ok! So we are back on track!
Artemis looked down the hallway, it seemed as though the hallway was darker because Holly wasn't with him. He just shrugged the feeling off, focusing on the task at hand: Finding out a way to get them out of there.
He went to another door, making sure that it wasn't one they had visited before. Artemis closed his eyes and took a deep breath before opening the door.
It was a field again, and for a moment Artemis thought he was back in the witches realm, but then her remembered, there were hills in that door. This one was all flat, trees and tall rocks scattered about. And it was dark, the sun setting over the horizon, giving the area a violet color.
It was lonely, not able to talk to Holly. There was no one in sight, and the silence creeped Artemis out.
Artemis walked through some trees and around rocks, trying to find life, or anything that could indicate a way of getting out of the book. But after an hour of searching, nothing...No one.
Just when Artemis was going to go back and head towards the door, he heard a rustling in some nearby trees. He looked over and tried to see what was in the the dark army of trees.
Artemis suddenly heard moaning come from the darkness, and he back up. It was a inhumane moan, like something that wasn't even alive. He backed up into the rocks behind him, still trying to see what was making that noise. It kept on getting closer and soon Artemis could hear a scuffing sound, like something being dragged.
The next thing he knew, there was another sound above him, and when he looked up, he was nose to nose with a green and blue skinned creature. Frozen with fear, the creature opened its mouth, allowing Artemis to see a tunnel of black abyss. He looked into its eyes to find two black holes.
Finally, Artemis regained the feeling in his legs and he backed away quickly, turning around completely when he saw more creature like the one on the rock come from the trees.
Although most of the beings had a bad leg they had to drag behind them, they moved quite fast. Artemis ran as fast as he could, but more and more kept on coming from the sides.
Finally, when Artemis had more distance between them than ever, he turned sharply and landed next to another rock, this time making sure there wasn't anything close to it.
Artemis stayed like that for a little while, sitting there and trying to catch his breath. He leaned his head back and put it against the rock.
Artemis didn't know how long he stayed there, but the next thing he knew he heard the sound of a gun cocking. He opened his eyes in alarm and looked in front of him in a panic.
In front of him was a girl, wearing brown shorts and a camo colored tank top. Her brown hair was put up into a high ponytail and she held a Sig sauer in her right hand, pointed at Artemis. Her green eyes were narrowed at Artemis, glaring at him.
"Whoa," Artemis said, raising his hands to show peace.
"What are you doing over in these parts of the fields? Everyone knows that this is on the edge of the zombies territory." She said, still glaring at him.
"Zombie?" Artemis said, shocked.
"Yeah, I'm surprised they haven't gotten to you yet." She replied suspiciously, her eyes narrowing even more if that was possible.
"Well, that's why I'm here, hiding like a-"
"Low life scum who doesn't know how to take care of himself, and just wants to get killed?" The girl guessed.
"I was going to say coward, but sure why not?" Artemis replied sarcastically, fighting the urge to roll his eyes.
She shrugged, then offered her hand to help him up. He took it, and then looked at the way she was. The zombies were lined up in the distance, throwing a raging fit. They were all screaming, and moaning like a bunch of monkeys, but they didn't come any closer.
"Why are they just standing there?"
"You got lucky, that's why." She turned around and started going the opposite way, gesturing him to come with her. "Those are territorial zombies, slower than others. If it had been rogue ones, you'd be dead."
Artemis stopped and looked behind him, "Those are slower than others?"
She looked back over her shoulder, "Yep. Now, come on, you're bleeding. Luckily, nothing looks like a zombie bite."
"Bite?"
"Yeah, turning you into a zombie." She turned around quickly, Artemis almost walking into her, but she didn't flinch as he scrambled back, "Why do you know so little about the little buggers? I thought by now, everyone was trained in zombie101."
"Why are you asking so many questions about me?" Artemis countered.
"Because you don't know a damn thing about the monsters!" She replied, hand going to gun holder.
"Ok ok! Calm down!" Artemis put his hands up to stop her. "I just don't. You could say I just...appeared here."
"Oh yea, like a magic carpet just flew you in here." She retorted sarcastically.
"Something like that." He muttered, low enough so she couldn't hear.
The girl circled him a few times, looking him over. "Well, you certainly don't look like a zombie."
Artemis laughed sarcastically, "Nice conclusion."
She glared at him, "Don't make me kill you." She growled. "It wouldn't be that difficult."
"Ok, so I can see you have some...trust issues."
She scoffed, "I don't have trust issues." She crossed her arms.
'And denial issues.' Artemis thought. But didn't dare say it out loud. He just went and completely ignored her when he spoke again. "So why don't we try something to build that." He extended his hand, "The name's Artemis."
