Love Sacrifice

“It’s just in; nuclear waste has been leaked by a biological factory. We advise everyone to pack food, water and essential items and head to the public bunkers. From there we will put people into gro-” Dazai turned the TV off before the news reporter could continue. He was starting to stress. He usually would not leave his house, unless he needed something crucial. “I don’t need to go, my house is way safer than being out with other people,” he told himself, but honestly, he was self-conflicted on whether he should go or not. He tried to talk himself out of it, but he knew making all those excuses makes it even more right to go. With his thoughts suffocating him, he packed his bags and headed out.

As soon as he arrived, he was given a ticket. He quickly stuffed into his pockets, as he was a little paranoid where the woman’s hands had been. He started to walk towards the crowd; each step he took was dreadful. He could always turn back and be in the comfort of his home and wouldn’t have to go near anyone. As he stood in front of the bunkers, trying to stay as far away from people, he overheard a group talking. “I heard they aren’t telling us the full story,” the young teenage boy whispered to them.

“Well, I heard that the leakage turns people into people into mutants of some sort” a girl, shorter than the boy replied.

“Yeah right! Stop messing around. How is that even possible? Well, whatever it is, it’s definitely dangerous.”

“Is it true? Such things can’t just happen, even if it’s by mistake. Still, if it is true, then what will happen to me? It’s bad enough that I’m stuck in a small space with *looks around with a disgust*people.” His thoughts once again started suffocating him, but he was cut off when the announcements began to play. “Please go to your assigned bunker. You’ll find your allocated bunker on your ticket.” Dazai takes how the scrunched piece of paper and looks at it, “7,” he whispers to himself. He walks into the bunker. As he looks around, someone catches his eyes. She has beautiful, long brunette hair and she has the brightest smile. He ignores his feelings and finds a spot where he won't be bothered and sits down. Few hours pass and his about to get up, when suddenly someone comes up to him. “Hello, I’m Naomi. I noticed that you’ve been sitting here all alone. Do you want to be friends?” A girl reached out her hand with a familiar smile. He just looked at her hand and walked passed her. She just stands there in silence unable to react. “I guess he doesn’t remember me then,” she said to herself and shrugged.      

As days go on, people in groups are sent outside to get supplies and food. Some people end up coming back and some, well some of them don’t. It’s been 30 days since being locked up in confinement. It started with 20 people but now there’s only 11. It didn’t bother Dazai though, as long as he didn’t have to talk, touch, or go anywhere he was fine. It would have all been perfect if Naomi didn’t keep on bothering him. He didn’t understand why she needed to talk to him, there were like 10 other people to talk to. However, he realized that every day he did feel a little closer to her. He didn’t understand why that was. He had always been closed off and never let anyone get near him. Except for the one time, four years ago. He was walking home after getting some and heard someone shouting. At first he just ignored and let someone else deal with it. However, the shouting and pleading for kept continuing but the shouts of help kept on getting cutting off half way. When he went to check, he saw someone drowning. That was the only time he ever helped or even touched someone.

Naomi was just sitting there and saw Dazai lost in his thoughts all alone again. “Still the same,” she whispered, giggling to herself. She stood up and walked towards the spaced out Dazai. “What are you thinking this time,” she asked as she sat beside him.

“Why are you here again?” he blurted, moving away from her.

“C’mon, don’t you remember me?”

“Why would I? I didn’t even know of you before this incident.”

“Remember the gi-,”

Then suddenly people started screaming and picking up shotguns and bats. A zombiefied looking person was in the bunker with everyone else. All the men started swinging their bats and shooting their guns. “Come help! What are you sitting down for!?” A man shouted at Dazai while fighting off the zombie. Dazai didn’t want to help, he couldn’t help. He was frozen, he was too scared. He grabbed his and brought it into his knees. He just sat there while the others tried to protect everyone else. One man swung his bat straight into the zombies head and it fell off. One of the men started walking towards Dazai and picked him up the collar. “Why weren’t you helping?” he growled at Dazai.

“Get your hands off me” Dazai shot back.

The man was about to punch him but Naomi stopped him. “What do you want?” he said annoyed.

“Just please don’t hurt him,” she pleaded.

“Fine but I won’t let you get away this easily. You and she have to go together tomorrow and get the supplies.” Then he put Dazai down and left them to be.

>next day<

“Take this, you’ll need this,” the man said giving him some weapons before they left. Dazai and Naomi grabbed everything and left. As they got outside, they saw a zombie just walking. They slowly crept and went to the suppliers. While they were walking, a zombie spotted them and started coming towards them. When they finally realized that the zombie noticed them, it was already a few meters away. “RUN!” Dazai screamed as he and Naomi started to run. They were running back to their bunkers but then suddenly Naomi stepped on a rock and twisted her ankle. “DAZAI!!! Help,” she said crying with tears in her eyes. Dazai stood there for a while. Thinking of whether saving himself and running back to the bunker or carrying her with him. He was conflicted, he didn’t know what to do. “DAZAI!” Naomi’s scream for help brought him back to reality. He looked into her and saw tears and fear. He knew what he had to do. He ran towards her, grabbed in a bridal position and ran back to the bunkers. “OPEN UP!!” Dazai screamed. He quickly ran inside and fell to the ground with Naomi in his hands. “What happened out there?” the man asked him.

“We were being chased by a zombie and I twisted my ankle but he saved me” Naomi replied.

“Well, I don’t see any supplies but I’ll let it go this one time. Next week you guys are duty again. Got it,”

“Yes sir,”

Dazai was just sitting on his knees unable to process what happened. He could have died. Yet for some reason he chose to save Naomi. “Hey, thanks for saving me again,” she thanked Dazai.

“What do you mean again?” he questioned

“I guess you still don’t remember, huh? Well four years ago you saved me from drowning and you saved me again from the zombie.”

>next week<

They go again to get supplies since they failed last time.  They went outside to scavenge for some food and supplies. As they were searching for food, Naomi fell and dropped a box of plates. That attracted a lot of attention. “We need to get out of here now. We have some food so we’re okay.” Dazai said looking around worried. He helped her up and as they opened the door they saw zombies and this time they were way more than last time. They started to run for the bunkers but the zombies were too close to them. Dazai had to think of something and quick. They were super close to the bunkers but if they entered the whole bunker would be in trouble. He told Naomi to continue running and he stopped. “What are you doing!” she screamed.

“Saving you and everyone else,” he replied with a sad smile. He grabbed a bomb and held the pin.

“NO! Don’t do this”

“Just run.”

She had no choice, if she stayed there any longer they both would die. She ran to the bunker and screamed for help but everyone just pulled her in and closed the door. Dazai looked back to see if she was safe and smiled to himself, "I'm happy i found someone like you," he told himself. He unpinned the bomb and ran in the crowd of zombies.