Jana Monaco
*DID NOT HAND IN*
Chloe-Marie De La Fuente
*DID NOT HAND IN*
Felicia Reynolds
*DID NOT HAND IN*
Shyen Ann Brooke
"Hey."
A voice, a far-away voice, was the thing that woke her. The tendrils of sound poked her brain, causing a chain reaction throughout the girl's body, and with a startled gasp Shyen Ann jerked back to life. Water dripped in thin, trickling streams down her body, its coldness equivalent to that of a slippery snake's. For a few heart-stopping seconds, her vision blurred so that everything around her was a meaningless blob of colors. However, thankfully, her eyesight returned to normal relatively quickly, and Shyen Ann looked around for the source of the voice that had awoken her.
Turns out, she did not have to wait long. Sitting in front of her, crisscross-apple-sauce style, leaning against the smooth grey walls of the building, was another girl. Another girl with pale skin that seemed even paler now that it was glistening with water, and dark brown hair that stuck to all sides of her face. She seemed exhausted, like Shyen Ann was – chest heaving, shoulders hunched – but her eyes maintained a type of childlike mischievousness.
When she saw Shyen Ann staring at her, the girl cracked a lopsided smile, and said, "I'm Melody. Melody Rupert."
She stuck out her hand, but Shyen Ann didn't take it. Instead, the fourteen-year-old decided to be more cautious, and instead asked suspiciously, "Why did you save me?"
"Would you have rather I left you in the waves to die?" Melody answered back sharply, tilting her head to one side, as if emphasizing her question. When Shyen Ann didn't answer – to be honest, it was because Melody had a point – Melody got up and heaved Shyen Ann to her feet. Once standing, Melody dropped her smile and her voice took on a sterner, more somber tone, "Guess not. Now, tell me, Shyen Ann," the older girl paused, before saying, "Do you want to live?"
"What?" Despite the fact that a nerve-racking mixture of distrust and fear still gnawed at her stomach for Melody, Shyen Ann knew that running away would be the worst thing she could do right now. If Melody didn't kill her, her weakened state and lack of weapons would result in her death sooner or later. "Of course I want to live," she shook her arm free of Melody's grip and instead placed both hands on her hips, sort of in a commanding motion. "Are you implying something?"
"Actually, I am," Melody's lips curved up into a smile once more, though something about it sent chills down Shyen Ann's back. "I've observed you since the Bloodbath. Though you did nearly die, I was impressed by the struggle you put up."
"Wait," Shyen Ann held up a hand, mind whirling. "Are you complimenting me?"
"I'm doing more," Melody replied, and through the light of the sun, Shyen Ann could see the girl's eyes twinkling. "I'm offering you to be in an alliance. And," the nineteen-year-old lifted a dainty finger when Shyen Ann opened her mouth to speak, "Before you decline, I suggest looking out of the window."
She nodded towards an open window a few feet from where the two girls were standing, and for the first time, Shyen Ann realized that there was a scrawled graffitied number beside the window in navy blue, which messily read 'Floor 25'. A question rose up her throat, but Shyen Ann forced it down. Melody's words had awakened a type of curiosity inside of her, and she forced her feet to carry to the cement panel, and look down to the grounds below.
What she saw made her gasp.
Instead of the endless ocean, there was nothing but dry land. She could clearly still the sides of the building all the way down, glistening with leftover seawater that trickled down its sides. At the bottom, where the ocean floor used to be, was nothing more but a vast stretch of desert, dusty sand that disappeared into the horizon. There wasn't even a tumbleweed, for god's sake! What the hell? She turned back to Melody, her question written clearly all over her face, who just shrugged and said, "I don't know what happened either, but look closer."
Look closer? Shyen Ann turned back to the window, her fingers curling around the ledge and pulling her small body slightly over the surface to inspect her new surroundings closer. Though at first glance, everything looked the same as previously – golden sand everywhere, the blinding rays of sun – until her eyes connected with tiny forms roaming around on the ground. For the second time, the words What the hell? ran through her head, and this time she voiced her enquiries, "What is that down there?"
