Hey there people! Sorry it's been so long since my last post bout things have been CRAZY! Hopefully my writing has improved a little as I went bad and read some of the earlier stuff and realized it wasn't that good. Anyway, here is the fourth chapter! BTW It is still Charlene's POV because I had a lot to say about her and her past and Brittany and all that and I had to split it into two chapters. Please read AND review.

Chapter four: What to do? (Part 2)

Charlene's POV

"Dave?" I asked. "Isn't he in Maryland or something?"

Simon nodded again and replied. "Yes, but I'm pretty sure there's an airport just three miles south of here. We could hijack a plane and fly there!"

Everybody nodded in agreement. Except Theo.

"Are you CRAZY?" We all turned to look at him. "What can Dave do right now? We don't even know if he's alive!"

"Theodore!" Exclaimed Ellie.

"Well, it's true! You heard the radio! We all did! These things are everywhere, destroying anything or anyone in their paths. I say there is only one place we can be safe!"

"Where's that?" Otto asked.

"With the military."

Everyone groaned, shaking our heads. "The military?" Simon spoke out. "Jesus Christ, Theodore! Are you serious?"

"Well, they have guns, and tanks and jet fighters, and missiles, and as far as we're concerned everything else is either stepped on or fried like hell. Yeah, I'm totally serious!"

"Theo, Simon's right," Otto said. "Dave will know what to do. If he says go to the military then we'll go the military. It's going to be okay. I promise."

Theodore muttered a curse word under his breath as he sat back down. "It's settled," said Simon. "We'll leave in the morning." And we all went to sleep.

*Flashback*

"Okay, Alvin. Your ass is grass."

Otto and Alvin were the last two alive in a death match in Call of Duty. I was pretending to be interested, but I really wasn't.

Otto looked through his scope. There was nothing but trees and buildings. He took one step forward and all of a sudden blood exploded from his skull and stained the ground. His soldier fell to the ground. "Crap."

"Haha! Sniper rifle!" Alvin gleefully exclaimed.

Realizing the game was finally over, I jumped off the couch, ran over to where Alvin was standing and and engulfed him in a hug of congratulations. Just as we broke apart a felt a sharp jolt of pain fly across my jaw. I staggered back but regained my balance. Shocked, I looked up at Alvin who seemed just as shocked as I was. I suddenly realized it was Brittany who had hit me.

She pointed an accusing finger at me. "You stay off my boyfriend you whore!"

I wiped a small drop of blood off my lips as I smiled slyly back at Brittany. "Oh, you mean my boyfriend?"

"Shut up, you little-"

Suddenly Alvin stepped in. "Girls, please. Stop fighting!"

She turned to him. "Stay out of this or you'll get it too!"

"Brittany calm down," Otto said.

Brittany looked around the room, silently acknowledging the people around her watching. All she did was turn around, and sulk away.

I smiled smugly.

Alvin was staring at the floor. "I'm gonna go out," he said.

"Ooh, I'll come with you," I piped up.

"NO!" Alvin turned around and saw the hurt in my eyes. "No," he said a little softer. "I need some time by myself."

"W-where will you be?" I asked.

"At a store by a park. I'll just be hanging out for a while." And then he left.

"Okay," I said.

*End Flashback*

My eyelids flew open as I was suddenly aware of a faint hissing sound echoing of the cave walls. I looked around. I could barely make out a glimpse of daylight. I looked towards the cave mouth. A large shadow crept across the cave wall. The ear-stinging hissing sound filled the air again.

I crawled to the 'munk closest to me, Eleanore. I shook her sleeping body as quietly as I could. Meanwhile the shadow got bigger and bigger. I shook Eleanore harder and harder. She showed no signs of waking up. Becoming desperate, I punched her hard on the leg. She woke up with a jolt.

"Ow-" I slapped my hand across her mouth. She looked at me somewhat madly before noticing the creeping shadow on the wall, inching toward us with no way out. Her eyes widened. I could hear light sobbing from her as a single tear trickled down her cheek. I leaned in close and whispered, "wake up the others and be quiet."

