Leaving Behind The Past

"Why'd you do that!" Yin panics as she sees what I did. "Even if there's no signal, you shouldn't go throwing it away!" She stares at the river sadly, but the ripples have already faded in the rapid current. Her hands pull out her own phone. "I'm almost out of battery. But there hasn't been a signal in so long. And none of the buildings have electricity anymore. What's happening to the world?"

Gently, I approach her, gazing out over the rushing river. I remember what it was like to discover the first time. The crushing isolation of being completely separated from the ever-present connection of WIFI and text messages. Of course, I was pretty isolated before any of this started, but even for me it was a shock. I can't begin to imagine how a pretty girl like Yin must feel.

"Do you have any family? Anyone who might still be alive?" I ask quietly, listening to the river pass by. She is quiet for a long time.

"My parents might be alive out there. But to be honest, I tried to call them for days after this started. Back when there was still a signal. They…they never picked up." Her brown eyes glisten, like they're filled with morning dew. "My parents never missed a phone call form me before in their lives. If they were still there…they would have found a way to contact me."

"I…I see." Once again, I have no words to comfort her. Other guys were smoother talkers before all of this went down. Maybe they would know what to say now, but even with another lifetime's worth of experience, I don't know how to help. "I have no one either. Well, except…"

"Who?" She turns to me curiously. "Your siblings?"

"No…not by blood anyway." My thoughts go to Sasha, James, and the rest of the gang. They must be out there by now. I hope they are able to level up without me. But Sasha is tough. They all are. They'll make it! "It doesn't matter. Let's keep going. Things are going to get ugly soon. We shouldn't waste time."

"Ugly?���

"You'll see." I start walking again and leave the picturesque river behind. The sun has begun to set once more. Soon it will be the domain of the dead once more. We need to make it to that settlement soon. I hope my memory is right. Green trees and vibrant flowers fade into duller colors as the light leaves us. Yin grows afraid, drawing nearer to me. However, I leave my cleaver inside my coat. Perhaps I am overconfident but the knowledge of two lifetimes grants me a sense of security even it shouldn't. When the sun truly dips down beneath the horizon, I notice lights in the distance. A clearing in the trees signals what we've been looking. "We're close, look."

"Oh!" Yin skips happily as she sees where my finger is pointing. "You were right!"

"Did you doubt me?" I say wryly. Ignoring the look she sends my way, I quicken my pace. The forest has begun to sound eerie. The creaking of overstrained boughs, swaying leaves, and swishing water mix have mixed together to give the whole place a spooky atmosphere. However, I'm at home in the darkness. Though I spent most of my time with the party in my past life, we always hunted in the dark. As a matter of fact, in the early days, this would have been the perfect time to gain some levels. I stop, thinking it over. "Yin, do you want to be strong? Answer me honestly."

"Be strong?" She stops while thinking over my words seriously. "Well, in the past, I never cared about staying fit. But after what happened to the others…yea, I want to become strong. As strong as I can! I don't want to be eaten!" Her conviction might be new, but it is firm. I nod in approval. I can work with this. She really does remind of Sasha in a way.

"That's a good answer." I say. Though I'm supposed to be experienced, it's hard to maintain the role of a teacher. In my past life we spent all our days leveling together as a party. I've never taught anyone before, unless you count a few newbies at the gym before the Calamity. Shaking my head, I sigh. This is going to be hard. "It's about time to start your first lesson then." Taking out my cleaver, I hold it out to her. "We'll have to get you a real weapon soon, but for now you can use this." When she gingerly take sit from me, her face wrinkles up.

"Why do you even have this?" She asks. I shrug, digging around the shore.

"It was the first thing I had on hand when the apocalypse started. And it works. You experienced how effective it is first hand." I find what I'm looking for in the mud. A solid sized stone bigger than my fist. "This will do."

"Huh…I see." Yin shakes her long black hair. It's pretty snarled with all the things that have happened. The pretty girl looks more like she's going to chop vegetables than zombies with my cleaver in hand. "What now?"

"We're going to get you to level up, quickly. Right now, there are probably several people who have figured out that killing lower level zombies can make you stronger. But they don't know how much bonus experience matters. If you're willing to risk your life, the world will reward you!" I wind up with the stone, aiming towards the center of the river. Comeone, there should be at least one, this close to a human settlement!

*Ping*

My throw sends the stone skittering over the surface of the water. I'm not a pro but in my spare time I liked to skip stones. The flat rock bounces over a dozen times before beginning to lose momentum. I'm rusty. However, it falls perfectly in the center of the river, leaving behind plenty of splashes.

"Woah!" Yin claps in amazement and I lift an eyebrow at her reaction.

"You ready to fight?"

"What?" She stops clapping slowly, my cleaver hanging limply by her side. "Fight what?"

Then the river begins to ripple as the things underneath take the bait. Two pairs of rotten arms rise up from the waterbed, clawing their way to the surface. These are not like Crassia, they are true Drowned Souls, hardly fresh. Their flesh is rotting, and their smiles disfigured. White bone shows through their pale flesh as they snarl and climb onto land to seek the one who disturbed their rest. Backing away, I leave Yin to fight them alone.

"Wha-where are you going?!" She yelps as they find their footing. The limbs of these undead are unnaturally long and when they squat on the shore they seem almost like human frogs, staring grotesquely at Yin. "Lin!"