Page 61 of Uprising

A choked sob slips out of me before I can stop it. I shake my head, trying to stop it, but it’s too hard to hold in. The weight is uncontrollable. I can’t hold it back anymore. Tears spill down my face, hot and endless as my shoulders shake. It’s messy. The kind that makes my entire body hurt.

The mallet slips from my fingers, crashing to the ground. I clutch myself, trying to ground myself, to stop the tears from falling. But it doesn’t help. The loneliness is suffocating, pressing against my ribs, making everything hurt, making it hard to breathe. I want to scream, to call someone—him—for help. But there’s no one here. Reed isn’t here. He’s back at the cabin. He’s safe.

And the worst part is the realization that no matter how loud I cry, he’s not coming.

So as much as I want to stop the sobs from escaping, I can’t. The fear, exhaustion, and grief pour out of me. I don’t stop until they finally turn silent, my body feeling hollow, drained, and alone. Nothing left inside me but the echo—the reminder—I’m alone.

I’m always alone.

CHAPTER35

Reed

Isquat behind the last vehicle, watching from the shadows, my heart pounding harder against my chest with every swing, every movement Noah makes. I wait for him to run, but when the first zombie is within a few feet, he swings back, the mallet connecting with the dead guy's head. I smile when it drops to the ground, unmoving. Noah widens his stance when the second zombie nears him; only when I expect him to swing, he falls back.

I stand up, my feet ready to move, when Noah kicks the zombies in the head. My pulse picks up, waiting to see what he’s going to do. I hate standing here, watching, waiting. The third one snaps its jaw towards Noah, looking at him like he’s a hamburger.

I reach back towards my bat, not being able to stand by and watch him any longer when Noah rolls over. He gets to his knees, slamming the mallet into the third thing's head.Don’t forget the girl. Don’t forget.I chant in my head, wanting to scream at him to not forget. I bite my lip, stopping myself. Noah twists around, the mallet coming on the girl's head, blood and brain flying everywhere.

A smile spreads across my lips, wanting to cheer him on like I would have if he knew I was there. But I don’t. I ease myself back, out of sight, but keeping my gaze plastered on him.

Silence spreads across the air. Even from this distance I follow his shoulder moving up and down. I want to step in to remind him he’s strong, that he can make it. He has to do this. He needs to learn to survive on his own. So when his mallet falls from his hand, a sob echoing around the empty road, I ball my fist.

My chest tightens, my skin twitching with the need to go to him, to tell him it’s okay. But I don’t move.

I can’t.

If I show myself now, he’ll never learn to trust himself. He’ll never learn to survive. So against what my heart begs me to do, I stand planted against the car. Hurting for him—with him. Watching and waiting for him to stand back up.

CHAPTER36

Noah

The road stretches endlessly before me, the sun shimmering above me. Every step feels heavier than the last, my boots dragging against the cracked pavement. The heat clings to me like a second skin, sweat trickling down my back, soaking into my clothes. My limbs ache, and my head throbs with exhaustion, but I can’t stop. Not yet.

I wipe my forehead with the back of my hand, smearing sweat across my skin. The world around me is eerily quiet—no cars, no voices, barely the whisper of the wind. But the occasional chirps of birds and calls echo through the trees next to me. In a way it reminds me of life before, life when it was simple and safe.

My chest tightens, memories of Rue, Mallory, and me sitting outside in the sun. We’d lie in the grass, staring up at the sky with Mallory talking about cheer. Rue would usually hide in the shade while I enjoyed the burning from the sun. Back then, life was easy, worrying about if we’d pass our next English exam or when I'd next get laid.

It’s a strange kind of pain—one that lingers, settling deep in my chest. I never thought I’d miss the rudeness from Rue. The way she’d roll her eyes when I told her about what guy I was sleeping with. The way Mallory would talk to fill the silence, the bad jokes she’d make just to see me smile. And I miss them.

I hate the emptiness they left behind. I hate that I still hear their voices in my head. I hate how much I miss Rue's sarcastic comments and the pointless arguments we’d get into.

I hate it.

And worst of all, I hate the zombies. They took everything away from me. It’s their mindless hunger, their rotting flesh that hangs from their dead bones. They tear into humans with their soulless eyes, stealing away life. I hate that I have no idea where Rue and Mallory are. I can hope and pray as much as I want that they’re in Florida and that my shitty parents took them in. But I won’t know until I get there.

My chest tightens at the fear that they might not be there. If they’re not, then I left Reed for nothing. And I’m not sure how I feel about that.

I shake my head, pushing away the thoughts threatening to slip in. There’s no room for the what-if games. I don’t have time to worry about what he’s doing, even if that’s the only thing that is holding me together.

So I keep walking, sweat dripping down my temple, my heart pounding as the birds sing above me. I just have to make it to the next town, then I can rest. When I’m inside—safe—for the time being, then I can fall apart.

* * *

By the timeI finally see the town on the horizon, the sun is already beginning to set. I smile at the orange and sprinkle of red for a moment. While I would love to stop here for a second and bask in the beautiful sunset, all I can think about is the little time I have left before darkness swallows everything. I don’t want to be caught out in the open at night. I’m already vulnerable out here alone, but in the dark, there's no telling what could happen.

My legs scream in protest with every step I take, exhaustion settling deep in my bones as I push myself to walk faster. The town is almost too quiet, debris covering most of the road. Abandoned cars sit on the sidewalk, some with their car doors hanging open. Every rustle sends a shiver down my spine.

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