Running

        I sit with Jason in his last moments of life.  His breathing tortured, fighting for each breath.  No way to live, I reach for my gun.  Making sure the safety is off, I have it at my side.  Before I go through with this I have to get something off of my chest.  "Jason, this has to be the one of the hardest things I've had to do.  You helped me get so far.  Without you and everybody else, I would have been dead most likely.  Is it bad that I feel ashamed that I survived out of everyone else?"  I had tears welling up, tears that I thought died with her.  His skin losing color fast, he reaches for my arm and tells me something I'm sure will stay with me for the rest of my life.  "You... you did good.  You lived this long, that's better than the rest of those things out....out there."  He tries to finish his sentence, but a violent fit of couching takes over.  after hacking up a few chunks of blood, he continues.  "Don't stop, keep going.  I may die here, but your story goes on.  All I ask of you, is to remember me.  Let my story be known.  So long as I am known by others, I will never truly die."  His breathing  slowing, he knows his time is up.  And so do I.  The storm outside is losing strength, but is still going outside, no lightning but plenty of thunder.  "Jason, fear not.  Your story will be told.  Along with everyone else I have met along the way.  You will not be forgotten, my friend."  I raise my gun, aiming at his forehead, I whisper to him.  "I'm so sorry Jason, I will always remember you."  I aim at his forehead, but look away.  I cant watch me kill another person I know
              I pull the trigger, Jason's head jerks back, smacking against the stone wall.  I stand there for a moment, unable to say or do anything.  The storm rages on, indifferent to the event unfolding in the cave.  Alone again, I crawl up on the ledge and begin to sob.  I'm alone again, and I don't even know where I am.  For the first time I feel truly scared.  I lay there for what seems an eternity before the storm breaks.  Emotionless I stand up and strap all the equipment I would need down.  No point of carrying Jason's guns, but I take the remaining ammo in his guns with me. He isn't going to need them, but I will.  I have a long road ahead of me, but nothing is going to stop me.  Ill make sure of it.  Taking a blanket out of Jason's bag, I cover his corpse.  Not having the tools or time to bury him, it was the least I could do for him.   "Goodbye, Jason..."   After saying my goodbye, I turned around and left the cave.  Heading up hill I try to find landmarks to traverse by.  In order to get my bearings straight I would have to find a road or a sign and line it up with my map.  Walking through the woods, even in the daylight was quite scary, noise coming from every direction.  Coming to the top of a hill I take a look around and try to see if I cant find some mark of civilization.  "Not quite what I was looking for, but just as good."  Ahead I see mountains.  And I know they run north to south.  "At least I know I'm going west."   I said, traversing the muddy forest.  A long road lay ahead of me, and every day it gets a bit easier.
      The top of the hill was bare of trees, Nothing in sight but I hear rustling from downhill.   I ready my handgun, ready to kill.  A trio of birds fly past me, stumbling back I catch myself on a tree.  Below me I hear moaning, meaning I'm not alone.  Time for some fun, I thought as I head to the top of the hill, ready for a firefight.  Looking down I see that there is a group of them, bloody from a fresh kill.  The body of... "The girl.  She didn't make it..."  I should have felt bad, but I didn't really.   I was still alive and that was that.  Still unnoticed by the undead still feasting on her I take aim at the closest and fire, dropping it faster that I could aim for the next one.  After they all fall, I take a closer look at the girl.  She couldn't be older than ten, such a terrible end for a child.  As I get up to leave I hear her move.  Turning around I see her sit up, head turning towards me.  Her bottom lip has been torn off, leaving a permanent  grin on that once young and innocent face.  Aiming for her forehead I pull the trigger, another death.  It gets easier every time, but it still stings.  Killing someone you saved or someone that saved you.  I walk away from the feeding site, heading west towards the mountains, west to the coast.