"That," suddenly, Melody's fingers were curled around her arm once more, and the older girl gently tugged Shyen Ann back into the cold grey walls of the building. "That," she repeated, as Shyen Ann turned to look at her, "Is something really bad, and if you want to live, then listen to me carefully."
~
Melody's explanations were simple. So simple, in fact, that it took barely ten minutes to explain. Shyen Ann was now standing near the exit of the building on the first floor, after having travelled down twenty-five flights of stairs, and the girl was starting to seriously regret to being talked into this plan. Melody had left her as soon as their feet had touched the first level, heading to the west side of the building. Another boy whom she had met, by the name of Caste, was also part of the plan – heading to the east side of the building. The others seemed confident and sure, but after being briefed about what the things that she had seen from the building on the ground, Shyen Ann was starting to have second thoughts.
After all, she thought, I really don't want to get mauled to death by a pack of zombies.
Already, she'd heard multiple screams resound from outside the building – most likely other hopeful tributes who had dared to venture outside. The walking dead seemed to have detected them easily enough. Who was to say that they would leave Shyen Ann be?
"Damn it," she hissed underneath her breath as she ducked into a shadowed corner. A walker passed her by without noticing. Her mission had been to recruit a boy named Peter – Peter Mask – who was reportedly hiding out in the first floor somewhere. "Where are you, Peter?"
As soon as those words left her lips, she saw him. Curly-haired, wide-eyed, staring shocked as a tan-skinned woman was torn apart a few feet away from where he was crouched. That must be Peter. Swallowing hard and being careful to scan the area for any potential walkers that might notice her, Shyen Ann crept forward, her prepared speech on the tip of her tongue. A To-Do list ran through her mind as she stayed close to the shadows; To-Do lists had always seemed to calm her down whenever she was in a stressful position. Her current list went something like this:
Step 1: Recruit Peter Mask.
Step 2: Run out into the desert, away from the building.
Step 3: Don't die.
Step 4: Meet up with Melody and Caste...somewhere.
Step 5: Continue not dying.
She took ahold of his arm.
The boy whirled around, obviously startled, and to her fright lifted up a fist as if to punch her in the face. However, upon seeing who she was, Peter dropped his arm to his side as his face took on a confused expression. There's no time to waste. Shyen Ann tugged him forward, towards the exit, all while hissing underneath her breath, "Come on!"
"Wait, what?" To her annoyance but also understanding, Peter hesitated to follow. "Who even are you?"
Suppressing a groan, Shyen Ann shook her head fiercely and then released Peter's arm. I really shouldn't have gotten myself into this. Seeing most of the walkers distracted and none that were looking their way, she took a flying leap just outside the building, landing heavily in the sand. "No time," she hissed back at Peter, ignoring the uncomfortable feeling of her feet sinking deep into the grainy sand. She spotted a crevice in the outer wall, large enough for two to squeeze in, and swiftly entered. A few seconds later, Peter Mask followed, though he still looked confused. "We need to run. Melody's leaving from the west side and Caste from the east. We've got plans to meet up...somewhere."
"Wait, Melody? Caste? Who? What? Are you guys in an alliance or what?"
Why so many questions, god! However, Shyen Ann kept her patience and instead hurried explained, "Melody and I am. Caste and I am. I'm not sure about Melody and Caste though, but we'll figure it out. We have to leave the building, though. It's too dangerous here." Okay, time to put Step One into action. Melody's instructions were clear in her mind as she murmured softly, "I see some promise in you. Thus, I'm offering you a proposition."
"What proposition?"
Licking her chapped lips, Shyen Ann inhaled deeply before sticking out a hand, like Melody had done before her. "Allies?" She inquired in a calm, collected voice, though inwardly her heart was racing. Please say yes. Please say yes and then we can be on our merry way and not continue to be stuck inside this place. The humidity in the cramped space was making her head spin, and despite trying to keep up her leader-like stance, Shyen Ann could feel bile rising from her throat.
