Death. Everyone knows what it is. It is the end of all ends. The end for humans and beasts. It is an end that no one knows what comes after.

Will it be cold and empty, an endless abyss where time doesn’t exist? Or will it be warm and peaceful, like a nice summer day at your favorite spot with all your family and friends? Or is it a never-ending torment of past regrets and decisions with bad consequences?

For the past few hours, my thoughts have gone round and round on the concept of Death. And with each hour, I have come to accept what will happen.

Who knew that one supply run would be the end for me. Quick and easy, get in and get out. A small team of five hungry teenagers scavenging for any supplies. A normal occurrence nowadays after the apocalypse hit three years ago.

We had all run in together like we always did. Kevin, Michael, Hunter, Sheila, and I. Kevin and Michael took the back rooms of the run down grocery store while Sheila and I took the front. Hunter staying at the entrance to keep watch for any of the undead roaming around. Or worse, one of the violent gangs of the city.

Seven bags full of canned food and medicine and hygiene products later, we started heading back to the entrance.

Hunter had turned to look at us, a goofy smile on his face at the sight of the jackpot, when a spray of blood came from his head, a hole in the middle of his forehead. Not giving us much time to think, we had dropped some of the bags by the time he fell over and made a run for it.

Sheila got hit in the leg as laughter and cat calls rang out in the silence. “Mike! Kevin!Lila!” She had screamed at us but we had to keep going. They were too close. Too close for us to be able to help her. That is what I kept convincing myself later when we heard the final gunshot as we ran out the back door, blocking the way as we went.

Straight into a horde of the undead.

A few feet from the van that would lead us to safety they stood. Decaying flesh and grotesque wounds that would have killed a normal person but didn’t faze them. Their teeth gnashing and growling erupting as they spotted us.

Handing my lone bag to Michael, I had ordered, “Go!” Pointing at the van I took my rifle and aimed at the one in the front, moments later, no head was to be seen. It went on like that, me aiming and shooting all my ammo into the horde. Keeping them distracted long enough for Michael and Kevin to get the bags into the van and start it up.

“Lila come on!” Dropping my now useless rifle, I ran to Kevin half hanging out the back. Seeing one of the undead reaching for him, I had reacted on instinct and pushed him back into the van. Taking my trusty knife, I blocked it’s teeth with my arm as I used my other hand to stab it in the head, killing it instantly.

I jumped in, them none the wiser to my deadly infectious injury, and we drove off to the sound of my frantic, “Go! Go! Go!”

Leading me to now as I watched them drink sadly to the lost lives of Sheila and Hunter in the safety of our secret underground hideout. Kevin taking his knife and carving their names into the Memory Wall. My feverish eyes taking a look at the forty eight names.

Knowing my name would soon be forty nine as I glanced down at my sleeve covered bite. “Lila, you okay?” Michael, ever the sweet one, asked.

“Never better,” I smiled. I had to. I didn’t want them to know or see me go down like this. Taking my word for it, he and Kevin went back to their drinking by the fire.

As they fell asleep, I shakily stood from where I leant up against the wall. Going over to them, knowing their deep sleep, I kissed each one on their foreheads. Going to the Memory Wall, I carved my name deep.

I didn’t know what awaited me. Heaven or Hell. But I was as ready as I could be. Leaving them no sign of my presence except my name and message. “Goodbye.”