Into my arms.

I can't go on anymore, my right leg is bleeding, I cut myself when falling from a building when I was running away from three creatures. I managed to carry myself with one leg until now, but the cut is open and I keep bleeding. The hunger is beaten me, for days without eating properly, my last bottle of water I kept as if it were a more precious commodity, in a lost world it is. I lost back then.

That nightmare started a year ago when the world started to turn into chaos, people dying and coming back to life-like monsters. At first, I didn't understand anything. It was a few weeks with these cases. One person died and soon afterward came back to life, cameras recorded, but nobody knew how to explain what it was. More cases happened and that was where classes started to be canceled, messages to stay at home were constant, and people were getting sick and dying, that was the news I read on the internet, but not seem nothing. When more things happened in the streets, I stayed at home because I had no one to go to. I lived with my parents, who were more outside the home than inside, working for a large company. I didn't have friendships, I had a small group of friends in college, but when classes were canceled, they disappeared. One day, tired of staying at home, the internet had fallen, even with the chaos going on, I decided to go out for a while. That was when my world started to become chaotic. My father entered home desperately shouting at me to run. I never saw him so distressed, scared. I asked him what happened and that was when that monster came, a living dead, it was the first I saw. It was terrible and it stank a lot, making a weird noise. I didn't know what to think and in the blink of an eye, it jumped on my father. I fell on the floor with him, dad was being eaten while I was paralyzed. I still don't know how I managed to build up strength and left home with the monster running after me. But I did it. When I arrived outside, I saw the people running, screaming, it was surreal. Had other monsters there too, the people were running away from them and going towards something. A truck, with some people there shouting that they could hail us to a better place.

I didn't want to go, I wanted to found my mother, and that's when I saw it, on the other side, another monster, this time, had a familiar face, it was she, my mother. Still wearing the clothes she had left home earlier, a little more wrinkled, but it was her. With the face of the monster, walking like one. I was afraid, could not breathe, saw a blur. And mom, or the monster,, was coming towards me. I was on the away, accepting death, I had already seen my father being killed by one and at that moment I knew that my mother was no longer in this world. I closed my eyes with tears streaming down my cheeks and waited for her to attack me.

That was when someone pulled me.

I opened my eyes to see a guy, tall and sturdy, fully equipped, taking me to the truck, which was already leaving. He was pulling me hard as I tried to stay, I told him to go, I wanted to die. But the guy didn't hear me. When I thought he stopped to let my hand, he didn't, he put me on his shoulders and ran fast. While the monsters came after us. I was hitting the guy on the back, screaming to let me there. That is when I saw, behind my mother, him, my father, leaving my house like another monster, he turned. I gave up, closed my eyes, and let the man take me. We managed to get into the truck. I felt next to the guy who brought me, who I didn't know who he was, but he was dressed like a soldier. On my other side, some people from my neighborhood, crying, hurt, lost, like me. I closed my eyes, screwing hard to wake up from the nightmare, but it didn't work, it was real.

That day, I learned more about the man who helped me. When he offered me a piece of apple, I asked him why he had helped me even me asking him not to. I confess I was angry with him, he should have left me there. I didn't want to live in a world of chaos without anyone. Just what I had in my life were mother and father, I had lost it, in the most hard painful way possible. But the guy, who I would soon know his name, Theo. Said he is a survivor and would help as many lives as he can. I laughed at him, he got serious and told me: ''You may have lost people, I lost it too, this is no joke. I don't know how long you are out there but I am too long, have seen a lot.''

I said it was the first time I had left, it had been months not left home with the warnings. I didn't watch the news on the TV, or newspaper, after the internet went out, I only heard the news when father and mother came back home, it was not too much.

''Denver had no case. '', He said, probably referring to the monsters, I thought.

''But in Los Angeles, where it all started, this chaos has long been there. The TVs stop working, the light went gone, people were panicking, leaving in a hurry. This truck is from the force army, sending it to cities without any case to leave before getting worse. But when we arrived last night, it was too late. At dawn, a lot of people turned and the few people who left in the morning that did not know became a target.''

I couldn't breathe with so much information. Where I have been without knowing any of this? If I was more informed, I could warn mom and dad not to leave. ''I could have saved '', it was just the thought. I should have done something when those cases of people coming back to life were happening, instead, I was a dumb in my own world, sad to have no friends, never to have dated, and be in college where I didn't want, worried about my future. Problems that in this crazy world now I would give everything to be my concerns.

"Try to breathe."

Theo tried to calm me down, placing his hand on my shoulder, comforting me with his eyes, as would he do it every time after. I breathe in and out while he was saying:

''Listen, I don't know who that undead was that shook you so much. But I know that if I wanted to die, it was because you think you're alone. you're not. Now, you have me and these people here. We will be fine''.

