The Infection: Zombies Awakening (Book 1) - EDITING

Chapter 18 - How friendship works

Awhile later, we manage to outrun the zombies that have trailed us in just an hour or so. I struggle most of the way, but managed to catch up with Remember, along with his inhumane speed. 

But even so, another problem has struck for me. It was called ‘exhaustion’.

Panting, I finally come to a walking pace. My legs burned to no ends, begging myself for rest. Not long ago, we’ve made it to the ends of the canyon, and were now walking along the sides of a cliff. A wide grass-less valley is all I can see through my wet hair. My entire body is drenched in sweat, which glistens under the evening sky. I haven't eaten in hours. I was in a wreck. My head bobbles as I walked. Never had I ever ran for this long. Even in elementary school, I wasn’t one of the slow kids. I’d always come in the top 5 or so when it came to running something, like Cross-country. But nothing like those days can compare to how much I was running in this moment. I couldn't take it anymore. Nothing was better than to just drop dead, and pass out. The only times we ever stop, is when I needed a pee break. But that happened only twice.

"Rima stop." Remember suddenly ordered.

I did as told. “Yes?” 

"You're…slowing down."  

"I-I’m sorry." I say within my panting. "I’m just tired now.”

Remember takes that word into his mind. “Tired?” He asks aloud.

 I nodded. “Yes, tired. It’s when you feel really weak and out of energy. And you know you need to rest."

He didn’t look empathetically at all, to my response. “We hardly moved at all.”

I sighed. “Not everyone has that super speed like you do.”

"Super speed." He repeated stiffly, and turns. “That’s nothing, compared to what the others have.”

Remember then gazes over around the area, and sniffs the light air. I too looked around. We were now out of the canyons, in a rather grass-like terrain. To my surprise, I see something not too far away from us.  An old still balanced structure lays at least a mile or so away from us. It was a building, still covered in some rusty old construction beams and planks. 
"Think we'll make it?" I ask.

"We will." He says, and takes a confident step forward. I too, begin to follow yet again. Unfortunately, that wasn't my legs intentions. A sudden pain surged up my knees, leaving me to wobble and collapse. I knees hit the hard bumpy floors in cramps. Crap, I really did push it too far...

"Sorry." I gasped. "Just give me a minute." More like a few hours. A stinging sensation runs through my knees down to my feet. I could barely move my own legs now. It was as if all the blood that were coursing through them, had simply turned into stone.

Remember only scowled at me.

I looked down shamefully. I soon came to realize how far my shadow was stretched now. It was already past sunset. My body then shivered. No way was I going to camp outside. The next stop was just a few miles ahead of me. I'll make it soon – I had to.

I straightened up, and struggle to get up. My legs however didn't seem to want to co-operate. More cramps and pain was the response I got. It was no use now; I've already reached far past my body's limits.

"I can't" I whimpered. "M-my legs, they-"

Remember only stares at me. He then walks up to me and crouches, so we were at the same level of height.

I stare into his dark eyes, seeing nothing but the red glow of his pupils. Somewhere inside of him, there was an idea.

“H-huh?”

He then turns around, facing his back towards me. "Let's go."

And that’s when I was suddenly hosted up by both his hands. I leaned forward, on his back and have both my arms around his neck.  

"W-wait!"

In the next second, I am then soaring through the breeze, on his back. Everything around us was nothing more than a split second scenery, similar to what you’d see when you look out from a moving cars window. Only Remember was faster. My eyes almost couldn't catch up. My hands wrap a little tighter around his shoulders, still aware of the fact that there was still a small chance of me falling off. I ignore the ragged bloodied clothing and the scent of death that he wears.