Still breathing | Original story

Chapter Twenty Three: Lily

Word count: 1757

We made our way down the large street. I couldn't help but wonder where all them infected had come from, they could've been the ones from the shop. Or maybe the ones from the shop were still out there somewhere, who knows how many of those creatures were ambling about. I could feel goosebumps prickle up my arms and I shivered involuntarily. I was sure Archie had noticed but, if he did, he didn't say anything.
As I walked down the street towards the hospital walls, I felt my heart beating viciously in my chest. I felt like it was going to explode at any second. Jump out of my chest and leave a bloody trail for the infected to follow. I grimaced at my sudden thought and pulled my concentration back to the safe place, to Logan. The thought of him made my stomach feel uneasy, like going into an exam. I didn't know what I was going to find once I was there.
We followed the fence along the building site that linked to the hospital. There seemed to be no hole or way to get in which was a disappointing discovery. We found a place where the fence dipped and I attempted to jump up. The fencing was metal and behind that was wood to stop anyone from seeing in, although there were some gaps - you could tell it was a rushed job; a mad scramble to keep the infected out. I gripped onto the fencing at the right time but recoiled back as the metal dug into my hand.
"Shit," I yelped and let go. A throbbing pain erupted from the skin on my fingers, they were turning a deep shade of red. No blood, that was a good sign.
Archie and I looked up and then exchanged glances. We were communicating through eye contact and the occasional eyebrow twitch, it was amazing how we thought the same way.
"Ready?" He asked and bent down, locking his fingers together. I nodded and inched closer. "Once at the top tell me what you see," he began as I put a probably muddy shoe onto his hand.
"Great," I said sarcastically. "If there are any zombies I'll try not to get eaten." Archie chuckled at my statement.
"I would've gone up but you're too weak. You probably couldn't even lift me."
"Oi," I half yelled, pretending to be offended.
"Kidding," he said as he lifted me up. I clung onto the fence and with the pressure taken by Archie, it was easier to climb up.
"I'll have you know I helped a pregnant lady over a fence before so maybe you're just too heavy," I said as I tried to pull myself up. "This is all very deja vu-ish," I spoke dryly to myself, remembering Tyler. At least I wouldn't be leaving Archie behind.
I looked down, there was a bit of distance between me and the floor, I could make it. I shimmied along the fence, I inched my foot forward and dropped down. I landed roughly on the pebbles below, I felt every one of them press into the soles of my feet. I surveyed the area. In the distance there were a few figures walking along the inside of the fence, I crouched down. Eyes narrowed, I watched the shadowy figures getting closer and stayed low down for cover.
"What do you see?" Archie yelled over and I cringed at how loud he was. The figures had heard it too.
"No way!" I felt my throat close up as I saw one of the figures look up, his features hit the dull light that the cloud covered sun gave out. He looked like Logan but it couldn't be.... Could it?
"What's wrong?" Archie questioned as I slowly stood up to reveal myself to the group. Logans eyes locked into mine and, god, I knew them so well. It was him, I could feel it in my core but my brain kept telling me it wasn't.
When I didn't reply I heard a rustle on the other side of the fencing but couldn't seem to look away. I was afraid he would disappear if I so much as blinked. I heard Caleb close behind me and then the fencing moved, Archie swore but then he joined me too.
"That- that's him," I choked out. My throat felt so tight it was like Logan's desert coloured eyes had somehow seeped out and the sand had lodged itself in my trachea.
"What are we waiting for then?" He urged and nudged into my side. I smiled at him but kept looking ahead. I stepped forward, my legs felt like jelly but I wouldn't let my nerves deter me. I kept my pace until Logan shifted and pulled out a weapon and held it my way. It was black and sleek. It was a gun.
"That's close enough," a middle-aged woman spoke sternly and I instinctively stopped in my tracks, putting my hands up.
"Lo-"
"-Not a word unless I ask you a question," the boy yelled at me, I clamped my mouth shut. He sounded like Logan but he didn't know it was me as the light was shining behind me, leaving nothing but an outline for him to look at.
