When August Ends

On The Trail

"I'm only human,
And I plead when I fall down.
I'm only human,
And I crash and I break down."
- Christina Perry, Human

Grace P.O.V.

I can't believe I lost Rachel. My mind started wandering and I just kept walking, never even looked back until I heard a gunshot. By the time I backtracked all I found was a dead Infected and blood. No Rachel. It's been three days and we can't find her. I can't find dear Rachel. If we don't find her I'm the last survivor of our room from the summer. All the way back in august. Poor Rachel, I hope she's okay...

I trip on a root as I walk deeper and deeper into the forest. I honestly am struggling to breathe right now, I've been out here for hours. I'm so desperate to find her. I overheard Troy and Mace discussing leaving here tomorrow since we've spent so much time here. I can't let that happen. Rachel can't be gone. She can't be. I hear running water and stumble towards it. I find myself in a clearing on a small bridge. It has a water pump in it. I look up and sight a small town like complex. There is a large black barred gate that surrounds about four buildings. They are simplistic buildings, that look more like an apartment complex than a complex of houses but I can't really tell which it is. It's perfect for hiding. Fences, a court yard, and a few buildings that couldn't be too hard to clear out. It would be the perfect place to settle down in for a while. A few moments pass as I admire this place, but when I snap back to reality, I realize a harrowing thing: I am completely surrounded by Infecteds. They are inching towards me from behind blocking my escape and they are heading towards me from the front. I draw my knife, since I don't want to make noise and attract more. Adrenaline rushes through me as I race forward into the crowd ahead of me, stabbing left and right, dropping walking corpses like rain. One grabs my arm and I can't suppress a scream. Lashing out I drive my blade into it's temple. More and more are coming and I am trying my hardest to get ahead of the group but numbers are strong.

Infecteds are roaring and screeching at me. Howling in their gnarled voices and panic is seeping into my very soul. I stab right and left into the heads of the dead. Blood splatters on my face and drizzles down my arm. If I fire my pistol I'll attract even more but if I don't I might lose my very life. My hand goes to my pistol and wraps around the handle. Taking my aim I shiver. A gun shot rings but it isn't a shot I fired. More shots ring and Infecteds begin dropping like rocks all around me. One flings itself onto of me and I fall back into the bridge along with the Infected. It wraps it's clammy hands around my wrist and I drop my pistol. I try to reach for my knife with my left hand while grabbing at its throat with my right. Chattering teeth are centimeters above my collar bone when suddenly a sharp point protrudes from the corpses head splattering me with foul blood. I push the body off of myself and realize it's a long knife that saved my life. Suddenly I'm yanked to my feet. Correction: this man with a few more knives strapped to a belt around his chest saved my life. He has long black hair, hazel skin, is covered in grime, is quite muscular, and has contradictory eyes that are a kind brown. He's wearing dark khaki pants and a black t-shirt.

"Thank you," I mumble. I'm out of it.

"Get moving!" he says roughly and shoves me ahead of himself towards the complex and towards a man with a crazed look in his eyes. He has a thin build, deep brown eyes, short brown hair, a hand gun, and quite a bit of blood on his face and white t-shirt. He looks young though. Still I'm not too excited to be here.

"Where are you coming from?" The bloody young man asks. I don't answer.

"He asked you a question," the other boy says roughly from behind me.