Friendship

A 16 year old Casie is walking into a new and abandoned city. She has three bite marks she is trying to keep cover: the first one is on the left side of her neck she got when she was 13, the second one is one her left arm she got when she was 14 and the third one is on her left hand, between thumb and index finger she got when she was 15. She fixes her scarf and sighs. It wasn't looking good for her. She is running out of time and has no one to talk to about all of this. She knows she is running out of time. Casie sighs as she carefully looks around the city.

'This doesn't look good.' Casie thought as she cuts through a building. She has no idea what to do. She came to a hole and looks down to see a girl trap. The girl looks up at her with pure fear in her eyes. She has light blond hair, blue eyes and is wearing a red shirt that is ripped, dirty and wet, jeans that just the same, a brown belt and white joggers.

"Help." the girl begs and Casie sighs as she jumps down, going to the girl's aid. She can't leave her here, not alone, not while she is trap the way she is.

"What's your name?" Casie asks.

"Crystal, please help me." Crystal replies. Casie sighs as she starts moving a few things and manages to get Crystal free. Crystal's leg was in a bad shape. Casie sighs as she drops by Crystal, taking off her bag and pulls out some bandages.

"Lucky I did find these." Casie said as she wraps Crystal's leg up. Crystal smiles, but then sighs.

"I can't walk, how the hell am I going to get out of here?" Crystal asks.

"I'll carry you." Casie replies as she got up, putting her bag on. "Do you have a mask, there could be spores here?" Casie asks and Crystal sighs as she shakes her head, pulling a small white torch out.

"All I have is this wind up torch." Crystal whispers. Casie sighs as she walks ahead and saw spores.

"Okay, that's good though." Casie tells her. 'Man, I just met this girl and I have to blow my cover.' Casie thought. She runs back over to Crystal, pulling her air mask out and helps Crystal put it on.

"What about you?" Crystal asks.

"I'll be fine, let's just get you out of here." Casie tells her, picking her up bridal style and Crystal nods.

"Okay, I'll light the way." Crystal said and Casie nods as they head off. They walk into the spores and Casie sighs. "What are you?" Crystal asks.

"Immune." Casie replies and Crystal looks at her shock. "When I was 13 I was bitten by a Stalker, on the neck and I… I didn't turn. I don't know why either but I just kept running. I left everything behind." Casie explains.

"I'm sorry." Crystal whispers.

"Don't be, when I was 14 I got my second mark, saving a young girl and when I was 15, I was jumped by another Stalker, getting my third mark." Casie explains.

"Wow, three bite marks and you still haven't turn." Crystal said and Casie sighs.

"Yeah." Casie whispers.

"Sorry." Crystal quickly said.

"It's okay." Casie said as they made it to the stairs and head up. Crystal takes the air mask off and yawns. They head out onto the streets and Crystal looks around. She them manages to put the mask away.

"My group shouldn't be far." Crystal said and Casie nods. Casie kept walking in hopes they weren't far. The sooner she gets Crystal back to them, the sooner she can skip town.

"Crystal!" a female voice echo through the city. Casie goes into shock, what was this person doing. Trying to get herself killed.

"Damnit, that's Katherine." Crystal said.

"She's going to get draw in ever infected nearby and get herself killed if we don't stop her." Casie tells her and starts running towards Katherine. She found her walking around alone.

"Crystal." Katherine said as she runs over and Casie sighs as she stops.

"You're going to get yourself killed." Crystal tells her.

"Take her." Casie tells her. Katherine nods and Casie hands Crystal over.

"Where are the others?" Crystal asks.

"This way." Katherine said running off and Casie follows. She has to make sure they get to the others, then she can leave them. This day keeps getting better and better. They came to a group and Casie stayed back as Katherine runs over.

"Crystal, thank god." a male said.

"Who is that?" another male asks and Casie sighs.

"Nobody." Casie replies as she walks off.

"Wait!" Crystal shouts and Casie stops. "That's Casie, she found me, she saved me." Crystal tells the others. Casie turns around as a male walks over. "Blake." Crystal said.

"Thank you, for saving my sister." Blake said and Casie nods.

"It is the least I could do. You need to leave thought. With the amount of shouting that Katherine did earlier and just then, we are in danger." Casie tells them.

"Too late!" Crystal shouts.

"Damnit." Casie whispers, seeing a group of Stalkers. "Run!" Casie shouts and they run into the building behind them. They barricade the door and Casie sighs. "Go, I got them." Casie tells them.

"Be careful." Crystal pleads and they ran off. Casie rolls up her sleeves and sighs. This was going to get bloody. A Stalker broke through the glass and Casie grabs her knife, killing it and sighs.

'One down.' Casie thought. As they broke through, Casie killed them. Then three smashed through the side glass and Casie chuckles as she grabs an arrow, holding it close to the end. As the Stalkers ran over, Casie takes a deep breath. She then stabs one with the knife as she stab another with the arrow and kicked the third. She quickly killed the third with her knife and smiles as she pulls her arrow out. She finished the last three off and head to find the others. This was not good. She just had a bad feeling. She then heard a scream and followed. She then saw a girl pinned by a Stalker that was trying to bite her and getting close. Casie runs over, pulling it back and wraps her right arm around as it went to bite again, this time the Stalker biting Casie's right arm. Casie moans in pain as she pulls the Stalker away, then slams it into the ground and stomps on its head, smashing it. Casie sighs as she looks at the others.