The girl glared at it for a second, not sure whether or not she should take it. Finally she took it, "Kori."
Artemis nodded, and Kori took a step back. Taking a deep breath she said, "We should head to the camp."
"Camp?" Artemis asked.
"Yea, the ZRC."
When she looked at Artemis, he still had a confused expression on his face so she explained more, rolling her eyes. "The Zombie Retaliation Camp." She said slowly, like you would to a small child, enunciating every syllable.
Artemis glared at the girl, and she just shrugged, turning back around and starting to walk again.
A little bit later, tents became visible in the distance. They entered the camp soon after.
A lot of people were there. Some elderly, mostly adults or teens like Kori, and quite a few kids. Artemis jogged up to Kori, who had gotten ahead. "I thought you said this was a retaliation camp?"
Kori looked ahead, not even bothering to look back at Artemis, "It is."
"So-" Artemis had to stop because a few little kids ran in front of him, separating him from Kori again. "You're meaning to tell me that all these people fight against the zombies? Including the young ones?"
"Depends on what you like to call young. Anyway, the little ones don't fight, they are trained by the elders."
Artemis nodded, "That makes...sense. I suppose."
Kori turned around swiftly again, getting into Artemis's face, "Listen, and listen good. I have one rule and one rule only. This camp is like my family. Mess with my family, and you will die. Slowly and painfully."
Something in her eyes told him she was not one to mess with or manipulate, so after h glared back at her for a moment, he just nodded.
"Good. Now, I have to go back to the tents," she nodded to the water stations to the right. "You're a bloody mess, so wash off. Ask anybody and they will lead you to where I am."
Artemis nodded and headed over there. He didn't even bother to argue, because it was true. The werewolf had scratched him twice, and add that with the blood that dripped on him from Holly, he was covered in blood. He sheepishly stripped his shirt and tried to remove the blood on his skin, wrinkling his nose when he remembered he didn't know what was in the water.
When Artemis was done, getting most of the blood off of him, he turned to his shirt and sighed. It was completely ruined. He tried to, but failed to save it. He just shook his head and put it on, despite the big gashes in it and the stains of blood, to go find Kori.
He asked a tall man who reminded him of Butler where she was, and he led Artemis to a big tent. The man told Artemis to stay outside, but tents weren't designed to be soundproof, so Artemis heard what they were saying.
"Yes Charley?" The genius heard the familiar voice of Kori say.
"Captain. Sorry to disturb you, but someone was looking for you. If he is going to stall the execution of your plans, I can send him away."
"No, it will be fine, let him in."
"Yes captain."
A second later, the man named Charley- although he certainly didn't look like a Charley -came through the tent flap. He nodded to Artemis, who had put a dead look on himself a minute ago, and The boy entered the tent himself.
"Captain? Your the captain of this place?" Artemis questioned. She was only a teenager! Maybe a few years younger than him! But he shouldn't be talking, he earned the title of evil genius a lot younger than her.
"Yup, that's my title. Don't wear it out." Kori had her back turned to him, not even glancing over her shoulder to look at him while she talked. She grabbed an item off the table she was leaned over and held it out behind her, to Artemis.
"It's going to get cold soon."
Artemis nodded, even though she couldn't see, and took the black t-shirt out of her hand. He slipped it on- even though he thought it was extremely distasteful compared to his shirts -and went to stand beside her. Kori was looking at a map that was laid out on the table, bent over it like she was trying to see it all at once. But this map covered the big table like a tablecloth.
When Kori saw that he was beside her, she folded the map twice, making a square, and muttered something about it being confidential.
"Hey, I'm just trying to help here." Artemis said.
Kori glared at him for a second before muttering, "Good for you." and turning around, heading to the gray tent flap that led outside.
"If you don't mind my asking, why are you acting like this? You see, I'm not a very friendly person myself, but I don't hate someone for no reason." Artemis snarled. "And the way you are acting-"
"The way I'm acting?" Kori snapped, turning around to face Artemis. "Have you not seen what has been going on out there?!" She asked pointing to the tent flap. "There are people to be protecting and lives to be saving! You are one of the very few lucky people who has ever survived a chase. We are at war, people are afraid to leave this camp site. Children who are orphans because their parents gave up their lives and sacrificed themselves to get away! So don't you dare tell me about my attitude."
Artemis was about to talk back, to definitely start an argument that she was not taking a right role if she was not going to let him help, but then a sound rolled in from the distance. From the sound of it, Artemis could categorize it as a warning call. Immediately Kori was alert, turning and leaving Artemis behind, not even giving him a second glance.
Artemis followed her, even if she didn't want him to, outside. The sky was dark now, casting an eerie black glow instead of the purple before. People were running around like crazy, the elderly trying to get the children into one group. The adults awaited outside the tent for Kori, looking at her expectantly. Charley came forward to explain everything to her.
