Not The Last {Rough Draft}

Chapter 22: Nightmares Are A Side Affect Of Trauma

"Why didn't you tell any of us?" Nile pressed. He had been attacking me with questions for ten minutes and I had said nothing.

"Astrix! Why didn't you say anything?" Nile demanded. There was a small note of anger in his voice but other than that it was almost pure hurt.

I stopped and turned on him. "Because of that! That very thing that happened back there! That's why I didn't tell you! I said that if you guys stayed with me, that your lives would be put at stake and this is what happened! I warned you!"

"Are these all the secrets you are keeping from us? If there are anymore you might as well tell us!" Nile yelled. His eyes were clouded with exhaustion, pain, hurt, anger.

"No there's nothing else. At least not that I know of. This is what I was afraid of," I said. Nile and I were face to face. Ashley, Van, and Trent were watching us silently.

"How did they know that you were still alive?" Nile asked. I could tell it was a question that had been on his mind for a while.

"They didn't...," I said and turned. Oh wait, there was one more thing left to tell them and I guess Nile caught on.

"Tell us, Astrix," Nile said quietly.

"I'm not supposed to be alive. I shouldn't be alive. My dad, he tested out the experiment on me. I don't know what it was, but he injected me with it. Evidently it didn't work so he tweaked it a little and," I threw my hands up for affect, "This happened. The CIA thinks that he injected me with the actual disease so they thought I should have died,"

"Astrix-," Nile started.

"No, it's over. It happened. I'm still leaving when we get to the coast. I can't put you guys in anymore danger than I already have. Just, let it go, okay?" I asked and turned. I wrapped my arms around myself to shield myself from the cool October air.

"That's the thing. It's never over," Nile said quietly. I don't think he meant for me to hear. That's when I realized that it was true. None of anything was over. As long as I was alive there was always a threat. As long as the zombies were still roaming, nothing was safe and nothing was over.

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"Hey, X, you need sleep," Nile said. I looked up at him and stopped twirling my knife.

"I can't. I... I'm going to...," I sighed. I was leaning against the wall of the house we had chosen heavily. From walking for almost a full 24 hours, everyone was exhausted and my side and the rest of my body ached like crazy.

"Nightmares?" Nile asked. I looked at him and nodded slowly. That was what I was afraid of. That's why I didn't sleep as much as I had liked to. That's when I realized the dark marks under his eyes. I wasn't alone in the issue I realized.

"You get em too?" I asked. Nile just sighed and twitched his mouth indicating "yes".

"You really should get some sleep though. You got the shit beat out of you," Nile said.

"And you didn't?" I asked. Nile shrugged.

"Even if I could get some sleep I would be up every hour from my side," I said. It was a dull throb all day but after walking forever it was now a searing pain.

"I gotcha," Nile said and then went digging in his back pack. He pulled out a bottle and gave me three pills.

"Are you trying to drug me?" I asked. Three pills seemed like a lot.

"Yes. It's the only way you will sleep well. I can't guarantee it will stop nightmares. It should though," Nile said.

"Fine. But I'm only sleeping if you do too," I said. Nile sighed.

"Alright sounds like a good deal," He grabbed my hand and led me to the bedroom where Ashley had passed out on one of the two beds.

"Woah, woah, wait. How do I know you're going to actually sleep?" I asked.

"Trust me?" Nile asked.

"Hahaha no," I said. I moved onto the opposite side of the queen sized bed and indicated for Nile to lay down.

Nile sighed and laid on the bed beside me.

"Who knows, maybe it will stop the nightmares," I said. Nile smiled and I laid my head on his chest and let my eyes fall closed. His arm wrapped around me.

"How long do you think you are going to survive?" Nile asked quietly. I wanted to punch him since I had taken the pills and was starting to feel drowsy.

"Not long. I have a tendency of hurting myself," I said.

"Don't worry, I won't let anything happen to you," Nile whispered after awhile. But I didn't hear those words as Nile's, I heard them as Kyle's.

Everything was spinning. I could hear those words over and over again. I could see his face. I could see zombies and my dad. I could see Miranda and Cory and Morgan. There words all slurring together.

I lifted my hands to my ears and fell to the ground. I felt a hand on my shoulder and I turned. Kyle was standing with his hand on me and smiling. His other hand was extended. I reached for it but as soon as I grabbed it, Kyle's skin turned a deathly green color. His eyes fell out of his head. His mouth fell open and maggots fell out. I tried to wrench my hand away but couldn't. The zombie's head cocked to the side and its mouth fell open. It leaned forward and I felt its jaws sink into my neck, blood pouring out and pain going through me. I screamed and tried to move away from the beast.

"Astrix! Astrix it's okay, it's okay. Nothing's going to hurt you. I got you," Nile said. My eyes shot open and my hand immediately went to my neck, which was perfectly fine. Nile had his arms wrapped around me and my side was searing with pain again.

"It was a zombie. It bit me and...," I felt fear wash over me.

"It's okay, it isn't real," Nile said. I felt the comfort of his arms and was immediately comforted.

"Is your side alright?" Nile asked. His voice was calm and gentle.

"It kind of hurts again," I said, but that was the understatement of the century.

"It's been three hours so here," Nile said. He opened the pill bottle again and gave me two more pills. I dry swallowed them and Nile laid me back down on his chest. I was curled up against him and Nile had his arm around me in a protective way.

My eyes were able to slide closed again and I listened to the steady breathing of both Nile and Ashley, who hadn't moved an inch.

How am I going to be able to leave these people?

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A/N

Hmm... how you like the nightmare? Mwahaha. Thought I had to make you guys remember Kyle again :). I'm so mean.

I'm at war with myself of whether I like Kyle or Nile better... Who do you guys like? I seriously can't decide.

AND we have just crossed the 630 mark!! You guys have no idea how happy this makes me right now! I love you all so much! Thank you!!

Okay you know what to do! Comment on, Vote on, read on, fan on, feedback on! Love you all!!