"Casie." Crystal whispers.

"Are you okay?" Casie asks.

"Y-yeah." Blake replies. "Your arm." Blake then whispers.

"Stay safe out there and don't follow me." Casie tells them and walks off. Another mark and this time she made sure it was her that got bitten instead of that girl. She walks outside and sighs as she head off. She had to keep moving. Casie sighs as she rolls down her sleeve, then puts her knife and arrow away. 'I wonder where you are Alex. Are you safe?' Casie thought. Seeing Blake and Crystal made her think of her brother. Casie sighs. 'What am I doing?' Casie thought. She came to the freeway and follows it up. She then stops and looks over the ledge to the road below it. She climbs up and sighs as she sits on the edge. 'What is the point to keep going? I'm over being alone. I just want someone to understand.' Casie thought as she looks over the edge. "A small push is all I need, then I will be free." Casie whispers and sighs as she thought of Alex again. 'Alex, I'm sorry.' Casie thought. She was then pulled back and slam into the ground. Casie moans.

"What the hell were you thinking!?" a female voice yells at her. Casie moans as she opens her eyes to see Alexa. Casie looks away and Alexa sighs as she sits next to Casie who looks at her confused. "Look… I'm sorry but seeing what you were going to do made me angry, okay." Alexa tells her. "I'm Alexa." Alexa then introduces.

"Case." Casie whispers.

"Okay Casie, why did you just try to kill yourself?" Alexa asks.

"To be free." Casie replies as she sits up and Alexa looks at her worried. "I'm infected." Casie adds as she pulls her scarf off. "If you believe me or not, I got this three years ago when I was 13. I just want the pain to be over. I am tired of running, tired of being alone." Casie explains and Alexa sighs.

"So you gave up." Alexa said standing up and Casie shakes her head as she stands up.

"Why does it this matter to you, it is my life?" Casie asks and Alexa slaps her. Casie sighs as she place her hand on her cheek that Alexa just slapped.

"Don't you dare." Alexa warns her. "If you truly are immune you should not give up so easily." Alexa tells her and Casie sighs as she puts her scarf on.

"Why does it matter Alexa?" Casie asks and Alexa sighs.

"Because I knew someone who killed them self and it hurts me still that they gave up to easily." Alexa replies and Casie sighs. She shouldn't judge this girl so hard.

"I… I'm sorry." Casie whispers.

"Seeing you there reminded me of her so I had to stop you and now knowing you are immune, Care there is a reason for all of this and don't say there isn't." Alexa tells her. "How many people have you helped since you got infected?" Alexa asks and Casie looks at her shock as she thought about. The people she saved, help, she never would have done that if she didn't get bitten.

"I don't know, I lost count." Casie whispers and Alexa smiles.

"And you wanted to give up." Alexa said and Casie sighs. Alexa then pulls Casie into a hug. Casie goes into shock, but slowly relaxed as she wraps her arms around Alexa. "You just need a friend, that's all and I promise you right now, I will look after you." Alexa tells her and Casie smiles.

"Promise." Casie whispers and Alexa smiles.

"I promise." Alexa tells her. Casie lets her go and Alexa looks around.

"Come on." Alexa said and they started walking. Casie pulls up her scarf as a hood.

'What the hell was I thinking? I saved Crystal, I saved Sally and I have saved so many people. Why the hell did I even think of that idea?' Casie thought.

"Do you have any family?" Alexa asks and Casie sighs.

"Yeah, a big brother in New York, I ran when I got bitten, too scared to face him. I didn't want him to see me as one of those thing." Casie replies.

"I'm sorry." Alexa said.

"It's okay." Casie said. "Listen, I am sorry, I have no idea what took control of me. I have no idea why I acted that way. I never thought of doing something so foolish before." Casie then said.

"I would call it stupid but it's going to be okay." Alexa tells her and Casie nods. "As I promise Casie, I will look after you. You won't be alone again." Alexa tells her. They walk through the rest of the day and most of the night till the next town. They claimed a house and made sure it was empty, then barricade it. Alexa started a small fire and cooked dinner. Casie was cold. By time it was to go to sleep, Casie was shivering. Alexa walks over and lies a blanket over Casie. Casie looks over and Alexa lies down behind her.

"Alexa, how old are you?" Casie asks.

"Around 17." Alexa replies. "Why?" Alexa then asks.

"I just was curious… I'm 16." Casie replies and Alexa smiles.

"16." Alexa whispers. "Things will get better Casie, you will see." Alexa tells her.

"When?" Casie asks and Alexa chuckles.

"Soon." Alexa tells her.

"Where are we going anyway?" Casie asks.

"South, I need to find my family or find out where they have been taken too. We got split up when our zone was overrun by bandits. I am hoping I can find something." Alexa explains.

"I hope we do, for you." Casie whispers and Alexa smiles.

"Just get some rest, okay. We have a big days coming up and a lot of work to do." Alexa tells her and Casie smiles as she closes her eyes.

"Yeah, I guess we do." Casie whispers.

"Night Casie." Alexa whispers.

"Night Alexa." Casie whispers back and Alexa smiles as she closes her eyes.