When August Ends

The Battle of Troy

     The three of us struggle through the hallway. Adam can barely move his leg is in such bad shape. Though he's not extremely heavy, Rachel and I are too weak to properly carry him and his wound is being re-opened. I can see more blood seeping through the sheet-bandage. We reach the stairs and halt. All three of us are breathing heavily. We just have to get him down the stairs, through the lobby and to the car. It's not far but carrying him will make it a long trip. I glance at Rachel and find her looking at me. "Okay Rachel you grab his legs but be really careful, I'll hold him up by the shoulders and we'll carry him down." I say quickly.

"No no, wait," Adam winces. "I'll just put my weight on my good leg and you guys can help me down," he concludes.

"What if we lose balance, you'll get hurt even more." Rachel objects.

"There's more of a chance of you dropping me." he says sarcastically. Suddenly his good leg gives out and he begins falling. Rachel and I do our best to support him but he lands on his leg. I hear the sickening sound of his wound squishing under his weight and now all the anguish he has held in is let loose. He lets out a cry of pain so loud it scares me. Tears slip down his perfect face and he clenches his teeth, wincing. He cannot suppress his pained cries and Rachel and I drag him as gently as we can to the lounge area upstairs, lying him on the couch. He is sweating buckets and the sheets over his wound are drenched in blood.

"What do we do?" Rachel whispers to me as Adam shivers on the couch.

"I don't think we can get him down the stairs alone Rachel." I mutter unhappily.

"We can put him on a couch cushion and drag him down," she suggests.

"Can you drive back and get Troy?" I say, the words leaving my mouth surprising me.

"Troy? By myself?" she inquires uneasily.

"I don't drive or I'd go... Rachel we need help and this place is full of infected people that are going to get to us soon enough," I say quickly.

"Both of you just go, I'll be fine," Adam groans.

"I just need you to carefully drive back. Shoot any infecteds that get in your way no matter what. They aren't the same people we used to know, their gone. So just press on," I say. Suddenly Adam lets  loose another piercing scream. Rachel and I rush to him and find him trying to re-adjust his bone again.

"Don't do that! Stop!" Rachel shouts grabbing his hands.

"I don't want to be a cripple!" he shouts yanking his hands away from Rachel. "It's going to mend brokenly!"

"Adam we'll fix it i rpomise but not like this!" Rachel says urgently.

"I have to fix it!" he cries out painedly.

"Adam I know you're hurting but you've got to shut up, you're going to attract infecteds!" I whisper worriedly.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I just, I can't... I'm sorry..." He replies feverishly.

"I'm gonna go get more sheets," Rachel says quickly.

"Take your guns," I remind her. She grabs them and goes through the hallway doors. Adam is shaking on the couch. He's got a fever now. I need to get some water for him, he's dehydrated. I should probably wait for Rachel, but I decide to run downstairs to the water fountain, "Adam," I say kneeling beside him. "I'm gonna go get yo water. Here's a pistol just in case. I'll be right back." I say putting the pistol in his hands.

"No don't you might get caught," he says weakly. I ignore him and rush down the stairs. I walk through the deserted lobby and to the water fountain. The usual cups are gone so I decide to go the vending machine on the other side of the building. I know how to open it without a key and can grab some water bottles. I walk carefully to the hallway doors and push them open, holding my guns at the ready. I see nothing and proceed down the hallway cautiously. Many of the bedroom doors are open but I don't waste time checking them. I rush to the end of this hallway and into the right end door. The vending machine is flickering on and off, but I grab the long crowbar like piece of metal I leave hidden here to get free drinks out and roughly pry it open. To my dismay it creaks and bangs and all of the soda cans and water bottles come crashing out. I feel my heart racing and I await the infected that are bound to come. After  a few moments of silence, I loosen up a bit. Maybe there aren't any in this part of the building. I grab afew bottles of water, shoving them under my arm, when I hear a noise. Something like a mix between a growl and a hiss. I feel my heart racing. I carefully look up and see a good seven infected right infront of me. I hear a noise behind me and turn slowly to see three more eyeing me. All of a sudden I don't feel brave, I don't feel strong, I feel terrified and alone. I realize I'm going to die right here and there's nothing I can do. They begin to slowly inch closer, blood dripping from their gruesome features. I recognize one of them all of a sudden as Colton Mozingo. The sight of his limp body being posessed by some illness causes something to snap within me.