This is that monster update that I promised. Anna reappears in this chapter as well as a couple of unexpected characters. Please stick around to the end, I promise it's worth it. Also, be sure to read the full a/n at the bottom as well. If you can. Thanks.
Chapter 4: Last Good Time in Town
The drive out of the city was quiet. The three cheerleaders sat in the back row of the van and were still shaken from there latest encounter. Elsa sat in the center row with Flynn who was humming to himself as he stared out the window. Woody rode shotgun and had pulled the vanity mirror down so that he could keep an eye on the occupants behind him. Eric calmly drove the van out of town, slowing occasionally to weave around abandoned vehicles. Most of the roads were clear though there were a few crashed cars that had never been removed from the road. For the first five minutes or so, Eric was following the normal traffic laws of stopping at stop signs and driving on the right side of the road. Remembering that there probably weren't any police officers who would care, he drove straight through intersections without a second glance. As they neared the outskirts of the city they approached a strip mall on the side of the road. A typical roadside gathering of American shopping outlets including a McDonalds and a Dress Barn, the store that caught Woody's attention was the gun store.
"Pull over here. We should get some supplies before we hit the open road." Eric dutifully brought the van to a stop in one of the parking stalls.
"Why are we stopping?" One of the girls asked from the backseat. She had apparently dozed off and was unaware of her surroundings.
"Last stop before the Interstate takes us to Austin. Better to get supplies now than to get caught out in the middle of nowhere." Woody climbed out of the front seat and opened the sliding panel door for the occupants in the back of the van to get out. Flynn hopped out and made a beeline for the men's room. Woody stuck his hand out to assist the girls out of the van. Elsa refused the hand and jumped out herself. After a pause, Woody turned back to the three other girls in the van.
"Ladies, let's not spend too much time dallying." Snow was the first out of the van and thanked Woody for his kindness. Aurora was next and she took Woody's hand timidly before easing herself down. "Such a gentleman" she remarked as she and Snow turned to look back at Cindy. The blonde still seated in the back smacked the cowboy's hand away and stepped down from the van.
"I'm on to you cowboy. Don't you start getting any ideas." She looped her arms with the other girls and they sauntered off. Woody let out a sigh and closed the door. Eric had walked around to join Woody.
"You get used to the attitude. She grew up poor so I think she built this persona up as a defense mechanism." The boy offered as an explanation. Woody gave him a questioning glance to which he just shrugged. A rare moment of lucid thought from the college boy.
"Come on, let's get you a gun. That way you can at least defend yourself." Eric followed behind as the cowboy led him to the guns and ammo store. Flynn came whistling out of the bathroom, having emptied his bladder. He smiled and winked at the girls and continued his strut over to the other men. Elsa observed all of this from the bench that sat in front of the store.
"Elsa, go with the girls. Find some food and water for the group. I'll get these boys equipped." Woody tugged on the door to the shop to find it was locked. Elsa stood angrily and marched over to the trio of men.
"Why do I have to watch those three bimbos?" She pointed accusingly in the direction they had wandered off. "And who put you in charge? I know these two aren't man enough for the job but you just assume that you're group leader?" She drew her pistol and swung it at one of the glass panels on the door, shattering it. She reached her hand inside and turned the lock, granting access to the weapons behind.
"In case you haven't noticed, I can take care of myself." Tirade over, she turned to open the door. Woody stopped her by placing his foot in the door's path and grasping onto her forearm. She turned furious eyes at the cowboy who gave her a menacing look in response.
"Look, I don't care who's in charge. I only suggested that you watch the girls because you're the only one I can trust to do the job. And you're the only other person here who's armed. Now if you want to throw a tantrum, that's fine. But just go watch the girls. I don't want them getting themselves killed. Boys, get in the store." Woody barked at the two men who were casually looking at anything other than the feuding pair. Suddenly dragged into the conversation, they quickly ducked under Elsa's arm and into the darkness. Woody released his grasp on the blonde's arm and let out a sigh.
"I know you can take care of yourself. That's why you're in charge of the girls. I know they won't listen to me." Elsa let out a huff as her arm sagged. She nodded her head once in agreement and took her hand off the door.
