Photo: all-hd-wallpapers.com
Spring 2: The Dream Long Forgotten
Mom didn't like mosquitoes. No, she hated them! When my brother and I were young, my mother used to scream at us about malaria or AIDS or something. My brother had it the worst. For some reason, mosquitoes loved his blood...anyways, I need to stay focused. The mosquitoes here are huge and unrelenting. The Florida swamps breed monsters, and all of them are not Mannys. It makes me think about what would happen if a mosquito sucks the blood out of a Manny and then bites me. What would happen? I can't think about that right now. I must get to New York...
~Maya
~Maya
Photo: geoplanet.sheknows.com
Maya was at peace. She felt the warm glow of the sun and watched as it bled over the lush field of grass around her. Thousands of thick green blades shot up from the ground, all teaming with life rooted under soft brown soil. Maya was barefoot. She was wearing only a cotton t-shirt and cutoff jeans that were no longer than where her little finger touched her thigh. She remembered this place very fondly. It was a meadow that she had played in when she was very young; before her brother was ever thought of. As the wind blew, the water in the pond to her right rippled with perfect segmentation. Under the ripples lived carp and leeches. Maya loved to put her feet into the pond and let the leeches suck on her toes. It was a feeling of nostalgia.
The clouds above her head were fluffy and white. They looked as if they should have been displayed in a museum. Their sizes and shapes had the ability to inspire even the lamest of artists and poets. The crystal-blue sky embedded them in Maya's idea of heaven. Large evergreens spanned the horizon for as far as the eye could see. Maya stood still on a small wooden bridge that connected a dirt road to her oasis. Suddenly, the sun hid itself behind the mesmerizing clouds. In protest, the clouds grew large and black. Rain began to spill from their bloated stomachs. Maya choked on fear and the sensation of falling. She heard a weird beeping that sounded like it was buried within her brain. BEEP!!! BBEEEPPP!!!! BBBEEEEEEPPPP!!! Her eyes snapped open and reality flooded in.
Photo: bacontoday.com
"...I said wake up!" Heartless screamed as he slapped Maya awake. Darkness surrounded the helicopter in free fall. The cockpit was alive with sirens and flashing buttons. As they made their counterclockwise descent, Maya could see that the ground below them was illuminated by large pockets of fire. She could not see the soldiers on the ground, but the tracers from their rifles relayed the message that they were fighting a large force shrouded in the night. Heartless was trying desperately to calm the uncontrollable aircraft. From the look on his face, he was failing miserably. "We're jumping," he said as he unfastened Maya's safety harness. Her eyes were wider than when she first gained consciousness. She questioned Heartless' sanity. "J-jumping? From here!?" Her head was swimming and her stomach was still in knots. Heartless winked at her and smiled. And with that, he grabbed her hand and dove headfirst out of the helicopter.
Their bodies were missiles headed for the ground. The first minute was pure exhilaration. Maya and Heartless were separated midair as the night air cut through them at a ridiculous speed. After a minute, the helicopter spiraled past them in a gigantic hunk of metal and sound. The blades were still spinning, barely missing Maya's long hair by mere centimeters. That is when she noticed the other half of the police helicopter. It was missing. All that remained was a flaming tail of red heat and black smoke. While she watched the airborne wreckage glide past her, Heartless scooped her up and tucked her into his chest. "We are in for a rough landing," Heartless yelled through their dive. "Don't worry though; the serum should let you withstand the crash." He turned upward and held Maya like a child. Maya clutched her stomach and closed her eyes.
Their bodies were missiles headed for the ground. The first minute was pure exhilaration. Maya and Heartless were separated midair as the night air cut through them at a ridiculous speed. After a minute, the helicopter spiraled past them in a gigantic hunk of metal and sound. The blades were still spinning, barely missing Maya's long hair by mere centimeters. That is when she noticed the other half of the police helicopter. It was missing. All that remained was a flaming tail of red heat and black smoke. While she watched the airborne wreckage glide past her, Heartless scooped her up and tucked her into his chest. "We are in for a rough landing," Heartless yelled through their dive. "Don't worry though; the serum should let you withstand the crash." He turned upward and held Maya like a child. Maya clutched her stomach and closed her eyes.
Photo: chaoticsynapticactivity.com
When they collided with the dirt, every sound was nullified. The dead weight of their bodies slammed into a jet black field in North Carolina. For a moment, Maya could not hear nor feel anything. She watched rifle fire dance in the dark around her. Smoke and fire filled her nostrils along with the scent of rotting flesh. Maya looked to her left and saw hundreds of Mannys lurching forward. She looked to her right and watched Heartless fight his way towards the biggest fire. Maya began to stand.
The adrenaline in Maya's body kicked into overdrive. Her desire to live overrode her fear and panic. Maybe the serum that Heartless injected into her was responsible. She thought about what Heartless said right before they left the prison. You're pregnant. This made Maya stand to her feet and run in the direction of the large burning fire. Mannys were all around her, but she managed to deal with them efficiently.
