“Yeah, here I thought the monsters had come from the town near by. When in truth it was just a soldier who didn’t know the importance of a head shot.”
Alex got up again and started to pace once more.
He took a second to wonder how many times she had done this. How many more times she would do this until sleep finally took her down. He had been worried when he watched her interact with Maggie. The cold and almost inhuman way she spoke and acted brought a shiver down his spine. But then here she was almost a completely different person. Worried and scared; one wrong step and she was screwed.
“You’re not the fastest.” He muttered.
Alex stopped her actions and looked at the soldier in hopes he was just talking in his sleep. Although his posture claimed that he could possibly be asleep or at least not in his mind, his eyes were wide in question. She shrugged and looked away to her socks, wiggling her toes in distraction.
“I don’t get you.” He started. “You act like you don’t care but you’re willing to risk your life to give us a chance. Are you bipolar?
“Only borderline doesn’t really have that much effect.” She shrugged.
The soldier narrowed his eyes to see if she had been joking or something but there was no humor. She sat down on the bench across from him, their knees tapping as she leaned back against the table. He huffed changing his position to mimic her’s.
“You’re sister…”
“She’s still alive.” Alex sat up ready to argue. The Soldier merely raised his hands in mock defense not bothering to rise from his relaxed position.
“I believe you. If she’s anything like you; I don’t doubt you for a second, she’s alive.” He spoke so easily Alex wasn’t sure whether to believe him or not. She leaned back again finding no threat at the moment.
“John H. Holmes.” He said after a couple seconds of silence. He reached into his shirt and pulled out two sets of dog tags. He looked fondly at one rubbing his thumb over the engraved words.
“We met back in fifth grade. He ate a handful of worms. Grossed everyone out except me, I thought he was the coolest guy ever. Became instant friends.” He gripped the dog tags roughly in his hand. “Joined the army together, went through boot camp, training even got placed in the same unit. We had only finished training three months ago when all this shit went down. Funny, thinking about it now my worst fear was going overseas and I didn’t even leave the states.”
“My worst fear was spiders.” She supplied.
He grinned at her comment. Spiders were creepy he would admit to that. He slipped off the dog tags and fiddled with them in his hands, they felt like they weighed ten pounds each.
“He got bit by…” He chuckled humorlessly. “…By a zombie.”
No matter how they said it, it just sounded ridiculous. It was a fantasy monster from movies and books this wasn't supposed to happen. Yet here they were now in real life and there were zombies moaning and groaning at the door wanting to devour their flesh. He shifted at the uneasiness the word brought and continued his story.
The story of his friend and his bravery; how even though he had gotten bit, he didn’t stop fighting. He kept trying to protect people and firing until he couldn’t any longer. Until he began to sweat and clench at his heart before his eyes turned the deadly blue. He stopped.
He wanted to tell her how he killed him, how he placed a bullet between his eyes. How he cried at the loss of his best friend, of his brother but he didn’t. He could see this girl already had so much on her shoulders being strong for those two. He didn’t want her being strong for him.
“I’m sorry.” She said pulling him back. He nodded mindlessly.
He held out the tags in between them, they clinked together.
“I want you to wear them.” He chocked. “All this time you kept fighting even though I can tell you’re scared shitless, you never gave up. Unlike me.”
“If it helps we got drunk the night before we got here. Out in the open.” She said and he chuckled again this time amusingly.
“You’re just kids.”
“So are you.”
She reached out and took the tags. The metal felts so cold despite the tight grip the soldier had on them earlier. She slipped her head through the chain. Placed her hand over her heart with the tag resting in-between.
“I’ll try and do right by them.” She proclaimed.
He knew she would. They shifted into a comfortable silence, sleep growing ever so needed. Alex fiddled with the tags around her neck, she wasn’t used to chains or any type of jewelry but she knew the importance of these. She rubbed her thumb over the engraving of the man’s name over and over and suddenly a question came to her.
“So were you two like…you know?” She raised her eyebrow hoping he would understand what she was asking. At first he didn’t but it quickly clicked, he sat up straight. His hands sticking out in a defensive pose.
“No, no.”
“Cause it’s cool. No judgment. Just the way you were talking about him.” She explained.
“No, we were just really good friends. Brothers, really.” He shrugged. “I mean if I had to choose a guy, I supposed yeah but no. 100% straight.”
Alex tried to stifle her laugh at the way the man looked at the ceiling in thought as if he had a list of men or something. He giggled at the oddness of the question.
“We should really get some sleep.” He said.
Alex couldn’t agree more. They stood up taking a quick stretch before walking back to the nest. They laid down in their spots; Alex close by Petey and soldier just a bit on the outskirts but still close. They laid on their backs, eyes heavy.
“Are you scared?” He mumbled.
Her eyes shot open wide. At times she felt like she didn’t know how to answer questions. Should she simply tell the truth or say something that would be more of a comfort or lie? She rolled on her side to look at him but he stayed on his back.
“Shitless.” She admitted.
He hummed softly while his mind raced.
“I’ll save you.” He promised.
Her first instinct was to laugh and brush it off. Yet now in the yellow lighting of the cold and empty shed it felt good. The thought that someone at all would directly have her back, like her sister. She sighed at the thought.
“I have a terrible habit of yelling at people and bossing them around without asking their name.”
He sat up and straightened his back looking directly at her. He put his hand to his forehead in a ready salute.
“Private Benny Darling of the US army, ma’am.” He spoke clear and strong.
