Free The Oasis by Janette Osemwota Page A

changed them since the end of the world. She hadn’t seen one of the others exhibit any such normal behavior before, so she wasn’t holding her breath that this one would. That idea reminded her of his stench. Since she was pressed up against his back, she couldn’t help but breathe in what she could only describe as a musk.
    Although it was dark, the moonlight allowed Lena to see that they were making their way through the streets. She heard noises as they approached a lit area. Her heart began to race as she realized exactly where they were going. The buildings were bigger and the windows of the once massive skyscrapers reflected the light of the moon. It was difficult to make out what was going on since she was upside down and disoriented, but she tried her best to memorize where she was being taken. Lena figured there were only three things that could come out of her capture—rape, torture, or death—and she wasn’t going to take any of them without a fight.
    Shifting her over his shoulder, the man grunted to another. Lena gasped when she saw the creature he had acknowledged. The man was lying on the ground, his body badly beaten up. His face, like his body, was covered in blood, while he seemed to be picking at his flesh. She cringed, trying not to throw up. As they walked past him, she couldn’t help but listen as the man spoke quietly to himself, clearly out of his mind. She heard him laugh as his teeth bit into the flesh of his arm.
    She shuddered, which caused the man to stop his chewing. He stared at her, as if waiting for her to make some kind of move. Something about this motion made her feel sorry for him. He looked young and had probably been a healthy person before he had changed into this thing. There was no way for Lena to know what could make a person eat their own flesh, but she prayed silently that this young man could someday get better. Although it was wishful thinking, it was her ability to sympathize with people like that young man that separated her from him. Without her hope she might have become something like him months ago. There were more things than viruses that could make a person crazy.
    A tear ran down her cheek and she closed her eyes. She had no idea where she was being taken and had never imagined herself in such a predicament.
    Grunting, the man who carried her shifted her over to his other shoulder. She was again reminded how strong he was and just how weak she felt in comparison. When she landed on his shoulder the air was knocked from her lungs and she couldn’t help but groan at the pain. Other than shift her around, the man paid little attention to her, and she began to wonder if her best interest was to try to talk him into letting her go rather than wait to see where he was taking her. They were heading downtown and into a more populated area, so she began to think that the likelihood of him stopping somewhere before they got to “civilization” was less and less likely.
    Clearing her throat, she felt it almost close. Her position, lack of blood, and—something she hated the most—her fear were preventing her from speaking.
    “Excuse me,” she said, too loud and with a less-than-convincing attempt at confidence.
    The man’s head tilted in her direction slightly. If she hadn’t been focusing on his back as intensely as she was she would have missed such a slight movement. He didn’t acknowledge her in any other way. So she tried again.
    “I said excuse me,” she repeated more firmly. This time the man grunted at her. Grateful that he appeared to hear her, she continued. “Listen, where are you taking me?” Her mind ran over anything she could think of to get out of her situation. How could she convince this giant to put her down? Of the limited knowledge she had of the others, their lack of sanity seemed to be one of the main symptoms.
    His head shifted and he went back to ignoring her. She cursed silently, knowing that her moment was gone. They were getting