Escape

I’m running as fast as I can for the last 15 minutes. Keeping my breath rate steady, I pushed harder and faster. My legs are trembling and I have no idea if I would survive till the next sunrise.
My body is aching badly but I’ve to keep on running till I find a safe place where they couldn’t find me.
I’m running for my life.
I have no more energy left in me.
It is getting harder to see even a few miles ahead of me.
Then, to my surprise, I see a glimpse of the car.
My heart skipped a beat.
I’ve never been that happy before.
So happy that I get numb.
Finally! I’m saved!
I stand at the side of the road and gave a signal to the driver. I immediately jumped into the car when it stopped.
“Where do you wanna go?”
“To the city.”
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We are living a luxurious life in the city but dada jee often comes here to visit his great old haweli. Personally, I enjoy the village life too. It’s so peaceful here. Dada Jee’s haweli is 2-storey built back in 1940s. It has 14 rooms and 02 bethaks with a big lawn in the centre . As, nobody lives here so most of its rooms remain locked.
 
Earlier that day, I was sitting at my favorite spot in the lawn. I had always admired sitting here. I laid down on the chair, resting my arms on its cool metal frame. Closing my eyes, I listen.
The cool air breeze caresses my skin and I looked at the sky. One by one, stars are going to appear on it which would be such a sight to see.
I got up from the chair to go inside.
As I was going inside, I saw munshi jee came running with one shoe in his feet. His hand was bleeding and his face had turned blood red with pain and in the middle of the lawn, he fell down.
I ran inside and called dada Jee from inside.
After bandage, he felt better so he told us that he has seen a weird creature.
“What kind of creature?” I asked curiously.
“They had open wounds and dressed in ripped clothes. All body covered in blood. They eat human flesh. I saw them attacking Ramzan Chacha. I tried to save him and got myself hurt. Then, I ran from there and came directly here. Chaudary Jee, now let’s go. It’s not safe here anymore. They might reach here anytime following me.”
“But where?”
“Anywhere to hide.”
Dada Jee went into deep thoughts and then after a few moments, he started packing a backpack.
“Dada Jee! you shouldn’t believe him.”
“Nahi beta….wo jhoot nahi kehta, aa jao bass”
I followed him along with Munshi Jee. He took us in 2nd bethak which I have only seen once in my life, from inside. I couldn’t understand what’s going around and why Dada Jee is believing such stupid things.
Anyways, Dada Jee opened the large cupboard which was empty from inside. There was a large man-sized hole in the middle. I looked at it with surprise.
“How could I have never seen this before?” I thought to myself.
Dada Jee started telling me that his father was a politician and had many enemies. He ran away from all this and started living in the city peacefully.
“But Dada Jee, then why you come here often?”
To which he replied:
“Putar, this is where my soul belongs to”.
Sometimes these small fights lead to big one results in target-killing. So this is the shortest escape which no one knows about except me and munshi.
“Not even my father?”
“No.”

We crossed the tunnel in silence. After 15 minutes, we were in our fields. The moment we get out of the tunnel, it was such a devastating sight. Crops were completely destructed and there were dead bodies lying around. Most of them were not recognizable.

Stepping forward. We saw a shadow of a zombie so we three jumped in the tractor to hide from the weird creature wandering around.

When everything seemed normal, we started moving again. After half an hour, Dada jee and Munshi jee sat down again on the roadside to catch a breath. I felt thirsty but I left the water bottle in the bag that I lost in the fields.
The roads were empty and houses were completely wrecked. I asked dada if I could go and drink water from the tubewell at the corner of the road.
“Okay. But be very careful and don’t make a noise.”
I was drinking water when I heard screaming from behind. Something inside me broke and I ran back. Zombies had attacked dada jee and munshi jee and I felt paralyzed at that moment.
I couldn’t take a step forward and controlled my screams by putting a hand over my mouth. They were eating them and I felt numb. For a moment, My heart stopped beating.
I was staring when one of the zombies noticed me standing there.
I saw him staring back at me so I ran and hid behind the tubewell.
Fortunately, he couldn’t find me.
After 10 minutes, when I could no longer hear any voice.
I got up and started running.
______________________
On the next turn, the car backfires and stopped immediately.
It sounded like a gunshot to me- so loud and clear.
“You stay here and I’ll go check the engine” The driver instructed me.
I nodded.
After a while, I saw a group of zombies came running towards us from the back mirror.
I jumped out of the car and shouted:
“Run! Run for your life!”
While both of us were running, I gazed up at the sky and one solitary star winks at me. I smiled and whispered,
” If I survived, I’ll see you again”.