Cherry 7-UP
Chapter One:
Snow White and Rose Red
When you're a gunslinger, you don't live a normal life. You can't just decide to quit and that's that. No. Once you decide to become one, there's no way out. Except death. You can't just get married and have children either. Because there will always be the glory seekers. The old scores never settled. Always someone who wants to put a bullet in your back. Then there are the bad guys. They try to get you to side with them too. To help them. But any gunslinger worth their salt knows that if they actually do help them, they'll wind up with a bullet in the back of their head. Because that's just the way it is. The life style. Being a gunslinger is dangerous. That's just what happens to people like me. The more famous you are the more people hunt you down to try and kill you, so that they can become known. People hunt me all the time. Because I can draw faster than you can bat an eyelash. When I aim a gun, I shoot to kill. Not to wound. I learned to do that long ago. If you just wound someone, they come after you. I almost ended up with a bullet in my back several times. This is why when someone challenges me to a duel I always give them the chance to leave. To forget about me and to just run. To leave with their lives. I don't like killing people. Especially innocents. But, I do what I have to, to survive. If I know that they are guilty. Wanted by the law, if I know, for sure, that they are going to be hanged I shoot them. Period. Right there on the spot. Bam. They're dead. The way I figure it, is that they were going to die anyway, why not save the Sheriff the trouble? They deserved to die anyway. And for this very reason I was running. For my life.
"Hurry it up! They're at our heels!" My tag-along cried from behind me. I gritted my teeth. He was annoying. I work alone. That's what I told him. I work alone. But, then he wants to hire me. I couldn't refuse him. I did say I was a gun for hire. So he hired my gun. My money roll had diminished. So I bent down lower over my mount, and pushed her faster, mud flying in all directions when her hooves hit the ground. My tag-along rode up beside me. "They got guns too ya know!" He growled. I swiveled my head around and met his gaze with a glare of my own. My bandanna covered my mouth, so none of the dust swirling around would choke me, and my riding hat covered my eyes.
"Yeah. I know they have guns. I have eyes." My eyes narrowed as he averted his gaze. I nodded. I put the fear of God in pretty much everyone. We rode in silence. I checked behind me. They were gaining on us fast. I spat a curse and pushed my mare to go faster. Then he started to fall behind. "Sloan! Keep up!" I ordered. But he was still falling behind.
"I can't! My horse's leg is hurt!" He cried glancing back worriedly. I ground my teeth together. It was his fault Colt Thunder was after me anyway. I reined in my mare and pulled Sloan onto my horse.
"Hold on!" I growled while pushing my mount to fasten its pace.
I rode into a dead end. Damn. I reared the mare around and came face-to-face with Thunder and his friends.
He smiled, "Well, lookee here. Why don't ya jus' surrender 'im now, eh? Save me the trouble of takin' 'im frem ya." He smirked at me. I clenched my jaw.
"Cut the bullshit Thunder. Let's not pretend that you're not gonna try to kill me, after you take Sloan." I drawled slowly, my right hand moving the cloth of the red hooded cape to the side to make my Colt .47 known. Thunder's eyes cut to my hip. A toothy grin spread across his face.
"Well, we will take Sloan, with or without you're consent, but you're wrong about us killin' ya." He Laughed. A cold chill swept down my spine. If it wasn't death it was torture. "I got other plans for you, Angel." He smiled, his eyes raking up and down my body. Ah. I was wrong. So it was…Other things that he wanted from me. I spat on the ground.
"Only if I'm dead Thunder, only if I'm dead." I purred, and then something spooked my horse. Something on the ground. A snake. Before I could react my mare was rearing on her hind legs. "Whoa girl! Calm down!" I shouted.
"WE'RE GONNA DIE!" Sloan shouted. I turned my head and glared at him.
"THINK POSOTIVE!" I shouted back.
"WE'RE GONNA DIE QUICKLY!" He called back, just before the mare bucked us off and my head hit the side of the rock. Hard.
--
I was awakened by murmuring voices, which at first I mistook for running water.
"Where'd you find her?" I heard a young girls voice ask.
"Out in the middle of the road! Just laying there in a coffin made of glass…Like Snow White! Yeah, like her! Ever heard of that nursery rhyme? Snowy White and Rosy Red, will you kill your lover dead? You know, from the Grimm Brothers classic, Snow White and Rose Red. Only you know, in the other Snow White it's a different story and…" The boy trailed off. Who was this Snow White? How did I look like her? "Ouch! WHAT WAS THAT FOR!?!?!" He shouted, sounding hurt.
