What's left of us

Taken

It all started 5 years ago.
Looking back that wasn't that long ago, but it feels like a lifetime.
I still remember that day... The day when humanity had lost.
we should have seen it coming, I mean there were thousands of movies and tv shows on it. But who would have thought a zombie apocalypse would actually happen?
I sure didn't, I was only 15 I had other things to worry about like boys, clothes and whatever other things girls my age did.
but now it was about survival. I had lost everything my family, friends, my life. I would have given up by now if it wasn't for her.
She wasn't my daughter but I had taken her in after the camp we were both in had been taken over.
I was 16 when my mom and brother the last two of my family had died. Along with her mom and dad. She was only 7 at the time. But I was all she had left so we survived all this time together.
Her name was grace and even though she wanted to call me mom I made her keep to my name... Faye.
NOW:
"Faye, when are we going to stay in one place instead of traveling everywhere?" Grace asked as I put out the small fire we had made to cook our food and purify the little water we had.
"you know we can't stay in one place too long, those guys are still following us along with the herd of zombies. They're heading west so we need to head northeast so we don't run into them." I say as I grab my socks from the drying rack and begin to put the on.
"ok but what about those guys aren't they just going to follow us anyways?" She ask as she sits next to me. "That's what we want, let's get them corned and that's when we take them out. They're no different than the last." I say as I slip on each converse one at a time.
"even if we could stay we need to find new clothes my tank top is basically a rag at this point and these jeans aren't gonna last long either." I say with a smirk and se just rolls her eyes.
"a new jacket would be nice." She says and I giggle.
"see there's the spirit, and maybe we can find more of those headbands you like." I say and she snickers.
"it's better than those watches you collect." She says and I playfully shove her.
"hey, it's very important to keep track of time, how else am I supposed to know when your 13 birthday is, or when I turn 21?" I ask and she rolls her eyes again.
"come on grab your gear, check your ammunition and let's get a move on little lady." I say and she scurry's off. I found that having the perfect variety of weapons is important. I had a pistol with exactly 12 bullets, two knife, and a bow and arrow with 14 arrows that I reuse until I need to make or find more.
"let's go already." Grace groans and I laugh a little before we leave the safety of our shabby little camp we've had for 2 days and out into the never ending forest.
We walk for a couple of hours before taking a break for water. That's when I notice it. The two guys that have been on our asses for days have gotten closer. Close enough that I can hear their footsteps.
"Grace, it's time. The trees just like I taught you." I whisper as we climb two separate trees.
the plan was to wait till the pass, but if that fails there's always plan B, my personal favorite but not so much for Grace. As they approach I gesture to Grace to get lower as they walk under us. That's when I realize I left my water canteen down there. They were likely to see it. I mean how could you not.
"Wait Shawn you see this?" The big one says as he walks over to the canteen. And of course it was under Grace's tree. If they even took a quick glance up they would see her.
"it's likely one of those girls water Darren." The smaller one says.
Good names of the men I'm about to kill.
"they're close." Darren says.
"remember what Gabriel said about the trees." Shawn says and before I can think I hop down on top of Darren and stab his shoulder. Blood splatters my face as I'm flung back onto a tree.
"Run!" I shout to grace and she scurry's through the trees. That's why we stay in the forest so she can learn to sneak.
"Gabriel will be pleased once we finally have you two in our possession." Darren says as he holds his shoulder from the wound. I laugh and pull my gun out. But as I do that they both do the same. I gulp and grip my gun.
"what now princess?" Shawn asks and he gestures his head towards the direction Grace ran and Darren goes running. My eyes widen and I grit my teeth.
shit.
"be a good girl and drop it." He says and I comply. He comes over to me and I put my hand to my head and he forces me to my knees. He pulls out his walkie Talkie and begins to speak about his coordinates and I know others will be here soon. While he's distracted I reach for one of my knifes and turn to stab him in the lower stomach. But I miss his vital organ and all he does is stumble back.
So I only have a few seconds to run before he has a chance of getting me again. I grab my gun and take off sprinting in the direction of grace and the big one Darren. Bullets come flying my way from the direction Shawn was at. But I just scatter my running pattern so it's harder to hit me.
I come across an abandoned building and I hear graces cries coming from inside. Suddenly she's pulled out of the building and thrown into a car. I don't waste any time and begin running after the car.
My legs feel as if they're gonna fly off of my body but I don't care. I couldn't lose her. They finally get surrounded by a hoard of zombies and I sprint to the car. I open the door she's closest to and before I can undo her constraints I'm flung back by a tall and buff woman. Great. She goes to kick me while I'm down but I roll to the side and use a leg to kick her knee in. She falls and I push her to the dead and let them take her.
I run to the car again and this time i successfully pull Grace out.
We start running and it wasn't bad by the car cause there were so many people shooting but the farther we go the thicker the hoard became. I was stabbing and shooting anything that made a slight sound. That's when I notice they're still following us. The car pulls up beside us and a large man reaches out and tries to grab grace. He grabs her arms and I grab her leg with my free hand the other hand is fighting off the dead.
Grace screams and flails her arms trying to get free but I'm losing her.
"Hold on Grace I almost have you!" I shout over the crowd of every zombie here. "Please Faye don't let them take me!" She shouts and tears begin to form in my eyes. And then right before my eyes she's pulled from my arms. It's almost as if it happens in slow motion. She screams and cries as they speed off.
I snap back when the dead surround me. I waste my last bullets on a few of them and use my knifes. Stabbing their heads as if it was made of soft cushions. I feel myself becoming weak but I need to push through this. I was in the double digits by now but it felt like there was still thousands to go. I can't give up now. As I keep stabbing my vision becomes fuzzy. And suddenly I'm on the ground.
Bright lights appear and the sound of gunfire fills my head. But my last thought is of grace as I black out.