He did stiffen a little as he said his name. Remembering that his last name came with a little of teasing here and there and sometimes not in the nicest way. Alex however glossed over it for now. She sat up as well raising her own hand to her forehead.
“Alexandra Armijo.” She saluted back.
18
“We’re all set up there. How about you?” Petey asked.
“Just about.” Alex held the handle out to her friend. He held it loosely ready to hand it over in a second.
“Are you sure you don’t want to keep it?” Alex shook her head. Resting her hands on her hips.
“No, can’t have any extra weight.” She sniffed. “Plus knowing I don’t have any protection on me will make me run a little faster too.”
He nodded. She fiddled with the hem of her shirt never looking so small before. All he wanted to do was help her, trade places with her but she wouldn’t allow it.
“You don’t have to do this.” He could at least try.
Alex laughed humorless. “I can do it.”
“That’s not what’s in question here.” He pointed out.
Of course she could do it. She could do anything but she didn’t have to. He needed her to know it, that she didn’t need to. He opened his mouth to plead but nothing came out.
“Are we ready?” The soldier asked as he hopped off the ladder.
He looked between the two noting the uncomfortable tension. Alex squared her shoulders and stood taller. She needed to stay something before anything else happened. Didn’t want to but it had to be said.
“Yeah, just one thing before we do this.” The men froze at her tone. They stood silent waiting for her to continue. She squeezed her eyes tight and breathed in deeply before letting it out. She opened her eyes in stern look.
“If…if they…there’s a chance…” She cleared her throat. She should have figured out exactly what she wanted to say. How she wanted to say it but it was too late for that. They waited and watched her. “There’s a chance that they may be faster then me. If that happens shut the door.”
“What?” Petey asked.
“Shut the door. Don’t risk it, don’t try and help me just shut the door and run.” She finished looking away. She had to let them know it was okay. It was okay if she were too…her mind stung at the thought.
“No.” Petey spoke.
Alex knew he would be the one to protest. It didn’t matter anyway how much he did want to protest or not.
“Petey…”
“No.” He moved sharply towards her drawing her attention up. “Now I have listened to every order you have barked at me without question. When you told me to run; I ran. But this…”He pointed towards the ground. “I will not listen.”
Before she could make a protest Benny moved forward.
“He’s right. You’re not some casualty of war.” He said.
“This isn’t war.” She yelled.
“Yes, it is! Like you said there is no more ‘you’, it’s ‘us’” He held his hands behind his back and stood up straight. “Peter’s right we’re not leaving you behind. If we have to we will pull you up.”
“Actually it’s Petey.” He said not liking the other name the soldier kept calling him. The soldier stuck out his hand. “Benny.” They shook hands in a small greeting before turning back their attention.
Alex let her shoulders drop as she fought back a small laugh.
“I don’t bark.” She spoke light heartedly.
“Yes, you do.” Petey said.
“Quite a bit actually.” Benny backed.
Alex moved forward wrapping her arms around Petey’s neck. He gave her a squeeze back. She let go and hugged Benny as well. She may not know him well but she knew that he needed this as much as she did.
The men considerately said nothing as they watched her quickly wipe away any tears that escaped her eyes. Calling her out on her fears and pain would do no one any good right now.
“One more thing I have to do.” She said. Digging her pockets she pulled out a small chain with something dangling from the end of it. She held it out for one of them to take it. Petey grasped it and she turned around lifting up her hair to indicating for him to put it around her neck. He took a second to examine it.
It was a simple silver chain holding a very simple cross and patron saint next to it.
“St. Christopher?” He asked curiously as he moved to put it around her neck.
“Saint of travel.” She felt it hit the dog tags. “It was…is my sister’s. Figured I should hold on to it until I can give it back.”
The men just smiled and nodded. They knew if they tried to speak against her sister they would be shot down quickly.
Petey and Alex hugged one last time before saying a wordless goodbye. He went up the ladder leaving Benny to follow behind them. He turned towards her not sure if he should hug her again or say something. However when he looked into the soft brown eyes he knew he didn’t have to.
“Protect them, Darling.” She uttered quietly.
Biting down the use of his last name he gave her a final salute.
“Yes ma’am.” He promised before following Petey up.
The moment they were out of sight Alex headed towards the door. Once again she counted every step. This time every step seemed to echo loudly in the empty shed. She came to the door gripping the bar that held it closed and leaning her head against the metal. She sighed feeling the cold metal, taking a second to listen to the monsters outside.
“God, if you’re there and you’re listening….” She looked up as if she was searching for his physical being above her. “Please, please don’t let me pee my pants. It’ll be really embarrassing and I’ve only got the one pair. So please.”
She finished her prayer and grabbed hold of the pipe. It was now or never. She pulled it out carefully before harshly slamming it against the door creating as much as possible. She didn’t have a chance to do more as the heavy metal doors were pushed open effortlessly. She stumbled backwards before she turned back on them.
Don’t look back….run…breath…run….
she kept repeating those thoughts over and over in her mind. Blood pounding in her ears wasn’t enough to drown out the sound of the monsters close behind her. She could almost feel them upon her back.
Before she realized she reached the ladder and gripped the first bar. Then the next, she could see the light. All she had to do was stay focused on the light.
“Pull her up!” She heard a voice and felt two hands gripping her wrists. For a second Alex felt weightless as she was yanked up. Next thing she knew she was being tossed on her back, hitting the floor hard. She didn’t know which one had pulled her up but either way she was eternally grateful to both as she watched them shut the lid and lock it down.