder. I jumped onto a dumpster, jumping off of it, and grabbing onto the ladder. It slid down to the ground. I rushed Saddie and Gabe up there. More gunshots were fired, as I let Eddie up. I was about to follow them, until the ladder broke off. I fell down, a headache rushing throughout my head. I stood up, telling Eddie to get Gabe and Saddie to safety.

"Do you know how to shoot a gun?" He asked. I nodded, I had taken archery classes when I was 14. He dropped one down. I grabbed it, keeping my guard up. Two bandits had jumped the walls and were heading towards the door. I aimed my gun... but it was just too much. I grabbed a rock and threw it, knocking a bandit out. I chased the second one into the building. I tackled him to the ground. He pushed me off and got up. He threw a punch towards me, I couldn't dodge in time. I elbowed him in the stomach, making him wince. I gave him a nice uppercut for dessert. He fell to the ground, unconscious.

I saw Kara, Megan, Andy, and Jason run down the stairs. They looked at my mess, Jason looking proud. "What the hell! Grr! You're making this worse! You're gonna make them attack us." Kara clenched her fists, but calmed down. I knew she was only trying to protect her friends. I turned around to see Max checking the bandits pulse.

I stared quietly at the scene. "Well. We'll fight back. Let's protect this place." I slightly smiled. Gabe, Saddie, and Eddie quickly turned the corner. I smiled at Gabe.

"The gym has a storage room, it's filled with things we've collected. It could have some barbed wires." Megan added.

"Okay. It's settled. Jason, Gabe, and I will head to the gym. You guys find some more stuff to help." I said. Everyone agreed, except for Jason. He mumbled something when I mentioned Gabe. Before we left, Max slipped a radio in my hands, just in case. We nodded towards each other and left. On our way to the gym, Jason sprinted up to me and whispered to me. "You sure you want that kid to help us?"

"Of course, he's my friend, I trust him." I said.

"Look, I'll be straight here. The kids got nothing in him. I haven't seen him take anything down. He could get us killed." Jason explained.

"Don't start any drama anymore, I just want all of you safe." I said. He shrugged. We finally made it to the gym after a few seconds of dead silence. We went into the storage room, and found some barbed wires. Jason collected all of it into a box, closing it up.

"Will that be enough for the entire building?" Gabe whispered. I assured we might leave a side off, just for an escape. Suddenly, gunshots flew through the air. The window in the gym shattered. I forced Jason out of the building with the supplies.

"Go! Just get the supplies to a safe place!" I yelled. I looked at Gabe, signalling for him to follow Jason. He shook his head no, pulling out a gun.

"You take them by stealth, I'll go straight on causing a distraction." He said. I nodded, I trust him. I climbed up to the roof of the gym. A few bandits had climbed over the walls, into the greenhouse section. Gabe immediately stared to shoot some of them down. I took some rocks up with me, and started to stealth fully take the gunmen out one by one. That left Gabe with the ones with knives. I jumped down, making a nice special entrance. We're like partners in a hero movie.

One immediately charged at me. I rolled out of the pinning them to the wall. I used my gun to knock them to the ground. As I did, another grabbed me by the neck, holding a knife to it. Gabe pulled him off, knocking him down and beating him. I ran up to another one, as they grabbed me by my stomach. I kicked their shins, knocking them down and keeping my foot to their chest. I turned to see Gabe pinned up against the wall, separating the greenhouse garden from the rest of the school. The last bandit stuck his knife deep into his stomach. He winced.

I kicked the guy in the stomach. I then punched him, making him fall to the ground. I looked above the wall to see Jason and Andy putting up some barbed wires. Gabe slouched down, hiding behind the wall. I crouched down next to him. "I'll get Max. Just stay strong!" I told him. I looked over the wall once more to see a bunch of bandits jumping the walls. Kara and Jason began to attack them, they needed help. I saw Gabe close his eyes. Worriedly, I tried to drag him away, but I wasn't strong enough. I fell down, smashing my chin into the cold hard ground. This wasn't helping my ever darkening black eye, that Max couldn't care for right away.

Gabe stopped breathing. I tear fell down my face, as I realized he was gone. I cried into the dirt, making tiny mud puddles. I broke down hearing the gunshots around me fade in and out. I slowly crawled to the gym, standing up and running through the hallways. I bumped into Andy in the halls, he had seen everything going on outside. I fell limp into his arms, crying more and more. He hugged me, as I stood on my knees.