Chapter 1-Zombies
Have you ever had a dream that was so vivid that you could feel the breeze ruffle your hair or smell the scent of someone's clothing as they walked by you? Well that's how this dream was for Hayley. She was aware that she was dreaming because she would never be standing on an empty stage looking out over an empty venue. The seats were scattered with remnants of empty soda's and water bottles. It looked trashed much like a movie theatre does when the show is over. Hayley felt the draft blow across the venue, the empty seats where thousands of screaming fans should be. It ruffled a few loose strands of hair that had fallen out of her pony-tail causing them to tickle her neck. She shivered. She wasn't sure if the chill was caused from being alone in the dream, the draft blowing in, or the fact that from the corner of her eye she could see three dark figures standing in the balcony above. She would know those figures anywhere. She could pick them from a sea of people. But there was no crowd here. It was just Hayley alone on an empty stage with Jeremy, Zac and Taylor staring down at her from afar.
"Where's Josh?" She called to them. When she didn't get a reply she lifted her hand to wave to them to make sure they saw her, but they didn't wave back. Instead they just continued to stare motionless.
Something happened then. There was another light breeze only this time it came from behind her as if someone had walked by. It had a sweet masculine scent. She turned around sensing that someone was behind her. There stood Josh, his back to her. He looked all wrong. His clothes were tattered, covered in thick black mud. Hayley noticed there was a trail leading from the side of the stage where he had shuffled in mud. It dripped into a puddle at his feet.
"Josh." She stated his name. It wasn't a question. She knew it was him. "Josh." She repeated when there was no reply.
What was wrong with her boys? She didn't like them like this, lifeless and non-responsive…dripping with mud. She reached for Josh's arm. She was scared now. She spun him around to face her, only to wish that she hadn't. The skin on his face was tinged with a sallow green color. Blood mixed with mud dripped from the corners of his mouth. His hair was caked with the same mix and his eyes were big black saucers. There was no light brown iris left in his eye. Only big black circles staring her down. The blood hadn't bothered her, only the blank zombie stare. She opened her mouth to scream but instead of a shriek a low buzzing rumble came out. She looked around grasping her throat. Why couldn't she scream? She opened her mouth again and the same annoying sound filled her ears. But this time it felt like the floor was vibrating.
Hayley's eyes flickered open. She was staring up at the cream colored ceiling that hung less than two feet from her face. She was back to reality in her bunk on the tour bus. She wondered why if she was awake why could she still feel and hear that echoing vibration? She let out a light moan and rolled over onto her side. Oh yeah, rumble strip. She hated those annoying little grooves in the road to keep truck drivers from falling asleep. They kept her from staying asleep. The highways across America were filled with them. It wasn't always the most pleasant sound to wake up to especially when your dreams were filled with horror movie creatures.
It was one of those days when Hayley could have spent all day in her bunk. It felt too early to be awake. Where were they supposed to be today? She couldn't remember, Florida? Orlando maybe? It was hard to keep track sometimes. The days and nights just blurred together most of the time. She dug for her blackberry that usually ended up under her pillow. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes as the screen from the phone lit up her bunk. She ignored the three missed calls and countless text message alerts. She was after one thing, the time. It was 8 am on a Tuesday morning. Yep, definitely too early to be awake but that didn't change the fact that she was. She didn't want to close her eyes again only to see Josh's blackened.
As reluctant as she was she swung her legs over the side of the bunk and jumped down. The chill of the air conditioner sent goose bumps over her exposed legs. She grabbed the comforter draping it around so that just her face was sticking out. She loved that old thing. She had brought it from home and it came with her every tour. When you're away from home for long periods of time you had to have something there to remind you. For Hayley, it was her comforter. It reminded her of her bed…she missed her bed. She lopped into the front lounge area where she could feel the bus coming to a stop.
Zac sat at the table with a bowl of cereal and Jeremy across from him. Josh was lying with a pillow on the couch.
"Wow!" She exclaimed as she walked to the couch Josh was laying on. "You guys are up early!"
She stumbled sitting down trying not to squish Josh's feet. It was hard to walk with the comforter tangled around her ankles.
"It's not that early Hayley. Most normal people wake up this early. It's a lot easier if you don't go to sleep at four in the morning." Jeremy laughed.
So did Josh, "Like you have room to talk Jeremy. It's a pretty rare occasion that you're up this early, you have to admit." Josh wished he had more time to sleep too. His voice was still raspy with sleep and the way he was curled up on the couch said I wish everyone would shut up so I could shut my eyes.
"It's true dude." Zac interjected.
It was still chilly in the front lounge. Hayley tucked her toes under Josh's leg hoping he wouldn't mind.
"We're making a pit stop. Gotta fill up on gas." The bus driver, Jerry's voice was deep with a bit of a growl to it. It reminded them of Darth Vader. There had been countless inside jokes about "Vader" as they liked to call him. "If ya'll want to get down you have about twenty minutes to do your thing." He continued.
Hayley was definitely in no shape to get off the bus. She was still nicely clad in her pajamas and comforter and if she was judging by the way she felt, she was sure her hair looked even worse.
"I'll go!" Zac jumped up from the table throwing his plastic bowl in the trash.
"Me too. I could use some good munchies for this afternoon." Jeremy stood up as well and they both began to shuffle for the door.
"Pick up some more hot pockets would you?" Josh called after them barely lifting his head from the pillow. "It's freakin' cold in here. Who turned the air on high?" He pulled his legs in closer to his body and crossed his arms in front of his chest.
"Say no more!" Hayley jumped up startling him a bit. She wiggled her way on the couch positioning her body so he was spooning her. She tossed the comforter around them both and placed her head under the covers. She felt his arms wrap around her torso and could feel the chill of his hands through her shirt.
"Please don't fart while my head is under here." Hayley laughed.
He laughed too, "Then maybe you should get your face out from under there cause I can't promise anything."
She tucked the comforter under her chin just in case. Hayley was glad that her and Josh had the type of relationship that they did. It was confusing at times but she wouldn't change anything about it. She couldn't call him her best friend because he was more than that. But she couldn't call him her boyfriend either because he was less than that. It's not like they ever kissed or made out but the road was lonely. Sometimes you needed a shoulder to cry on, or someone to hold you when you're stressed and that was Josh for Hayley. But then as strange as it sounded he picked on her a lot. Not in a mean way, but like an older brother. Hayley imagined that was normal though. They all picked on each other. That's what touring was for them. Having fun doing what they loved, music and being around each other. They were a family.
Hayley was content lying in Josh's warm arms. It was so quiet on the bus. That was a rare circumstance seeing as how at any given time there were usually five to ten people on the bus. The only sound she could hear was Josh's breathing that was starting to slow. He was falling asleep. She felt her eyelids get heavy and she knew she couldn't fight it either so she let it happen. They were both so consumed by sleep that neither of them noticed when Jeremy and Zac got back and the bus rumbled to life.