Population Control

Jason VI

Orenda – A mystical force present in all people that empowers them to effect the world, or to effect change in their own lives

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I saw Camille's arrow before I saw her. It whizzed, silent as a cemetery, straight to the Rabid's head. Dylan and I took advantage of the shock and wrestled free from Rob. "Sami come on!" Camille yelled but when he wasn't moving she pulled him away, letting the Rabid collapse to the floor and the other one to fall on top of her. "After them!" Violet commanded, and one of the Hunters shot the Rabid dead before they all ran at us.

Thank God she came back: I don't think Sami could ever kill a Rabid. Every step water splashed like a fountain; I almost fell when I heard a gunshot. But I didn't look behind because if I looked it was real. It would be terrifying. There were people rushing in through the gate, they must be seeking refuge, maybe the Hunters will be distracted enough to let us slip by.

The gate was so wide open it was blown from its hinges. Slowly, the people shuffled toward us but with no streetlight I couldn't make out their faces. Why were they not running in? Raiding the place? But that was when I looked back and saw Zehna's throat being ripped clean from her skin, the flesh hanging like a cheese string from the monster's mouth. Yes, the Hunters were distracted, but what fucking idiots! Why would they leave the gate open! "JASON!" Camille's voice was shrill. I looked at her bewildered. "THE KEY!" She screamed. Her face was blurred, and voice was quietened by the rain, but it still made me flinch. What pocket did I leave it in? I patted myself down. Jeans? No not there. Shirt? Shit not there. Back pock- inside pocket! It almost slipped from my fingers before I gave it to Camille. There must be more of them now if the screams and the cries and the wails were any indication. We made it: I don't know when Matthew joined us but he slammed the door closed and put the broomstick through the handle. Immediately, he threw his arms over Sami's shoulders. He was shaking, tears welling in his eyes. "Are you OK?" Matthew whispered, hugging Sami tightly whose arms were limp at his side. "Oh what did they do to you?" He cupped Sami's face, and Sami gave in, collapsing into Matthew.

"Matthew help Sami pack, I'll help Jason and Dylan." Camille took control, but she squeezed Sami's shoulder as she passed him for the stairs. She was sweating head to toe, words coming out between puffs. There was something different in her eyes when she looked at me, like she didn't remember who I was. "Jason with me, now. Let's go people!"

We thundered up the stairs where Camille started folding and packing my things when I saw a note in the corner. It was hers; she must have left it. Uncrumpling it, it read:

Picking up an extra shift tonight, the hospital is flooded with patients. Say hi to Dylan for me, wonderful kid. I've left money in the draw for you to order whatever you want, I'm sorry

- Mom x

It must have been left the day her mum didn't come back. I pocketed it and went searching for the gun. "Why did you come back!" I shouted, scrambling everywhere for the gun. I've lost it. I've lost it like I did my old phone.

"Someone told us what happens at initiation, and we couldn't let Sami do it." Quickly, she folded my clothes and put in Mr. Tedson. She lifted a pillow, and the gun was underneath. She looked tired, stressed. "We need to-"

"Go, right now." I finished. I bet she was going to say that we needed to talk, but she has enough on her plate right now that she shouldn't have to focus on the stuff going on between us until we're safe. "I've got it, go help Dylan." Camille looked at me for a second before springing into action and running away.

"DYLAN! DON'T YOU DARE GO OUT THAT DOOR!" I heard Camille from the top of the stares and thundered down them. By the door Dylan had his hands on the broomstick.

"I need to make sure Quill's ok." Just as he went to lift the broom from its hold there was banging at the windows. Groaning slipping past the glass. A body slamming into the building.

"I can't let you do that bro." I held the gun up, forcing myself to stop shaking, and pointed it right at his head.

"Shoot me then. Go on!" He taunted. "Let's see how many people like you then."

"Back away from the door." Although I tried to seem calm my insides were curled and my heart felt non-existent, leaving a hallow hallway in my chest.

"If it was Camille out there you'd go."

"But it's not. So back the fuck away from the door." I jabbed my gun in his direction and he tightened his grip on the broom.

I gasped for air like I'd resurfaced from the sea as an arrow slid past the point of my nose the feather tickling my skin. "No-one is shooting anyone, and no-one is going anywhere." Camille calmly explained. "I know they're important to you but they have their mom, and Freddie, and a whole community who had to kill to be a part of it. They will be fine." Dylan said nothing, and Camille said nothing to me. She pointed me an empty look and dropped the bow to her side.

"Camille I-" She walked straight past me to pull the arrow from the wall.

"Matthew, Sami, you two ready?" She called and they appeared at the top of the stairs hand in hand.

"Ready." Matthew confirmed after Sami nodded at him.

"The plan is simple: Matthew and I've already took our food and water, some fuel. He parked our car behind a building, our goal is to get there before they get us. No person left behind."

The curtains were closed so we were only hit with the chaos when we stood in the doorway. Everyone running around, screaming, gunshots and knives and fires. But it was so dark I could barely tell who was a human and what was a flesh-eating monster.

We started sprinting to wherever Camille and Matthew were taking us. I jumped over a corpse so disfigured its teeth were in its nose and its eye was by its shoulder.

I shot one on my right, taking a second to catch my breath. A second I didn't have because Camille jumped in front of me, an arrow already loaded. It went straight through the Rabids head. She grabbed its arm, her hand sinking into the loose skin, and ripped the arrow from its head. With it came blood and brains. I took another second.

"AAAH!" I screamed, feeling the teeth of one in my left arm. Fuck. Shit. Ah! It bit a chunk off me and went for seconds, but Camille dragged it away. I was bleeding. So badly. So much blood. Fuck! It hurts! Gently, Camille tried to grab my left arm but I ended up screaming again. I can see the bone. The flesh. I can't stop looking at it but I need to because I need to be sick. Bile is rising and I need to throw up todays breakfast. My arm's going green. It was dull but so veiny and squishy like puss-filled buboes. Stringy like a melted marshmallow.

"This will hurt." Dylan said. I don't know where he came from and he's blurred by either tears or I might be about to pass out. Then there's cloth on my arm and it feels like tiny fires, like I've been scrubbing the same place without stopping for days. Like I'm dying. "I know, I know, but you can handle it." Dylan soothed. "We're taking you to the doctor, OK?"

I wasn't going to make it, I want to. Fuck, I want to. But I'm not.

And then Dr. Shantel had me lying on the table, rusted scissors and dirty knives being pushed off. The door slammed shut and the groaning muffled so much I barely heard her. "We're going to have to amputate it."

"Where's the anaesthesia?" Dylan asked. If I focused on their voices the pain dulled. Only slightly. It only felt like I was sitting in an ice-cold bath until my skin began burning and then I threw myself into a steaming hot tub.

"We don't have any."

"What about alcohol then? That would at least numb it!" Panicked Dylan.

"Too far away, you'd never make it there and back in time with all the creatures out there."

"So we need to do it like we're in the middle-ages? He'll die from shock!"

"No, he won't." She grabbed my face, forcing me to look at her. Tears in my eyes they stung as I blinked them back and I tried to contain my wails. "Don't panic, OK? You'll survive, it's only your arm. You don't need both."

"I don't need both eyes but it's nice having them!" I replied only to be ignored.

"Dylan, tie your belt around it."

"Mate I'm not gonna lie this will hurt."