When August Ends

Beginning

I fall back crashing onto the infected person who pulled me back. I hear a sickening crunch and feel the broken corpse beneath me. I put my hand up and it's dripping with foul red blood. Then I feel a sharp pain in my shoulder. I let out a scream that is over due and I fling myself off of the body. I look at my shoulder in panic, thinking it bit me, but I realize there is a jagged piece of mulch lodged in my skin. I look at the body on the ground. It's crushed and yet it's convulsing and attempting to stand. My knees are shaking out of control and I can barely move. I look at the persons face that is distorted and gorey, but somehow it's familiar. I can't put my finger in who he is. "Maya!" I hear Grace screaming frantically.

"Maya!" Troy shouts but I don't turn I just keep looking at the horrid display before me.

"Maya are you bit?" Mace asks solemnly.

"I think... I think I'm fine," I mutter still staring.

"Maya come back up here!" Grace cries.

"We can't risk it," Jon says sullenly.

"Oh so what do you suggest we do?" Adam shouts vehemently.

"She could be infected and kill us all!" Jon answers but not angrily. He's sad.

"What so we just leave her down there?" Stevo snaps.

"No let her come back up!" Grace shouts.

"What if he's right..." Troy says quietly but I hear him. It shouldn't tear me up so much that he's saying that but it does.

"Shut up Troy." Stevo snaps. "Maya I'm coming down to help you up!" Stevo shouts down to me. All the while I've been looking at the corpse and only now I realize who it is. It's my dear friend Andrew.

"Oh my gosh... Oh my gosh.... No!" I scream. I am crying and as I look at Andrew dying on the ground I'm overcome by terror. "Andrew! Andrew can you hear me?" I cry stepping a little closer to him.

"Maya get away from it!" Adam shouts.

"It's not an it! He's Andrew!" I scream vehemently turning to see him.

"Nichols?" Grace gasps. I nod sadly.

"It's Andrew..." I cry. Stevo suddenly is beside me, I hadn't noticed him climbing down. He reaches out to hug me but I step away. "I don't trust myself. I don't know if it hurt me or not. I don't want to hurt you." I mumble through my tears, returning my gaze to Andrew.

"Maya you would have been showing symptoms already. Come back up okay? It's alright come on," he says quietly. I turn to answer him in time to see an infected person behind him.

"Look out!" I scream and at the same time a gun shot goes off. The person falls down with a hole in their head. Stevos eyes have bugged out and both of us look up to see Troy with the rifle.

"Move over Stevo," Troy says. I think nothing of it until I realize Stevo is blocking me. Stevo realizes it too and I know neither of us want to assume the worst but Troy is still aiming the gun.

"Why?" Stevo questions not moving.

"Just do it," Troy demands. Stevo doesn't move but I do. I step to the right in his sight. Troy pulls the trigger moments after and Stevo shouts in horror. I don't flinch though. I trust Troy, I assume he saw something. I turn to look, expecting to see some fallen person and instead all I see is Andrew. He's motionless on the ground, blood pooling around him from the bullet wound. My jaw drops and I put my hands on my head in horror. I turn to Troy in rage, every ounce of me wanting to scream and shout at him but I have no words. All I have are bitter tears and they are what show. "It had to be done," he said bluntly.

"It had to be done." I repeat and look at my dear friend who is dead on the ground. Losing him, I am beginning to realize, is only the beginning.