dromomania |carl grimes|

1

ALONE

I feel like if the Mayans knew the reality that would have happened they would have taken a suicide pact to end this monstrosity. Dead people rise from the graves and unfortunately, they're not the dead like the ex-boyfriend from Hocus Pocus. Dead people eat the flesh of the living, gut stray animals, and turn pure humans into bloodthirsty creatures. When you get bit, you get a raging fever and you die. You get no second chance and no ibuprofen to heal the headache.

"You know you're gonna have to kill me, Alora," Elowen tells me. She was sick, she'd been bit by a dead man only a few hours ago.

"I know, El. I know," I reply with a frown.

Elowen's dark hair was covered in her own blood, her skin sickly pale. What makes it worse is she is not white, Elowen comes from a long line of Ethiopian heritage. Her thin long sleeve shirt was ripped and shredded where her bite was, she did try to hide it from me. I couldn't tell if she was dead but still walking or just spent too long of summer inside. We hadn't really spent too long inside, we walk and drive, for now, we walk as per her request not to get blood in my car from her inevitable turning.

"You know I love you, Lora." Elowen only spoke of her death at this point, she didn't want to keep going.

I know, I can tell. I've seen the look on her face, the one my mom made before she left. I don't know if my mom is alive, I'd like to think so but frankly, I don't honestly believe so.

My dad was far from a father, he was a wife-beater, an alcoholic, and an abusive man.

I don't think he made it, I hope not. That man deserved nothing but the most painful death, but I also give him thanks for everything I have learned. I know to trust no one, how to shoot a gun, stay quiet and hidden, and heal injuries.

"Alora?" Elowen says, tapping my shoulder.

I was lost in thought, reminiscing about the childhood that haunted me. It wasn't fair that Elowen was dying, it wasn't fair that at seven years old I had to run away from home, learn how to shoot a gun, and abandon everything I was familiar with.

"Hm?" I hum a reply.

"What's on your mind?" She asks, slowing down. I know she doesn't want to focus on the burning fever I can basically feel running off her.

"Elo? You're dying what are you thinking about?" I retort back, and she frowns.

"I wish I wasn't. Think about it we totally could have fixed this ourselves, if I had one more day. Tomorrow the cure to the virus would miraculously appear in our hands and this would be all over. "

Wouldn't that be the absolute dream, just pop some amoxicillin and magically recover from death? According to a broadcast a few years ago the CDC was demolished, I overheard on my radio, some people share channels, and I just sat in my car hoping to hear someone's voice that wasn't my own or the Eminem I had on repeat.

"One more day? Well shit I'll grab the ice packs we'll cool your forehead down and you'll be good as new," I chuckle. Elowen gives me a smile, God she has the prettiest smile.

"Don't be sad for me, I get to see my parents and Milo soon. That dog has probably missed me so much. And I'll get to be a little guardian angel that sits on your shoulder telling you to do bad things."

I laugh and shake my head, we kept walking reminiscing the moments that we had together.

I only met Elowen about seven years ago, I was almost 12 when we met, meaning I'm almost 20 now. Elowen is a lot older than I am, she's mid20s, and that's why she took me under her wing. Elo was 16 when the apocalypse started, she was a junior in high school. I was young, 7 or 8 when it started. I met her at the high school when there was a few small groups that congregated there. It got overran as all good things do, and now we go on.

"I'm proud of you Alo, I really am. I'm not gonna live to see tomorrow, hell I may not live to see the sunset tonight but when I die, you have to shoot me. Right here," She pointed to between her dark eyebrows, "I'll draw a diagram because I know you're bad at directions."

I roll my eyes but she stumbles as we take another step. "You alright?" I ask, genuine fear in my eyes, Elowen shakes her head.

I'm all for her goofing around but something in those deep brown eyes says that she's done, says she doesn't think she'll make it to see Maine. We could have lived in a cute coast side town, and adopted some pets and children. That would be the dream, I was supposed to die first but she went, she explored the noise that spooked me. I flinched and she knew I couldn't handle the noises so she had to make them stop, what we didn't know is it was a dead man pounding on the door.

"Can we stop?" She says, forcing a smile despite her pain.

I glance at her and nod, I sit down on a log as she slumps down next to me. She looked bad, worse than she had only thirty minutes ago.

"I'm gonna miss you, Elowen."

She gave me a hug, tightly clinging to me, "I know, Alora, be smart and safe like you are."

"Everyone I've ever loved left, my mom, my sister, and you."

She nods, still hugging me tightly. She pulled away to cough, blood came out. She can't go on, as much as I could lie and say a little bit of hydrogen peroxide would get that blood out, she won't need a clean shirt when she's dead.

"Alora, I can't live like this. Take my gun, I wanna be done with this." Another frown made it to my face. I know she's dying I just don't want her to die and leave me. I can handle being on my own but dear god I don't want to be alone.

Her eyes were foggy, she looked dead, I don't want her to come back, I want her to stay dead. She doesn't deserve the weight of knowing she'll turn into one of those things. It's the least I can do, promising her that she will not hurt anyone after she dies.

"I'm tired, Alora. Let me go," She smiled, that fucking smile.

"I love you," I tell her, not shedding any tears, I'm sad don't get me wrong but people die.

"I love you more, my dream."

Those were the last words my best friend said to me, thirty seconds later her heart stopped and then a gunshot to the head sealed the deal.

I put flowers over her body, I know it won't keep the dead off. I just want to get away before they snack on my friend. Her dark hair sprawled on the ground, and she looked so peaceful, she was with her family and her dog. The picture of her dog that she had tucked in her back pocket a few hours before she went to rest.

"Thank you, Elowen." Off I went, walking in a direction unknown.

Still, I did not cry, she is happy why should I be upset?