"Fine." With that she left the boys alone in the darkened store while she went off in search of the three coeds. She found them browsing around inside a clothing store that had its window smashed in. She climbed in over the broken glass, her feet making crunching sounds as she stepped down. This store was also dark but it was much lighter inside due to the wide windows.
"Hey, we gotta find some food and water." She called into the shadows. "There's a mini mart two stores down." Elsa continued to walk through the clothing carousels. The mannequins stared back at her blankly in response.
"I know you're in here, I just saw you." She was getting frustrated at the girls' attempts to turn this into a hide and seek game. Movement out of the corner of her eye brought her attention to the dressing rooms. She stepped into the dark corridor where there were four doors. Only one was closed so she sauntered over and rapped sharply on the door. "Come on, we don't have time for this." She tried to peek through the slats at the occupant on the other side. The door swung open to reveal Snow in a blue dress.
"What do you think?" She asked the surprised blonde. She twirled around in place to show off the back as the skirt fanned out around her. Finished with her twirl she giggled cutely and went into a 'ta-da' pose.
"That's great, now where are the other two?" Elsa dismissed the other girl. She turned her head at Snow's finger and found the other two girls peering into the dressing room corridor. Sighing at the ditzy girls and their antics she brushed past the other two who had converged on Snow to congratulate her on finding such a cute outfit.
"Let's go. We don't have time for this." Two hands gripped onto her and stopped her from leaving. She looked behind to find Aurora and Cindy holding onto her.
"Oh come on Elsa, live a little. I'm sure we could find something in here that could make even you look attractive." Cindy teased. Breaking their grasp on her wrists, Elsa whirled on the girls.
"I am going to ignore that comment because I don't need an argument right now. I am going to go find some food and water for the group. If you want to stay here and play princess dress-up, that's fine with me." With that she climbed back over the windowsill into the sunlight. Cindy and Aurora gave each other curious glances before shrugging and following her out.
"Snow, we're leaving." Aurora called out.
"I'll be right there. There's just one more outfit that I want to try on." Was the answer from the darkness.
"Ok, don't take forever." Aurora sing-songed back. Cindy and Aurora followed the quickly retreating Elsa as she power walked down the sidewalk toward the mini mart. It too was locked. Taking a look at the glass, Elsa noticed that it was tempered. There was no way she was going to break it like she had with the gun store.
"Damn, the door's locked." She muttered to herself. She looked around for another way in when Cindy stepped up to the door. She pulled out a nail file and slid it between the door and the jamb. A click was heard as the lock was disengaged and Cindy triumphantly pushed the door open. She smirked at Elsa who gave her a withering glare.
"Door's open." Cindy said haughtily. She entered the store with Aurora quick on her heels. Silently counting to ten to calm herself, Elsa followed. The inside of the store was a mess. Knocked over shelves and broken displays greeted the three girls. Making a quick search of the interior, Elsa saw that there was a service door on the side of the building that was wide open.
"Looks like we weren't the first ones here. Grab what you can. We might not be alone. Elsa made her way to the checkout stand where there was a plastic bag dispenser. She pulled a few off and handed them to the other girls. They browsed the aisles for anything that looked edible. Luckily, while the store was a mess, it appeared that most of the merchandise was left untouched. Whoever had broken in was probably more interested in money than food. A scream could be heard from outside that quickly brought the attention of the girls. Elsa was the first to dash outside and to see what had happened. The boys also burst out from across the way upon hearing the scream. Looking at each other with puzzled looks, they scanned the parking lot for what had made the sound. A second scream rang out of the broken window of the clothing boutique and the sounds of a skirmish could be heard inside.
"Snow!" Aurora and Cindy ran towards the sound of their friend who must have been in the midst of an epic struggle. The sound of a gunshot followed by silence brought everyone to their knees. Aurora and Cindy skidded to a halt and crumpled to the ground in fear. The boys all dove for cover at the sound; Woody behind a pillar while Flynn and Eric jumped headfirst into a bush. Elsa crawled to her hands and knees as she made her way over to the two girls who were beginning to cry. Woody brought his rifle to bear as he crept toward the open window. Taking a glance into the darkness he tried to see what had happened.
