Clara.
The minutes ticket by slowly and I tensed every time I heard footsteps echoing through the block while I waited to see if Mum was home.
“Are you sure you are okay Clara? You’re worrying me sweetheart.” Dad asked from his seat on the other sofa. His face was lined with worry as he watched me, and I couldn’t really say I blamed him. I was sure that by now I was green, and God only knows what my face had looked like while my mind had been turning with thoughts of how to even start this conversation.
“I’m fine Dad. I promise.”
“You’re not pregnant, are you?” He asked and I just about chocked at the thought.
“God no! Why would you think that?”
“Well, your getting older, and you and Matt are very close these days.” He stated with a shrug of his shoulders and a pink tinge to his cheeks.
It took a moment for his words to truly sink in but once they did my face flamed in embarrassment. Oh god, my parents thought I was sleeping with Matt.
“No Dad. Matt and I are just friends.”
“Well okay then.” He mumbled.
Eventually the silence was broken by the sound of feet on the walkway and my mother’s smiling face in the door.
“Hey Honey, you're home early everything okay?” Mum asked me making me jump a little, now I was worried she would jump to the same conclusion as my Dad rather than being worried about their reaction to the truth.
“She was asleep on the sofa when I got in.” Dad chimed in.
“Are you feeling ill?”
“No Mum I'm fine.”
“Then why weren't you at school?”
“Um, maybe you should sit down, Dad?” I questioned hoping that they would go easy on me. After several seconds of deliberation they both took up seats on the other sofa and I swallowed passed the lump in my throat.
“What is it Clara? What's wrong?” Mum questioned worry lining her face and I wanted more than anything to rid her of that but I was tongue tied, I had no idea where to start. “You're not pregnant are you? Oh I'm going to be having words with Matt.”
“What!?” I blurted in shock. How was it possible that both of my parents thought I was sleeping with Matt.
“I actually asked that one already, she insists they are just friends, and no bun in the oven.” My Dad informed ana my face flamed red again as I tried to get my emotions under control.
“No Mum, I'm not pregnant, and what makes you think Matt and I.. You know what never mind.” I muttered shaking my head, honestly not wanting to know where those thoughts had come from. “Nothings wrong, not really I just don't know where to start.” I said as honestly as I could.
“Try the beginning.” My dad offered with a smile.
I took a deep breath and braced myself. “I decided on my career.”
“Oh that's good.” Mum smiled. “We were getting a little worried. When did you decide?” She asked seeming happy and relaxed all of a sudden and I hated that I was about to change that.
“Four years ago.”
I watched both of their expressions change, lined with confusion.
“I don't understand, you said you didn't know what you wanted to do.” My Dad spoke.
“I lied. I've always known.” I stated bluntly but still not having found the courage to utter the words I needed to.
“Clara I'm really confused now, why would you lie about such a thing?”
“Because I knew you wouldn't approve and I didn't want you to try and talk me out of it.”
“So why tell us now?” Mum asked although neither one of them seemed to understand yet and I knew I wasn't making it any clearer.
“Because now it can’t be changed.” I muttered and watched as my Dads eyes went wide with realisation.
“Clara you didn't! Tell me that you didn't join the army.” He stated rather than questioned.
“You did what!?” My Mum almost shouted and I winced. I had known this was coming. I had known they wouldn't approve. I swallowed again.
“I did.”
“Oh god Honey what have you done?”
“The only thing I have ever wanted to do.” I muttered. Stealing my nerves. This was it, it couldn't be changed, there was no backing out of the army once you were in, and I was in. So now I just had to try and get them to see it my way.
“This is the only thing I have ever wanted to do. I have been counting down the days for years to when I would be old enough to sign up. I want this. I'm sorry that you don't approve, I really am, but I'm an adult now, responsible to myself and those around me, isn't that what you always say? Well I want to help protect the people around me, I want to make a difference.”
“Have you already signed up?”
“Yes.” I stated holding my head high.
“Then I guess there really is nothing we can do or say. I wont Lie Clara I wish you hadn't done this but you are our daughter, we will support you no matter what.”
My whole body relaxed at those words, my Mum was crying and my Dad looked horrified but they weren't cutting me out. That was the first step I guess. The rest would come with time.
“There's one more thing.” I muttered wincing slightly.
“What?” My Dad questioned cautiously.
“I have to move out.”
“When?”
“Tonight, I need to be in A block by nightfall.”
“Oh Clara.” My Mum cried, resting her head on my shoulder and wrapping her arms tightly around my waist.
“It's okay Mum, you'll see, everything will be okay.”
“I'm not ready to lose you.”
“I'm not going far Mum. And I'll be careful. I'll stay safe.” I muttered. Holding her tight. Maybe Matt was right after all, things really were changing.
