No Distractions

Chapter 2:

"Fuck," I groan as I make my way calmly over to the building.

With ease the machetes in my hands glide with surgical precision into the dead's skulls and out, the same way a knife cuts into Jell-O.

I climb the fire escape delicately when the coast is clear, putting my machetes away and pulling out my pistol.

At the top of the fire escape, a guy about my age is on his knees holding on closely to a severely bleeding man on his lap.

He shakes his head slowly then breathes out, "He's gone," not bothering to look up at me.

I look at the guy on his lap and see the multiple bite marks all around his body. "You should move before he turns."

The guy looks up at me, red eyed with a runny nose and a hint of self-loathing in his stare. He smiles lightly while nodding then looks back down at the man on his lap as he pushes the hair away from his forehead.

I stare hard at the transitioning deady's face but his bites call out to me, pushing me to feel his pain.

I look down to my sleeves and grip my arm softly. I have enough pain and suffering of my own so I don't really have patience for a strangers feelings anymore.

I point the gun at the deadies head, loading a bullet in the chamber.

"No not yet. What if he doesn't turn?" He beams. "He might not be one of them."

Again I look down to my sleeves. In these past seven months I haven't met someone else like me but its egotistical to think that I'm the only one.

I nod my head softly and bring my pistol to my side just as the infected on Jessie's lap opens his eyes.

"Steven! Baby! It's Jessie." Jessie grabs hold of Steven's face. "Please don't be one of them!" He cries still trying to reason with the deady as it starts to chomp in his direction.

Deep down I kind of hoped he would still be alive so that I wouldn't be alone when everyone else died but since he didn't, I have to do what I know how to do best.

I reach for my knife and stab it through Steven's head diligently then watch it slowly slither out of his skull. The blood doesn't stream or squirt out instead it falls out in gooey clumps the way it does for most of the infected.

"No..." Jessie holds on tight to the deady. "No..." Jessie sobs into my shoulder. "This wasn't supposed to happen."

I pat his arm awkwardly wanting to say I told you so but I stop myself and think of anything else to say. "None of this was supposed to ever happen," is the top response I can come up with.

I stand up slowly then head for the stairs as I pull out my pistol and keep my eyes on the deadies waiting for me on the ground. "Sorry about Steven," I mumble then start down the stairs.

"Hey, wait!" He calls out to me. "Who are you?"

"Zoey," I answer.

"Jessie," he introduces himself.

"Good luck to you Jessie," I breath then keep climbing down.

"Wait! Wait!" he yells again making me stop climbing. "Do you mind taking me with you for a while?"

"You don't even know me." I scoff.

"No I don't but my boyfriend just died and the last two people I did know, left." A lone tear rolls down his cheek as he glances at Steven. "Please, I promise I won't slow you down... I just..." He stops.

I take in a deep breath, sympathizing with him. Chances are he is in fact going to slow me down but I can't just leave him here to die

"I can't promise you tomorrow." I breathe.

"I don't expect you to." He leans down to kiss Steven's forehead then gets up clumsily from the steps with support from the railing.

I want to hug him and tell him everything will be okay but I'm not sure how to say it if I don't believe it myself. He'll have to figure out for himself how to keep going through life knowing that Steven isn't coming back. That Steven was gone the moment he was bit.