"That was for being such a wuss." A deep southern male voice answered.
"Whatever. Her glass coffin was getting attacked by a whole bunch of them, but we took them out." The boy answered. I swallowed. Where was I? What happened to Sloan, and Thunder? Did these people kidnap me? They probably did. Damn. Damn these glory seekers to the utmost fiery pits of hell!!! I inched my fingers along the bed, and stopped waiting to see if anyone noticed. They kept talking. As fast as I could I put my hands on my hip bones. Good my two Colt guns were still there. Why hadn't they disarmed me? No time to dwell on that. I opened my eyes to slits. I very slowly, very cautiously looked around the room. I saw a little girl, that looked about, 12 or 13 with long chestnut brown hair she was pale. Standing next to her was an older girl, her hair was also long but dark, and she was tan. There was a boy, late teens, early twenties, with curly brown hair, brown eyes. Standing next to the boy was a big, muscled man. It didn't really look like he had any hair, and even if he did it was cut very short. They all had guns. Damn. That made my escape that much harder. Well, here goes nothing. I braced myself and shot up into a sitting position on the bed, the Colt in my right hand aimed at the big, muscled guy, the gun in my left hand aimed at the older dark haired girl. I only had two hands. Really, I was counting on them being friends, and not wanting one another to die. I did not forget about the little girl, or the boy. They were still big threats. I could sense it. The little girl looked like she could handle a gun. 'Course girls' that young didn't usually know what a gun was; let alone know how to use it. But, who was I to judge? By the time I was her age I had already killed someone. Came with the job. I had no childhood. The four of them looked up in amazement and stared at me. Just stared. I looked back at them grimly.
"Who are you, why have you brought me here, and where am I?" Simple enough questions right? Wrong.
"You looked like Snow White when we found you!" The curly haired boy babbled. I pressed my lips into a thin white line. I was used to being answered to, and who the devil is this Snow White?!?!
"Answer my questions." I said low, and deadly. I cocked both of my guns expertly. The boy gulped. I had surveyed the room before I sat up, and I knew where everything was. Which was why I knew that there was a gun on the left side of the bed on the ground.
"Okayyyy." He said dragging out the word. "I'm Columbus," He pointed to himself, "That's Wichita," He gestured to the girl with the dark hair, "That's Little Rock," The little girl, "And that's Tallahassee. It's okay, he doesn't bite." But it wasn't him I was watching. Well, at least not him alone. I was wary of all of them. Even the one named Little Rock. These were not their real names. I nodded stiffly.
"Angel." I muttered.
"Just Angel?"
"Just Angel."
"Wow, you have a weirder name than us. I mean, we chose city names, but I guess, y'know, you have the same rule as us: no real names." He mumbled nervously eyeballing my gun. My lip barely twitched. So they didn't know who I was? Where was I? If they did know who I was, they'd know that Angel is the only name I've ever had. And they'd be cringing in fear of my gun. But they just stood there.
Suddenly laughter erupted from beside me. I'd know that horse laughter from anywhere. Colt Thunder. Did he set this up?
"Wanna know what they call her in the West?" I heard him ask joyfully. I tensed and spun around, I took aim at Thunder's heart, with my left hand.
"What?" Columbus asked.
Thunder's grin widened, "They call 'er the 'Angel of Death.' 'Cause of 'er shot 'n aim." He started laughing again.
I pressed my lips together again, "Only the ones stupid enough to call me it to my face." Thunder's laughter died in his throat. Fear skittered across his expression, before he regained his composure. He was terrified of me. Anyone that knew me was terrified of me. People gave me a wide berth.
"And 'cause of how fast she is with that there gun of 'ers." He mumbled. Then I saw the little girl make a move towards the gun on the floor beside me.
I switched my targets fast. Right hand went to Thunder, and left hand went to Little Rock.
"I wouldn't try that if I were you." I said quietly and deadly. The room was silent. The girl froze half way there, "Now, I'll tell you what you're gonna do, you're going to straighten up and stand next to her." I mumbled jerking my hand towards the older girl. Little Rock looked like she was calculating something. I shook my head, "Listen girl, I shoot to kill, so unless you intend to pick up that gun and use it on me, I suggest you forget about it." My voice was soft, persuading. Thunder's skin was pale.
