Santiago Rising

chapter 16

I follow this beautiful girl into an alleyway. I shouldn't be following a stranger into an alleyway. This was crazy of me. I knew better than this but something told me to follow her and so I did. I follow this woman into several different alleyways and down one street to one more alleyway. She brought me to a small hole in the wall. It looks like the one I first hide I with Jake when this first started for me. This brought back memories of me killing that kid, it brought back something I didn't want to remember. It brought back a feeling I thought I let go, but I didn't let it go. And it was killing that kid was something I never wanted to remember, I never wanted to hurt a kid again. I haven't thought about that day in a long time, inherently it was also the day I first spoke to Jackie even if it was for twenty-odd minutes or so. Without her help, I wouldn't be here today.

I shook off the feeling of killing a kid. I knew I had to do it then just like I have to do it now for anyone who was bitten or kill in some other way. If they were breathing they were gone and it was up to us living to put them down.

Looking around I notice that this girl seems familiar to me. The way she carried herself, the look in her eyes telling me she saw some shit she wishes she'd never seen. Or the way she first looks at me while pointing her gun at me. It was like she knew me but I didn't know her. She walks around the room grabbing stuff and then she walked over to me. "Take your shirt off," she said to me. "Wha-what," I said. "I am not taking my shirt off," I told her. "You will if you want to stay the night officer," she said to me. "Wait what how did you know I was an officer," I ask her. "I saw you on your first day on the job rookie, you ask me for directions to getting to the briefing room," she said to me. "no way you're the front desk working!" I said. I look at her in awe. "now take your shirt off," she said to me once more. This time I complied and removed my shirt. She looked over my body, checking to see if I had any wounds.

Then I felt her hand touch my back, her touch was soft. I grasp in slight pain. "You have a bruised on your back," she said to me. "Yeah, that was from falling off my bike when I ran into a growler," I told her. "A what?" she asked me. "A growler, you know a zombie the undead," I told her. She still didn't seem to understand why I was calling them that. "I call them that because it's their name, it was a girl is experiencing right now in New York City is facing everything, it's what we are facing right now, and this place is the second hell on earth because the first place was taken by the big dead apple now," I told her. And that when I started to explain everything I knew and how I spoke to a girl named Jackie Rivero and listen to her story.

I told her about how it was there when the dead came back and how I killed my family and save two little girls that I so desperately needed to get back to them. But I knew I had to wait until the sun came up and how I needed to rest but my body wouldn't let me until I got back to my girls.

"You need to relax before you get yourself killed, " she said to me. "What's your name," I ask her. "Tt's Gabby nice to meet you, rookie," she said to me. "It's Haley," I told her. "Sleep before I make you sleep, you need rest you can look after your girls right," she said to me. I look at her and thought about it, she was right and I needed to keep my strength up. She handed me some food and water and I ate.

After eating I wanted to ask Gabby more questions about how she survive this long on her own but my body started to grow weak from the last three or so days of pushing myself beyond my limits. My body felt heavy, I lean on the wall to support myself. I couldn't keep my body upright any longer. Gabby came rushing towards me, "I told you to rest dumbass," she said to me. I just laughed at her and I closed my eyes feeling her support me.

I woke up on the floor of the small room that I was lead to by Gabby. I push myself to get up and groan in pain. My back was killing me and my body screamed at me as my muscles ache. I wanted to get up and go to my girls but I couldn't. I felt the weight of something on me. That's when I notice that Gabby was on my right side with her arm draped over my waist and her head in the crook of my neck. I blush at the time of cuddling with her all night but stop the thought and told myself that this was to keep warm on what was a hot summer night. There was no need for us to cuddle last night but here we are. She was sleeping peacefully by my side and for some reason, I like the sight of it. No this was the time to think about such things. I needed her to wake up and I needed her to get out of here and go to my girls.