"The rogue zombies are coming through the northwest barriers very quickly. They will be here in less than 5 minutes, Captain."
Kori nodded, turning to the rest of the adults, "Ok, we will evacuate the children and elders immediately and half A will go into attack mode to defend the camp. The other half will go with the children and elders to make sure they get to the hideouts in Soutan Moutain and get back here as soon as possible."
The troops nodded, and Charley led Half A to the military shed, the other half- the younger ones below 20 -went with the children, including Kori who kept on looking back at the other half with guilt strewn across her face.
Artemis went with Kori, him only being 16. They ran as fast as the elders and children could as the camp in the distance went up in flames suddenly. Kori flinched when they started, but just turned and kept on going to the hideout.
But soon, even running wasn't enough. The beings probably knew that the troops who stayed behind wasn't everyone and spread out in search once everyone at the tents were killed. Artemis could practically hear the moaning before turning to Kori and whispering, "Do you hear that?" So the children couldn't hear.
Kori stopped, turning to see behind her for the first time since she saw the flames from the camp site. She called for a teenage boy named John and he gave her a pair of binoculars. She stared through them for a minute before taking them off of her eyes in shock. And taking a shaky breath. "They're coming." She muttered.
They ran as fast as they could, but like Kori had said before, rogue trolls are fast. They caught up to them quickly, and soon they were only about 150 feet away.
Kori stopped and turned around slowly, looking at them at the corner of her eyes until they were fully in front of her, closing in.
Artemis noticed that she stopped and went back to where she was quickly. Her eyes were narrowed and she was in full concentration to the zombies in front of her as they came closer.
"Go with the rest Artemis." She said, her hand going go the gun holster on her right hip.
Artemis shook his head. "No."
Kori sighed, "Just go. That's an order."
"No, I'm not leaving you here to fend for yourself. And that's a promise."
"I have to stop them. Even if it is just for a little while." You could see the determination on her face, but the terror in her eyes. "But you have nothing to fight with."
Artemis sighed, "I'm only here to make sure you go back."
Kori smiled, the first smile that Artemis had seen on her ever ever. "Thanks. Ok, stand back."
Artemis did so and soon the zombies- there were 5 of them -were 20 first away. Quickly, Kori got the gun out of her holster and aimed. She shot and hit one of their arms. The zombie stumbled back, not looking at the arm, but looking at Kori. It's arm was blown off, somewhere in the field behind the beings.
Kori took a sigh of relief and started to aim again, this,time backing up to give her more range, as they were closing in.
But suddenly, the arm that Kori had blown off that zombie grew back on slowly. Kori gasped and lowered the Sauer a bit.
"Are they suppose to have regeneration powers?" Artemis asked, backing up with Kori.
Kori shook her lead silently, too shocked. She gulped and stuttered, "T-they are growing s-stronger."
Artemis groaned, "Great, strong and fast. Kori, come on." He looked back, hoping he could catch a glimpse of the team they were with before, to no avail.
Kori blinked a few times and shook her head violently to shake herself out of her shock, "Yeah, we can run." The zombies were very close now. "Artemis...run."
They looked at each other before bolting away from The creatures. They ran so much that soon Artemis could see the door that led him here. He took a sigh of relief and looked back at Kori.
She wasn't doing so well, Artemis didn't know how, but she was behind him. The zombies were right on her tail.
"Kori! Come on!" Artemis looked back at the door and then back at her.
She caught up to him and ran, the zombies only a few feet away now, so close you could feel the warm, deadly breath coming from their black, toothless mouths.
Kori suddenly saw what Artemis was looking at, "What is that?" She asked while running.
The door was about a hundred meters away. Artemis would never make it that far before the zombies were stopping them and Kori could see that.
"Is that your way home?" She asked, nodding to the black door.
Artemis nodded, "something like that."
Kori looked back at the zombies, to Artemis and then at the door. "Go." She said, before stopping altogether.
"Kori!" He said, almost stopping himself.
"Go Artemis, I'll distract them!" She said.
Artemis turned and ran for the door, only turning back to see that Kori was being engulfed by the 5 zombies, overwhelmed even though she had a gun with her. Artemis wad about to go back but he realized that she gave up her life for him, so he could get back.
He closed his eyes for a second and when he opened then he ran the rest of the way to the door. Throwing it open he stepped inside and then closed it slowly, sadness overcoming him.
He sighed and looked at the door. Then shook his head sadly and walked back to the study, sore all over.
He walked into the study, ready to go and sit in the desk chair and stare at Holly until her breathing stopped, knowing there was nothing he could do to help her.
But when he opened the door, he gasped in shock.