ClaraDays turned into weeks and they all blurred together as my training took hold. The commander hadn't been wrong when he said I was being thrown into the deep end, I was definitely out of my depth the first couple of days, but a week in and I had gotten the hang of things, even if I did go to bed each night feeling as though I had been run over.It took a few days for my fellow recruits to accept me, they had expected me to lag behind and I did in the beginning, but I wasn't one to quit, or one to accept being second best. I pushed myself, harder than I ever had before. I cried, I sweat, I bled, I ate, I slept and I did it all over again.It was three weeks before I saw Matt again, the longest I had ever gone without him and I swear I was starting to have withdrawals, he too seemed overly eager to spend time with me, but we both knew and accepted that that wouldn't really be possible for a while, he had his traini
Clara.Our last day of official training went the same as every other day, if not slightly more intense, something I wouldn't have thought possible. They recapped on everything we had learnt previously and offered us some advice for our final evaluations.Graduation day dawned early and bright. And I spent the first ten minutes of the day staring at the ceiling wishing for Matt or my Mum, which was probably a little pathetic but I could use some moral support. I was just going to have to content myself with the knowledge that they would be there watching.The evaluations would be held in the main courtyard and was open to anyone who wanted to watch, over the years it had become a little like a spectator sport, people even made wagers on the outcomes.With a sigh I stood and readied myself for the day, dressing in my army blacks, attaching the holsters that we were required to wear which would hold the weapons w
Jake.“Six teams, six targets. Keep to ground, don't engage unless necessary, get what you can and get out. We are looking for medical supplies, lab equipment, anything you feel may be of value.” The chiefs voice rang out around the meeting room, a large table with a map separating him from us. “Team one.” He called and I watched the five guys and two girls step up to the table.“This is your target, deploy on readiness.” He stated handing them a sheet of paper and pointing to their destination on the map.“Team one is the only seven man team so the rest of you lucky guys and gals get to be responsible for the newbies, one per team.” He pointed to the wall where I knew that the five newbies were waiting for their orders.I don't know what the hell was wrong with me but I actually kind of hoped my team was assigned Clara. It was weird, unexplainable, She had drove me up the wall
JakeMy eyes flicked from building windows to side streets and cars, ignoring the mess and the destruction I scanned for movement, even the slightest twitch but saw nothing I had been doing this for so long now that I had learnt t trust myself, I got a sense, a gut feeling when shit was about to hit the fan and right now everything felt calm. But we had a newbie in the truck, so I wasn’t about to take any chances, especially not when that newbie was Clara West.“Clara you got anything?” I asked after a second scan on my side of the truck and seeing nothing but not wanting to tear my eyes away from scanning to check on her unless I had to.“One dead in a building window, one walking down an ally, No threat.” She stated clearly, calmly. No panic and I took a second to turn and check her, she was positioned side on as was I, her head on a light swivel as she scanned the area, her shoulders seemed tense bu
Clara.My heart pounded as I listened to the guys talking through the radios, their chatter somehow easing the shit storm of emotions that had gripped me when I pulled the trigger. It had been instinct, as soon as I saw the gun aimed in our direction I fired, not thinking, not caring. Then the blood had rushed through my veins so hard that nothing else mattered, all I could see were the dead, the infected, the danger. It kept me focused, alert so I wasn't knocking it but as soon as the danger had passed I was second guessing myself. I had shot someone. Killed them.I breathed hard, not someone, something. He wasn't human.“We're at the half way point.” Wheelers voice sounded, letting us know that we had another four hours before we would reach our target. Four hours of possible dangers. It was actually exhausting being so alert all the time. I let my eyes close for a second and took a deep breath. Even the
ClaraI watched as Jake holstered his gun and I frowned not understand why he would do that.“Use your knives where possible. Gun fire will attract the dead.” Jake said to me as we jumped down from the truck. “You stay next to me. We will search for the lab first and grab anything there that might be of use then we will do a once over of the building and grab anything else we could use back at the compound.” He informed as we stepped up behind Wheeler and Porter who were waiting for us at the doors, Bubble took up the rear and with a nod to us all Wheeler pushed open the heavy looking door and led the way inside.It was obvious that people had been here, papers littered the ground along all the corridors, graffiti stained the walls and there were signs of a fire in the hall that had been extinguished. We moved quickly through the wide hallways, glancing into empty rooms, no sign of anyone, livi
Clara.I swear my whole body relaxed when we drove through the first set of security gates into the compound, we hadn't faced any trouble at all on the way back though we did see several groupings of dead much to the worry of the guys. The fact that they were all worried had me terrified.“Well rookie you did good.” Wheelers voice called through the walkie as the truck pulled up to the garage entrance and Bubble stuck his head out for the guard there to see him and let us in.“Thanks.” I muttered although I was a little offended that he seemed so surprised.Jake smiled from his seat next to me and I watched as he switched off his walkie. There was no need for them now, we were home, safe.“They will unload all the supplies and inventory, then we debrief with the chief. Then we clock off for the night.” He smiled and I returned it, his happiness was infectious, his smile mouthw
Clara“Team three.” A woman called from the main floor and the guys stood from their seats, still immersed in conversation. I walked along side Bubble as we followed the woman to a meeting room I hadn't been in yet.“Weapons check first.” Bubble told me as the guys started handing over their guns to an older guy, maybe fifty.I passed him my pistol, the one I had fired and watched as he ejected the clip and checked the ammo then placed it to one side. “You fire any of the others?”“No.”“Okay then.” He uttered and moved on to Bubble while I sat at the table next to Wheeler who was talking to a greying man I assumed was the chief.“Target was empty, completely, and no one in the surrounding area either. It might be worth sending another team out there tomorrow to scout the area, check for cleans and any supplies.”The chief nodded.