Thankfully, her silent prayers were answered, for after a few tense seconds of waiting, Peter Mask slipped his hand in hers and confirmed, "Allies."
She let out a breath, but her relief had come too soon. For almost immediately, the group of the walkers outside let out a united roar, which caused Shyen Ann to jump and let out a little yelp of surprise. Peter stuck out his head from their hiding spot as yet another scream pierced the air – no doubt another tribute being viciously killed – and though the pained shrieks should have made Shyen Ann quiver in fear, the sounds only cleared the girl's head. Step One: complete. Now for Step Two.
Turning to Peter, Shyen Ann asked in a hush tone, "Can you run?" She thought back to the way her boots had sunken deep into the sand, and knew that running would be difficult if one did not have the correct experience.
"Can I run?" Peter pulled his back and looked at her in the eyes. Blue eyes met blue as the boy's lips curved into an almost dreamy smile, before flashing her a wide grin and stating, "Hell yeah I can run."
Then, before Shyen Ann knew what was happening, he had grabbed her hand and had yanked her out into the open, and the two of them were racing across the sand, everything blurring into meaningless colors around them, until even Peter beside her faded into nothing as she continued to run.
There was just her.
Shyen Ann Brooke.
I'm not going to die, she thought. I'm not going to lose.
And she wasn't. She was going to live.
Naomi Desmond
Naomi's mind fought to process everything that had happened. Working in the hospital, she had often seen things that most people couldn't handle, but watching as the prisoners all turned on each other and slaughtered each other...
For the first time in her life, her mind couldn't process what she'd seen.
Logan winced, but she could tell his physical injuries weren't what was bothering him. They'd reunited with each other, and Grady, but another tribute, Chris, had slaughtered Grady in front of him. Naomi had never seen Logan's ruthless side—the soldier in him that had fought so hard in the war—until that moment. He killed Chris without a second's hesitation. Grady had died in his arms, and aside from the sorrow from the loss of his brother, Naomi knew that Logan felt guilt over killing a fellow soldier.
She was shocked at how easily the prisoners had all turned on each other. It was amazing what people would do when their own lives were on the line. Despite their situation, Logan had never turned on her. Even when she was a hindrance in a fight, he continuously protected her.
"Hold still. We'll have to watch for infection since I don't have the proper herbs to clean it. Fortunately, I have enough to make a paste in here." She rummaged around in the pack, used the herbs to make a paste that she rubbed on the wound with her own two hands.
She still hadn't told him that she was pregnant with their child.
They had been kept separate in the prisons, so the first time they had reunited had been during the massacre. She'd lost several friends, and Logan did to. Chris had been a soldier he'd fought with many times.
Now they only had each other.
There was a horrid screech, one that made Naomi jump. Logan stood to his feet, grabbing her with his left hand and his sword with his right. She slipped the pack over her left shoulder, and followed closely behind him. The building they were in was abandoned, but through the windows she could see that the water was gone. It had been an underwater city, so how was it possible that the water was just suddenly gone?
Fear clenched her heart, and her breathing quickened as she followed close on Logan's heel. Clenching his shirt in her hands gave her some sort of odd comfort, even as they made their way out into the street.
The screeching sounded again, resounding across the entire city, echoing through the stones of all the empty buildings. Night had fallen, which only added to the fear thumping inside her chest in time with her racing heart. Off in the distance, she saw a familiar young girl running—a friend.
"Jana!" Naomi started toward the girl, but Logan caught her around the waist and held her back.
"Don't. Something isn't right..."
Suddenly, a creature snarled and landed on top of Jana. She couldn't tell what it looked like, but all she saw was its hands ripping open Jana's chest. Blood, maroon colored in the darkness, spurted from the wound and her wounds were exposed. Naomi screamed, whether from horror at the creature, or sorrow at her friend's death, she wasn't sure.
Logan pulled her behind him, but when she turned to look, that's when she saw other creatures. But they weren't creature at all. They were tributes—faces of all the tributes that had died only hours before.
