Hi everyone~

Sorry if this chapter seems... blah. I have had writer's block for a while. So this was all I could muster up for now. :C I'll be sure the next one is a lot better!

CHAPTER 3: Jimmy Gibbs and Gas Cans

Coach, Rochelle, Nick, Ellis, and I all trailed into the main part of the mall, the lights dark and dimmed. Too bad they weren't working right, it'd make everything a lot less creepy.

"Good Lord Almighty!" Ellis chirped. "Jimmy-Gibbs Junior's car!"

I chuckled quietly to myself as he flew to the car, peering inside and enjoying every second of it. Then he started to ramble on about how he and Keith used to… I don't even remember. He was talking too fast.

Coach, Nick, and Rochelle were listening intently as I went off to scavenge around the place. Nick had ran off in the far corner to grab a can of gas, Rochelle went upstairs, and Coach ran directly opposite of Nick. Three gas cans out of eight, Coach had said from a distance as I strapped the med-packs to my back.

I picked up a sewing needle, looking at it strangely. It was way too small for it to be a needle for stitches…

Shrugging lightly, I dropped it to the ground, as it made a tink tink noise.

If I ever had children, the first story I'd tell them is about me fighting zombies. They'd probably think of it as some make-believe, but I'd tell them, "It was real."

"Got some chest paddles over here," Ellis said from afar.

Then, there was that smell.

"Oh, God," I grimaced, covering my nose with my shirt sleeve.

The crew all made a disgusted noise, and then they started charging.

Zombies were filtering out of doors, from the staircases, second and third floors, falling from the sky like dead birds.

"Jesus Christ!" I shouted, as one grabbed my arm. It scared the shit out of me. "Get… off…"

I elbowed it in the face, teeth scraping my arm. I shuddered then quickly sighed in relief, for the teeth did not break the skin.

"Holls!" Coach called, and I stumbled my way over there, tripping over cardboard boxes and splaying out on the floor. My hands were raw, rubbing against the cold tile and removing a layer of skin.

Ellis ran to me, helping me up. "Thanks," I said in a rush, pulling the pump on my shotgun and killing a surrounding circle of undead.

Coach and Rochelle had found two cans of gas, but there were six cans more to find. Ugh.

Nick had gotten two, so it was up to Ellis and I to find the last two.

We were running up the stairs, clearing a path of corpses in front of us when I tripped. A zombie had jumped and grabbed my leg, sending me off balance and over the rails.

I screamed - a terrifying, shrill noise.

Ellis caught my hand before I fell to my death, thank God. But he was being bombarded with zombies.

"Fuck," I panted, my palms sweating.

"C'mon Holly," he huffed, pulling me up. My arm felt like it was being wretched from its socket.

He pulled me over the edge, and two zombies tackled me. I swung at them with my shotgun then blasted two holes into their skulls. All the while, I was grinning.

"Yes," I said, running up to my red gas can. Ellis found his, and we both smiled at each other, shooting the zombies coming at us as we ran down the stairs.

Coach, Nick, Rochelle, and I blasted away at the undead, while Ellis filled the car. "Almost done, there?" I asked, kicking a corpse in the teeth.

"Almost…" he said through gritted teeth, rather frustrated.

I turned back around to be met by a large horde. We were almost out of bullets, and I had dropped a baseball bat that I had found on the third floor.

"Shit," I said under my breath, trying to headshot all of the undead flailing their way towards us. Rochelle groaned.

"I'm all out," she whined, as was Nick.

Coach and I were the only ones left with a few bullets.

"Hop in!" Ellis yelled, throwing the last empty gas can across the way, downing a few zombies in its path.

We all jumped in, Ellis revving the engine, totally jonesing on the sound.

"Let's go!" he hollered, slamming his foot to the floor and shifting into first.

"I can't believe you wrecked it," I muttered.

"Same," Coach, Nick, and Rochelle all said in unison.

Ellis groaned. "Not my fault those damn walls aren't made of paper or some shit!"

Ellis had tried to drive through a heavy-duty chain link fence, only to bust the car's engine up and send us fifty yards off course.

I felt lightheaded. Once we hit the fence, my head smacked against the passenger seat window. Everyone else got out alive with minor scrapes and bruises. I think I had a concussion.

"Holls, you ain't lookin' so good," Coach said in his low voice. I sighed deeply, closing my eyes as we walked down the highway, dead cars and bodies littered here and there as we trekked over and on top of them.

"I-I'm fine," I sputtered, rubbing my forehead. Nick looked at me with concern, and Rochelle stared at me, wondering what was going to become of me.

"Holly!" Ellis shouted, as I felt my body tumble to the asphalt.

My head hit the ground - hard - and I felt a sudden, strong sense of déjà vu.

The last thing I saw was that white and blue hat closing the distance between it and me. Everything went black.