Ruby
"Get off me." I scowl and cross my arms over my chest. His fingers trail against my thigh, moving higher and higher. I push him away and he chuckles. I turn to my boyfriend.
"Do you see what he's doing? Tell your friend to stop touching me." He barely looks up from his phone. "You don't let me touch you so maybe you'll like it if other guys do." His friend moves toward me again and I stand up. "You're disgusting." I hiss, fuming.
I grab my bag and his friend slaps my butt as I walk past and out the door of the small and crappy apartment.
I don't even know why I'm still dating that piece of crap.
I can still feel Chester's fingers on my skin. I pull my skirt down and try to shake off the feeling. Tears sting my eyes but I won't cry. I can't cry. It's past midnight and there's hardly a soul in sight. I pull my phone out my bag and dial a number.
It rings twice before the call connects. "What did he do now?" I almost burst out crying when I hear those words. "Nothing. But he let Chester touch me."
"Where are you?" I can hear loud music in the background and I know he's at the club. I look at my surroundings. It's still empty and I haven't seen a car pass by yet. Why does this feel like a ghost town? I spot something yellow and blue. "I'm at the first bus stop near his apartment."
"I'm on my way." I nod even though he can't see me and I hang up before I walk to the sheltered bus stop.
I keep my arms folded over my chest. I'm only wearing a white tank top and black skirt and it's starting to get really cold. I hear a soft squeak and turn to see a small black cat next to the bench. I turn back to the road. I hope he comes here quickly. This place is starting to give me the creeps.
I feel something against my leg and see the kitten rub up against me and it lets out another squeak.
I bend down and rub my hand across its soft, silky fur. I wonder what it's doing out here all alone. There isn't a collar on it but it looks healthy and like it's been taken care of. It pushes its head against my hand and I almost smile.
It almost makes me forget about what happened.
There are lights in the distance before a blue car pulls up in front of me. I give the cat one last headpat before I walk to the passenger side of the car and open the door. Jay turns the radio softer. "Come on in." He tells me.
Jay is like a brother to me. We've been friends ever since kindergarten. He's always protecting me and whenever my boyfriend does stuff to me, he's always there for me. Though I always have to hold him back when he tries to beat Chris up.
I get in the warm car and put my bag on the floor in front of me. "How's Darcy?"
"She's alright. Want me to take you home?" I nod. "What happened?" He asks in a soft voice. His hands grip the steering wheel and I know it's taking everything in him to not turn around and beat the crap out of Chris.
"He invited Chester over. He ignored me the whole time and then... Chester started... touching me and I felt so uncomfortable and I told Chris to stop his friend but he didn't care and..." I sigh. "I felt so hopeless you know? Like I wanted to slap him and punch him or swear him out but I was frozen. I couldn't do anything." My voice cracks at the end and I stop talking. I'm not going to cry.
The streets are empty but Jay pulls over and stops the car near the sidewalk. I look at him. "What are you doing?" He reaches down next to him and pulls out a knife.
I'm confused.
"You were touched inappropriately and I'm sorry I wasn't there to protect you. If anything like that had to happen to Darcy I'd be livid and some guys are just so damn stupid." He sighs. "I don't think I'll be able to teach you how to fight but take this instead. If anyone comes near you and makes you feel uncomfortable, at least you'll have a weapon to defend yourself if anything should happen."
The blade glints in the light and it has a small skull at the end of the handle.
I slowly take it from his hand. "Jay...Thank you." He nods. "I love you like my own sister and I don't want anything to happen to you." I sit back in the seat and hold the knife tightly in my hands.
~~~
The memory hits me like a wall of bricks crashing down on me. My head hurts and I close my eyes for just a second. In that second I realise I can only hear one set of footsteps. I open my eyes and turn to look behind me but I only see emptiness. Duncan stops running.
"Where are the others?" He asks, a bit too loudly for my liking. "We must have been separated."
"Dammit."
I hear something being dragged before I hear a hissing sound. Zombies. Duncan pulls his gun out. "Come on." I pull my knife out and get ready to stab one but I stop. I examine it. The blade is dull, not as shiny as before and it has specks of dry blood on it. The plastic handle has a few scratches on it and the skull looks smaller than before but I know it's the same knife that Jay supposedly gave me.
Why am I remembering this now? Darcy said she remembered something too so does that mean we're all remembering our lives before little by little?
Something grabs my arm and I'm snapped back to reality. Duncan lifts his gun up and smashes it down on the zombies head that's holding me. "What the hell gem? Get your head in the game, we need to move." I roll my eyes and we start running. "Where to now? We don't have any food. Should we look for the hospital?"
"I don't know but we need to go somewhere safe. More of 'em are comin'." I take a glance behind me and see more than five zombies hungrily chasing us. Duncan turns around fully until he's facing the zombies but he doesn't stop running. "Watch my back."
I move closer toward him and watch my surroundings for any zombies lurking around. How did we all get split up? Weren't we all supposed to go left?
I hope we find each other again and I hope no one dies.
Oh gosh.
Is Silas okay?
I don't remember seeing him come out the window. My legs are starting to burn now and I look behind me. Duncan has stopped shooting but there are still zombies behind us.
I turn back to the front and scan the area again. There are a couple of houses up ahead. "We should go in a house. Stay there until we figure something out." I don't wait for his response and run faster to a double storey brick house.
The door is wide open and I run inside the spacious house. I usher Duncan inside and close the door, locking it.
"I'll go upstairs to look for any unwelcome visitors." I nod. The knife is still gripped tightly in my hand. I go to the kitchen first, walking slowly and as quietly as I can.
I hope there's someone in here. Someone human that can explain what's going on. The kitchen is empty but I notice blood stains on the floor.
I survey the living and dining room next which are both empty. I notice a movement by the curtain. My heart races as I walk towards it. I pull the curtain back and see a huge labrador laying on the floor. "Oh."
Duncan's loud footsteps echo through the house as he walks downstairs and the dog scampers to its feet, letting out whimpers.
"No, no, it's okay, it's okay." I try to assure it, reaching my arms out but it backs away even further. "It's been bitten." Duncan raises his gun at the dog and I examine the dog to see a wound on its leg. "Don't shoot it! What if it was scratched? You can't just assume."
"Gem, it's been bitten. You can see the foul veins around the wound." I shake my head. "It's just a dog. It might not be affected." I reach out to the dog one more time but it cowers away. "It must be hungry. Let me find something." I get up and make my way to the kitchen. The dog starts whimpering non stop.
"This thing better shut the hell up. It's attracting the dead." The first thing I check is the fridge and rummage around. I hear the dog growl and Duncan curses.
I find a bowl of chicken. "It's turning!" I hurry back to the living room to see the dog jump on top of Duncan. My hand automatically reaches for my knife in my back pocket.
Duncan is pushing the dog's face back and it keeps barking and growling, opening its mouth to bite. "Stab it." He tells me through gritted teeth and I move closer to the dog, gripping the knife in my hand.
But I can't do it.
Duncan lets out a growl and pushes the dog off him with all his might. He pulls his gun out and I turn away before I hear a gunshot.