Amnesia

Survivors

It took me by complete surprise. I stand with my hand covering my openly shocked mouth. Blood is slowly oozing out of this mans face. But as I stare at him, I realize he looks odd. And not just because he's dead.

His eyes are open, but they're a deep red. His pupils are huge. But how? And his face... it's a strange color. Almost so pale that it's blue. His veins are protruding underneath his lumpy flesh.

I put my hand on my knees, close to vomiting. When I pull myself together, I realize that I am in danger. Someone just shot this man.

Turning around towards the direction of the gunfire, I see two people running towards me. Both young, a man and woman. The young man holds a gun that is lowered to the ground, and the lady clenches a knife.

I raise my hands slightly, my heart beating in my chest. I want to say something, but I don't know what.

They continue to approach until they're only a few feet from me. The man, a young Hispanic, looks at me with blazing eyes. "What the hell was that?"

"Jose, calm down," the lady says. She looks up to me and smiles.

"Calm down? She just made us waste a bullet. We just attracted the dead like a dinner bell."

I stare at the man who she called Jose. "What do you mean?"

He looks equally back with confusion. "What do you mean 'what do you mean'?".

"We don't have time for this. Lets get back to the store before a herd comes for us."

I don't move with them when they start running back from where they came from. I just watch them in confusion, avoiding looking down towards the dead body.

The lady realizes I'm not running along with them and stops. She turns around and walks back towards me, reaching out for me. I look at her hand but don't take it. "Tell me what's going on."

The lady almost jerks back in shock. "Do you have any idea of what's going on?"

I shake my head. Jose sighs and does a weak, annoyed gesture and carries on going back to their building.

"What's your name?"

"Alice, I think."

She looks at me with confusion. "You don't even know you're name? Listen, are you playing tricks on us? Because if you are with another group trying to take over this market area we will not fall for it."

I hand her the letter I found in the house so she could read it herself. I watch carefully as she skims over it, her face twisting in confusion. When she finishes, she looks back up to me.

I give her an honest shrug. "That's all I know. I woke up and I can't remember anything."

She pauses, thinking. Then she makes a decision. "Well, Alice, come with us. You look as if you're about to pass out. Oh, and my name is Anne." Without questioning me, she grabs my arm and helps me walk towards the direction Jose disappeared.

When we arrive at the market, she does a musical three knock, like some code. Within a few moments the door is open. There's a man who ushers us both in quickly.

Suddenly I'm pulled sideways and almost smack my head on the wall. I look over to see Jose right next to me, lifting up my sleeves. He goes to grab the bottom of my shirt, but someone yells at him to stop.

"What if she got bit or scratched?" Jose asks angrily. "We can't just take people in without question!"

"She's a defenseless girl!" Anne scolds him. "Let go of her, will you?"