World of Decay: Escape Artists (Book 1)

chapter 17

The kids are throwing the last of the bodies in the river. They just sink out float on down quietly. The river is brown with brush and other bodies. Some of children who died in battle or jumped in to have the sweet release of death.
What a shame. All those kids who have died committing suicide. They could have been saved from the grownups and lived but, instead they saved themselves in the worst way possible.
When will the carnage ever end? How many kids need to die just to help their friends live and rebuild the world? Lots will take the challenge. Lots will fail. Very little truimp and later fall do to how many they've lost. The guilt of letting the others fall when their own job was to protect them.
Jack sits on a bolder right beside the river. Watching everything and everyone pass by. A tear formed in his eye over the horrifying site. Daniel patted his shoulder and he got up to leave when something cought his eye.
A kid on the bridge about to jump. A little boy stamding on the railing. Jack screamed for him to stop. The boy looked over where they were at and waved.
Don't jump, please.
And the boy jumped. He rested his body and smacked the water. He went under and came back up flailing and screaming for help.
"Dont jump in Jack!" Marcy cried out.
Jack threw his gear off and jumped into the cold water. The current pulling against him. The boy went under again. His hand quickly sinking and he popped back up.
The water then pulled Jack under. He was able to hold his breath and come back up. The little boy had disappeared under water. He waited for a couple of seconds and realized the boy wasn't coming back up.
He plunged under. The current very fast. He saw the boy sinking slowly. His vision blurry and the water dense. He began to force his way over. Lungs on fire. Trying to hold his breath and grab a piece of the boy.
Finally he grabbed his hand and began to swim to the top. He accidentally opened his mouth because his body forced it open. He started to struggle. Inside he could feel himself slipping. Out of pure luck he reached the surface pulling the little boy up with him.
Gasping for air he found himself a good ways from the bridge. The boy lay lifeless beside him.
He then started forcing the to of them to land. He felt his tiptoes touch the bottom and pull away. He pushed the boy and he bumped up against a dock. Jack was able to get beside him and sbove him up. The rushing cold water making him weaker by the second.
The boy hung loosely on the dock Jack forced himself up and rolled the kid on his back. The cold wind amd slight breeze gave him a chill up the spine. He began CPR trying to force the water out of his lungs.
After a few minutes he gave up. Jack felt drained and ashamed because he couldn't save him. He beat the kids lifeless body balling his eyes out. The kid began to cough up the water. His dark hair matted to face. Jack sat him up.
The kid opened his eyes. Vision blurry and began to go in a out of focus. His lips blue. There was a jolt in his body and he let it all come out. He began to shiver violently.
Once the boy was done he looked at his hero shivering and his teeth clattering crazily about. He went over to him and gave a hug. Held on tight an didn't let Jack go.
"Jack what the hell." Marcy yelled angrily. "You nearly died tried to save him." Coming down the steps dug thoroughly between the rocks.
Daniel ran over to him grabbing them both up. "You two are insane, you hear me?"
"I had to. I couldn't let him die like the other kids who jumped in. Look at them all." Jack chattered his teeth looking back at the Kanawha. Lots of children mix with the infected.
Out beside the dock not far away lies a girl above the water. Her lips blue. Eyes closed and is wearing a button up overall with whinny the pooh on in the center. Her long hair drifting above the in the water.
They all watch as she goes on bye laying still like a board at sea. Poor soul's.