To Mend a Broken Memory - [Troy Otto]

Chapter XXXXIV

I see Troy marching towards the nearest truck. A huge pickup with thick tires and a bumper equipped to deal with a landslide. So, I am starting to understand where he's going with this. He wants to run them all over and park in front of the entrance.

"Troy, you're literally diving into danger"

"You have a better idea?"

"Yes: don't" but as usual, he doesn't listen.

"You'll cover for me from here, you got three rifles. I'll go check if someone's in there" always has to be the lone ranger.

"Yeah sure. Why don't you come to your senses and listen. We can overcome them. Look, there's that kind of beam that leads straight to the wall of the tower, which they cannot reach. We can go through that" it looks way safer, and I am a good climber.

"What if you fall, Indiana Jones? Trust me, you don't want to end up in there"

"Troy, two of the most important people in my life can be down there. Trust me, I want to do this right"

"Then listen to me" he walks away. But this time I am not going to listen. His plan is as dangerous as mine, but it can trap us all inside if they manage to trash the truck. Which can happen. So as he's distant, I run towards the tiny ladder and start climbing. I will not deny it, it's harder than it seemed. I hope all those days at the gym in the old world will pay off now. I hold tight to the iron, but first I use my shirt to tie myself up to the tube as best I can. Then I wrap my legs up too and I start sliding down.

"For Fu*k sake Leyla!" whoops, he saw me. So he's coming back. He should know I am not too good at taking orders.

"Stop yelling and make yourself useful" I shout back. I am focused on not falling down, which is pretty hard. The tube is slippery and my hands are starting to sweat. So I don't really have time for a lecture. He positions himself on the back of the truck and start shooting.

"Just please don't shoot me this time" of course I say so ironically, now. He doesn't reply but it's as if I could hear him rolling his eyes.

"If this stupid plan goes to hell I might just do that" his menaces don't scare me anymore. As of now, they just show he cares.

"It's been a while since you've last threatened me, Troy. Sort of missed that. Tells me I'm doing just fine" well not that fine after all, my palms are reddening and they're starting to sweat, my legs hurt and feel numb for holding to tight. And I am like halfway. But it comforts me to hear gunshots, paradoxically. It meant Troy's taking care of all the walkers down here. I slide a bit more, and then I have a flashback. Back in Spain I used to visit my grandma in the countryside, and she had a small tree house built for me. I loved climbing my way there, imagining I was Mowgli and lived in a jungle. I used to spend hours up there picturing life in the wilderness, and I used my soft toys to play the wolf and the panther. I can't believe all that's gone in a heartbeat. And it saddens me so much that no child now can experience the thoughtlessness I felt back then. This world stole lives and childhoods. But that's still something worth fighting for, that's why I push myself to go on. Where I am supposed to land, there are a couple walkers. Troy can't see them from down there, so I must take care of them. And I do something really badass. I hold tighter to the iron with my legs and with one arm, then I grab my gun and shoot them. It's not as easy as it sounds. It takes me a while and a lot of bullets, but I manage. Then, I feel I am losing my grip, so in the rush I drop the gun. Bloody hell. Then, panting, I reach the end of the tube. I know I'll have calluses and blisters after this. So far it looks empty up here. Troy better be ri-

"What took you so long?!" a voice makes me jump, but then I realise it's Nick's and I could not be happier. Except that I can't see him.

"Nick? Where the hell are you?"