T W O - T H O U S A N D - S E V E N T E E N

The night had a thin mist that hovered above the dirt road which made it quite difficult to see small animals roaming about. Multiple kinds of trees were sporadically placed along side the road. Every now and then a crow would perch on a branch and glare down at the few cars passing by. One vehicle in particular was going much too fast for its own good. One vehicle registered to a Bianca Emerson. Only god knows why she'd be driving that fast, but what makes now so important? Running from something? Someone? Multiple someones?

The vehicle kept its already fast pace and the driver tried to speed up more once she saw the lighted path to a cabin enclosed by quite a few fir trees. The car somehow did increase its speed as it closed the space between the cabin. Once close enough Bianca slammed on the break as fast as possible and quickly turned the engine off. She grabbed the revolver in the passenger seat and then opened the glove box for a box of rounds for the gun. Bianca was frantic to get out of the car and into the cabin so she loaded the revolver and hauled ass.

A blonde head peeked out of the window and then immediately disappeared to open the front door to let the distressed woman in. After entering Bianca quickly shut the door behind her and exhaled deeply. Her blue eyes scanned the room. Nothing. No one but

Elise Moore.

"You okay? You look kinda icky." Elise asked.

"Uh, yeah I feel really icky... No one else is here right?"

"No just us. Why?" Elise raised a blonde eyebrow. "And why is there a gun stuffed down the backside of your pants? What did you get yourself into?"

"Uh there is a answer for all of your questions and I'm going to answer them. They may not sound realistic but bear with me here hon."

A nod.

"Okay, so it's good no ones here because we need to leave. Or stay maybe. I'm not sure yet. Next the revolver is with me because we're gonna need it as well as your shot guns and lastly I didn't get myself into anything intentionally. Alright?"

Elise stared thoughtfully for a second. "Alright but what exactly did you get yourself into? Exactly Bianca I've got to know so I can understand." She crossed her arms.

Well here goes nothin'. "I was downtown and this large group of people were sharing needles and doing drugs and... and biting each other in an alley, they caught me looking at them and it looked like they here half alive, half dead, gross, skin falling off, chasing me, bark-" she was cut off.

"What do you mean chasing you? Did they hurt you?" Elise asked in a worried manner.

"No baby, they didn't hurt me but they attempted to. They didn't look alive, they were incoherent, yelling and screaming at me. I thought they were going to rip my head off!" Bianca said. Her dark brows were knitted together. "I was so scared I didn't know what to do..." she pulled out the revolver and looked at it silently.

"I...l shot someone Elise." Bianca stuttered but managed to get out.

Elise let out a long breath. She hadn't been in this situation since she herself was a marine a long while ago. Yikes. It didn't help that Bianca hadn't ever had any experience with this sort of thing either. Her tall, dark and intimidating girlfriend had been in many fist fights but had never killed anyone. But this was different. The way Bianca explained the situation made it sound rational to get a gun out. Self defense right? Yeah... yeah? Elise thought to herself. "Sweetheart I understand why you did what you did, but did you at least call the police?"

Bianca nodded quietly. Elise took her into her arms and held her there. "Like I said before, we might have to leave, so I suggest packing a bag just in case." Bianca said quietly.

"Okay, but are you saying you are being followed?" Elise asked calmly.

"Maybe... no... I'm not really sure everything happened quite fast Elise. But from downtown those lunatics were chasing the jeep, but I think I lost 'em when I got on the exit."

"That far? Wow, whatever their on it must be strong." I can't think of any drug besides PCP that would make a human do that sort of thing. Oh lord. Whatever it is, it needs to be destroyed I tell you what, Elise thought with a smirk.

If they needed to leave, they needed to be ready to leave. Elise hesitantly packed somethings and left the rest to Bianca.

Bianca made her way over to the long couch and lifted up the middle and left cushions to a compartment that held all their or Elise's fire arms. She set them all out on the coffee table and took a head count. All sixteen were accounted for. She then took a head count for all the boxes of ammo. Geez, Elise, one woman militia ready for battle, Bianca thought with a smile. She heard footsteps coming toward her and turned around.