One Manny grabbed at Maya's shoulders from behind. Without thinking, Maya flipped the Manny over her head. The undead body sounded like a wet mop as it hit the ground in front of her. She immediately stomped its head in. CRUNCH! It was too dark to see the brain matter, but she could feel it spray onto her legs. Suddenly her roundhouse kicked two Mannys in the face. Both of their heads were severed from their rotting bodies. "Wow," Maya said as she watched the heads fly like dirty basketballs. She could feel her muscles tighten. Her strength had tripled since the prison. The sensation made her smirk as she took off into a sprint in order to catch up to Heartless.
Maya ran through dozens upon dozens of Mannys. As she streaked past some of them, she extended her arms and close lined rows of the undead. This made her laugh with great fervor. She had never felt this good. Her legs were moving faster than they had ever moved before. If she had this speed during the normal days of high school, she would have made the varsity team without a problem. Maya shook away thoughts from her old life and focused on her baby. She increased her speed and darted closer to the large burning rubble. That's when she noticed that the fire was occupied by the military, or what was left of it.
Heartless was already at the military fire. He was talking to the man in charge. "General Pitchford, you need to get me and the girl to New York," he said with certainty. The General was looking at Heartless and shaking his head. "Sorry, I don't have authorization to use aircraft. That's why your helicopter got shot down, son." General Pitchford's voice was low and grizzled. He was a stocky man that was in his late fifties. His thick brown mustache moved with his lips. His breath smelled of coffee grounds and cigarettes. His eyes were unapologetic. "You give me the jet or I will kill everybody!" Heartless was boiling into a rage. Before General Pitchford could respond, a soldier interrupted. "Sir, we just hit a live one. It's a girl, sir." Without saying a word, Heartless ran out into the darkness. "He's going to kill us all," Pitchford said as he watched Heartless disappear into blackness.
The adrenaline in Maya's body kicked into overdrive. Her desire to live overrode her fear and panic. Maybe the serum that Heartless injected into her was responsible. She thought about what Heartless said right before they left the prison. You're pregnant. This made Maya stand to her feet and run in the direction of the large burning fire. Mannys were all around her, but she managed to deal with them efficiently.
One Manny grabbed at Maya's shoulders from behind. Without thinking, Maya flipped the Manny over her head. The undead body sounded like a wet mop as it hit the ground in front of her. She immediately stomped its head in. CRUNCH! It was too dark to see the brain matter, but she could feel it spray onto her legs. Suddenly her roundhouse kicked two Mannys in the face. Both of their heads were severed from their rotting bodies. "Wow," Maya said as she watched the heads fly like dirty basketballs. She could feel her muscles tighten. Her strength had tripled since the prison. The sensation made her smirk as she took off into a sprint in order to catch up to Heartless.
Maya ran through dozens upon dozens of Mannys. As she streaked past some of them, she extended her arms and close lined rows of the undead. This made her laugh with great fervor. She had never felt this good. Her legs were moving faster than they had ever moved before. If she had this speed during the normal days of high school, she would have made the varsity team without a problem. Maya shook away thoughts from her old life and focused on her baby. She increased her speed and darted closer to the large burning rubble. That's when she noticed that the fire was occupied by the military, or what was left of it.
Heartless was already at the military fire. He was talking to the man in charge. "General Pitchford, you need to get me and the girl to New York," he said with certainty. The General was looking at Heartless and shaking his head. "Sorry, I don't have authorization to use aircraft. That's why your helicopter got shot down, son." General Pitchford's voice was low and grizzled. He was a stocky man that was in his late fifties. His thick brown mustache moved with his lips. His breath smelled of coffee grounds and cigarettes. His eyes were unapologetic. "You give me the jet or I will kill everybody!" Heartless was boiling into a rage. Before General Pitchford could respond, a soldier interrupted. "Sir, we just hit a live one. It's a girl, sir." Without saying a word, Heartless ran out into the darkness. "He's going to kill us all," Pitchford said as he watched Heartless disappear into blackness.
Photo: defense-update.com
Heartless returned to the military fire carrying a lump of blue cloth. It was Maya wrapped in her robe. The soldiers stopped shooting long enough to see what Heartless was holding. With blood soaked hands, Heartless looked at General Pitchford. For a long minute, there were no words. All that could be heard were the distant cries of the Mannys and the crackle of the large fire that lit their vision. "You can take the F16," General Pitchford finally mouthed. Without saying a word, Heartless walked to the fighter jet and buckled Maya in. He took a second to look at her. She was unconscious and her breathing was shallow. "Stay alive," he whispered.
The Lockheed Martin F16IQ- Block 52 fighter jet engines ignited as Heartless configured the controls. "Well, there goes our escape plan, boys," General Pitchford said as the jet positioned itself for takeoff. The soldiers stepped away from the aircraft and watched it pick up speed. It squashed several Mannys and the afterburners scorched several more. In the distance, the sun was beginning to rise. That was the direction that the fighter jet was headed. New York was less than an hour away.
TO BE CONTINUED
Photo: world-wallpaper.com
-Terry
Crazy awesome story, dude. I can't wait to see how the serum affects Maya and her kid.
ReplyDelete