Our Broken World

Chapter 32

Before the guard can run away, a tentacle slaps his temple and remains glued there as he gradually goes crazy and loses it. The Mixed that's making him mad suddenly appears around the corner and bites his neck before any of us can do anything.

''Go save the other people! TJ and I got this!'' Benson yells towards us and I quickly respond, nodding.

But before I can start running towards the other cages, to help the rest of the prisoners here, a scene unfolds in front of me, one that I just cannot look away from. The Mixed's teeth come of the guard's neck, where a huge bite wound is now starting to bleed. The guard's face blackens increasingly, his teeth and nails sharpen, and then he looks at us, with almost cat-like eyes, and hisses. I suddenly realize we were right, the Mixed do turn people into one of them. But there's a difference. The figure in front of us that used to be the guard and is now the Mixed, has got no tentacles. Well, at least the Turned – seems a good name for those who have been transformed into the Mixed – don't have the ability to latch onto us and make us see our worst nightmares.

But that thought is redundant right now, and I am snapped away from my scientific thinking about the Mixed and back into reality as the sound of gunshots fills the air. Benson starts shooting at the Turned guard and TJ starts shooting at the Mixed and I immediately know that is our cue to leave. I, Dylan and Mikey quickly evade the action and run to the other two hallways filled with prisoners. I notice the guard's shotgun on the floor and grab it, so I'll be able to shoot the locks. Before I run into the hallway with cells, Dylan grabs my arm and says: ''Be careful. And hurry.''

I nod and smile, knowing that he'll stand guard outside the hallway door, so no Mixed can get to us inside. Feeling lucky that he's here with me, I rush to the first cell and shoot the lock. I work fast, keeping an eye on Mikey all the time; I'm not letting anybody take him away from me again.

When I'm done, and we've opened all cell doors, so that everybody is out, we leave the hallway and return to where Benson and TJ are. But we come to find Benson with a huge wound on his neck – a bite wound. He's been bitten by a Mixed and he's yelling at TJ: ''Shot me! I don't wanna turn into one of them. Shot me, TJ!''

TJ shakes his head at first, but Benson persistently keeps asking him to shoot him. When his face finally starts turning black, he hisses at TJ and leaps at him, TJ at first reluctantly, but then rapidly puts up his gun and fires. Benson, or at least what used to be Benson, drops dead to the floor, and so does the Mixed that bit him. I can hear and see TJ sobbing and when I turn to Dylan I find him in shock. I feel terrible and heartbroken; he's just lost another brother. Not just him; TJ too. I feel terrible for all of them. TJ and Dylan who've lost a comrade and Benson who had to die prematurely and such a tragic death.

I turn to Dylan and then TJ, still tightly holding Mikey's hand, feeling awful he has to see things like this. I gently touch Dylan's hand and say: ''We have to go.''

But they won't budge an inch. As people rush up and down the hallways in chaos, some of them running, some of them limping, some of them dragging themselves, TJ and Dylan just stand there in shock, both staring at Benson's lifeless body. Before I can speak again, I notice a new Mixed coming down the hallway and I know we need to get out of here right this instant.

''Dylan, TJ, we need to go now!'' I yell as loudly as I can and finally, they both flinch, woken up by my abrupt and roaring outcry. They look at me with pain in their eyes, but also determination and readiness to keep going. Both of them nod, and before the approaching Mixed could reach us, I head for the second door on the left, remembering the guard's instructions.

They follow me as I pull Mikey behind me, running towards the door. Luckily it says GARAGE on them, so we can't miss it.

After running down a set of stairs, we reach the garage, which is strangely filled with vehicles. But not broken-down, old vehicles. No. Undamaged vehicles in good condition that the guards from the show use to catch people around the country.

I notice the sign MAIN FLOOR to our right, but another idea pops into my head. I run to the first car, which looks more like a jeep, and hurriedly check the entire dashboard, but there are no keys in it. 

A Mixed appears at the door through which we came, but Dylan quickly shoots it. We can hear the screams of the people and the roars of the Mixed even from the garage. It hurts my ears, but it hurts my heart even more. So many people are getting slaughtered out there. But at least we gave them a chance to survive. We gave them a chance to fight. And that is what they know best.

I try not to think about those people out there, and ignore their bloodcurdling cries, even if it's almost near impossible. But right now I have to focus on getting us out of here. When I can't find any keys, I move to the next car, and at the same time try to tell Dylan my idea: ''We can ...'' 

But he cuts me off, having the same idea in his mind, and says: ''I know. No time for finding keys. Get in. I can hot-wire a car.''

I jump to the passenger seat, putting Mikey in the back seat, telling him to strap in. Dylan jumps into the driver's seat and does something underneath the steering wheel so the car starts.

He looks at TJ, who's not in the car yet and says to him: ''Get in!''

TJ steps to the driver's side and says: ''I'm not going.''

Dylan smiles a little bit as though TJ's joking, although I don't think he is. When Dylan realizes that TJ's serious, he says: ''What? What are you talking about?''

TJ explains: ''After the wars, I followed you, but I wanted to have a goal, a purpose, a mission. I realize now, this is my mission. This is my fight. To kill the Mixed, to help these people. This is what I need to do.''

He smiles and continues: ''Despite what happened and what was said, you were a good leader. You gave us purpose, even when there was no purpose to be found. We were your brothers. We were your family. But you've got a new family now. And you've got to take care of them. My purpose is right here, fighting this fight. Taya and Mikey, they're yours.''

Then he looks at me and says: ''It was an honor to follow you, Taya. You also gave me purpose and I'll always be grateful for that. You take care of my brother now, okay?''

I nod, smile and say: ''I will. I promise.''

I never thought I'd hear such serious, profound words come out of TJ's mouth. But I realize this is goodbye. I guess everyone has something deep and meaningful to say when they're saying goodbye. And I know this means a lot to TJ and Dylan.

''Goodbye, brother,'' Says TJ and smiles. It's like I'm not seeing TJ anymore, but a totally different, changed, wiser man. A determined man, a devoted soldier, who's got a battle to fight. A mission to complete.

He leans forward as he and Dylan hug. ''Take care of yourself, brother. And help those people. Complete the mission, soldier. Like I know you can,'' Says Dylan and looks at him.

They nod and salute each other. TJ looks at me with a softer, but still determined expression, and nods. I nod back at him, and next thing I know he's gone, running towards the doors through which we came, and disappearing behind them.

Dylan grabs the wheel, steps on the gas and drives off, up the road that leads to the exit. We reach the street in a few seconds and drive the other way, away from the chaos, away from the fight, away from New York. Away from everything.