"Ah, Angel you wouldn't do that!" Thunder shook his head.
I didn't take my eyes off the girl, "Wouldn't I?" I asked back.
Suddenly, "For Christ's sake Angel, she's just a kid!!!" He very nearly shouted.
"Underestimating people is what gets you killed Thunder. You should know that. I see her stance. If I thought she had no idea how to use that gun, would I be stopping her? I know that she knows how to use it. And she has before." Thunder gasped. "Oh, don't act so damn shocked!" I snapped. Then more calmly, "I was younger than her when I first shot someone. And it was a wound shot. And he came after me. And that was when I almost ended up with a bullet in my back, which is why I shoot to kill." I still had not taken my eyes off of her. "So, little girl, the way I see it you have two choices: one, you can stand up and stand to the side, or two, and this I do not suggest, you can go for the gun and I shoot you. You're choice." I stared at her. I was deadly serious. Slowly Little Rock stood up and reluctantly stood beside Wichita. I nodded, "Smart girl." I moved and got out of the bed. Fully clothed. And Armed. Strange. Why hadn't they disarmed me?
"Uh, you could put the gun away now. We're not trying to hurt you." Columbus said. I showed him no emotion. I slowly reached the window. My eyes strayed to Thunder. He was not smiling.
"Did you set this up? Did you pay them?" I hissed at him. He shook his head viciously.
"No! I don't even know who they are!" He exclaimed.
"I doubt that." Was my cold reply.
Thunders eyes turned into flint, "I ain't lyin' woman." He said vehemently.
My silver-grey eyes, I knew turned hard as iron. I said nothing back. It was all in my eyes. "Where's my horse?" I asked Columbus. He looked at me confusion plain on his face.
"Horse? What are you talking about? We found you in a glass case lady." He stared at me as if I belonged in an asylum.
"My horse," here I cocked my gun again, "Where. Is. It." I said each word distinctly.
"You didn't have a horse!" Columbus said in exasperation.
"Listen kid, you can tell me where my horse is so I can get the hell out of here, or I could challenge you to a duel, and you'll end up with a bullet in your chest. Your choice." I really never challenged people to duels. I thought it was too unfair.
"Lady, you belong in a Looney-bin!!!" He shouted. My face remained the same. That wasn't the first time someone told me that.
"I've killed someone who provoked me less." My voice was cold. Columbus paled.
"Bitch don't threaten my boyfriend!" Wichita growled taking a step closer to me.
I pressed my lips into a grim white line, "Do not think for a minute that I won't blow your brains out." I said calmly. She froze. "Just give me my horse."
"I'd give her, her horse back if I were you." Thunder drawled. My eyes darted to him.
"Shut up Thunder." I said simply. He narrowed his eyes at me.
"We'd give you, the fucking horse if we had it! But what good is a horse anyway! Those bastards will take you down in seconds!" Tallahassee grumbled. I raised an eyebrow, "Look for yourself." He gestured toward the window. I walked over slowly, and glanced out. What I saw would haunt me for the rest of my life. A woman in a skirt and shirt was walking down the road. She would have seemed normal enough…If she didn't have half of her skull missing, and black stuff oozing from her mouth. What was it?
Thunder gasped, "What the hell is that?!?!" He almost shouted.
Columbus raised an eyebrow, "It's a zombie. Where have you been for the past couple years?" He asked sarcastically.
"Why is it here? And what do you mean 'last couple years.'" I asked quickly and precisely.
He rolled his eyes, "Hello, we're in Zombieland! Duh!"
"What's Zombieland?" I asked.
"It's what he calls this hell hole that used to be the U.S.A." Tallahassee muttered. I swallowed.
"So we are in America." Thunder nodded. I glanced at their strange clothing, and then at the bed, and the outside. In my brain something clicked. They didn't kidnap me.
"What is the date?" I asked lowering my guns.
Thunder looked surprised, "November 2, 2009." Little Rock said confusion in her voice. I early fainted. 2009?
Thunder turned to me, "Well, it looks like we're in some shit."
I hated to admit it but, I think he's right.
--
A/n: Heyy all! This is my first Zombieland fanfic! I love newsies and stuff, but I as soon as I saw Zombieland I loved it! So just tell me how I did! R&R!!
~EmiShae