Eating my experiences (18)

TOME 19

We ran down the hallway dodging people as though they were memories, absent mindedly with twinge of fear. We were lucky there was no staff outfit, as long as we could remain away from conversation, we may just make it. We wove in and out of supposed reality as paranoia set in. I could see Aurora from the corners of my eyes, as my breath halted in my lungs.

"You left me to make room for your cat" came Gabe's voice loud, as if spoken directly into my being.

"You were rotten, I couldn't keep carrying your head, I left you at home on the porch. You loved sitting on the porch." I was crying as we walked now, but I could tell through my tears that my friends had noticed me screaming into my own grief and longing for my dead boyfriend, for my old life. I felt both of my friend's hands on my shoulders as my weeping shook my emaciated frame. I could no longer see through the tears, and would need to hide, which Zach picked up on, scooping me into an empty apartment.

The apartment smelled of dust and moth bombs, but it was a far cry from the blood spattered walls of the previous room or the rotten mess of most apartments sinks now. I allowed a deep, halting breath in, allowing the smell of my now long dead grandmother on my mother's side, of her religious brain washed speeches, of her total disconnect from reality, and of her utter mistreatment of my mother. Enough of that, I could feel the undercurrent of range gliding through my veins, a deepening hatred that I had never expunged. I allowed myself a steadying sigh before looking up at my friends and declaring myself "fine".

We sped down the hall as though reignited by disparity, our guard friend was no longer audible from this distance, and I was thankful for it. We ran to where the elevator was only to find the doors flung open, and bodies piling up among flies at the very bottom, this would not do. "Should we try to get out through the fir escapes?" I asked feeling insecure.

"I'm not sure" replied zach "but I kinda think we have to try." We tried the first few doors nearest us to no avail, before coming to a dilapidated apartment with a large hole blown into it, seemingly from a smaller explosive such as a grenade. I cautiously walked up to it, only to find the fire escape teetering on one remaining screw, waving creakily in the wind. I gulped down an imaginary mouthful before turning to my friends and providing a thumbs down signal.

We left the room cautiously before seeing some who appeared to be doing the same, waving us over. I approach slowly before they put their hands up and begin with. "Don't worry, I just wanna get out, I found a way, but I'm scared of heights. Follow me." She began retreating back into the room she came out of, us pushing on behind her. She stood small, and unimposing, only about five feet tall, and a little chunky, soft red hair trailing behind her. "Here, it's a fire escape, but I...I don't think I can do that." She shuddered dramatically before smiling at me meekly. "You can use it if you want."

"Why are you here?" My question comes out more demanding than I had intended, causing me to blush slightly.

She allowed herself to giggle at my reaction to myself before beginning, "well, I'm Schizophrenic...so they wanted to see how that would effect the zombies I guess..." she was now chewing on her bottom lip nervously. "My name is Lilly by the way." Lilly extended her small hand to me as I shook it, feeling an instant connection with her.

"Please at least try to come with us, we can sandwich you so you can't see the sky or the ground, that always helps me...I don't want you to die. How old are you?" I've become too comfortable giving orders, yet her existence takes me aback, she fills my body with electricity as our touches meet, and that is when I realized she and I are still clasping each others hands.

TO BE CONTINUED...