Meet Me

Chapter 9 - Death

Owen pulled on Luisas hand to keep her running with us. Our stay had been brief, but that was all we needed it to be. As soon as we heard yelling telling us to ‘show ourselves’, we ran even faster and harder. Eventually, we reached the gate. My hands were steady as they pulled the trigger and shot the locks on the gate one by one, but rapidly. I pulled the gate open and shoved Owen and Luisa through.

Footsteps ran towards us and they were less than a meter away. I heard a few gunshots. They were shooting at us, so we needed to get a move on! Luisa screamed and Owen continued to pull her along. Another shot was fired and Luisa fell down.  I turned to see that she had dragged Owen down with her. They were in a pile in the muddy grass. And there was blood. Lots of it. Not knowing what to do, I ran over to see if Owen could carry her. A tear escaped from his eye as he shook his head. He said he had twisted his ankle really badly as she pulled him down. Right then, Luisa was gasping for air. She had been shot in the chest and the bullet hadn’t gone clean through. It was lodged somewhere in her ribs, I guessed. She screamed and cried out every time she moved. It must have been scraping against something inside her body.                                                                          

“Just try and carry her, Owen. Please!”

I pleaded, desperation in my voice. I knew there was no helping her, but I didn’t want to leave her behind as a trophy of some sort. Her pretty face would be eaten by hungry zombies, her body destroyed. Owen had to try. Owen didn’t want to leave her either, he pushed himself up and picked her up. He had no time to be gentle, so he scooped her up despite her mutterings, and attempted to run with her. My breathing quickened and it wouldn’t slow down. I was panicking. I had always thought I could protect them both.

 Luisa

 Was

 now

dying…

 I couldn’t help but feel responsible.

A few minutes later, they were on our tail and I looked around for somewhere to hide and try and stop Luisas bleeding. I knew I was being irrational, but I didn’t care anymore. To make matters worse, it started raining. At first it spat, but then it turned into a downpour within minutes. The ground became sloppy and mine and Owens feet began to sink in the mud, slowing us down. I heard Luisas gasping and coughs. Owen yelled at me to stop, but I couldn’t. I needed to find somewhere. I didn’t want my best friend to die like this. She would be okay. Some miracle would happen.

No, this was a dream and I would wake up back in the children’s home. Owen stopped anyway. I couldn’t leave them, so I stopped too. Owen lay Luisa down in the mud. We were in an opening and I could hear zombies groaning from 4 meters away. I glanced up briefly at them, hoping they wouldn’t see us. They did, they heard Luisas gasping and they could probably smell death.

Luisa heaved, trying with all her might to keep the oxygen going in and out of her lungs. Owen held her head in his lap and he cried. The sky cried with him. Thunder clapped deafeningly and lightning pierced the ground. I crawled over to where they were, wet, stinking mud soaking my clothes and tears soaking my face. Luisa slowly stopped and her eyes confessed her love for Owen. She held his hand tight, and slowly and steadily her breathing stopped and her hand fell out of his. Owen watched her closely, expecting her to be fine. She wouldn’t be fine. She had been full of life once and willing to survive. Not anymore. She had been well and truly wrecked. Something passed her eyes: relief. The only comfort I felt was that she had tried and that she didn’t have to anymore. Her eyes stilled and then went empty.

They were lifeless and cloudy. Her hair was tangled and knotted and she looked as if she had been through hell and back. Of course, she had. Her clothes were rugged and stained with blood and mud. Her delicate skin had red raw scratches all over it and the worst wound was bleeding as if it would only stop when this apocalypse was over. Owen broke down. He wouldn’t let go of her and I didn’t want to either. That was, until I saw the group of zombies and the group of people who had murdered Luisa. I had considered trusting them once, I had trusted Kyle once, but not anymore.

The blood, slowly going crusty, smelt of copper and iron. I barely noticed the smell of it. I wanted somebody elses blood

I hated him, I despised him and I would kill him. I had warned them. Anger surged through me, masking the pain and grief I felt very deep down. I was out for blood. I had to very careful, though. I needed him to not realize I wanted to kill him. Not just Kyle. Everybody in that group… They would soon be dead. Either that, or I would die trying!

“We have to leave her.” I whispered softly, my voice breaking. "Sorry, Luisa. I love you so much..."  Devastation overtook Owens face.  The first and probably last girl he would ever love had just gone and it had been slow and painful. The best friend I ever had, one who cared, had gone.

"I love you. Sorry it had to end this way." Owen told her.

I hugged them both tight, then pulled Owen to his feet. We ran and ran and ran as if we could escape the dead body and the zombies. It was me and my brother now. There was no best friend. Zombies would eat her and rip her apart. They would enjoy their easy meal that had been long awaited. Luisa would be nothing but a corpse wearing shredded clothes and a mask of death.