Survivor // Ben Parish

//5//

Reznik bend down to my level on the ground "And why would I do that?" She whispered in my ear, she was so close i could feel her hot breath against my cheek. 

"You're half way there" I groaned as I tried sitting up.

Nugget started walking towards me but I put my hand up, motioning him to stop. He didn't need a beating too.

"Stand up" Reznik commanded.

I thought I wouldn't be able to move ever again from the beating I just took, but I stood up. I clutched my left rib cage and ignored the dripping blood from my mouth. 

"Get back in line"

I walked back in line and tried not to groan from the pain again. It sure did hurt like a bitch.

"You still got a lot of fight in you" Reznik whispered. "I like that"

I wanted to say something so bad but I couldn't, after all that I wouldn't be able to handle another punch.

"But you're not who I want as squad leader.." She said. I just took a beating and wanted more! And now I don't get squad leader. "Meet your squad leader, zombie"

"Tha-" I started talking again but pound cake squeezed my hand and shook his head.

I turned to look at zombie and he was shocked, just like me. Why zombie? He didn't take a beating. I started pushing the pain in my body away and instead replaced it with anger, not towards zombie but towards Reznik. She's obviously doing this to fuck me up. She and I know I'm a way more skilled person than zombie. Even though I haven't showed her, she knows, I don't know how but she knows.

"You will do as he says when he says it, you will follow orders, you will not question him on anything he does! Do you guys understand?" Reznik yelled.

I didn't say anything but the rest of the squad did.

"I explained to you how the drill works, now go!" 

I didn't hear anything so I just followed them, they crowded into a ball and began jogging around camp. Every step I took felt like I was getting punched in my stomach. I bit my lip, I wasn't going to get left behind, I have to show Reznik I'm not scared or weak.

"Are you okay?" Zombie asked.

"Peachy" I said and kept jogging. I whipped the blood away from my mouth. How can someone survive like this? Getting beat up and then going for a jog.

After the second lap I felt dead, like a running zombie. I couldn't feel my legs or my lungs. I don't know if it was because I was out of shape of because of the beating. We finished our third lap and I tried catching my breath.

"Where's nugget" I asked.

"Right there" Flintstone pointed behind me and he ran towards me.

"Cmon nugget, you have to stay with the group" I ruffled his hair and he hugged my waist.

"Are you okay? You're bleeding" he said.

"I'm fine" I smiled. "It didn't hurt" I lied, because that was the worse physical pain I've felt in my whole life.

"Squad 53!" Reznik yelled. What does she want now?

"You didn't think that was all did you?" She laughed. "We're barley getting started"

In my mind I was planning different ways to kill her, skinning her alive of burning her alive? They both sound amazing.

"100 burpies! Now!" She yelled.

She's doing it on purpose! I could see it all over her face, mocking me, thinking I would give up that easy. Well let's see about that. I dropped on the floor kicked my legs back, pread my legs then back together, push-up, jump up.

"One!" I yelled as my hands reached for the sky.

Every time I jumped or kicked back, every time I moved in general send a horrible pain all over my body. Everything was happening so fast. In only a few seconds my whole life flashed before my eyes, it's amazing what one second could do. One second could ruin your life. One second is all it takes for the others to take us out, so why haven't they? What's their plan for us, the remaining humans. Use us as puppets? Playing with out emotions? Watch us turn into monsters? Watch our hearts get smaller and smaller as we become more selfish and aggressive, watch us get full of hate and revenge and eventually just take our own lives since we can't handle what the others turned us into, puppets.

"20!" I yelled.

Every time I came up I looked at Reznik. She's a bitch, and there's no doubt that I hate her, but what if she's doing something good? She did say she's trying to train us into kickass soldiers. Maybe all this is helping us, maybe even my beating it part of all of this, for discipline.

"Private killer, did I give you orders to stop?" She yelled into my ear. I didn't notice i stopped.

"Ma'am, no, ma'am!" I yelled and kept going. I could see the rest of the squad relieved that I didn't give attitude or say anything else. I said I would protect Sammy, and if this is what it takes for him to be safe and get strong then this is the right place for him.

"Private teacup, you better not stop now! Or you'll go back to zero!" Reznik yelled. Is the yelling ever going to stop? Probably not.

"40!" I yelled almost breathless.

"You better show me you can still keep going after that beating you got" Reznik growled in my ear.

I kept going, it took all my strength to keep going.

"70!" I yelled. Now I was the only one doing the burpies everyone else just stared at me.

"Cmon killed, your squad is waiting on you!" Reznik yelled.

"80!"

"Show them you're not pathetic and weak as you look!" I started going faster.

"90!"

"Show them you're actually worth being in their squad! Show them how much you want to actually take down the others and nothing will stop you! Show them!"

"100!" I yelled.

I put my heads above my head and looked at Reznik and then the squad.

"Good girl" Reznik smirked.

I showed the squad and Reznik I could still keep going. I'm going to show them that killer isn't weak! I'm going to show them who killer really is! She's not a weak little bitch. She will take down the others, and she will keep Sammy safe until her sister gets here, if she ever gets here. But killer will not stop until the others are dead! Until she hears one begging for their life, begging for mercy. They call me a survivor for surviving the waves, I won't be able to look at myself that way until I actually survive this.

Until I can actually be happy again.
Until the others are killed.

Until I'm actually a survivor.