The Last Ones Standing

Gone

Version 1

I was standing up pressed up against a wall in the english hallway and peeking my head around the corner every now and then watching the zombies while waiting for the signal. Ryker disappeared into the history hallway over 5 minutes ago - the hallway opposite of the english hallway - to execute his plan.

He wanted to distract the zombies gathered by the main entrance of the school and lure them into the history hallway where he poured kerosene to light them on fire. He'd insisted that he do all the work because of my wounded leg.

Stupid broken pillar.

"Come on Ryker, hurry up," I mumbled as I switched my weight from my wounded leg to my good leg. Moments later a fire alarm went off. "Light the motherfuckers on fire!" he yelled as he came running down the history hallway. Due to the length of the hallways and the distance between the hallways being long, we both agreed that Ryker should make a run for the staircase as the zombies moved toward the hallway.

Ryker slipped on some of the kerosene he poured there and landed on his back.
"Be careful!" I said. "Don't worry about me! Just do what I told you!" he said as he sprinted up the stairs. I hesitated a bit before I took out the lighter he gave me and lit it. A flame sputtered to life.

My eyes darted from the flame, to the zombies moving toward the hallway and then to Ryker tightening a rope near a gaping hole above the main doors on the second floor so he could jump down after the zombies had cleared out.

The zombies were all finally in the hallway and without hesitating any longer, I threw the lighter and watched as the fire roared to life. I could hear their cries of agony as the fire did its job. I smiled at the flames.

Good riddance.

As I started to move towards the main doors, out of the corner of my eyes, I saw that the fire was rapidly spreading up the stairs and heading towards Ryker who was too busy tightening the rope to pay any attention to the flames. But before I could warn him, the fire had already latched onto him. He screamed out in horror and stumbled backwards straight for the staircase.

"Ryker!" I screamed out as I ran as fast as I could towards him. The fire seemed to spread up his body and he fell down the flame infested staircase. He landed at the bottom of the staircase with a loud thud. He managed to get up and tried getting out of the flames a few times but he failed.

"Leave me, g-go get somewhere safe p-please," he said in between a coughing fit has the flames continued to consume him. "N-no, I can't! Please don't do this to me, please don't leave me, I don't want to be alone again," I said as I got as close as I possibly could to the flames as tears streamed down my face.

"God you're so fucking stubborn, but you made these past few months so enjoyable for me, I love you shortcake, from the bottom of my heart." "Get out of here!" he yelled to the best of his ability as he continued to cough. I was speechless for a couple of seconds.

"No! I'm not fucking leaving you Ryker! You hear me? You're coming with me!" I yelled. I inched closer to the flames to find away to grab him and drag him out but fate seemed to have other plans for me.

I heard a faint thump, and I could see his palm laying lifeless at the edge of the flames. My heart dropped to my stomach. I screamed as I started crying even harder. "RYKER!" I yelled through tears.

Through my tears, I could see his favorite ring on his ring finger and I moved quickly and removed the ring scooted as far away as I could and clutched the ring to my chest as I rocked back and forth and cried.

He's gone.

These past few months I acted like a total bitch to him and denied how I felt because I was so used to being alone.

Even when he kissed me and I obviously liked it, I completely denied my feelings and avoided him.

He was so kind to me but in return I showed him hostility.

I didn't even get to say I love you back.

A loud creaking sound snapped me back to reality. The second floor and staircase were on the verge of crashing down.

I scrambled to my feet and grabbed the backpack full of our survival things and two weapons and sprinted toward the door. The second floor and staircase came crashing down just as I made it out the doors. 

As I ran away from the school, an explosion from within the rocked the building. I screamed out his name and sunk down to the ground as the last of him was being blown to pieces.

After thinking that I finally had someone to keep me company, in a blink of an eye I was alone again.

The world was already cruel, but the universe had decided that it would make my life even more of a living hell than it already was by taking Ryker away from me.

He's gone and I can't do anything about it.

No amount of crying or screaming will bring him back to me.