The Undead

Chapter 43: Run

--Kaleb's Point of View--

Everyone gets up from the shockwave, everyone looks to the direction fo the explosion with awe. I turn to join in their gaze. 

"Oh....my....God" I whisper to myself. I'm frozen, I cant move my eyes away from it.

Then reality kicks in, if thats what I think it is...we need to leave. Now. "Guys...grab what you can. We need to fucking leave NOW!" "Why waht is that?" Hunter asks.

"Thats a mushroom cloud, only one bomb I know can create a shockwave and a mushroom cloud that large in size.....a fucking nuke. We need to fucking go, the radiation is going to follow suit and we wont survive" I shout as I pick up my shit. The others are doing the same and Hunter just stands there.

"Listen kid, we dont have any time...we might not even make it. So lets go!" I scream at him. He shoots me a sour face, but joins in.

We dont waste any time, we jump the last floor from the fire escape and run opposite of the explosion. I dont take any chances of anyone falling behind, so I take Ryan in my arms. I can only feel my legs against the pavement. "Faster! We cant die now!" Phillip screams trying to boost morale. Everyone picks their pace up, but its hard to keep up when there are walkers everywhere.

Its almost like they have no clue whats going on. They take swipes at us, but their efforts lie in vain as we are to fast for them. 

The sweat starts to flow like a stream down my forehead and I feel my shirt sticking to my back. There's only two things on my mind. Running, and safety. The others are actually up to pace with Stevie and I, but I notice Hunter is a little behind...probably just looking after the back of the group. Nothing to fret over.

We've ran atleast a mile now and theres still buildings five stories tall and walkers and beasts every which way. Soon there should be a forest...soon.

I feel my feet aching, we havent ran this much in forever. We usually do short distance sprints....but this...this is terrible.

Its been about two miles now and everyone is definitely tired...but we havent stopped yet. 

I hear a short-high pitched scream and a cry for help, I turn my head and see Melanie who has ran into a walker, they are piling over her now. This is a decision I have to make quickly.

Save her, and risk all of our lives, or leave her, and be hated.

"Ryan...you listen and you listen good, All of you listen! I'm going to get Melanie. Keep running until nightfall. Do not stop! I might be back...I might not" I say giving Ryan to Phillip.

"Don't leave" "Don't....She saved our lives...I must repay..NOW GO!" I shout at him, he takes my brother and is gone. I turn around and run towards Melanie, she is fighting off two walkers right now. I see Hunter coming up to her..man he was far behind. "Hunter! Give me your sword.....I'll get her...You keep running with the others!" I approach. He gives me a look and then steps back "No" "Look, we dont have time for this. Give me the damn thing!" I'm getting pissed now. "No..I'll ge-" I punch him in the face and kick his stomach while holding the handle to his sword. He falls down and I stand with the unsheathed sword. I point the blade at his chin. "Run"

I take off towards Melanie who is now surrounded by five walkers. "Melanie! Get down!" I scream as I prepare to slice'n'dice. She instructively listens and I slice the head off a walker and kick down another. I shove the blade through another walkers and then slice his head off. I kick over his body and another walker approaches my back, I spin kick him and behead him easily. Three walkers surround me and with one stroke of the sword they all fall headless. Melanie stares at me and points to my back. I turn around and see a deer-beast. It stands on its hind legs and I slice through its body. I grab Melanie's wrist and lift her into my arms.

I take off running towards where I last seen Phillip and the others. Its been about a half an hour since they left. "Thank you" Melanie says, bringing her arms around me and hugging me as I carry her. "You saved us back in the woods....It was only fair" I lie. "You..know I can tell when you lie? We've known eachother for a while..theres no use in lying...why did you save me?"

"Because...no one deserves to die like that" I lie again. She sees right through my lie but doesnt poke at it. I keep running and eventually let her down so she can run with me.

We pick our pace up and keep away from the explosion. Night time eventually creeps in and there is no sign of the others. "Well, we didnt catch up to them....but we should be safe..." I say to Melanie. She looks at me and hugs me tight.

I walk around and manage to open an unlocked window, I crawl in and let Melanie in through the back door. I lock everything and go upstairs. "Heres the master bedroom. You can have the bed. I'll get some blankets from another room and sleep on the floor" I say to her. I turn around and walk out to get some blankets and pillows. I find a childs room, I grab the blankets that are covered in race cars. I walk back to the room, Melanie is on the bed already and I make my bed.

I lay down, I think about the explosion.

How did that go off? Is there still a government...or military after all these years? It's crazy...I'm glad we got away..I just hope the ten miles we ran, plus the two miles we were already away from it, helps.

Tomorrow we'll find the others.

I fall asleep.