"Whoever you are, you should come out. There's six of us out here and we're all armed." Woody cautiously stuck his head into the store and projected his voice. Meanwhile, Elsa had made it past the girls and was now at the other end of the store. While Woody stepped over the window frame, Elsa scanned the surroundings for anything that might attack them from behind.
"I've got a bad feeling about this." She whispered to Woody. The 'pop-pop-pop' of machine gun fire erupted from the parking lot as the side of the building was peppered with bullets. Elsa dove in through the window, cutting her hand on the broken glass. Woody pressed himself up against the inside of the building as he tried to gauge which direction the shots were coming from. Elsa rose to her feet and pulled her own gun out. Whimpering could be heard in the direction where she had last left Snow. There was a break in the gunfire which Woody took as a sign to check how the others were doing. Flynn and Eric quickly scrambled across the walkway toward the two girls and pulled them behind some stone benches. The cowboy was still trying to find the shooter when more shots erupted from outside as a second volley arced into the open window. While Woody concentrated on the attacker outside, Elsa stalked whatever it was that had attacked Snow in the store.
The shadows and the mannequins played tricks on her eyes. Every turn, a motionless face met her. Her heartbeat pounded in her ears as she tried to listen for anything to make a move. She crept past another eerie mannequin and just happened to glance in the mirror. A flash of movement caught her eye and she spun around, training her gun on the shadowy figure that was lunging toward her. She fired at her attacker who immediately dropped to the ground, clutching its shoulder.
"Elsa, find Snow! Let's get the hell out of here!" Not bothering with the limp body of her pursuant, Elsa raced into the dressing rooms to find Snow slumped against a wall. Blood spatter covered the walls and mirrors as Snow breathed heavily. The bleeding had seeped through the skirt she was wearing, indicating she had been shot in the thigh. The blonde pulled a shirt off of a nearby rack and wrapped it angrily around the injured girl's leg.
"This is why we always stay together." She muttered to the weeping girl. Her makeshift tourniquet done, she threw the girl's arm over her shoulder and hoisted her up.
"You have to try to walk. Just lean on me and we'll get outside. You don't want to die here do you?" She spoke hurriedly into Snow's ear. A shake of her head was the only response. Taking that as the go ahead, she began to walk Snow out into the open space of the clothing store.
"Who the hell is shooting at us?" Elsa whispered harshly as she struggled to pull Snow towards Woody. There was a pause in the shooting which Elsa and Woody used to pull the bleeding girl out of the store. The cowboy signaled across to the group cowering behind the bench. Flynn pulled out a pistol which he acquired from the gun store and opened fire in the direction where he thought the attacker was. Using that as a distraction, Eric leaped over the bench and made a sprint for the van.
"Snow's hit. Girls you're gonna have to book it to the van." Woody quickly grabbed up Snow into a bridal carry and followed Elsa down the path toward the parking lot. The mysterious attacker began to open fire on the van, the sound of bullets echoing off the metal. Flynn and Elsa turned their attention to the new direction the shots were coming from and fired off a few rounds each. The shots at the van stopped and Eric was able to slide into the driver's seat. He quickly started it up and backed out of the stall hastily, clipping the car behind him. Aurora and Cindy yanked the panel door open and jumped in with Woody close behind. Seeing that most of the group was in the van, Flynn vaulted over the bench and sprinted down to the waiting vehicle. Elsa piled into the back while Flynn grabbed shotgun.
"Floor it!" Woody shouted. Not hesitating, Eric mashed the loud pedal and screeched out of the parking lot. The van bounced over a curb and sped off down the highway, leaving their attacker behind. With the bullets no longer flying in the air, the group was able to turn their attention to the bleeding girl.
"We've gotta stop the bleeding. This tourniquet is okay for now but she's still losing blood." A sharp gasp of pain rang through the van as Elsa plunged her finger into the wound. The pain was so intense that Snow wilted in Woody's arm and passed out.
"Her pulse is still strong. She's just passed out." The cowboy assured the others. The group took a collective sigh of relief as the adrenaline from the ordeal wore off. With the wide open highway ahead of them Elsa was able to let her mind wander. What has Anna been up to? Is she okay? How would Anna handle this situation?
Three days ago...
