Fear The Living/Issue 57

This is Issue 57 of Fear The Living.

Ken Myers Jr.'s POV
I lie down on the ground and grip my pocket knife with all the strength I have left, a biter lunges itself at me. I let out a loud gasp as it lands on me, it’s full weight on top of me. I drop the knife the moment it hits me, I heave one hand up and stick it in the biter’s eye.

I start to shove my thumb into its eye. I look at my wooden hand, and with all the force I can conjure up ram it against the side of the biter’s face, smashing it up.

I push the biter off of me and reach to my side and grab my pocket knife. Then I see another biter sprinting towards me, so I roll to the left as quick as the biter falls to the ground next to me, I roll back to the right and stick the pocket knife into the biter’s forehead.

I look up to see Rose in front of me, killing as many biters as she can with the broom. I try to push myself up, but I collapse again. The pain in my stomach starts to curl up into a ball, the pain now vividly exploding in my chest. I close my eyes, and use all the force I have left in me to push myself up.

I slowly  get up, the pain getting worse by the second, then I finally get on my feet, and I lean on a wall. Rose starts to back up, the biter’s now filling up the hall. I grab her arm, and lean on her to run in the other direction away from the biters.

“Hurry up!” Rose says, now going faster.

“Well I can barely feel my chest so slow down princess.” I say, the pain in my chest continues to build up in my stomach, to the point of where I can barely even walk.

I feel myself slipping again, but Rose backs up and grabs me, she pulls me up a little and starts to run. I just limp next to her, barely able to keep up with her.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"">We reach the end of the hallway, the biter’s now a good distance behind us, when we reach a corner. We start to run into it when someone emerges from it, a man in yellow tights. I barely have time to take in his ridiculous appearance when he raises his hand, a katana in it.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"">I lift up my pocket knife, ready to strike. But all I do is move away from his katana as he slashes next to me. I look to my side and see a biter, now impaled by the man’s katana. He quickly glances at both of us and grabs my arm.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"">“Follow me!” The man says, and I don’t refuse, he just saved my life.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"">He starts to sprint down the hall, Rose grabs my other arm to help me keep up with him. He finally reaches a double door, he stops in front of it, flings them open, and sprints into it. He closes the doors when Rose enters. Then he grabs a cane next to the door and sticks it through the handles.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"">The man turns to me and Rose. “What are your names?” The man asks, in a casual voice, as though nothing had just happened.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"">I try to speak but the knot in my stomach just tightens up as I attempt to talk. “My name’s Rosalie, his name’s Ken Myers.” Rose says.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"">“Nice to meet you two, I guess I should say my name now. The name’s Steve.” The man says.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"">He sticks his hand out, Rose shakes it. He puts the hand toward me, I use whatever strength I can muster to lift my hand up and shake his hand.

David Lopez's POV
'' I sit back in my cell, the same position I was in when Daniel introduced me into the prison escape, I want the escape to happen already. I just want to see my little brother again, Just want to see my family again, I just want to have a normal life again. ''

'' I wouldn’t have entered any criminal career if it didn’t mean helping or protecting my family. I just can’t imagine what they think about me. They probably think I’m a disgrace to the family, they probably hate my guts. Why wouldn’t they? My parents raised me perfectly, my brother looked up to me, and what do I turn out to be, a fucking criminal. ''

<p class="MsoNormal">''<span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">“You okay there buddy?” I hear a voice say. ''

<p class="MsoNormal">''<span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">I turn to see Daniel standing there, holding his knife “Bro, A.J. called us over there over an hour ago, get your ass up and get to the courtyard retard.” He says. ''

<p class="MsoBodyText">''“We’ve been waiting there for you, what were you even doing in your bed bro, you’re crying. You’ve gone soft on us?” He says, putting emphasis on the last few words.''

<p class="MsoNormal">''<span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">“I’m not going soft on anyone, just this place is reducing my sanity ever second longer I stay in it!” I say, quickly making up a lie. ''

<p class="MsoBodyText2">Daniel stops walking, then looks at me “I can tell you’re lying you know. Your cell mate told me you whisper in your sleep, something about a Daniel, you aren’t dreaming about me are you?” He says, putting a strange face on the last words.

