The future I didn't ask for.

Chapter 1

The Journey.

Bang. I wake up breathing heavily. My brother is beside me, sleeping all his troubles away. I should be sleeping too, we have a busy day tomorrow. I wake up, this time to the sound of birds outside. Jak is already awake, and is packing his bags for the journey. "Jak!" I say, slightly whining. "Why didn't you wake me? You know how important this trip is and we cant waste time!". He doesn't reply, his eyebrows furrowed as I talk. He still seems angry about last night when I ate the last jerky. I begin to pack my stuff slowly, to make sure I don't forget anything important. There is a silence, the only sound I can hear is the shuffling of feet as we move to collect some more necessities. As soon as we finish packing I reach for Jak's hand, he pulls it away sharply. "Come on Jak, get over it. It was just a piece of jerky!" I say. "Yeah but you know how much I like jerky, AND I told you hundreds of times that I wanted the last piece of jerky!" He snaps back. This is starting to really irritate me so I grab his wrist and we're off.

We head out of the safe-house, my gun at hand. "Jak get your knife out" I say quietly, but sternly. Jak pulls out his knife from the side of his pack. It was a small kitchen knife, and would do hardly any damage to the infected but I know we both feel safer with him holding it. Then we see it. An infected. My breathes become heavier, and Jak's grip tightens. It hasn't seen us yet so we carefully go around it. As soon as we pass a curb I release a sigh. "Jak can you get the map from my bag?" I say turning my back towards him. He pulls it out and hands it to me. "We have barely even left the safe-house and still cant face an infected" Jak says, almost in a way that makes me think he wants to face one. "Then go get it if you want to kill one so badly" I say annoyed. My finger shakily follows the path on the map as it leads to a circled area. "Camp Rosikill" I mutter, barely above a whisper. "Are you sure we'll be safe there?" Jak asks slightly concerned. "Yes" I reply and begin walking again. Left, right, right, left, right, I think as a turn each and every turn. Before I turn left once more just a few meters away stands an infected. It sees us. I aim my gun at it, my hands shaking. I shoot it in the head, and tears well up in my eyes but I stop them from falling. Quickly we run past.

"We'll camp here for tonight" I say to myself. Up ahead is a small cabin, framed by trees. Silently I say "Jak go climb a tree and don't come down till I say so". Obediently he listens. The orange sunset glistens against my skin as I reach for the doorknob. Empty. The cabin was looted leaving only a pillow-less mattress. I gesture 'come in' to Jak and we settle down. "Cold baked beans again?" Whines Jak. "I know you don't like it but you gotta eat something" I reply. As we settle for bed, I wrap my arms around Jak and think about tomorrow. Then it starts again. That dream I keep having. "Please help me, please" Croaks a man, he begins to gurgle. Infected, at least it looks like it. I aim the gun between his eyebrows, why am I doing this I think to myself. I pull the trigger. Bang. I wake up this time to the sunlight creeping in. "Lets go" I say as a shake Jak awake. That was day one of my journey, I think to myself. Only seven more days to go.