"How many?" The woman asked.
"Three," I replied.
"Who are you?" The boy asked.
"It's me, Remi," I said shakily and I saw him lower the gun slightly. "Logan it's me." I felt tears prick my eyes, they stuck in my throat. The gun swept down to his side in one swift motion.
"Holy shit!" He said and it seemed like it was just me and him. At the same time, he didn't look real, it felt like one massive dream and soon I would wake up in the pitch black darkness hurdled up in a single room with Tyler and Em. "You're alive. I- I found your notes," he handed the older woman the gun and fumbled in his pockets. In a mad rush, he clumsily got them out and they fell to the floor. I giggled. I couldn't help myself, my feet unglued themselves from their spot and I ran towards him. Two pairs of footsteps followed at a slow pace behind me as I reached Logan to help him pick them up. He pulled me up before I could, allowing the notes to scatter in the wind. He pulled me into a tight hug. The kind where you could stay in each others arms forever. He felt soft and it was him, a much smellier version of him.
"I thought you were dead... I found a body in the shop," I said as we pulled away, letting a stray tear fall down my cheek. "What happened in there?"
"Don't even get me started about that bloody shop," he said in a rush. "I found some girl and we broke in there... this fat guy came tumbling towards us from the back and man it was terrifying!
The girl hid behind the counter and started screaming her head off, it brought the zombies right to us! I tried, I really did try to save her. But she wouldn't listen and the fat guy got to her first, all I could do was escape. A while later I came back, for you, I-I found your note and went straight to the school...I found Lily." He stopped, he watched my facial expression before flexing his jaw and continuing, "by the time I got to the school I found another note. It wasn't finished and there were so many bodies around, I searched some and found the gun," Connors, "but I didn't find you and then the infected broke the gate and I had to run. The last hope was to make it here," he finished.
"Sounds like you've been through a rough time," I told him and he nodded.
"Haven't we all?" It left a morbid atmosphere behind it which I was happy he broke. "It's so good to see you, though!"
"I can't believe you're alive," I spoke, still thinking he was going to disappear before my eyes.
"Well believe it." He grinned widely at me and that smile got me. I couldn't imagine that. Before I knew what I was doing I had pulled him into a second hug and I wanted this one to last forever.
"Watch out," the woman said after a moment, "his girlfriend might get jealous."
At that word I let go of him, feeling a bit awkward as I saw another girl looking at me. I hadn't paid much attention to her before but suddenly I was. She was very pretty I had to admit, she had clear skin that anyone would envy and her hair was put up in a basic ponytail that suited her.
"You and her?" I asked shocked as I pointed to the girl. He nodded at me and I put on a smile. "I'm so happy for you!" I outburst.
"This is Lily," he Introduced me to her, "and this is her mother Jasmine."
I said a quick 'hi' before turning back to Logan.
"Where's your mum?" I questioned but he just shook his head and his face went grim, "I'm sorry."
"Don't be... how's your family?" He said
"I don't know where my parents are," I told him.
"Ella?" I shook my head "Jack?"
"He ditched me," I spoke bitterly. "It's been one hell of a few weeks."
"What exactly happened to you?" The question itself didn't shock me, more how he said it. Like I was a completely different person. Like I wasn't me anymore. I told him. In the most simplistic way I could. How I tried saving people and failed, how people ditched me and how Archie saved me. I missed out any too triggering bits, I missed out the details of any deaths. I didn't even mention how Ella died or about Ava and Elliot. As I spoke the words seemed out of a place, no longer my own story but scripted somehow. Lines memorised for a performance.
"I hate to interrupt this reunion but how about we check the Hospital out?"
I smiled at Archie for noticing my distress and putting my mind elsewhere.
"Sounds good to me," I told him. I was happy I didn't have to talk any more about the past nor speak to Logan's girlfriend. I didn't know what I would say to her. She was a confounding variable. An extraneous variable that I hadn't considered and had instead allowed to ruin the image of mine and Logan's meeting.