Rise Against (Book II)

Chapter Six - Reality

Chapter Six – Reality  

I dropped to my knees and looked at it. The rocks were smeared with blood that was dry. The worst thought that came through my mind was his body rubbing against it while going down stream. I couldn’t help but glance downstream in terror. Would his body still be there? Would animals have taken him? I choked back the vile that rose in my throat.

Zack and I both looked in horror at the red smears. Then he tugged my arm and we headed away from the river. I didn't cry or say a word. We didn’t even look at each other in fear that one of us would break down. My knees were trembling, so I would definitely be the person going down.

"Ready for a fight?" he asked. I could hear the fear in his voice. He doesn't want me to fight any more than... Jack.  

I pulled my T knife out of my purse as a way to show that I was ready. I could see the building a few hundred feet away from us. We walked to the familiar building. You could see it over the large wall.  

I ran fast in a sudden burst of adrenalin. Zack followed suit. I ran and jumped onto a tree and climbed it up to the wall. Then leaped onto the wall and ran on the wall. 

There weren't any guards outside to our advantage. I sighed in relief and quickly scanned the yard in case any were about to pop out at us like in the movies.

"Follow me," I whispered and ran like a cat on the narrow wall.

I grabbed onto the wall and dropped down to the other side. I heard a light thud behind me where Zack dropped to. We stood there for a moment to make sure no one heard us. Once it was all clear, I calmed myself down a bit.

"I got left. You go right," I told him.

"No, we stay together," he told me strictly in a way that he sounded so much like Jack. Maybe it was just my imagination.

We headed one of the doors and entered slowly. I gripped tight onto my knife and walked into the hall. In the ship just hours ago, when Jack and I were back to back fighting, I wasn’t ready to kill anyone. Now, as Zack and I stood at the end of the hallway in what was now enemy territory, I was ready.

I heard footsteps close by and felt my muscles tighten. Here we go. I thought to myself as I saw the man coming around the corner. 

I ran after him and leaped onto his back like a monkey. It was really the only move I know best. He tried to shout then I covered his mouth with my hand and felt my nails dig into his cheek.

Zack tackled another guy while I tried to pay attention to what I was doing. The sound of thuds from fists hitting flesh was very distracting. I found that I was more afraid of what might happen to Zack than I was before.

"If you leave this planet, you may live," I told the man; holding firmly onto his neck so I wouldn't fall off.

He managed to get my hand away from his mouth. “Never!” he shouted and rammed me into a wall. I yelped and pulled my knife out and held it to his throat.

"I will let you live if you promise to help us!" I told him pleadingly.

He slammed me against the wall again. In one quick movement, I slid the knife down his throat. The blood oozed in an awful way as I tumbled away from him. I just killed a man! After he dropped to the ground, I felt as if I might just pass out. I had to stay emotionless, even though I was screaming in the inside.  

Zack had either knocked out or killed his guy. I pulled the body into one of the room and Zack quickly copied me. We covered up everything as if we were never here. We wouldn’t want two bodies to inform them that there were two killers on the loose.  

I was trembling from fear, but hiding it the best I could from Zack. There was no way I’d show him that I was terrified and was barely holding it together. No, I needed him to think that I was so sure of myself. He needed to feel that I was handling this better than he was.   

Zack seemed emotionless as well, but his eyes were still a blue. I was glad that I was human and didn’t have to worry about my emotions showing. I could hide them easily underneath the panic and grief.

"Hello? Can somebody help me?" some girl called.

We ran to one of the door. Zack broke it down. There was a girl, maybe my age with short wavy brown hair. She had a baby in her hands.  

Her big brown eyes were red from crying. Who thought that humans were the ones hurting us? Not Twiads. They are kind and took care of us. Humans have tortured me and have even tried to kill me.  

That memory of the pain made me furious. I heard someone coming at the wrong time. My fingers curled around the knife almost painfully as I headed towards the person that was destined to die. I leapt out and grabbed onto him from behind like I did with all of my victims. It was easiest to just cling on.  

"If you help us, I won’t kill you," I told him in hopes that he would be someone to change their mind.

"If you get off of me I won’t kill you.” Touché.

"Sorry, but I’m all out of Mercy.” I stabbed the knife into his heart and jumped off of him.

He fell to the ground and I pulled him into the room with the others—locking the door behind me. 

I went back to Zack who stared at me. His expression was unreadable. I thought about what he saw me. He saw me kill the guy. I looked down in shame and walked over to the girl.

"What is your name?" I asked her.

"Holly," she squeaked and pulled the baby tighter to her chest.

"What is the baby's name?"

"His name is Chandler. After his father…" She frowned at his name.

The father must have been killed. By those savages that roamed about with their guns and holier than thou attitude. I grabbed her hand and pulled her with us.

"Henry said he will be the safe ship to evacuate everyone to," Zack muttered.

"Where is he?" I asked.

"He will be inside the gate at three... It’s almost two."

"Would you like to follow us? Or we can come back to get you?" I asked her.

"I'll follow you," she murmured.

"When I say look away, trust me. You don't want to see it," Zack warned her.

She nodded. 

We ran down the hall at full speed. It was because we had a girl who looked like she couldn’t throw even a slap, and her tiny baby that was completely defenseless. We all stopped suddenly when the sound of loud steps was coming our way. They knew we were here.   

 I was ready, when he came around the corner. I shouted. "Look away!" 

I threw the first kick I had ever really done with such force. He was slammed against the wall at the blow. He was out cold, but still alive. I dragged him into a room and locked it so he couldn't get out.

"Whenever someone comes, I will take them on. You protect her," I told Zack. He didn't like that idea one bit, but it was a better shot than me taking her somewhere I didn’t really know.

I heard footsteps again and hid. When he came into view, I ran and was ready to attack yet again. But he knew I was there and reached, grabbing my neck. I choked and struggled as I felt my feet lift off the ground. My knife was on the ground.  

Zack grabbed my knife and stabbed him in the side of the neck. I gasped when I fell to the ground. My breathing came in chokes and I could feel my skin burn. There will be bruises without a doubt by tomorrow.

"Sam, are you okay?" Zack asked anxiously.

"I'm. Fine!" I gasped and quickly stood up.

This time, more than one pair of footsteps came. I had to do this by myself.

"Run!" I screeched at them.