Free Tomorrow by Nichole Severn

1
     
    The screams were inhuman, getting closer, and growing louder.
    Paige sat with her back against the mountain wall, meticulously cle aning the shotgun in her hands by firelight.
    Samantha lay beside her, snoring softly as she huddled against Paige’s leg.
    They’d been on the run for two days now, two long heart-pounding days. The infection had spread. Men, women and children ali ke were hunting for fresh flesh . The mountains were the only place left untouched. Here, they could hide for weeks .
    Paige would have to put out the small fire warming them against the Rocky Mountain winter soon. It was getting darker and the flames would be visible for all to see soon.
    She nudged Samantha with her knee gently, trying to wake her for the next watch.
    Samantha groaned. “Just a little bit longer.”
    She acquiesced. They were exhausted. T he more rest, the better in the long run. Tomorrow would be a hard day. Tomorrow they headed higher up the mountain. They needed their energy.
    A few moments later, Samantha’s snores filled Paige’s ears once again, but the screams still haunted her.
    The first time she’d heard them was on a night just like this two days ago, clear, chilly and beautiful. Her life had been safe such a short time ago. H iking had been hobby instead of a necessary skill to survive. Now, their families were dead, infected with the same disease she and Samantha were hiding from, their life turned upside down overnight.
    Samantha turned over, staring up into the darkened night sky as Paige looked down at her. “I’m awake.” She sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. “What time is it?”
    “Nearly seven.”
    Samantha nodded. “Four hours.”
    Paige would be so lucky if she could sleep that long. She handed the shotgun to her counterpart , the one who’d stood by her side for the past ten years, the one who made her laugh when she was down, her sister in arms.
    “Do you want to trade places? This spot was comfortable.”
    “No,” Paige answered, leaning back against the wall. “I’ll just close my eyes for a couple minutes. Then we should move on.”
    “10-4.”
    Paige closed her eyes, wishing the nightmares would stay away for even a few minutes as she tried to rest and forget about tomorrow.

2
     
    “Get up! Get up! Get up!” Samantha was screaming, her hand wrapped around Paige’s upper arm, pulling her away from their campsite they’d made a home of the past few hours. Her other hand was busy with the shotgun, aimed at two of the infected bodies walking toward them. The shot rang out and one of the forms went down.
    Paige bolted to her feet, immediately reaching for the handgun tucked into the back of her pants. “Leave the bags,” she told her companion. They had no chance if they went back for them. “Run!”
    Samantha did what she was told, wrapping both hands around their protection as they ran further into the mountain pass. It was an easy process, one they’d been training for over the past year and a half. They could go another hour without stopping and that was exactly what they were going to do. “I didn’t hear them until it was too late.” She breathed, easily keeping pace with Paige through the branches and bushes littering the mountain pass floor.
    “They’re getting more clever ,” Paige answered. “There was no way to know.”
    “What do we do now?” Samantha stuffed the shotgun, barrel first, down the ridge of her spine.
    It was the same question Paige had been asking herself only a moment before. They’d barely escaped the ambush. They needed a safe haven, somewhere they could stay for days at a time.  “We need to move to higher ground. You have the rope?”
    “ Yes, ma’am ,” her friend answered, ducking around yet another desert bush.
    “We won’t be able to see in the dark. For now, let’s get as far into the canyon as possible and in the morning, we climb.”

 
3
     
    The trees scratched at their arms and legs as they climbed, clawing