Our Broken World

Chapter 20

We run for what seems like an eternity before we find a little old shack on the edge of the forest. At least it looks like a shack; it's so dark and I'm so exhausted from running that I'm not really sure. The muscles in my legs are sore and I can feel my wound pulsing with pain. But I can't let the pain distract me now; I have to keep going. And I do, until we reach the little shack. We run into it and by some coincidence Benson is already in it.

''The others?'' He simply says and Dylan understands.

''We haven't seen Jonah or TJ,'' Dylan says, out of breath.

''And Blast?'' Asks Benson.

''Gone,'' Dylan answers with no hesitation whatsoever and shakes his head slightly.

''What? How?'' Says Benson, visibly shocked.

''A Mixed got him. And he couldn't defend himself properly because his leg was shot,'' Says Dylan with a trace of anger in his stern voice. I think he partly blames Jonah and Benson for what happened. They did shoot first.

For a few seconds, Benson just stands there with his mouth agape in disbelief and shock. Then he swears with a loud ''Fuck,'' and grabs his forehead with his hand as though very upset. He probably is; he just found out one of his companions is dead.

''What are we gonna do?'' he says a few seconds later.

''Right now, nothing,'' I exclaim first. ''We need to stay here, inside, and pray that TJ and Jonah made it somewhere safe. Somewhere inside.''

Dylan looks at me and nods. So does Benson. They both know it's the only thing we can do right now. I don't like being in a little shack at the middle of the night in nothing but my PJ's, but I don't have a choice.

We are waiting in the little, wooden shack that is barely standing, when all of a sudden, Jonah storms through the already half-broken door. After he enters, he slams them shut and rests with his palms on his knees for a second.

Then he says: ''Thank God I found this place. Those things almost got me.''

I know what things he's talking about, because in a few seconds, I can hear a Mixed slam into the door from outside, trying to get inside. I know we need to stay quiet, because if that Mixed hears us (if it hasn't already) and knows for sure that we're inside, it'll try even harder to get in. If we stay quiet, the way I did after I lost Mikey, maybe it'll give up and walk away. The only problem is that when I was attacked by a Mixed a few days ago, I hid in a house made of concrete. Now, we're hiding in a little, half-broken, wooden shack. We need to be even more careful and quiet, because if the Mixed finds out we're inside, it'll break down the door or a wall in a heartbeat, and we'll all be dead within seconds.

Unfortunately, the guys have no intention of being quiet. Dylan, to my disbelief, is actually the one who starts everything, stepping towards Jonah, slamming him against the wall and saying angrily into his face: ''What the hell is wrong with you?!''

I can hear in his voice that he's in a state of rage. He always knows how to keep a straight game face on, so honestly, I am a bit surprised that right now, when it is most needed, his poker face is nowhere to be seen. Instead, his eyes and his facial expression are full of fury and rage. He always manages to be so serious and calm, but the one time he should be exactly that, he lets his emotions take over and start controlling him. 

He looks at Jonah angrily and adds: ''Why did you shoot them? Look at the mess you caused.''

Jonah looks at him furiously and says back: ''We would've been in this situation even if I didn't shoot. They were gonna force us out in any case. This isn't my fault, it's yours. If you didn't try to protect her so hard ...''

He points at me, but right now I couldn't care less about what he thinks of me. I need to shut them both up.

''Both of you, quiet!'' I whisper loudly, but to no effect. My command falls on deaf ears.

''Do not pin this on me or her. This is on you. Do you even know what you did? Blast is dead because of you,'' Says Dylan. He's very close to yelling, and I'm very worried. About his emotions, which are boiling over, sure, but even more about what happens if he doesn't start controlling these emotions and shut up. I'm very worried about that Mixed outside, that is separated from us with only a small, weak wooden door. I can hear it snarling outside, preparing for an attack.

''What? Blast is dead?'' Says Jonah with hurt in his voice.

''Yeah, he's gone and it's your fault!'' Dylan says angrily and I know it's my last chance to stop them.

I step close to Dylan and say: ''Stop. Dylan, you both need to calm down. If that Mixed hears us, we're dead.''

It already heard us, but at this point I'm just praying it won't attack.

Dylan is still looking at Jonah with anger in his eyes. At least it's not rage anymore. I feel him try to step forward to get to Jonah, but I put my hand on his chest, stopping him. I put the other hand on his cheek and turn his face towards mine, so he looks at me. Reluctantly, but he does.

''Dee, I know you're angry. But this is not the time nor place to get mad at Jonah. There's a Mixed outside and if you don't calm down and stay quiet, it'll break down that door and kill us all. Look, I know you're hurting. But right now you have to suppress it and be quiet. Please,'' I whisper, my face close to his.

He just stares at me for a few seconds and I stare at him, trying to sooth him with my loving gaze. When he finally nods and gives me a modest smile, I am relieved; he's calm again.

But then Jonah, who's standing behind me, practically yells: ''Yeah go ahead and run to your little girlfriend there! Do take orders from her, if you don't wanna listen to us!''

I turn around to try to shut him up, but before I can do anything, I hear the Mixed break down the door and the next thing I feel is it slamming right into me.