The Dead Walk Among Us

Chapter 2: So Far

Me and Jade found an abandoned house. I sit at the dining room table. I don't feel safe here, but it's night time. It's not safe outside in the daylight, it's even worse in the dark. We decided to wait it out until morning. I hope Jack has the same idea we had.
 
 
"I can't believe Jack ran. It would have been better if he had jumped," I say.
   
"He was just trying to be safe. We'll meet him at the airport," Jade says.
   
"Let's just hope that place in California is real. We have travelled so far to get there," I say.
   
"It has to be real," Jade says.

I see a light blue truck drive by the dining room window. I open the door and go outside. We could use a ride. Maybe they'll help us.
   
"What are you doing?" Jade screams.
  
I run to the truck.
   
"Help! Help! Help us! Help!" I yell.
   
"Help! Hey! Stop the truck!" Jade yells. The truck stops. A man gets out. He has short black hair.

"Please, we need help," I plead with him.
   
"Are you people headed to the airport?" he asks.
   
"Yes, can you take us?"
   
"Alright, I'm going there, too. Get in," he says.

How lucky are we? A random truck drives by and the driver agrees to take us where we need to go. I walk over to him. His eyes are normal, thankfully. We get in.
   
"How far are we from the airport?" Jade asks.
   
"About an hour and a half. I'm Eric and I'm headed to that place in California. This virus took my wife and kids. I was the only immune one in my entire family," he explains.
   
"Immune?" I ask confused.
   
"Yeah...one in every ten million is immune to the virus."
   
"Ten million? How does someone know they are immune?" I ask.

Hopefully me, Jack, and Jade are all immune.
   
"How long does it take for a person to turn?" Jade asks.
   
"Anywhere from thirty seconds to three days. It all depends on the person's immune system."
   
"Jade...did you get bit?" I ask. Please, say no. Please!
   
"Yeah, that zombie in the grocery store bit me. I didn't want to tell you because I wanted to get you to the airport. I didn't want to hold you back," Jade says.
   
"So, you lied to me? You could have turned and killed me!" I yell.
   
The man stops the car. I get out.
   
"Yes, but I've shown no symptoms whatsoever. If I was really infected, I would be experiencing symptoms by now. Maybe I'm immune," Jade says.
   
"I do have an immunity test in the truck. If she wants, I can test her," the man says.
   
"Okay then. Do it," Jade says.
   
Please let her be immune. I can't lose her or Jack. I can't lose anyone! My parents were killed by zombies when they were attacked. They came to the house and forced their way inside. Our parents told us to hide in the basement. Jack doesn't remember much of what happens, I remember clearly though. After hours of us waiting, our neighbors came to check on us. They saw our parents dead. We were found in the basement. They took us to a evacuation center. They left us there, thinking we were safe.            
   
Then the center was overrun by zombies. Me and Jack hid. Even the military couldn't stop the massive amounts of the undead. Jason was there. He found us and offered us a place to stay. We accepted.
   
That was the worst decision I think we ever made. He brought us to his parents' bunker in the woods. Jade and Anne found the bunker a few days later. Jack and I are lucky to be alive today. We survived so much. I just don't want to lose anyone again. I can't bear the thought of Jade turning into a uncontrollable creature that eats human flesh.
   
"If...if I'm not immune...please don't let me turn into one of those things. I don't want to cause any pain to anyone. I just want...I just want you to kill me. I don't care about my last seconds. I just want to be sure that I'm not a zombie," Jade says.
   
"If you are infected, I'm not killing you. I...I really couldn't," I say.
   
The man walks over. "We will know whether or not your friend is immune in about five minutes," the man says.
   
We sit here in silence.
   
"Okay we got great news! Jade is immune," the man says.
   
Yes! She's not infected.
   
"Do you have any other tests?" I ask. I would want to know, if I'm immune or not. That way I could be super cautious, if I'm not. If I am, I won't be panicking after being bit.
   
"No, that was the last one," the man says. "But I did hear that they're giving them out at the airport."
   
I guess I'll just have to be careful until then. We get back in the truck. I'm glad Jade is going to be alright. Since we still have so long until we arrive, I guess I'll try to sleep the rest of the way.
I fall asleep shortly after. Jade shakes me awake an hour later.
   
"We're here," she says.
   
The sun is just starting to rise. A plane flies overhead. We made it! I hope Jack is here. He has to be. I can't live without him. Just thinking about not having him in my life makes me upset.
   
We walk into the airport. It's crowded with people shoulder to shoulder. I guess there still are a good amount of survivors left.
   
I walk up to a woman who is behind a computer. She has light blond hair and blue eyes.
   
"Have you seen my brother? His name is Jack Smith. Here's a picture of him," I say as I hand her a picture of Jack. It's from a few years ago, but he looks almost the same now. She types on the computer.
   
Come on! Was he here or not? She looks at the picture, then at the computer. She turns the computer to me. A newer photo of Jack is on the screen.
   
"Is this him?" she asks.
   
"Yes, that's my brother. Where is he?" I say with tears in my eyes.
   
"He currently is boarding a flight to California," she says.
   
"Okay, we have to get on that plane!" I say.
   
"The plane is already at full capacity. There's nothing I can do," she says.
   
He wouldn't have gotten on a plane without us. I know he wouldn't.