Kristoff brought Anna a cup of coffee as she sat dejectedly on a cot. They had arrived at the NRG stadium's quarantine zone largely unscathed after being split up from Elsa. The fire axe that he had taken came in handy on more than one occasion as he was able to repel any attackers with it. Safe with the other refugees in the QZ, they waited patiently for the arrival of the blonde for two days. With each day, new refugees arrived but none wore the blue jacket and blonde braid of Elsa. Anna thanked Kristoff for the coffee and took a sip of the lukewarm liquid. She took a look around at the other people around her. People from all over the city had run here to escape what was being called an epidemic.
There had been announcements and updates from the outside world about what was happening and it was not good news. An intense viral outbreak had started in the southern United States. It may have been connected to the cargo ships that turned up in New Orleans and Christchurch and other Gulf ports. Infected people showed no outward signs while they slowly lost their minds. They either became intensely aggressive and chased after people in fits of murderous rage or they became vegetable like and stalked around aimlessly. The first type had been called a runner; as in a person that would run and chase after you. These were invariably more dangerous than the second type, the walker. Walkers were slow and lethargic but would still attempt to kill if they got too close. Infected people were found to be highly contagious and spread the infection through blood.
"I'm sorry it's cold. They don't have any hot coffee." Kristoff apologized as Anna made a face at the cup. She set the cup down at her feet and continued to stare off into the crowd.
"Do you think she's even still alive?" She asked no one in particular. The big man sat down next to her on the cot and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"She'll turn up eventually. She's tough. Tougher than the both of us. Your dad trained her in all that hardcore survival stuff. I know you hated it and that's why you never learned." Anna flopped onto her back and stared up at the stadium's domed ceiling.
"I just wish we could be together again. I don't like not knowing where she is." The chatter in the stadium grew and soon thousands of people were all talking at once. Several of the cots around them emptied out as their occupants left to see what the commotion was. A new group of survivors was being let into the quarantine zone. Trying to not get her hopes up, Anna and Kristoff went with the crowd to see if any of their loved ones had arrived. There were cries of jubilation as husbands and wives reunited. Children were swept into their parents' arms. A man with crutches was hugged by two other men. It seemed more and more people were being reunited but Elsa still remained elusive. Soon enough, the gates closed again and there were no more admittances for the day. Anna sighed dejectedly and walked back to her cot.
"What're we gonna do?" She cried into her arm as she curled up into a ball. Kristoff rubbed soothing circles into her back as she wept. Eventually she fell asleep, exhausted from her emotional outburst.
She awoke with a start when a piercing scream ripped through the stadium. It must have been close noon when suddenly all hell broke loose. People screamed and ran for their lives as they scrambled over upturned cots and other people trying to get away from some unknown threat. Kristoff yanked Anna up off the cot and they hurdled over cots to get toward the exits. To their left they saw something tackle a person and begin to rip into the person's face.
"Holy shit, they got in!" Kristoff yelled as he put himself between it and Anna. "Anna, run!"
They dodged more fleeing survivors and attacking runners as they attempted to get out of the chaos. There was a large bottleneck as people pushed their way through the gates. Anna and Kristoff were stuck in the crush of people and were slowly separated in the panic.
"Kristoff!"
"Anna!"
They screamed overhead as they tried to track where the other had gone. They pushed and shoved their way out into the open air outside. Men dressed in military fatigues tried to direct the massive crowd of people but the panic had set in. People ran in every direction away from the building while thousands were still trapped inside. Gunfire erupted all around as the military fired into the crowd. Runners had gotten mixed into the crowd and were attacking everything that moved. They were in a frenzy at all the noise and movement and lashed out against the men wielding guns. A frantic voice on the loudspeakers called for a full retreat as helicopters roared overhead. Kristoff saw the familiar red braids of Anna through the throngs and pushed his way over to her.
"There you are. Let's get the hell out of here." He kicked an attacker in the face and pulled Anna out from under another as they twisted themselves free from the fight.
"Kristoff, look." Anna pointed to the sky as the helicopters retreated as two fighter jets screamed over them.
"Not good." Kristoff muttered as they sprinted as fast as they could away from what was obviously going to be a bombing. Two explosions went off when the bombs hit the side of the stadium. The ground shook from the impact followed by a shockwave that knocked them off their feet. Clouds of dust and shrapnel fell upon the area as Anna dazedly got back to her feet. She and Kristoff stared at the smoking rubble that once was there refuge.
