The metal against my wrists seem to tighten the more I struggled to get free. I'd already tried every method I knew to squeeze out of them and none had worked. The tape on my face showed no signs of budging either, even after I had furiously licked my lips over and over in an attempt to unstick it. I'd even tried scraping my face against the wire to tear it off, but I'd only come away with more scratches.
The Infected had lost interest. They'd realised they couldn't reach the meal behind the fence and went back to stumbling aimlessly. A few stayed, keeping me company. I was almost amused as I watched their feeble attempts to push their fingers further through the gaps to reach my body.
Since there were no echoing groans, I was able to hear the awakenings of the camp. Mumbles, distant laughter, the muffled crackling of the fire. Soon enough, Josh would awake to an empty space beside him and I hoped he would care enough not to ignore it. After the argument we'd had, I'd half expected him to hate me.
I'd had my eyes closed when distant mumblings of the camp caught my attention. I'd had no way to tell what time it was. The sounds of clattering pots and trays meant it was late breakfast or early lunch. My thoughts flickered to Jo, but I knew her fate was already decided and I could never forgive Apollo for what she had done.
Familiar voices managed to break through the fence. I could hear Maggie. She was grumbling indistinct orders and Zach was loud as he tried to organise wood collection outside the fence.
"Josh!" Jack's call was clearer than ever. "You want to take the knives outside the fence today? Get in some real practice?" I could hear his grin even through just his words.
There was a pause and I pressed myself against the wire, listening closer.
"Have you seen Em?" Josh asked quieter and my stomach lurched at the mention of my name. He knew something was wrong. I couldn't hear Jack's response, only Josh's final words. "Alright, thanks." It was only silence and rustling wind that followed, bringing a horror-like atmosphere to the air. Another voice broke through louder, a woman's this time.
"Josh!" She called. "I need to talk to you!" It was Apollo, her signature blunt tone was unrecognisable.
"Not right now, Lo," Josh replied, squashing her hopes of further conversation. "I'm busy at the moment."
"It's about Em, right?" She stated, making my stomach lurch. I pressed myself closer and the wire dug deep into my skin. She'd killed Jo and was about to move in on the only person I trusted. I resented every word that came from her lips because none of them would benefit me in any way.
"How did you-" His voice was cut off by another woman, one I recognised instantly.
"Josh," Liz interrupted. "I think we should talk."
*
The afternoon was warm, but my blood flowed with ice and my muscles tensed. Being completely unaware of what was happening was beginning to drive me insane. Dawn Hill was drawing Josh into something dangerous and he was completely oblivious.
"She's not dead, Lo!" Josh shouted as Liz's van door slammed shut.
They'd been inside for half an hour. I'd counted to pass the time.
"There's no way she would've survived the night out there..." Apollo spoke softly.
"How would you know?" He sneered. "She's tougher than you think and if she's out there I'm going after her."
"No!" Lo interjected. "I know because people have done it before and then a body turns up in the woods a few days later... You should stay here in case she comes back. We can send a search party out with people that know the area."
"If she has run away, why the fuck would she come back by choice?"
"Because there's only so far you get in those woods before everything starts looking the same. You're safer inside the fence." She paused and I couldn't help but feel like the last sentence was meant for me. "Plus," she continued, "you're here... She needs you."
"She left me behind easily enough."
*
All had been silent for a few hours when rustling started from behind the gate of the cage. My body kicked into action; pumping adrenaline and showing no signs of lessening. My breathing became more rapid and the hammering in my chest ignited.
The gate to the Infected opened and a body was pushed in. Not a dead body, a person. A woman. She swung her arms up to her face, but it was useless against the herd that surrounded her form. It only took a glimpse at her face through the gap in the crowd of stumbling bodies for me to recognise Jo Peterson.
The Infected swarmed on her like a hive that didn't accept their Queen. They dragged her to the ground, tearing pieces from her as they went. Blood was spat in thick chunks and sprayed bursts from their mouths like mini explosions where only a few pieces could be recognised as flesh and hair. The matching duct tape across her face was enough to silence her as they suffocated her body with theirs. The sound of her bones cracking rang through my head and it was all I could take before I turned away, pressing my palms against my ears.
The sun was beginning to set, and my breathing had still not returned to normal when the voices came again. The Infected were finished with Jo. They had torn the majority of flesh from her bones and left her discarded on the grass. She was unrecognisable and while I couldn't bear to look at her, I couldn't help myself. Acidic paste clung to my throat and all I could do was to try and focus on not emptying my stomach onto the grass. Josh's voice cut through the fence between us. His tone was noticeably more frantic than he had been that morning.
"She's still not back, Lo. You said she'd be back by now."
"I said the morning," she clarified.
"You know for a fact she won't survive another fucking night. You said it yourself." His words were harsh and I could picture his chest heaving. "I was the one who told her to go... I didn't think she actually would. I'm going out there."
"Are you suicidal?" Lo interrupted. "We don't need someone else out there wandering around."
Josh was quiet and I knew he was weighing up the likelihood of finding me alive before it got dark. I just wished he knew how close he was.
"Look," Apollo lowered her voice. "Why don't you come back to my van tonight? I've got a map of the area... We can figure out where to go if she's not back by morning and get a scouting party ready." My heart sank and I could feel a dry lump forming in my throat.
"I don't know, Lo. That's a long time to wait."
"I just don't think it's a good idea for you to be alone tonight."
I could feel the bile rising. Apollo knew I was on the other side of the fence. She knew I'd hear them. There was a brief pause before I heard him speak again.
"Alright," he said.
*
Dawn broke like a wound that was ripped open. The morning wind swirled upwards, creating snatches of cold air that coiled around my feet. An invisible hand clasped over my mouth as I noticed a figure approaching the cages. My chest was tight as if bound by rope and a dry lump formed in my throat when the silhouette became clearer.
It was Liz.
She moved silently towards me and I noticed her fingers gripped around a metal object. When she reached the door, her hands fumbled with the lock before she pulled it open with a wide grin.
"Rise and shine," she chimed. "Your time's up."
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