A Bad Day

When I woke up, Lucas was still asleep. I get up and set up my portable stove. Back with the settlement, all scavengers were given a gadget like this one by our resident engineer, Opera.

She also gave all of us a handheld UV light in case we got caught out at night. I gave mine up to a fellow who needed it. He said he'd give it back when he returned from scavenging.

He never came back.

The glider that I had a few days ago was a prototype made by Opera and given to me for testing.

I hope Opera survived the attack.

I start up the stove and grab two cans of soup from my bag and set them on the stove. I turn up the heat and wait for it to finish cooking.

I look over towards Lucas, who is still sleeping. I smile a little.

After the food was done cooking, I wake Lucas up and we eat breakfast.

After eating, we head out to scavenge some more.

We head towards an old apartment complex, "Hey, Zara?"

I look towards Lucas, who seems a little worried, "Yeah?" I ask, "This place used to be an outpost for the cult, so we should be careful. There may be traps around."

"Good to know, Lucas." we continue into the complex. I suddenly get a bad feeling.

That feeling is proven warranted when Lucas pushes me down and yells out in pain, "What the hell?!" I look over Lucas' shoulder and see a terrifying sight.

A bloody rose chosen.

They have a red robe with thorns imprinted onto it. The hood of the robe is decorated like a rose with blood dripping from it. They are wearing a blank mask with blood all over it.

On their back is a quiver full of arrows that I know are covered in some kind of poison, and in their hand is a bow. They start chuckling, "Ah~ two more for the ritual~"

They must think I was hit as well, "Hm... White hair? Strange." They pull Lucas off of me and jump back when they realize both of us are alive.

I get up and pull the barely conscious Lucas to his feet, "Still alive? Thats no good, I'm supposed to kill you people quietly." The chosen puts their bow back on their back and pulls out a knife, "But I guess a knife fight is good every once and a while~"

"I'll let you two say your goodbyes~ Considering he, I know got hit." The chosen inspects their knife.

I turn to Lucas, "Why?" I cry out, "Why did you take the hit?"

Lucas reaches up for my cheek to wipe my tears that were starting to form, "Hey... Don't cry about me Zara... We only knew each other for about two days... No need to get so worked up..."

"But I said I'd protect you!" I cry out again.

'This feels familiar...'

"It's fine... I did kinda make that impossible for you when I jumped in front of that shot..." Lucas says.

"I probably would have been fine!" I say tearfully.

"I don't care...! *Cough* *Cough* All I care about is being helpful..." Lucas says sadly.

"And I finally was! I saved someone special to me... Take that dad!" Lucas jokes.

"You can't joke around like this right now; you need to rest." I say.

"Zara, we both know how this is going to end... I was shot by a Chosen... Only you could survive that." Lucas says sadly. I pause.

"I know."

Lucas looks at me with a small smile, "I have one last request, Zara."

"Yeah?"

Lucas smirks evilly, "Kick their ass for me..."

Lucas goes limp after that, still smirking. I get up and walk towards the chosen calmly.

*Thump* *Thump*

I feel my breathing quicken.

*Thump* *Thump*

"Giving up~? Thats no fun." The chosen says teasingly.

*Thump* *Thump*

I only knew him for two days yet...

*Thump* *Thump*

Why do I feel...

*Thump* *Thump*

So...

*Thump* *Thump*

Fucking...

*Thump* *Thump*

"Let's end this, shall we~?" The chosen pulls their bow back out and nocks an arrow, aiming it at me.

*Thump* *Thump*

PISSED OFF!!!

I catch the arrow just launched at me and crush it in one hand, despite it being made of metal, shocking the chosen for a moment.

I run at the chosen and throw a punch, completely forgetting about my knife. They block with their bow, which breaks, and quickly pull out their knife and stab at my neck. I catch their hand and break it, causing the chosen to scream and drop their knife.

I grab their neck using both hands and squeeze, soon hearing an oddly satisfying crack. I toss the now dead chosen to the side and slowly calm down. I look around for a supply closet and grab a shovel from it.

I drag Lucas' body outside and kill any infected that might interfere with what I am about to do.

I dig a hole in the ground big enough to fit Lucas and place his body into it carefully. I bury the body and leave a hastily crafted cross above his grave, with an arrow sticking out of the ground next to it.

"I only knew you for two days, Lucas. But god damnit that was long enough to learn that you were a good person." I feel tears start to form, "I'll miss you, friend."

I wipe my tears and stand up, before walking away from the makeshift grave. I made sure to grab his bow and quiver. along with all the arrows.

I look up at the sky as it starts to rain, "Today has been really shitty." I walk back home, feeling defeated.

When I get back home, I place down Lucas' old bow and take off his quiver.

I sit in my corner and think about what else could go wrong today.

I suddenly hear talking right outside my base, "How many you think live here sir?"

"Considering the size of the building and number of UV lights... I wouldn't say many."

I creep towards the window and peek my head out, "Shit..." I whisper to myself, "It's the military..."

I sneak over to my bow in the corner and grab it along with the quiver. Lucas said that the military was working with some crazy scientist that uses human test subjects to try and make a cure, and I for one do not want to be on an operating table.

I go back to the window and see that the soldiers are still there. I take aim with my bow and hold my breath. After aiming for about 3 seconds, I release the arrow and duck behind cover again.

*THWACK!*

I must have hit one of them because I can hear them panicking. I peek over my cover and see one of the soldiers sitting down against a destroyed hover car with an arrow in his right shoulder and the other soldier trying to give them first aid.

I stand back up and aim my bow at the uninjured soldier. I fire and get lucky, because I hit them in the head, killing them. I decide to interrogate the surviving soldier.

I put my bow over my shoulder before heading down. When I get down the soldier is reaching for his sidearm. Unfortunately for him his right arm is immobile, and his pistol is on his right hip.

I grab my bow and shoot him again, this time in the left shoulder, "GHAAA!"

"I heard that you guys are working with some crazy scientist now. Instead of protecting us, you guys now hunt us." I rip my arrow out of his shoulder, earning another painful yell, "I'm gonna ask you a question, and your gonna tell me the answer before I let you go, 'kay?"

The soldier looks at me with fear and anger, "I don't like that look, maybe I should gouge out your eyes before I question you, hm?" The anger is then overtaken by fear, "OK! OK! Just ask your damn question!"

I smile a little too sweetly, "Where is your base? Or more specifically the scientist?"

The soldier starts to laugh, "You'll meet them. Soon." I stab them in the stomach with an arrow and ask again, "Where are they?"

The soldier looks over my shoulder and nods. My eyes widen at the realization.

*PHEW*

I suddenly feel a sting at the back of my neck, and everything goes black.