Genesis

Chapter Seven

Ryo kicked a metal can out of the concrete tube. After yesterday, he couldn't think straight. He knew if Ira woke up and found him gone again though, he'd be in trouble. He ran a hand through his black hair and sighed.

In the distance behind him he heard the sound of gunshots.

Quickly, he snapped his attention towards the direction of the sound.

His legs seemed to run even before his brain told him to do so.

As he neared Viowood the gunshots became louder, but as soon as he reached the wall, they stopped. He jumped onto the ground below, just in time to see soldiers in white carrying someone away.

"Genesis!" Ryo's mind screamed, but he couldn't seem to get the words out of his mouth, as he looked around him. Corpses were everywhere. Among them were people clutching wounds or shambling towards home.

"Ryo? Ryo!" He was quickly enveloped by a hug. "Are you okay? You're not hurt right?" Ira checked him over and then pulled him into another tight squeeze. She broke into tears. She sobbed heavily, her whole body shaking.

"What happened?" Ryo couldn't seem to find his voice; it sounded broken, defeated.

"It's all her fault. They came for her. I told you. I told you they would. Now look what she's done." Ira sobbed more. She seemed hysterical.

"Ira." Ryo pulled Ira off of him and held her shoulders. "Pull yourself together." Ryo's voice was shaking slightly, but he tried to stay calm. "Gather up the wounded first. Use whatever supplies we have. I'll gather up anyone who is ok and not hurt. And we will figure out the body count." Iras tears had slowed, but her shaking hadn't.

"Ok." She turned around and began to help someone up.

Ryo glanced back towards the open gate and the traced the tire tracks in the dirt.

Genesis was being taken back to Glenn.

He must have been standing there for awhile, because Talyse snuck up beside him. Her eyes were red and puffy.

"They took Genesis." Ryo sighed.

"I figured. I left as soon as the gunshots started."

A whimper broke the silence, and Ryo glanced beside Talyse.

Arch was sitting next to her. Staring patiently at the open gate.

"I found him in my shop. Genesis must have told him to stay there."

"Help me gather everyone up." Ryo said firmly. He turned away from Talyse and walked towards the other side of Viowood.

After a month or so, Viowood still wasn't back to normal. We had lost about one half of the population, and picking up the pieces seemed to be a difficult task.

Ryo couldn't help but think of Genesis. Locked back down in the basement levels of the hospital. Who knows what they were doing to her. He had dragged her here to Viowood, he felt partially responsible for everyone's death, but then again. If he had never saved Genesis, then she would have lived her life in Glenn as an experiment. Ryo sighed. Ira could tell that he had been stressed the past couple of days; they all have. Last week they had finally finished burying the dead, and now they were trying to restore what they lost.

He wanted to save Genesis again. Without her, Viowood no longer felt complete.