"Oh my god, there were still people in there." Anna put a hand to her mouth. Kristoff spat off to the side; half to get the dirt out of his mouth and half because he was disgusted at what had happened.
"Well, there's nothing to do here. We should follow the military. They must be going somewhere where it's safe." Anna nodded her agreement as she gathered her wits. The stadium had been destroyed in an effort to contain the outbreak that had gotten into the quarantine zone. It was a drastic measure. The people all around were in various states of despair as they cried about the world coming to an end. Crying from nearby caught her attention and she turned to find a young boy trapped beneath another man. The man was obviously dead as his head had a large dent in it. The boy was no more than five years old and was crying for his mother. Kristoff also turned his attention to the trapped boy and yanked the dead weight off of the child. Anna quickly scooped the boy up and shushed him.
"Shh, it's okay. You're safe now." She whispered into his ear. He continued to cry as Kristoff led them away from the dead body and toward the fence line. The boy had a cut on his arm which wasn't bleeding heavily but looked to be fairly deep. Kristoff ripped a sleeve off another corpse's shirt and bandaged the boy up. The cries slowly turned to sniffles as Anna rocked the boy and whispered sweet nothings in his ear.
"There, there. See, it's gonna be okay little guy. My name's Anna. What's yours?"
The boy sniffled mightily as a river of snot dripped off his chin. Kristoff made a face as the boy swiped it off with his sleeve.
"Cwistofer Wobin." The boy was able to lisp out. Anna decided that the boy was adorable and that she would protect him until his mother was found.
"Hey, Christopher. This is my friend Kristoff. You almost have the same name, how weird is that?" She was able to illicit a smile from the boy.
"Anna, we can't take him with us. He'll slow us down and we'll be in even more danger. Plus, what if his mother is looking for him right now?" The man crossed his arms at the seated pair who did not like his answer.
"Kristoff, he'll die out here without us. We can't just leave him. We'll look around here for his mother and if she doesn't show up by tomorrow morning, we'll take him to the nearest QZ and drop him off there." Kristoff waged a mighty war in his brain as he tried to weigh the pros and cons of traveling with a child. In the end, he knew he would never be able to win an argument against Anna and gave a sigh of defeat as he nodded. They set off in search of the boy's missing mother. There weren't too many people that had stuck around after the explosions. There was also still the threat of attack from any lingering runners. After half an hour of searching and with the sun going down, the pair gave up and set off to find shelter.
They wandered into the city center as the sun faded toward the horizon. They made their way to a fire station that sat empty. No fire engines were left in the towering garages as they had probably been called away with the first emergency calls and had been unable to return. Kristoff broke into a supply closet and took a flashlight and another fire axe to arm himself with. Anna made her way into the living quarters where she quickly found some bandages for little Christopher and some food for the group. A sweep of the rest of the building indicated that it was indeed abandoned and they breathed a sigh of relief. Kristoff ushered them into the living quarters upstairs and promptly blocked the stairs with a desk and two filing cabinets. The only way in or out of the room was down the fireman's pole that exited into the empty truck bay below. After a meal of sandwiches and twinkies, Anna laid Chris down to sleep and promptly fell asleep next to him. Kristoff kept watch until past midnight when he also fell asleep.
They woke the next morning and hurriedly ate before packing any supplies they could find. Kristoff unblocked the stairwell so that they could squeeze through and they hit the road again. Anna and Kristoff took turns carrying the boy because he couldn't walk for more than five minutes before he started to complain.
"Where are we going Kristoff?" Anna whined after another hour in the sun. It was midday and the spring sun was harsh on their backs.
"We should probably see if we can score a car. I'm sure there's somewhere that's got something we could use." Anna was happy at the suggestion of getting a car but confused as to how they would get one that worked.
"Finding a car is easy. Finding one that works is another matter." Kristoff was reluctant to agree with her but he had an idea. They made their way to a nearby Ford dealership where there were a number of new cars in the lot. Nobody was buying cars now that the apocalypse was going on.
"I'm sure no one would miss if we take one of these babies." Kristoff jerked his thumb at the row of Mustangs.
