stay alive // jack metzger

ten

My heart fell out of my chest as my eyes were glued to Jack's face. His face of happiness and love and a smile turning into terror and fear.
   The scarlet blood made my stomach churn as Jack twisted around and stabbed the dead man in the head, the guitar smacking to the ground. We all held still as the corpse fell to the ground, smacking against the linoleum floor.
    My heart thudded in my chest and my breathing quickened as JJ and I stood stiff, waiting for Jack's reaction.
    "Well fuck," Jack said, letting out a pitiful smile as he moved his arm to see the bite. "That's not good, isn't it?"
    "Jack," I whispered, my eyes glued to the bleeding wound on his arm. Soft tears fell down my cheeks. I felt hopeless as I stood there.
    "It's okay," Jack said. I could tell he was trying to calm himself down as the panic filled his face. "It's gonna be okay."
    "Jack," JJ said, inching towards him.
    "No!" Jack yelled, scaring the two of us at his sudden anger. "It's fine."
    "Let me dress it," I said quietly, trying my best to get to close to him. "Get some alcohol and wrap it up so we can see Ryan and Adam and everyone else."
    Jack's eyes were glued to his arm, thick beads of blood dropped down his forearm, splashing a puddle onto the floor. His face went pale and it contorted as he looked up at me. Sobs fell from his eyes and he fell to his knees, full panic setting in.
    I ran to him and held his hands in mine, trying to calm him down. JJ ran around the store, finding first aid supplies, something to help offset the effects that were bound to happen soon.
    JJ handed me a shirt and I ripped the fabric, creating a bandage. I took the alcohol JJ found and gave Jack a strip of the shirt to bite on.
    I let out a sigh before pouring the clear liquid onto the wound. Jack's face scrunched at the burning pain that I was feeling for him. Muffled screams came from his mouth as the alcohol entered the flesh.
    "I'm sorry," I kept saying as I kept pouring. "I'm so sorry, babe. I'm-"
    I took the shirt and wrapped his wound in the fabric, securing it by tucking the fabric into itself. Jack calmed down and leaned his back against the counter of the store.
    "I'm okay," Jack said, letting out a heavy sigh. "I'll be okay."
    I sat there, trying to hold back my own emotions as he smiled, trying to tell himself he'd be okay.
    "I'm sorry," I whispered, placing my hand on top of his.
    "Why?" Jack said confused.
     "You saved me," I said, choking back the tears that were fighting their way out. "Back then, you saved me and I couldn't even save you."
    "Ana," Jack said, squeezing my hand tighter in his. "Don't blame yourself. Please don't."
    "Guys," JJ said as he stood at the door of the store. "We need to go."
     I looked back at Jack who was adjusting his trapper hat back onto his head when it fell just a few minutes earlier. I laughed as he adjusted it.
   "What?" He asked laughing. "I can't die without it, literally."
    His remark made my heart sink into my stomach, made me feel sick and hurt.
   "Sorry," Jack said, hoisting himself up with a flash of pain crossing his face.
    "It's okay," I said, grabbing his hand on the arm that wasn't bit. "We're gonna be okay."
    "Cmon," JJ said, ushering to the back of the store to get away from the windows. I caught a glimpse of outside and saw the group of the dead moving closer to the store. I quickly looked away, squeezing onto Jack's hand tighter.
****
     "Jack," I said to him as he was growing paler by the minute. We walked through the city, trying our hardest to keep quiet. Hours went by and so did Jack's strength.
    "I'm sorry," he said coughing slightly. "I'm-"
     "Do we need to stop?" JJ whispered. The sun was closing down around the horizon and darkness was growing behind us.
     "We should stop," I said, looking up at Jack, who was losing strength by the minute.
     "No," Jack said, struggling to keep himself up.
    "Jack, you cant stand up by yourself," I said to him, hoisting him up to the best of my ability.
    "We can't stop," Jack said, his voice raising. JJ and I both shushed him as we looked around to see if any more dead were coming. "We have to find them."
    "Jack, I'm sorry," JJ said to him. "But it's getting late and you're not getting any better. We have to stop."
    Jack stopped dead in his tracks and stared at the two of us, tears looking in his eyes.
    "Fine," He said in a whisper, slowly walking towards the nearest house.
    JJ and I exchanged glances and followed jack into the building, seeing him tumble to the ground near the stairs.
    Jack coughed hard and I met him on the floor, kneeling down to see him. I handed him the bottle of water from my bag but he refused.
    "I'll be dead here soon," Jack laughed. "That's yours."
     "Jack, don't say that," I said to him, cupping his cheek in mine. "You're fine."
     "I'm not," He said. "I'm not okay."
      Started down all of our faces as we were all met with the truth. Jack was in his final moments.
      "I don't think I've ever told you how beautiful you are," Jack said weakly, brushing the hair in my face behind my ear.
     I let out a laugh as even more tears fell from my face. I rested my cheek into his hand as his eyes dropping the tears softly.
    "Stay alive," Jack whispered to me, looking me dead in the eye. "Keep safe."
     I nodded and kept my eyes on him. He smiled and broke our eye contact, looking up at JJ.
    "Well J," Jack said grunting. "Promise me you'll keep her safe?"
     "Will do, boss," JJ said smiling, holding his own emotions back to the best of his ability. "Will do."
     Jack nodded towards JJ's hand, that was gripping onto a knife. JJ and I looked at where Jack was nodding.
    "No," I said, reassuring him. "Just let it pass, don't-"
    "I'm in pain," Jack said whispering, wiping a tear from my cheek.
    I nodded and looked up at JJ who nodded at me.
    I looked back at Jack and kissed the top of his forehead, his feverish heat meeting my lips.
   "Stay alive," Jack whispered again as I was standing up. He held onto my hand as long as he could until his hand fell from mine.
    I turned quickly around and ran out of my house, unable to be in the room when JJ did it.
    I stood there, holding my face as sobs uncontrollably fell from my eyes. I shakily reached into my bag and pulled the old sharpie out and slowly put the line by the other faded lines. This one, standing out against the others.
    I stood there for what felt like eternity but was only just a few seconds. JJ's hand was on my shoulder, scaring me for a second.
   I turned around and instantly embraced him, sobbing into his jean jacket that he was wearing.
   "It's okay," JJ said to me, holding me close to his chest. "We will be oka-"
    "Ana?" I heard a familiar voice say. "JJ?"
    We both turned to find the voice and our hearts sank to the floor.
    Ryan, Adam, and Kiana were walking towards us.
    "Where's Jack?"