BEYOND THE DEAD ZONE | COMPLETE

Thirty-Six |

Thirty-Six |

I awoke to screaming. Blood curling screams mixed with the wails of defeat and the sounds of bullets. It jolted me out of the bed, and onto the floor. I scrambled, trying to figure out the source of such panic only to find the room in itself still. My eyes flickered around and I could feel my heart beating so hard, I'm sure my ears popped. Cora was no where to been seen and worry drove through me. Not a moment later, the door swung open so hard it cracked the paint on the wall. My eyes widened, and I scrambled to stand.

Maya.

She stood looking utterly terrified. Her face caked with a mixture of blood and dirt. Her breathing was hard, and her eyes glossy. I opened my mouth, but the fear had all words wrapped in the back of my throat.

"Something's happened," she speaks softly, her voice cracks with fear.

I just nod, because I don't know how else to react.

"Y-you need to escape this place. Get out, get out now," she tells me, her words more jagged now, tears fall down her cheeks. "Before you die too."

Before you die too.

Those words snap me out of my fear induced trance. I rear back, moving to grab her arm, but she dances out the door and down the hall. As I step into the hall, my heart drops and I feel sick. Blood stains everything. It's horrific. I can see small bodies on the ground, so painfully still and I'm overcome with the need to help.

"No." Maya's voice is hard. I turn. She stands behind me, at the front doors. "They're all dead. Eero there's no one left here. The virus took us first."

My eyes widen, "Maya—"

I'm cut off by a guttered moan. I turn again and this time, a new kind of horror fills me. Down the hall, the lights flicker. I see a form. They're hunched to the side slightly, I can see flesh missing from one leg, it's denim jacket ripped. Short black hair matted.

The lights flicker. Blood drips from the zombie's mouth.

Another flicker. There's the glisten of a nose ring.

Flicker. The zombie raises her head. Dead eyes, a delta smile.

"Run Eero!" Maya screams from behind me.

I turn on my heels knowing that no one stands in near the front doors. That voice does not exist, Maya is not waiting, because Maya was standing behind me, now a zombie. A strangled noise of despair leaves my lips. It hurts. It fucking hurts. I run out the front door, slamming it shut as her undead body slams into it on the other side. But it doesn't open. I press my hands to my mouth and keep from screaming.

Why? Why did this happen?

I look around, as if to find someone that will share this burden with me but as I look around I realize how worse everything is. There are deltas everywhere. Fighting armed men. The living are losing. My heart drops and all I can do is stare. It's like a delta bomb went off in Sky City but how? How the fuck could they infect so quickly?

"Eero!" Barron's voice yells.

I look up, across the way. Around him a swarm of undead ravens are at his call. In his hand he has Cora's arm, in the other he has a pistol. The birds and a gun, he's helping the best he can but it won't be enough. There are too many. I stumble forward, moving numbly past the war that is raging on the roof city. When I reach him, he let's Cora go and wraps an arm around me. I think it's to comfort me but I can feel his heart beating quickly too.

He's scared.

"We need to go," he says quickly, "To the island. There's too many here."

I shake my head, how can we leave?

"W-where is Spencer?" I whisper, "We can—"

"Spencer is dead." His voice is cold and calculated.

My eyes widen, "H-how?"

"There isn't time," he growls now, letting me go to grab my arm.

He's right. There isn't any time for anything. I nod, and glance at Cora. She's quiet, her face distorted with what looks like fear but it's strange. Something about it is off. I push the critique from my mind and follow Barron. He shoots two deltas in the head just as we reach the stairs. Then, he's grabbed by the sleeve. I turn on my heels, my fingers digging into his other hand. I don't have any weapons on me—where the hell are my weapons?

"Barron!" I scream.

His wrist turns and he gives me a shove back. "There's a bear downstairs! Go!"

I scream again, shaking my head, "We can't leave you!"

"Damn it kid." he growls, turning to shoot the delta that grabbed him. Only another suddenly appears. "Go! I'll follow in a bit!"

There's so many, and so little time. But he could! He could come with us. They'd follow but three had better chances than one or two. I just shook my head. He was blocking the door, so they couldn't follow us. Why? He didn't need to do that. He didn't need to play hero.

"Barron," I sob, "Please. Come with us."

He gives me a small smile, it's full of sorrow. "Tell Mira she did good."

Cora's hand grabs mine and she nods. There's something in my chest. Something tells me not to leave but what else can I do? This isn't like the Mountain Men, this is so much worse. It looks like everyone here is fucking dead. I swallow a sob and turn, trying not to look back as we fly down the stairs. He's right. Without weapons we can't help. All we can do is make our own escape and pray we're lucky.

Self preservation's a bitch.

"Eero," Cora pants, as we make it downstairs and to the garage entrance.

There's no one here. It's like they all moved upstairs.

I just shake my head. I can't speak. There's a new bear, an undead brown bear. Smaller than our previous ride. This one moves to us and I tense. It turns slightly, as if waiting. We look at each other before getting on. I don't look back to the roof but we can still hear the screams as we travel away. Deeper into the city, towards the docks. Cora's arms are wrapped around me tightly and I cry softly. The air whips my face and it only makes me feel worse. How could this happen? I felt cursed. Everyplace I warned ended up dying. What if I was the problem? My stomach sank and I shut my eyes tightly. Bile surged up my throat and I barely swallowed it down.

Why? Why couldn't I save anyone?

The bear's roar drowns out my own screams of anger.