After The Fall

On and On

It took a few days for the Infected to wander off, and once they were gone, so was Minx and her group. They only plan to get as far away from the woods as possible and find somewhere more sturdy to hold up in for the coming months. The house they were in just days earlier was close to being wrecked.

The siding had fallen off due to the infected, as well as some of the inside paneling being pulled loose. Minx and her friends have since decided a town would be their best bet. More supplies, with the drawback of more potential threats. But they need more supplies, so they don't really have a choice. It's survival, and they have to do what they have to.

Walking in silence, all still upset and fearing from further encounters. Dan hasn't spoken to anyone since the day Phil died. Signe and Entoan are quiet as well, and Minx leads the group once again in her "survival" mode while Cry walks along close by with Ohm and Dave. Cry, like Minx, seems to be taking these tragedies in strides.

But unlike his friend, Cry isn't closing himself off to the pain he's feeling. While hiding it well, he still lets himself feel it. Dave walks with his arms crossed, frowning lightly. He's having a hard time finding anything to really hope for anymore. It's obvious things won't be the same ever again. Never really being the most optimistic person, he always at least held some kind of semblance of hope.

But no longer. With every passing day, he's letting that sliver of hope slip through his fingers. He doesn't know why, and he doesn't know how to stop it. He just knows it's happening. Pushing his glasses up again, he looks back at their friends. Entoan and Dan hold the rear, while Signe, Cry, and Ohm take the center. Minx marches on as their fearless leader and Dave sighs. They all look terrible.

Unkept hair, and dirt dusting their skin and clothes from camping along their path, the vision of weary travelers. Ohm seems to be the worst off of them all, and no one really knows why. Ohm is more pale than he had been since this began, and his movements have slowed with every passing day. He doesn't seem to have the energy he once did, he doesn't even try to speak to anyone anymore.

They fear he might be getting very sick. His growing condition is slowing the group's progress, though no one seems to really mind. All except for Minx, who appears mildly annoyed on the surface, but inside she's just as worried as everyone else. She doesn't think she can handle losing any more people so close together. So, with a vague destination, they continue on.

...

It took a little over a week for Ken and his friends to finally leave the sight of the woods far behind them. Walking along the road, with a few infected stragglers ahead, the group forges on. Ken passes off Nate, who not only still hadn't regained consciousness, but was now struggling with a terrible fever as well, to Jack.

Mark tries to help spot Jack, as Nate was mostly dead weight as he obviously couldn't walk for himself. Tyler stays close to the back of the group with Stephanie and Mary-Jane, cradling his injured arm as the pain resonating from it was slowly getting worse as the days passed. Felix and Ken run ahead of the grouo, weapons brandished.

The two friends take down a few of the infected at a time all the while trying not to get noticed by the other stragglers a few more feet ahead. They continue like this, running ahead to create a safe path for their friends, as two of the only three completely able members of the group.

After awhile, the road is clear and Ken and Felix rejoin the group, Ken taking Nate back from Jack. They continue walking until it starts to get dark, and then the group stops and makes camp for the night. Felix volunteers for the first shift of guarding the camp, and no one disagrees.

...

Night wasn't far from falling as Minx and her friends continued their silent travel. The dark clouds quickly covered the sky, howling wind accompanied them, bringing the distant groans of the dead ever close behind.

Ohm wasn't faring well, tripping over his own feet, having trouble keeping his eyes open. And then there's the slight discoloration of the veins beneath his skin. A sign they all know as one of the infected, but no one knows what to think of it. Ohm wasn't bitten, so how could he be showing symptoms as if he had been?

"We have to stop," Dave yells over the roaring wind, "He's getting worse.."

Minx looks back at her ill friend, her eyes soften. She nods, looking around, "We'll stop, but we need to find someplace to hold out for the night."

...

"I don't know what it means," Mark shakes his head, speaking softly to Jack as the others sleep, "I was bit. But I'm not getting sick.."

Jack frowns lightly, "Maybe.. We should tell them that you weren't actually bit.. We don't know what they'll think or do, especially Tyler.."

Mark sighs, lying back and looking up at the shining stars above, "I know.. But.. Would it really be right to? I mean.. What this means.."

Jack stares at Mark with worry and curiosity, and while he's sure he knows what Mark's going to say, he asks anyway.

"What do you mean?" His voice is soft as he asks the question he pretty much knows the answer to already.

Mark sits up again, letting out a soft grunt as he looks back at Jack. Mark's dark eyes show many things in this instant; fear, guilt, among others, but mostly a flicker of hope between. Jack looks concerned as they just stare at each other and then Mark has to look away. He shivers as the wind blows, looking back at the sky once more, as if it contains all the answers he needs.

"I was bit. There's no denying that, but.." Mark's voice quivers, "I'm not sick like the others had been. I'm not.. Dying.."

"Yeah.." Jack looks away, "So..?"

After a moment of silence, Mark and Jack look at each other again and Mark finally says what they've both been thinking over for days now.