Abide » Alden

14. Pain

PAESYN

Alden leans in closer and whispers so gently I have to strain my ears to make out his words, "Can I kiss you?"

I blink as I process his words.

"No."

I feel something for him, but I can't act on it. Everyone I've felt love for has died.

Alden is my closest friend, I could never sentence him to death like that.

Alden awkwardly leans away from me, "Okay. See you tomorrow."

"See you..." I quietly respond.

-

I mount my horse and begin riding towards the gate. I see Alden and maneuver my way to avoid him.

It's just too awkward to talk to him. I don't hate him, the opposite, actually. But, I've decided it's safer for him if we remain nothing more than friends.

-

I'm surrounded by walkers on all sides. I slash and stab with my machetes, slowly diminishing the number of walkers around me.

I'm tiring out fast, there's so many of them. By the time I stab the last one, my vision is fading and my knees feel weak.

I let myself fall onto my knees as I catch my breath. Blood covers most of my clothes.

-

The visit to Alexandria was actually quite boring.

On the ride back, I notice a bag in a tree. I devise a way to avoid the trap and retrieve the bag.

I do so, but then a shot rings out and I fall to the ground in pain. I grab my side over my ribs.

Blood sleeps through my clothes and strangers dismount their horses to approach me. I try to fight back before I pass out.

-

I wake up and see my mom, who I hadn't seen in eleven years, over me. I try to sit up before I cry out in pain. I remember the gunshot.

"Shh, It's okay. You'll be okay," she soothes and her voice cracks.

I furrow my eyebrows, why is she crying?

A doctor walks in and tells her, "She has a serious infection that's spreading rapidly to her vital organs. She won't be here in the morning."

Mom begins sobbing in my side and my eyes droop closed.

—

I jolt upwards from my spot on the ground. I clutch my ribs where I was shot, but there's nothing there.

It was just a dream. Alden's dead and I'm kept here as prisoner.

I wish my dream was real. I would've died, but Alden would be well and alive. That would make me more than happy.

Fresh tears roll down my cheeks as I think about all the times we were together, which eventually became almost all the time.