To Live an Die in my mind

Zombieland

We darted into the forest, the hounds at our back and the unknown before us, the situation seemed bleak. Suddenly Danny laughed out; it seemed he had cracked under the pressure. 

"This is it, isn't it bro." He looked at me, smiling as the tears rolled down his face, "I mean no one our age has ever made it past the sanctuary. We don't even know if there is a; 'past the sanctuary'. We should give up and head back..."

"And, do what!?!" I screamed, "There's nothing but death awaiting us there. Even if we did survive in that place, how long would it be, before they started picking us off? Live! That's the promise I made to the old man, I won't turn back ever."

Danny sucked back up his tears and took off in front of us, he seemed determined to live now. A shot fired off from the distance and I watched as Claryssa spun around and fell to the floor. They were catching up. No one could shed a tear, no matter how loudly she screamed. We had to continue. The sounds of flesh tearing and bones breaking, were drowned out by her screams. Soon the screams disappeared but the crunch of bones remained, soon that too faded and returned to the sounds of footsteps darting through the forest. I reached out to Solaska but she refused to look back, her sister was gone. 

"If we stop, to shed a tear, who will carry on her memory?" She said, as she shrugged our attempts at comforting her, "You promised that out there we could live free, so I don't blame you because we followed, but don't you ever look back again. I will carry Claryssa to that place, in my heart, and continue on; no matter how much it aches."

Though Solaska didn't blame me, I couldn't stop the fear from grasping me. Twenty children followed me into the forest and in, what seemed to be an instant, only twelve were behind me. I had heard stories from the old man about these runs, though I never imagined myself leading one. My friends were dying behind me and all I could do was continue running. However as we gained our lead Melaika began to complain about stomach cramps, it would seem she had finally begun to succumb to the final stages of the infection. This could spell disaster. I had accounted for this but it came too soon and took me by surprise, but no matter what we couldn't stop. Not even for her. She looked at me and nodded. It was as though, no matter how bad things had gotten, those children behind me all saw hope in my eyes. Melaika's parents were born with the infection making them the third generation of infected. Unlike us she was born without a sliver of hope. She would soon become consumed by the ravenous hunger and once the psychosis set in; it would fall on my shoulders to eliminate her as a threat. Yet still she smiled with me and looked up to me. I remember the first time we met. I had been taken before the Council of Life and was about to be convicted of causing grievous harm to an UnLiving human, when Melaika begged them to spare me. Though I still spent thirty days in the Hole, Melaika made it her duty to see me every day; even though she was an UnLiving and I was a Living human being. 

The classification between the Unliving and the Living was introduced when the entire United Nation had succumb to infection and became the UnLiving or as the Living commonly called them; Zombies. Africa, my birthplace, was transformed into a massive breeding ground for 'Food-Grade Humans'. Being unlucky enough to be born there, meant you had been born exclusively to die. Such a life was unwanted by all, but many chose to take their own life than become food. My grandfather, however sought a way out from that hell, he would become the first ever Free Runner. I inherited his task and became a Free Runner for these children. My task was to convince parents to allow their children to come with me, beyond the wall of 'sanctuary', to the Human Rights Zone; formerly considered Australia. However the run to the shore was long and tiring and I had to make it clear; no matter what should befall our comrades, never look back, and never stop running. Not until we could taste freedom. 

"Melaika, what was our promise?!" I called out to her, hiding my tears. "We would not stop. Even if the hounds bit clean through us, we would press on! No one else can die."

"Yes, sir!" They shouted.

Their voices gave me courage and the words gave me confidence. As long as they were with me, I knew I could make it to freedom. I didn't understand why these children trusted me but it was a good feeling to say the least. I wasn't born in their village but to me it felt like home. I was born in Australia and spent most of time training for this moment in my life. When my father felt sure I could make it as a runner he had me sent to Africa. My job was to infiltrate, formulate a suitable plan and escape. Most runners my age wait years before trying an escape some never even escape but I was different. At the age of ten, I was well on my way to becoming the next big star. I looked out before me and I could see the sunlight shining through, the sea breeze tickled my nose as tears began to roll down my cheeks. As I broke the tree line, I turned to see that only five children stood beside me. 

"Where are the rest?!" I grabbed Danny and shook him, "They were behind us weren't they?! Did they fall behind? I'll go look for them!"

He grabbed my arm as Melaika blocked my path with a hug, "Don't you hear it?" Danny whispered.

Then the sound reached me. The crunching of bones and the faint screams of those being devour. Suddenly from the tree line emerged Colonel Ynok Joseph of the African Farming Association. He was a grotesque being many runners warned me to stay clear of. His body released a noxious fume that made the children wretch.

"You've done well for young ones, but I wonder what welcome awaits; the boy who lead sixteen Living children to their death." He croaked under his breath, "I have no intention of chasing you, beyond the sanctuary, you are free." 

He laughed as he disappeared into the darkness. I looked at their faces; they were sucking up the tears for the friends. I couldn't turn my back any longer. Melaika and Danny refused to let me go. They insisted, even a single step into the forest; would mean death. We knelt down at the shore line, it would be hours before the ship arrived, however all I could hear were the screams echoing in my mind. I turned to Melaika and began to uncontrollably beg for her forgiveness. I had made too many promises and broken all of them, and now I feared that my promise to her would be broken as well.

"I suppose it wasn't realistic for me to want to live with you." She smiled as we held each other, "This single moment of peace will just have to do."