Survival

Part 22: Valerie

Aluna and I went exploring shortly after the ceremony ended. The town wasn't big, but was full of winding roads and little alleyways. Dust drifted from the road with each footstep. All the street names had some kind of religious significance.

"Humbling, isn't it?" Aluna said as she read the closest street sign. Mary Avenue. Aluna had painted her nails and reapplied her black eye makeup and was looking pretty healthy.

"Hmm?" I was eating a strawberry and was a little too preoccupied with the sweet tasting juice.

"That people can devote their entire lives to the belief in a greater being. It's humbling. I wouldn't have the courage or the dedication to do that." Her voice was dreamy and wistful.

"I guess so." I shrugged. I had never felt the need to be religious and I doubted I ever would. I mean, I could definitely see the appeal, but it sounded like a whole lot of commitment and missing out for an indefinite promise. No, the universe was my only god. And Adam Jones. And Alexi Laiho. Idly I wondered if the guitarists were still alive somewhere out there. I envisioned Alexi Laiho fighting zombies. It was a pretty badass vision. I fervently hoped he was still well.

I stood watching some birds peck crumbs off the street. A pleasant breeze carried the light scent of cooking and the sounds of life going by. Aluna and I walked through some backstreets until we came across the wall. She rapped a knuckle against the steel. It made a hollow sound that didn't exactly reassure me of its security.

"You reckon this will hold for long?" Aluna sounded like she had the same thoughts.

"Hopefully." I craned my neck and squinted into the sun.

"If there was a strong enough wind..."

"I don't like the feel of this place." I said abruptly. Aluna looked at me strangely. I waited for her to accuse me of paranoia.

"Me neither. It gives me the shivers. I don't know whether I want to leave or stay." She sighed and sat on the ground, folding her long legs beneath her.

"The others seem to love it."

Aluna shook her head.

"They're complacent. They still live in denial."

I nodded and kicked a puff of yellow dirt on the road, watching it drift away on the breeze.

"Aluna, why were you in the forest? Why had you built that treehouse?"

The only sound for a while was the chirping of birds and the distant keening of Changed. Aluna's face scrunched up as she debated what to say. Obviously this was a sensitive subject. I felt guilty and was about to apologise when I saw her mouth open.

"I ran away from home," She answered finally. "My home life wasn't... Great," Aluna wrapped her thin arms around her slim, bare waist. She shook her head, smiling ruefully. "I was immature. I'm an orphan, Val. My parents died, and they Changed. They were the first recorded case of the disease. It was all very hushed up. As a kid, I didn't know the truth. I was told they just died from fever. I was always being thrown between different foster homes all around Victoria. And I guess I just got sick of that. So, I ran away. They looked for months. I stayed hidden, though. They assumed I was dead," Aluna turned to me and her eyes were full of regret. "I changed myself so much that I attended my own funeral and nobody suspected a thing. That's why I was in the forest. I guess it just turned out convenient. " She laughed bitterly and flicked her bob.

"I'm sorry."

"Nah man. It's cool."

I looked for imperfections in the wall -of which there were many- and stuck my eye up to a hole. Outside the Changed corpses were piled in ragged bundles. Men and women were taking turns loading the bodies into wagons and carting them off somewhere out of my vision. I smelled fire and the scent of burning flesh. Ew.

Aluna ventured onwards, looking into the windows of a squat concrete building. I bundled my dreadlocks up under a broad sun hat and checked that my collar was pulled up. The evening sun was unforgiving and I could feel my skin toasting.

"What are you doing here?!" I heard a man's voice. I ignored it and took a fresh strawberry from my pocket.

"What is this place?" It was Aluna. Her voice was fearful.

I turned. She had been grabbed by two broad men. They were saying something about a cell and inmates. Shit. Her eyes told me to go. I shook my head desperately.

Run, Aluna mouthed aggressively. One of the men looked my way, his dark features illuminated briefly by a torch.

"Oi!"

I shot Aluna one more pleading look and sprinted away.

I ran until my chest heaved and my legs burned, zig zagging through the lanes and alleyways of the town. When I was sure that I was no longer being followed I found my way home , walking the perimeter of the wall until buildings began looking familiar. The light was rapidly fading and the shadows from the wall made everything seem as if it was under a blanket.

"Where's Lune?" Grace asked instantly.

"Some men got her. She was poking around some building." I said, taking my hat off.

"And you just let them?" A surprising amount of venom laced Grace's voice.

"They were two fully grown men. They tried to catch me too, but Lune said to run and I did." I answered her, shocked.

Grace's jaw clenched.

"We'll go back and look around for her in a while, when they're a little less paranoid." It was Indiana.

"No. They'll suspect we are trying to do something and might even throw us in there with her. We wait, and if we can't get her easily, we leave her." Paz said.

"We can't leave her!" I objected.

"No, we can't." Indiana stood by me.

"We aren't risking our safety for one person. I won't allow it." Paz declared, throwing her drinking glass onto the ground with an air of finality. It shattered noisily, covering the area with small shards.

I left them in the kitchen and stomped away to the bathroom. My hands shook with rage. Sure, it was logical to not sacrifice the safety of a group in favour of one. But that one was Aluna. What would we do without her? The shower sprayed onto my skin, giving me a sense of relief. I cranked it up as hot as it could go until my anger subsided and my skin began to glow red.

In the shower, warm water running over my back, I made my decision. No matter what, I would get Aluna. Grace, Paz or Marcus may not help me, but I was confident Indiana would.

If not, I was alone.