"These are new cars. I don't expect you would know how to hotwire one." Anna said pointedly, hands on her hips.
"Just watch and learn." Kristoff made his way to the gaping hole where a glass door used to be. He made a beeline to the manager's office where there was a lockbox mounted onto the wall. He passed the boy over to Anna and took his axe from her. He swung at the lock which gave way after one solid hit and the door to the case swung open.
"Take your pick." Kristoff motioned at the open metal case with dozens of key rings resting on hooks.
"Kristoff, you genius. I could kiss you." She put the boy down as she scanned through the keys and the labels on them, searching for an appropriate vehicle. She finally stopped on a key labeled Focus Tang Scrm.
"Let's go boys. Momma's got a new car!" She proudly walked down the rows of glistening vehicles while she pressed the lock and unlock buttons. A bright orange car flashed its lights and chirped indicating where it was.
"You couldn't have picked a more subtle color? Kristoff asked sarcastically as they climbed in. Anna started the car and with a small squeak from the tires, they were off.
"I would've taken a Mustang but I wasn't sure if we'd be able to make it to Austin on one tank of gas. If you haven't noticed, gas stations are probably closed. Now hold on, I like to go fast." She stamped down on the gas and took off down the highway.
As they drove through a suburban section of town Anna stopped to let Kristoff take over the driving duties. Kristoff quickly ran to the side of a nearby house to relieve himself before making his way back to the car. Movement in the bushes caught his eye and he quickly pulled his trousers up and raised his axe over his head.
"Wait, stop. Don't hurt me." A young girl appeared from the bushes. She had dark skin and spoke with a Louisiana accent. A gash on her face dribbled blood down her cheek and onto her shoulder.
"Who are you?" Kristoff asked angrily, his axe still poised to strike. The girl held her hands out to show that she was unarmed and also to keep her distance from the threatening man.
"Kristoff, what the hell is taking so long. The kid is getting cranky." Anna rounded the side of the building to see Kristoff with his axe about to swing at a young girl.
"Kristoff, what the hell? Can't you see she's hurt?" Anna placed her hand on Kristoff's elbow as he slowly lowered his weapon. Anna put herself between the stranger and the burly man.
"She snuck up on me. What was I supposed to do?" He asked angrily.
"I'm sorry about that. I've been travelin' for days and I'm just looking for some help is all. My name's Tiana." She held her hand out which Anna shook while Kristoff eyed her warily.
"I'm Anna and this is Kristoff. Don't worry about him. He's just mad because you scared him with his pants down." Anna winked at the other girl who giggled. Kristoff just hummphed and crossed his arms over his chest.
"We'd be glad to help you. We're driving up to Austin since there's nothing left for us here in Houston. You're welcome to come with us." Tiana smiled and nodded gratefully as she followed the pair back to the car. Kristoff popped the hatch and placed his axe in the back. Tiana stepped beside him and pulled a menacing looking blade from beneath her leather jacket.
"It's just a machete." Kristoff continued to give her a questioning glance. "You didn't think I made it all this way without a weapon?" She asked, hands on hips.
"I suppose not..." With a final slam of the lid they walked to opposite sides of the car and got in.
"Look Christopher, we made a new friend. This is Tiana. Say hi." Anna spoke from the back seat with the young boy. Tiana swiveled around to face the boy and gave him a smile.
"Well hello there sugah. Aren't you the cutest thing?" She pinched a rosy cheek to which Christpher Robin gave a toothy grin. Tiana and Anna chattered nonsensically as Kristoff drove off, muttering about girls sneaking up on him and stupid kids.
They finally made it out of suburbia and were on their way out of Houston when Kristoff noticed a strip mall.
"Hey look, a gun store. We could probably get some weapons there. I think we should stop here." He said to no one in particular. Since he was driving there were no arguments and they pulled into an empty stall and stopped the car. They all got out of the car to stretch their legs when Tiana noticed the bullet hole ridden walls.
"There must've been some huge fight here." She let out a low whistle at the spent shell casings that littered the sidewalk. A cough alerted them that they weren't alone and sent Kristoff into security mode. He ushered the girls behind him as he took up his axe once again and walked to the side of the building. He lowered his axe at the sight that greeted him. A young girl was slumped against the side of the wall clutching her shoulder while a boy helped keep pressure on her wound.