She nodded and we crawled our separate ways. The dark creature creating the shadow finally showed itself from behind the van. It was much closer now. I could make out a faint shape. It looked about seven feet tall. It had three legs coming out of a single blob that I guessed was its body. This blob scratched against the floor as its legs dragged it along, leaving a trail of slime behind. It had one bug eye and an odd little mouth.

It gave another snake-like hiss as it dragged itself closer and closer to us. Slowly yet determined. It was hard to tell whether or not it knew of our presence. But he was getting closer and he wasn't stopping.

Otto was the last one to wake up. Once he did he seemed to automatically have a plan. Under cover of the darkness of the cave, he motioned us to follow him. We did as he led us to the side, out of the way of the martian. The thing dragged itself across the smooth cavern floor.

Just as it was about five feet from us, it stopped. In the dark we prayed it could not see us. All of us held our breaths, desperate to be as silent as possible. Sweat poured down my cheeks. Suddenly the thing lifted itself off the ground and gave an ear piercing screech, which must have lasted a good four seconds. It set itself back on the floor and crawled on.

We breathed out as quietly as possible in relief. Otto motioned us to follow him again. As silently as possible we tiptoed with him to the van. We looked back to make sure it didn't see us. We couldn't really see it, but it didn't sound like he was moving.

We cautiously opened the doors, knowing full well we weren't in the dark any more, and hopped in. Otto gently closed the doors behind us. Soon he was in the driver's seat with the keys in the ignition. The martian was still no longer in sight. "Hasta la vista, bitch," Otto muttered as Otto turned the keys.

He twisted them as hard as he could. The engine revved but didn't start. All it had done was make noise. We heard another pissed off screech come from inside the cave. "Oh shit," muttered Otto.

We heard loud and fast scratching headed our way. Otto twisted the ignition again. It revved for a few seconds before Otto let it go again. The Martian's disgusting body appeared from the darkness of the cave right in front of the van. He opened his single yellow eye and seemed to peek inside the car. Eleanor screamed in horror. His body paralized from fear, Otto watched as the martian dragged itself right next his window. It turned and stared at Otto. It gave another snake-like hiss and opened its giant mouth.

Otto screamed as he peered into about fifty rows of two hundred razor sharp teeth. Suddenly it lifted its front-left leg, swung it back over its head, and then flung it violently into Otto's window. The glass cracked but did not break.

Otto turned the keys again. The engine revved. The martian swung its leg back again. One more hit and the window was through. "COME ON!" He broke into a sob. "Please." Suddenly the engine was on. No time could be waisted before Otto quickly put it in reverse and slammed the gas. The van swerved backwards for a few meters before turning around and heading back into the forest.

He peeked at the rear view mirror, which showed the martian on its feet again, screaming. And we were too far away by that time to hear a thing.

Otto needed to clear his mind after that traumatic event, so he turned on the radio which went straight to broadcasting Sharrol Girty's voice.

"The martians have overrun the whole city and now they're coming through my broadcasting building. I'm sorry but I won't be here much longer. We have just received this transmitted message from the Himilayes:"

There was a man, probably about fifty, speaking some Asian language over the radio. He sounded hurt and scared. Finally the message anded and Sharrol was speaking again.

"All that translates to 'God help me! The others are all dead! They killed them! They did unspeakable things to them! God help me!' And that's the message. And now I have a message to give to you: keep fighting. No matter what they do, keep fighting. This is our world and has been for centuries. And after all those years, all of that hard work nothing can take that away from us. Keep fighting, and God bless you.

"Now, I'll stay on as long as I can, b- OH MY G-"

And nothing but static filled the air. No one said a word as we stared at the radio until Otto turned it off.

And that was chapter four! This is the part where you click that button that says "Review" just to be nice and give some feed back.

Until next chapter,

Stevenspielbergwriter3