Story of Aaliyah - TMR

Chapter 8 - No one to cherish these things.

They say death is the hardest on the living. It's tough to actually say goodbye. Sometimes it's impossible. you never really stop feeling the loss. It's what makes things so bitter sweet. We leave little bits of ourselves behind, little reminders. A lifetime of memories, photos, heirlooms. Things to remember us by even when we are long gone, but what if there is no one there to cherish these things. I stumbled as I ran through the open space. I felt as if I was a crank crazy, worn out, angry, confused, and completely empty. I came to a stop as I walked past the stupid table that held the book. I leaned over to read my handwriting where I wrote two fake names. I reached out running my finger over the names, wishing I had wrote ours. Maybe someone would have seen them one day, and said a small prayer for us.

My eyes focused again and I stood there staring at my hand resting on the book. It was covered in a deep red mess. I pulled my hands close to my face as I rotated them just staring at the blood that covered them. I had never wanted to hurt anyone in my life... after all I hoped to save lives one day... maybe become a doctor. My mind began to spin and I felt like I could throw up. My arms fell back down to my side as I turned to take one last look at the crank I had killed. The man looked to be about twenty three years old. Maybe he just finished college. Maybe he didn't even have his own family yet. It didn't matter because I had took his life.

"HELP ME!" I turned back around in such a daze as I stared off into the true open area of the mall. People were screaming and running around in circles from what looked like a crank outbreak. There were two cranks bent over something as they fight like dogs over what appeared to be their dinner. My body moved without thinking, one foot in front of another as I walked into the chaos. No one paid much mind to me as I weaved through the crowd mindless as the words echoed through my head. 'We sealed up all the doors besides this one to make sure those bloody cranks don't get in.' We were all sitting ducks, trapped with no were to run. 

"HELP ME!" A women grabbed ahold of both my shoulders as she shook me. There was a deep bite mark on her neck were a crank must have latched onto her. I pushed her away as I stumbled back feeling my mind spinning out of control. I watched helplessly as a crank tackled her to the ground again only this time the women just laid there. Maybe it was seeing her giving up that snapped me out of it but I pushed the crank off of her bring my arm back as i gained momentum to slam my fist into the crank's face. The women was bloody and beaten as she looked at me with such fear. "Thank you." 

I rolled my eyes with such disgust at how weak she was. "Get up! I have to find someone!" I grabbed her arm yanking her to her feet with me knowing I was losing time on finding Nate. It was as if this moment had cleared the fog from my mind and now I was working in over drive with my adrenaline. I made a promise to Newt... I would keep his brother safe. Quickly I forced the women to run with me as we weaved between the cranks and scared humans. "NO! No, we must make it to the jewerly shop... My children are hidden there." Something about her words made me want to throw up as we came to a stop so I could turn and stare at her with even more disgust. "You left your children alone?!" 

Her mouth was open wide then she looked down to her feet as a crank attacked a man behind her. It wasn't the place to talk about this but I wanted an answer before I helped this women anymore. "I-i was so afraid... I'm weak okay! I'm not meant for this world... I just... tucked them behind the counter and left. I know we will all die... I can't take watching them die in front of me." I was starting to hypervente at her words, she quickly hurried to finish. "I am a horrible Mother I know that! I do! I just... I am a coward!" I didn't think it just happen. My body reacted to her words but punching her across her face. 

"You are awful!" I spit at her then shook my head knowing the mix of rage and adrenaline was only confusing my judgement. I dragged her back to her feet. "We have to get to them now!" I yelled out knowing I should be focusing on finding Nate. It wasn't easy to make our way across the mall to the jewerly store and I didn't see Nate the whole way which only made me sicker. We ran into the Jewerly store to find a crank smashing the glass counters trying to get to something. "No!" The women screamed out. I raced forward grabbing the mad crank pulling him to the ground in a fight. 

The man thrashed as he rolled over and my head smashed back hard into the ground as I fought with him  trying my hardest to finish this. When suddenly he went limp on top of me. I rolled him off and gasped for air as my heart beat in over drive. I looked down to see the glass that had been stabbed in him only to see the women huffing as well. "Thanks." I muttered still not over the fact that she had left her children for death. The women raced to the counter as she reached down to lift up the children up. She lifted a small girl who had tears rolling down her rosie red cheeks. The child couldn't be more than three years old. The women set her down to pick up a boy next who looked so calm that you wouldn't guess anything was wrong besides the fear in his eyes. 

"You left toddlers? Can they even walk on their own!" I yelled at her feeling my blood boil as the Women looked at me with such fear in her own eyes. "I know... I am horrible... I hate myself as well." She bent over picking up the girl who was still crying as she began to bounce her. "Shhh.. Tess it is alright." I shook my head, "We have to keep moving. I have to find Nate.. unlike you I don't leave my love ones behind." I said with such hate. "Could you carry him. It is hard to carry them both and run." She whispered and I only glared at her as I picked up the boy. 

We ran back out into the madness of the mall as I pushed the boy's face into my neck in hopes he wouldn't have to seeing the horror. There was a horrible crashing sound and causing us to stop and look back. What looked to be a dozen Cranks had just smashed through a glass window and were now charging towards us. "KID!" The familiar voice was like music to my ears I spun back around to see the door we had first entered in open and the young man in a baseball cap  standing there waving his arms for us to run. His name echoed through my head. Derrick. I pushed my legs to run regardless of the pain I was in. I could hear the howl's so close behind us as I raced ahead with the boy so calm in my arms. 

Derrick reached out grabbing ahold of my arm to yank me into the darkness of the storage room I spun around to see him making a face then he slammed the door shut. I stared at the closed door as the darkness filled the air around me. "NO!" I Screamed setting the boy to the ground and racing forward to open the door. Derrick put his arms out holding me back. "It's too late. Their is no hope." I pushed him aside with every inch of strength that I had. I pushed the door open and stumbled into the madness and I hear Derrick curse behind me. "You are dead." He hissed as I heard the door slam shut on his last word. 

The women was pinned down by two Cranks and the toddler was screaming as a crank who once was a police officer crawled towards her. "NO!" I screamed and raced ahead kicking the crank in the face as I bent down pulling his gun from his belt. I aimed for the two cranks that were on the women. I shot one in the head and the other in the back. The women pushed away from them crawling to my feet as I aimed for those running for us. I was only able to bring one more to the ground before I was out of ammo. 

 The women locked eyes with me as the cranks continued to run for us. It was as if time slowed down for this moment maybe it was my adrenaline playing tricks on me. The women stood to her feet her blue eyes locked with mine. "Take care of Tess and Kyler. They don't deserve this life." She whispered as she turned and ran to meet the cranks and her death. My heart squeezed and I reached out for her as if to stop her but there was nothing I could do. The women I thought was weak, a coward had sacrificed herself for her children and me.

The worst part was not even knowing her name. I bent over scooping small Tess into my arms as I beat on the door praying it would open and that this wasn't for nothing. Just as I was about to give up the door opened and Derrick locked eyes with me. I raced back into the storage room as Tess howled and Derrick closed the door engulfing us in darkness again. They say death is the hardest on the living. It's tough to actually say goodbye. Sometimes it's impossible. you never really stop feeling the loss. It's what makes things so bitter sweet. We leave little bits of ourselves behind in love ones and little reminders. A lifetime of memories, children, photos, heirlooms. Things to remember us by even when we are long gone, but what if there is no one there to cherish these things.