<p class="MsoBodyText2">“No Jones, I haven’t gone gay. It’s just I’ve had my family in my mind lately, especially my brother Daniel, he looked up to me you know.” I say.

<p class="MsoNormal">''<span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">“Most of us in jail here got family also bro, we also think about them, and how they thought they raised us perfectly, when in the end we just turned into complete dicks. Look David, what’s done is done, you can’t change anything now, you just have to keep moving forward. ''

<p class="MsoNormal">''<span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">“The choices you have made, they stick with you David, whether they were good or bad it don’t matter. Whether you did them for the good of your family it don’t matter. You’ve made those choices, now you got to live with them. You have to stop worrying about things you can’t control David, or else you’ll up and go mad” Daniel says. ''

<p class="MsoNormal">''<span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">I sigh, expecting Daniel to be done but he just continues talking “I’ve made choices I regret David, especially letting my family down with what I’ve done, but I can’t change that. But I can try to make amends with them now, with this escape we’ll all have knew lives David, I can make amends with my family, you can make amends with yours. David listen, you can’t control everything, you can’t save everything, you can’t change everything for the best. You understand me now?” ''

<p class="MsoNormal">''<span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">“Yeah I do Daniel, thanks.” I say and I shake his hand. ''

<p class="MsoNormal">''<span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">“Now let’s get to the courtyard, and start our lives a new.” Daniel says. ''

Logan Myers's POV
<p class="MsoBodyText2">''I’m sitting down near Ken, who is busy crawling around the room, I remember that day, he was just a baby, and I was just 8 years old. Ken was 11 months old, he was so cute back then. ''

<p class="MsoBodyText2">''He starts to crawl towards me, then he reaches me. He sits down and starts reaching for the toy I have in my hand. I stare at the little power ranger in my hand, and kiss it goodbye, cause when Ken touches something, he destroys it. ''

<p class="MsoBodyText2">I put the toy in his hand, then he starts to hit its head against the ground.

<p class="MsoNormal">''<span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">Then I hear my mom yelling for me, I get up from the chair, but before I walk to her I pick up Ken and start to cradle him, can’t leave him alone or he will break stuff. ''<span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal">''<span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">I enter the kitchen where she is standing, she stares at me and points at toy on the ground “How many times must I tell you not to leave your toys lying around, I nearly broke my heel stepping on it!” She says. ''<span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal">''<span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">“But it wasn’t me mama, it was Ken, you know he always takes my stuff!” I say. ''<span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal">''<span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">“Of course blame the little baby huh, of course he could lift this up and crawl across the floor from your room to here, and place it here, all without making a sound huh?” She says. ''<span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal">''<span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">“Mom come on you are being unfair I didn’t do anything, Ken did it, just look at him, he’s teething on my red ranger!” I say. ''<span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal">''<span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">“Just put your toy back in your room, dinner will be served in a couple of minutes so wake up your dad ok Logan.” She says. ''<span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal">''<span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">“Ok mom.” I say, I place Ken on the counter of the kitchen, and crouch down and pick up my toy. I put it in my pocket, and start to walk to my room, but then I hear someone say “Logan” from behind me. ''<span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal">''<span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">I turn around and say “What mama.”. ''<span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal">''<span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">“I didn’t say your name.” She says, slightly smiling. ''<span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal">''<span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">“What, then, NO, no Ken couldn’t have just talked, no.” I say, and I walk up to Ken. ''<span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal">''<span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">I look at him, then he says “Logan.” Again. I can’t believe it, I was little Kenny’s first word. ''<span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Helvetica","sans-serif"">

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"">“Do you remember where he was the last time you saw him James?” I say.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"">“Well last time I saw the group he was in, we was in a school, but it uh got bombed or something, I got separated then, he could have died bro I don’t know.” James says.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"">“No he has to have lived, it’s the only way, he has to have lived.” I say.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"">“Ok look bro, I don’t think he is alive, but if it means this much to you, I will help you search for your brother, but before we do that, what are we going to do about Wesley?” James asks.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"">“We kill him, he has caused enough pain and suffering.” I say.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"">“Seems like a go-“ James says, but he is cut off.

<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Helvetica","sans-serif"">“PUT YOUR HANDS BEHIND YOUR HEADS!” A voice behind me says.