"Oh my god, are you alright?" Anna brushed past Kristoff as she knelt next to the wounded girl. The young boy swung around to face the intruders, leveling an AK-47 at Kristoff.
"Aladdin, put down the gun. I don't think they'll hurt us." The girl rasped out. Anna took over holding the cloth to the girl's wound as the boy named Aladdin lowered his gun slowly. Tiana left to go search the gun store while Anna ordered Kristoff back to the car for medical supplies.
"Who did this to you?" Anna asked the girl who was breathing more easily now that she was being tended to.
"This crazy man attacked us. A tall man with a cowboy hat and this scary lady with a blue jacket. She shot Jasmine in the store. We just came here to look for some food when they attacked us. That crazy man almost killed me but I was too fast for him." The boy spoke animatedly. The pair looked out of place in the U.S. As if sensing her next question, Jasmine decided to answer for them.
"No, we are not from here. We are from Saudi Arabia. We thought we could escape all the killing that goes on in our country. Looks like you Americans have it worse than us. We never should have left." The girl began to tear up as she spoke less to the woman tending to her and more to the boy who stood watch.
"I got the stuff, we should get going before the sun goes down." Tiana announced to the group as she made her way back. Over one shoulder she had strapped a shotgun. She handed the rifle on her other shoulder over to Kristoff who took it gratefully.
"Anna, I think you should carry this." The dark-skinned girl said as she handed her a 9mm handgun. Anna eyed the weapon before taking it hesitantly.
"Elsa had something like this." She remarked as she strapped the holster around her waist.
"We should get going Anna. When the sun goes down, who know what could happen if we stick around here." Kristoff urged. The redhead shook her pigtails as she looked back over to the pair that was still seated against the building.
"We can't just leave them. She's been shot. We can at least take them with us to Austin where she can get some proper medical care." She looked to Tiana first who shrugged her shoulders and then to Kristoff who shook his head.
"Anna, no. We can't fit two more people in the car. Plus, he almost shot me." He pointed an accusing finger at the boy who simply sneered back in response.
"She's right Kristoff. There as good as dead if we leave them here. We can squeeze. Little Chris can sit up front with me." At the mention of the forgotten little boy, Anna jerked to her feet and ran back to the car to find the little boy snoozing in the front seat.
"Damn it Kristoff! Don't you know not to leave kids unattended in a hot car?!" Anna yelled at the man. She hurriedly opened the door and scooped the boy into her arms who looked no worse for wear.
"She yells at me about everything and I just have to put up with it." He muttered to himself. He bent down and scooped the middle eastern girl up into his arms and led the way back to the car. He placed her gently in the back seat while the boy climbed in next to her. Anna took her place in the back while Tiana took the sleeping boy from her and cradled him as she sat up front. With a final sigh, Kristoff climbed back into the car and set off for Austin.
And just like that, four new characters. Elsa (Frozen) is now traveling with Woody (Toy Story), Flynn (Tangled), Eric (The Little Mermaid), Aurora (Sleeping Beauty), 'Cindy' Cinderella (Cinderella), and Snow (Snow White and the Seven Dwarves). Anna (Frozen) is traveling with Kristoff (Frozen), Christopher Robin (The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh), Tiana (The Princess and the Frog), and Aladdin and Jasmine (Aladdin).
No deaths this chapter but that can change in a hearbeat in zombie fiction. Expect more deaths and more various Disney characters in the future.
This is going to be my one and only plea for reviews. Favorites and Follows are fine and dandy but reviews are an author's only insight into how the reader is reacting to the story. This is un-beta'd so I have no idea if this even makes sense. So please leave a review. This machine only works on props so give it up!
Finally, we come to the issue of pairings. As this is a huge crossover, nearly any ship is possible. Leave a review who you'd like to see show up and they just might make it in. I am partial to Elsanna in the Frozen fandom but I'm not sure how well that would fit in here. If this is a ship you'd like to see or if there are other ships you might like, please leave a review and let me know. The plot is quickly catching up to the point where I have pre-planned the story so anything could be possible down the line. Except for reviving dead characters. Because they dead.
Chapter 5: In the City