Violet Eyed Apocalypse ~ Kate (Wyoming)

November 23, 2013

I squatted down, positioning myself behind the massive boulder. But I knew no barrier could defend me from the killer. If it wanted to obtain me, it would.

"Kate!"

I spun around, facing Carter, my neighbor. He was two years older than me. Carter threw a long branch at me, lodging it in the ground. I scooped it up, ducking behind a tree.

Carter carried a matching stick in his hands. "You know what?" he asked, striking a Reigh in the gut.

"No, I don't know, Carter." I wiped sweat off my forehead and swung, connecting with a Reigh's head. "What?"

He laughed. "This is kind of like Xbox. Like Black Ops-wait! No. Zombie Apocalypse!" he turned and smiled his lopsided grin which was cute in its own way.

"Only, this is real!" I called back, joining his joke.

"You got that right!"

I slashed out with by bough again. But this time, I missed, hitting the trunk of a tree. My limb shattered in my hands, raining down in a storm of woodchips. And a Reigh was gaining on me fast.

She was young. Maybe her early to mid twenties. Her gnarled dirty blonde hair descended a few inches down her back. Her face was pale, but dirt streaked and littered with cuts and bruises. The sky blue dress she wore was torn and tattered and one mangled strap was falling off her right shoulder. She had been bitten; the bite was in the side of her stomach. And her eyes were, of course, the known violet hue.

"Carter! Back up!" I cried, trying to defend myself with only my hands.

Carter jumped in front of me. "Prince Charming to the rescue!"

"Far from," I snorted.

He held his branch ahead of him. "Batter's up! He swings!" At that moment, Carter swings his stick, smashing it against the woman's face. "Strike!" He lowered the stick. "You're out."

I sit down on a rock, allowing my heavy breathing to slow and normalize. Carter sat beside me.

Carter was nineteen and had a stocky build. He had brown spiky hair and blue eyes. Freckles infested his cheeks. And he was always smiling.

"Good fight, mate," he said in a fake Australian accent and saluted me with a hand on his forehead.

I rolled my eyes but smiled at him anyway. I looked around, taking in the scenery. Trees sprouted from the ground. Some oak, some pine, some maple. Leaves and soft bark blanketed the ground beneath my feet. Birds chirped and whistled and the ongoing buzz of the insects was always audible.

We had only been here a week and a half, living in Tiserve Woods. Tiserve was a couple miles from our houses. When the disease arrived and Reighs developed, our families made a run for the south to the forest living off berries, nuts, and stream water.

"Let's go back to camp" Carter suggested. I nodded, following behind him as we made our way back to our makeshift camp: our getaway car smelling of cigarette smoke and dog urine, stocked with one musty sleeping bag, a sweatshirt, and no working heating or air conditioning.

My mother greeted us. "Hi Kate. Hi Carter."

I smiled and kissed her on the cheek. "Hi Mom."

"Hey Mrs. Beck," Carter said, waving.

Our camp was small; my mom, dad, sister, and me. Carter and his dad.

I sat down on a wilted log.

"I'll get a fire started," Carter announced. And then quieter, so only we could hear, "I didn't take four years of Boy Scouts for nothing, you know."

I grinned. Somehow, Carter could turn something bad, into something good.