We were not fine. We passed a hill of nightmares, little by little, those around us died, and the food and water were running out. Months passed with losses and horrors. All that made me feel good was knowing that Theo was on my side. I grew stronger by seeing his strength. When we were without any car and separated from the few last, it was our biggest challenge. It was my first days without eating anything, drinking water that we found in rivers, invaded houses to have something to eat and wear. It was the worsts days of my life, Theo kept me going. He taught me how to kill monsters, how to hunt animals in the forest, everything I learned to survive this last year, it was Theo who taught me. When we were adapting to all, our relationship was transformed into something else, our love was revealed in the middle of the chaos, and soon came the day of our first night together; I was happy that it was the next day of our bath, in one of the rare houses that had water. It could have happened right there, he asked me to share the bath because the water could run out and we did. But nothing more than hot looks and fervent bodies clamoring to be touch happened. When we were dressed, he kissed me, hotly, I had kissed before, that was the real one. When we were going to become intimate, we heard a noise outside and ran away. In a high build, it was our first time happened. I said shily I was a virgin, he smiled widely and loved me madly. If we didn't have chaos, I would say that I was in paradise. We thought that place would not have monsters, the build was high, but they show up somehow. We were lying naked when their noise sounded. Theo still managed to joke:

''We really made a lot of noise, huh?''

It was my last laugh. We ran, dressed pants and shirts in hurried, but we left something behind, our weapons. When we were cornered, we had to separate, not one last kiss, it was all fast. I didn't want to jump when I saw a broken window in front of me, with monsters coming. But my survival instinct, which my beloved Theo made me have, was what made me jump.

Now, after a year, I have no one by my side, I am alone. Worse, I don't know if Theo is alive. I can't even think about it. I drag myself through the streets with pain. I need to have the strength to come back and find Theo. But I don't know if I can continue. I remember one day, a month ago, when I was also down. I fell when I was trying to climb a tree to hide from the passing bunch. Theo had already managed to climb when he saw me fell, he would come down to help me, but the monsters were closer. Theo then whispered to me that I would be able to solve and get up after everything we've been through. I tried to listen to him, but also a voice told me that I was not able. It was then that I told him, to remember that it was he who brought me there and said that I loved him. I knew it, but it was the first time I spoke. I saw tears in his eyes of despair.

''Warrior...''

It was what he called me.

''I love you. And it was you who gave me the energy to travel that path. You are my warrior and you will return to my arms. ''

I was all very fast, those words were my encouragement. I got up as soon as the bunch approached. And with them trying to hold my foot, I tried to climb the tree. Theo extended his hand to me and I held it tight. We hugged each other at the top of the tree, holding ourselves as a last thread of hope. It made it all worthwhile. On the other days, we got shy, we had confessed our love. Even with the world being able to kill us the other day, it seemed that we were stronger and had a lot of time for something more with us happens, a kiss, a night of love. And like a shy couple, we just exchanged glances, seeming to live in the ancient world. And it made me feel as if the world had no in an edge to end.

And if he... No, not Theo, I got out, he will leave alive as well. He must be somewhere and we will meet again. Ouch! My leg, I better fix this now. I take off my shirt and wrap around the cut to stop the bleeding. I crawl onto a sidewalk, I still have the strength. The city's silence is frightening, I knew we should not leave the forest. When I try to get up, I heard a hum. It can't be them. I put my hand on my waist and... Shit! My knife is in the building, I hope Theo got it. Damn, the noise is getting closer, it's them, the monsters. Three, ten, a bunch? I don't know, I just know that I need to get out of here soon.

When I turn around, I see monsters on the other side, and those who were making noise, show up now, approaching from the other side, four. If I was armed, I could be fine, without my knife, I'm screwed. With difficulty, I try to walk away. I look back, they are coming behind, faster. I can't end it like this, not knowing if Theo is alive or dead. I try to speed up the pace, in vain. The monsters come quickly with hungry. My leg is throbbing, my body is sore, my head hurts, my heart is broken. Oh, Theo, I shouldn't have left, we should have stayed together. If we will gone to die, let it be together. I stumble when I looked back, I can't get up, and the monsters come closer as tears fall on my face. I'm on the way...

"Camilla!"

A scream of hope. I looked in the direction of the shout, it's him, Theo called me by name. My smile grows and tears of happiness are moving me. I can die, but I will die happy knowing he is alive. I closed my tired eyes, waiting for the inevitable. But I didn't feel a bite and the only noise I heard was Theo's fighting. I open my eyes and see him struggling with the monsters, using my sharp knife, shoving it into their brain. He saved me, as he did all this time. Then, he kneels in front of me.

''Let's go, more are coming... ''

I interrupted him with a kiss. I put my forehead together with his to say:

"I can't believe you're here!"

''I said, you will always come back into my arms.''

I smile as tears of happiness fall on our faces. Theo is here, he always will be.

The next day, we managed to find a safe place. Theo was also injured, a cut on his arm and pain in his abdomen, but he managed to support me on his shoulders and we went back to the forest. It is already night when we made an improvised fortress and we lay down in the moonlight.

"You know it was the first time that you called me by my name."

I mentioned.

Theo never called me Camilla before. In the beginning, we played and pretend that this was a game where we had been stuck and we would communicate using nicknames. I called him Brave, he called me Warrior.

"It's the first time and enough pretending to be in a game."

I take my head off his chest and look at him.

''You and I are no longer stuck in a nightmare. Life is surrounded by monsters, but it was like that always, more normal way, but it was. ''

I laugh with my head down. Theo puts his finger on my chin and makes me look into his comforting eyes. He's serious.

"All that we went through, people we lost, monsters we faced, strengthened us. We continue together and we are going until the end."

''Dead or alive?''

"Dead or alive."

"I love you, Theo!"

"I love you, Camilla!"