The one eating Jana was Chris.
"Ch—Chris?" Logan stuttered. Naomi had never heard him stutter before. He was a soldier—hardened by battle and war, sure and confident in his skills as a warrior.
"Lo—Logan. You killed him..." Naomi could only watch in utter horror as Chris stalked toward Logan.
Smoothly, as if he was no longer bothered by the situation, he darted toward Chris, and jammed his sword into Chris' chest. Chris swiped his hands toward Logan, who yanked the sword out and backed away from his old friend. With a furious cry, Logan sliced his sword across Chris' head.
Naomi panted, forcing tears out of her eyes as she watched his head bounce across the ground. Something hot breathed on her neck and she screamed. In an instant, Logan had dashed in front of her just in time to protect her from another person—Alecks.
Alecks tackled Logan to the ground, and Naomi's mind scrambled to figure out what to do to help. At last, Logan's strength prevailed and he cut off Alecks' head as well. "Come on! We have to get out of here!" Logan grabbed her hand and took off running down an ally.
Naomi took one final look at Jana's body as the creatures swarmed around to eat her.
By the time they stopped running, both Naomi and Logan were panting heavily. "How... how is this possible...?" She couldn't understand what was happening. Part of herself keep saying it was a dream—just a horrible, terrible nightmare. At any minute, she was sure she was going to wake up—
"Help me! Please!" A young boy darted toward them from the back of the alley, Juniper. Logan started toward him, and to her horror she realized he was going to try to attack whatever creature was after the boy.
He didn't make it in time. The creature jumped on Juniper's back, ripped off his arms and then tore into Juniper's neck. Naomi closed her eyes, but that didn't stop her from hearing the squelch of flesh.
She only opened them when she heard Logan's sword clang on the ground. "Logan, what are you..." Her voice trailed off when she saw what Logan did.
Grady.
It—the creature—was Grady. There was no way humanly possible that he was alive, but he was. His hair clung to his skin, which was peeling away from his bones. Crimson blood dribbled from his chin, and she was certain that Juniper's esophagus hung from Grady's chin like vines.
"Grady... No! No! No! It can't be!" Grady charged for him, but Logan rolled across the ground, reaching his sword.
Grady charged for her. Icy terror slid into her vines, paralyzing her. "Grady, you know me! I'm Naomi, I'm your friend..." But his eyes stared at her blankly... Lifeless.
Logan decapitated him.
His head rolled across the ground, and stopped, eyes staring at Logan as if blaming him. Logan collapsed to his knees, and his entire body trembled. As much as Naomi wanted to throw up, she forced back bile. Now was not the time. Logan needed her, so she had to be there for him.
She knelt in front of him, hugging him to her tightly. Tears streamed down his face, but he didn't stop or make a sound. He released his pain in silence, but there was sorrow and agony etched on his expression. Not only had Grady died in his arms once, but now... He had killed Grady himself.
His pupils were dialated and he had that look that Naomi was all too familiar with. Whenever he went into one of his episodes, or woke from nightmares in the middle of the night, he wore the same expression. She had to get him somewhere private, somewhere she could pull him out of it.
"Logan... Logan, come on. We have to go." Naomi made her voice as soft as possible. She grabbed his hands and pulled him to his feet. He complied and followed behind her, as if he was numb to the world.
As they entered another abandoned building, he began shivering violently. That's when the screaming began, as he saw images and things that only he could see. They trapped him in his mind, but sorrow and guilt choked him. He screamed and cried, just as inhuman and animalistic as the creatures in the city.
She felt just as helpless as always whenever his PTSD episodes happened, but this time was different. Part of her, a part deep inside her soul, knew that Grady's death had broken him. Logan would never be the same again. No words, nothing she could say or do could help him, or bring him out of it. So she did the only thing that she could do in a moment like that.
She stayed.
Jensen Turner
*DID NOT HAND IN*
Leann Thomas
*DID NOT HAND IN*
Emily Blanchard
*DID NOT HAND IN*
Melody Rupert
*DROPPED OUT*