"Ummm, what the hell do you think you're doing?" Elise asked the crouched woman.

"I'm, uh loading up... we are going to need them." Bianca said.

One deathly glare.

"Um I left the dog..." Bianca said quietly.

"YOU DID WHAT?!"

"I... it wasn't on purpose, I was terrified and I didn't mean to leave Trooper there-" Bianca was interrupted.

Elise took a deep breath. 1...2...3...4...5... "Fine but why do we need guns to get the dog?" She inquired.

"Because that alley was a block away from the... apartment." Bianca said looking at the ground.

Oh hell no, to the no no no. Ugh, my poor baby. Well, if I must. "Alright, but why do we need so much? I mean shouldn't two be enough or like just one?"

Bianca pouted her lips and looked at the blond woman. "We must get our baby out safely. Please please please! Those people were bitting each other! Biting each other! That is very unsanitary! It's not human! One of 'em bit the damn police officer!"

"Wait, wait, wait did you just say not human?" Elise paused for a hot second. "You mean like a zombie or something?"

"It may sound childish, but uh yeah like a zombie or something. They looked pretty nasty," Bianca said trying not to make eye contact. "They run like the devil's at their heels too."

"My goodness... okay. Well the ball is in your court and I'm following right behind ya." Elise squinted her eyes. Can't believe I'm choosing to say this now but, "Where you go, I go."

"Glad we see eye to eye." Bianca smiled. Glad you know how to use a gun too. Bianca stood up to get multiple duffle bags, maybe like four to haul all the arms and ammo. This is kinda funny cause when most people see Elise they don't think miss-marine-with-exactly-sixteen-guns. Heh more like sweetheart with a big bad girlfriend. But hey, that's my sweetheart, Bianca thought with a grin.

Elise stopped in the doorway and had a thought for a moment. She squinted her eyes and turned her head in the general direction Bianca was in.

"I wonder... the more I think about it, the more I question the both of us." She paused a second. "The less I think about it, the more adventurous and... interesting it seems. Am I okay? Are you okay? Are we okay?" Elise thought aloud. Bianca overheard.

"No... We are more than okay. We are just fine in fact." Bianca said aloud.

Elise stood quietly for a millisecond.

Multiple milliseconds.

"Were you feeling sick today? Or like, just not feeling well over all?"

"I'm alright. I've been alright. Why?"

"Nothin'."

After kicking back quite a few zombie mannered human beings, most likely zombies. The two woman managed to get inside the apartment building. The outside world was loud and rambunctious but the quaint building was eerily silent. Deadly silent. Too quiet for its own good, silent.

Empty void.

When they got to the top of the stair case, Elise noticed that specifically their door was wide open. At this point, both Bianca and Elise went through a flow of pessimistic thoughts. Albeit, they didn't want them to be real or true. They were. Almost everything they could think of was there. No zombies thankfully but the place was robbed well and there were bloody boot prints that started from the door to the window, then to the master bedroom, and back to the front door. All the glass windows were broken. Books, loose papers, documents, pieces of mail, even furniture were clearly all misplaced, turned over and strewn throughout the living space.

Neither woman spoke at all out when they saw what was found in the corner next to the main entrance. A bloody grotesque heap of innards, fur and what not were left. The silence after was intense and the atmosphere around them felt heavy. "Let's get out of here." Was all that was said.

They took one step out of the building when they took in the sight of people being chained by the dead lunatics. They both shared a scared/confused look. Elise looked at Bianca. Bianca looked at Elise. A moan was heard from a thing near the two of them. They both looked at the source. Nothing. Just intense staring for about thirty seconds. Bianca slowly leaned closer to Elise, she whispered "When I say go, I'm going to shoot him and then we run back to the car."

With a nod the plan was understood. The ugly lunatic took half a step and let out a heavy breath.