Fear The Living/Issue 17

This is Issue 17 of Fear The Living.

Issue 17
I grab Karen and take her to the infirmary. I treat her wounds as best as I can. I sit at her side, waiting for her to wake up, we’ve been through too much together for her to just die already. No I can’t think like that, if she does die I’ll just have to get over it. After a while she wakes up.

“Hey Karen, you okay” I ask her, already knowing the answer.

“No, I have one hand and one ear, how can I be okay” She says.

“Don’t worry you’ll survive, I’ll get you through it” I tell her.

“Ken I know I’m going to die, let’s just make my last minutes good okay” She tells me.

I grab her hand and say “Okay, I promise I’ll make them great” I say, starting to get sad.

“Ken I always wanted to know, what did you do in that gang of yours before you met me” She asks.

I start to tell her what happened, “One time we robbed a gas station, mark was put in jail, us others weren’t found”.

<p class="MsoNormal">''<span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"">I put on my mask and look at Jake “You sure we should do this” I ask him. ''

<p class="MsoNormal">''<span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"">“What is little Kenny scared of a little dirty work” He says. ''

<p class="MsoNormal">''<span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"">“No, just, no let’s do this” I say, I want them to respect me, they won’t if I don’t do this. ''

<p class="MsoNormal">''<span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"">We get our bb guns and put on our masks. We run into the gas station and point the guns at the cashier. “Put the money in the bag, no questions asked” Mark says. The rest of us walk around the store collecting food and whatever we want. I see someone walk out of the bathroom, I run to him, he’s on his phone. “Shit honey, they’re robbing the station get the” He says, but before he can continue I hit him with the butt of my gun. The cashier takes out a pistol from under the counter and shoots Mark in the leg. He starts firing at us, he manages to graze my shoulder. We get in the car and drive out of there. ''

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">“That’s what happened the day we tried to rob the bank, I still got the wound look” I hike up my shoulder and show her my wound.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">“What about the day you met me” Karen asks.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt; line-height:115%;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">“Oh yeah that day, one of my worsts” I say

<p class="MsoBodyText">''Me and The gang are walking down an alley, we just picked up Mark from the prison. We hear a voice and see a girl sitting in the corner of the alley. Steve walks up to her, he picks her up and tosses her to the ground. “Guys help me” He says, they start to punch her. I stop them “Guys this isn’t right” I say. “Oh, little Kenny here is having a bitch moment, I think we found a better women to fuck up” Jake says. I try to run away but he grabs my face and slams me against the ground. They start to beat me until my bones start to ache. James grabs a burning cigarette and presses it against my face. I am bleeding all over, they leave, the girl calls an ambulance. I wake up a couple of days later. ''

<p class="MsoBodyText">''“What happened” I ask my brother. He, my sister, and the girl are standing near me.''

<p class="MsoBodyText">“You got beat up” My brother says.

<p class="MsoBodyText">“Where’s mom and dad, and what happened to the gang” I ask.

<p class="MsoBodyText">“The gang got arrested, and Mom and Dad got in a car accident coming over here, they died” He says flinching at those last words.

<p class="MsoBodyText">Tears start to flow from my eyes “NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO” I yell, my heart beat starts to increase rapidly.

<p class="MsoBodyText"> “I remember that day, you saved me Ken, like you always do” She says.

<p class="MsoBodyText"> “I know Karen, we’ve been through a lot” I tell her.

<p class="MsoBodyText"> She puts one hand on my cheek “I love you Ken, remember me” She says. Her hand goes cold, not warm like it was before. I feel for a pulse and there is none. I walk outside with tears in my eyes.

<p class="MsoBodyText"> “Will she” Evan asks.

<p class="MsoBodyText"> “No, she’s dead” I say, tears flowing down my eyes.

<p class="MsoBodyText"> “What the hell” Daniel says.

<p class="MsoBodyText">I sit down next to Allison an start to cry.