Insanity

Ten

Just as I start dozing off, I hear a smashing sound. I jolt awake. I hear the horrible sounds of a mutant. More like multiple mutants.

I grab my bow and machete. Will gets up and stands next to me. The mutants run at us at a high speed. I shoot one in the head and chop one's head clear off its body. Will shoots a few, but they're pouring in faster than we can shoot. Tyson comes down the stairs and shoots with us. Will and I stand back to back killing them. "Ash!" Will yells as a mutant gets past him and bites my right forearm. I scream in pain and fall to the floor. Will sits next to me and grabs my machete. Tyson takes out the last few that were still here. I lie on the floor holding my arm. Will rips a piece of blanket and ties it around my upper arm quickly. He uses my machete to cut my forearm clear off. "Start a fire," Will yells at Tyson. Tyson grabs matches and runs outside. I start to black out. "No Ash, stay awake. You can't fall asleep there's no guarantee you'd wake up," Will says softly. I try to keep my eyes open, but I fail. "I started a fire," I hear Tyson say. I'm being picked up and that's the last thing I remember before falling into a deep sleep.

I open my eyes and sit up in a bed. I blink a few times. "Ash?" Will asks walking into the room. "Will?" I ask. "You're alive!" he exclaims hugging me. He doesn't seem like the hugging type, I think. "Was I dead?" I ask. He breaks the hug. "You were asleep for three days. I went and got Ivan and Jade in a day," he says. "Jade cleaned you up," Will says. I start to get flashes of that night. Mutants coming in from multiple windows. Getting bit. Will cutting my arm off with my machete. Him telling me to stay awake. Wait. Will cutting my arm off? I look at my left arm. This one is fine. I look at my right. My forearm is completely gone. "I-I" I stutter. "I know. It'll be hard, but Ivan, Jade, and I will all be here to help you," Will says. "What about the CDC?" I ask. "Who cares anymore?" he asks.
   "I do. We need to find a cure," I say. Will sighs and nods. I throw the blankets off me and hop out of bed. I stretch. I feel the nub where my arm once was. "At least I'm left handed," I laugh. Will smiles. "Com'on you need to eat," he says. We walk down the stairs and into the kitchen. Ivan and Jade look up from what they are doing. Jade flies out of her seat and flings her arms around me. "Thank god you're awake," she mumbles into my shoulder. I laugh and hug her with my good arm. She lets go and Ivan hugs me now. "I'm glad we didn't lose ya," he says. I smile. Will hands me a peanut butter sandwich and a water bottle. I bite into it. "Thanks," I say. Will nods once.

Once I'm done eating, I grab my machete and study it. This was used to cut my arm off, I think to myself. "Pretty badass if you ask me," Will says. "What? Did I say that outloud?" I ask. He laughs. " You did," He says. "And I think having the weapon that was used to cut your arm off and still using it to kill things is pretty badass," Will smiles. "Yeah," I say. "Badass," I mumble. "Where's Tyson?" I ask. "He's outside hunting," Will says. "I still don't know if I trust him," I roll my eyes. "If he was going to try and kill us, don't you think he'd have done it by now?" I ask. "I suppose you're right," he says. "As always," I say with a wide smile. Will punches my arm playfully and smiles at me. Jade and Ivan walk in and sit down across from us. I lean my head on my left hand. I yawn. "You cant be tired," Jade says. I laugh. "Yes I can," I say. "I'll take watch tonight and you guys csn get some sleep. Especially you, Will, I know you stayed up to make sure nothing happened to me," I say, "Of course I did. It was my fault you got bit in the first place," He says looking down at his hands. I put my hand on his shoulder. "It's not your fault," I argue. "Yes it is. If I hadn't let one get past me, you wouldn't have gotten bit," He says. I shake my head. "Why don't you just let it go?! There's nothing you can do about it now!" I yell getting frustrated. "Why dont you take your own advice?!" He yells. "I mean you're constantly moping about Christian! No one cares! Dont you see?!" I look at him with tears in my eyes. You can clearly see the regret on his face. "I see now," I whisper. I run upstairs, into my room, lock the door, and start packing my stuff. I hear someone coming up the stairs. "Ash," they say knocking. "Go away," I whisper next to the door. I pack the last thing into my backpack and sling it over my shoulder. I make sure i have my machete, bow, and all of my arrows. I unlock the door and open it to see Will standing there. I walk past him. "Ash, com'on please don't do this," he begs. I turn around face like stone. "No one cares, remember?" I ask.