Chapter 6

I see Rippy’s back and Felicia’s limp body over his shoulders. I think of all the times we ran together during Raiders. I wonder what he felt looking at my back like this. For he always complained about me being faster and me being able to go farther. Always talked himself down and beat himself up over everything he did wrong. Everything he felt someone was better than him at (whether they actually were or not) and he wouldn’t let himself or them forget it. The one who cut, not consitantly and was getting better, but cut nonetheless. The one that was reported for suicide too many times.

What thoughts went through his head when we laughed together over a shared military joke or whatever. He was a good, smart kid. Yet he threw it all off and was fairly lazy. But now, now he runs ahead of me carrying a girl to what we all hope to be safety so she may survive another day and we all won’t face the same fate as those being crowded infront of us.

Lost in the thoughts I suddenly find myself staring at the green grass and feel excruciating pain in my right knee. I push myself up and glance back. I see Grace. Crawling towards the ambulance with tears streaming down her face. At that rate she won’t make it. I push myself up, ignoring the pain on her account for if I went on my own I would be done then and there, and am quickly by her side lifting her to her feet.

I wrap my arm around her waist as she wraps hers around my shoulders and she says something and I think I say something and I feel the pain and the blood pumping through my veins. I cannot see anything except the ambulance. I cannot hear anything except for the blood pounding through my ears. I can feel my feet slap the ground no more than I can feel Grace’s arm around my shoulders. Only the ambulance, my blood, and my wound are of any consideration and relevence to my current state of care.

But now I’m in the ambulance, lying on my back, panting. Grace sits next to me puking on the floor. I bite my tongue to keep my own from coming up. The vile taste feeling my mouth. I hear the twang of bullets slamming into the vehicle. I wonder how we all made it in. If we all made it in. I realize we’re moving. I sit up and look at the tired faces around me. We hit a bump and it doesn’t faze half of them. But then the doors pop open.

“Close them!” Someone yells. I shakily get on my feet before a sharp turn is made and I’m thrown against the wall, two others do the same.

Several bullets slap against the inner wall but luckily don’t hit anyone. I can see that the soldiers are getting smaller and smaller and already we will be a challenge to hit. We’re going down a straight road though. Daniel leans out and grabs the door.

“Got it,” He states as he yanks it closed. But just before it slams shut he stops and looks down. I watch as a steady flow of blood becomes rapid within a second as it spurts from the center of his chest. The ambulance turns. In the blink of an eye Daniel can be seen no longer. That last moment of my friend forever burned into my eyes. The shooting stops.