Chapter 6- Big Man
I slowly creaked open the door to the single room upstairs. I peeked in to see Nick on the dirty mattress eyeing the door to see who it was. As soon as he saw my blue eyes pop into view he scowled and turned to the wall.
How mature.
I walked in, opening the door fully.
"Go away." Hissed Nick, with his back to me. I sighed and moved to the centre of the room.
"Look, I'm sorry that you can't take a joke." I huffed. Nick stood up and swung around with blazing eyes. I gave him a steady glare back trying not to look small.
That's what you do with bears, right?
Nick took strides to meet me. He stood a couple of steps in front of me, I had no choice but to look up at the gambler's scrunched up face.
"Can't take a joke? That wasn't a fucking joke! That was a crude way to get back at me for the flash light. A very shitty way to get back at that." He growled.
"Yeah, it was so terrible. Everyone told me that it was a lame prank." I said my voice thick with sarcasm.
Nick smirked.
"You should have listened to them." He sighed.
I cocked an eyebrow at him.
Really?
"Wow. You need to get your head out from your ass, my friend." I sniffed. Nicked narrowed his eyes at me. "They didn't think was a bad prank. Hell, Ellis was the ones who found the pans and gave it to me in the first place."
Nick snorted air from his nose at me.
"I should get my head out of my ass? Look whose fucking talking, brat. You come in here and think that we're all friends? We are in some deep shit and you're playing house with the others down there!" Nick swung is hand at the door, referencing the others downstairs. Nick walked straight up to me. I took a couple of steps back, feeling my stomach sink. "The dead are walking, and you think that acting like a child is going to solve anything?"
I gulped. My mouth started moving without meaning to.
"Says the guy who's sulking like a child in a room…" I mumbled.
That was it. Nick grabbed the V of the neck of my 'Crush. Kill. Destroy. Swag.' Shirt and lifted me off my feet, slamming my back onto the nearest wall. I gasped and grabbed Nick's arm, trying to take some strain off my neck.
"Look here you little shit. If you don't want me to beat the crap out of you and stick you in a room with a Witch, I say you roll your neck in a bit!" He roared, pushing on my throat. I gurgled, feeling the pressure on my windpipe. Everything started to go fuzzy, as my eyelids felt heavier.
"THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING?!"
I rolled my eyes to the door. Emma was standing with clenched fists and furious eyes glaring right into Nick. Ellis lumped into view at the doorway. He saw Nick holding me up on the wall, with wide eyes. They must of heard the commotion and with yesterday, they were taking no chances.
Emma quickly leapt at Nick punching him round the chin, making his grip float away from me. I gasped as I fell to the floor with a thud. Ellis ran over to me as I greedily took in air. The room was still blurry. I could make out Emma pinning Nick on the floor wailing into Nick's jaw, making sickening whacking sounds. I coughed my throat feeling like sand paper. I didn't think he put that much pressure onto me. Either I've gotten weaker or Nicolas is stronger than he looks. Ellis was gently looking over my neck telling me that everything is fine now and that it doesn't look too bad. Emma rolled off the half dead Nick and dashed over to me, slightly pushing Ellis out of view.
"Eva? Jesus, are you okay?" She asked, sounding panicked. I nodded weakly as the room started to become HD once more. Ellis looked over to Nick and made a whistling sound. I looked over to see the ever mighty Nick curled in a ball, with a bleeding nose and a cut cheek. I turned back to Emma and held my fist up for her. She smiled thinly and gently bumped it.
"Good girl." I coughed.
Emma hugged me tight. I feebly patted her back with a smile. Nick moaned and dragged his self to the wall, leaning on it with a bruised arm.
"You psycho bitch." He gurgled as he sat a lump of blood onto the floor boards.
Emma turned to Nick and flipped him off. I did the same but a little bit shakier than Emma.
Ellis gently rolled my arm over his shoulders and pulled me up. I winced at the sudden movement. Ellis shushed me telling me everything was fine. He guided me to the door and helped me down the steps. I looked over my shoulder at Emma who was slowly closing the door with a dark look on her face.
Watch out Nicky. The Emma is in the water.
Ellis settled me down on the sofa. Ellis told everyone what happened. Zac was over by my side instantly and Coach handed me a bottle of water. Rochelle headed up stairs with the same dark look on her face. I couldn't help but laugh evilly in my head.
He had no idea what storm was on the way.
Le MUAHAHAHAHAHAHA.
I sipped at the water. My throat stung at the liquid flowing down. I thanked Coach for the water and turned to Ellis to thank him as well. Ellis. He smiled and said he was just happy that Nick didn't do any real damage. Zac eyed the stairs. I think he was going to join the two sharks that were circling poor old Nicky. I patted Zac on the head. He never was one for violence, but he was a family man. You mess with me. You mess with him too.
We heard a lot of shouting from upstairs and the occasional bang.
I should feel bad for Nick. But I don't.
Ellis handed me Cubey trying to distract me from the violence upstairs.
Yeah. The dead is walking but when people shout at each other, THAT'S when you need comforting.
I took Cubey and played with him and Ellis, by throwing him to each other. That killed more time than it should have. Zac joined in half way and we played 'Piggie in the middle'. I was always in the middle. Being small didn't help when leaping up trying to catch a felt cube. Coach joined in helping me by putting me on his shoulders. I was now just inches away from hitting my head on the ceiling.
"Come on then!" I bellowed as Zac looked up at me with Cubey in his hands.
Needless to say, Coach and I make the best team.
A few hours later Nick scrambled from down the stairs and landed face first onto the floor. We all blinked at him as Emma and Ro strolled behind him. Nick lifted himself off the floor and looked back at the two glaring women behind him. Nick snarled at them but limped over to me all the same. I was still on Coach's shoulders looking down at him. He had a cut lip and the beginning of a black eye. His broken nose still bled freely as well at the cut on his cheek, but it was wider now. I slunk behind Coach's peach fuzz head. They really did a number on him. Just seeing him like this made my stomach sink. They should have saved it for the zombies…
Coach lifted me up from his shoulders and put me down beside him. Ellis and Zac stood to the side of Coach looking down on Nick with matching sneers.
"Go on." Snapped Rochelle with her arms crossed.
Nick wiped the stream of blood from his nose. It didn't do much good as the mercy liquid flowed down to his upper lip as soon as he brought his not-so-white-anymore sleeve away. Nick looked at me with one swollen eye. I held Coach's arm in front of me like a small child stands behind her father when meeting someone new. Nick glared at me.
"Apologise." Growled Emma putting her hands on her hips.
Nick sighed and rubbed his most likely bruised arm.
"Sor-"
"Sorry." I blurted out before Nick could finish his. Everyone blinked at me.
"Not you, Eva." Emma said kindly. She darted her eyes to the back of Nicolas' head. "It's him who needs to apologise."
I shook my head and came out from behind Coach's arm but kept holding on to this sausage like fingers with my hand.
"I did kinda annoy him…" I mumbled. "And I did start it this morning with the pan prank. I feel bad seeing you like this. Sorry Nick for getting you into trouble."
Everyone stared at me. Even Nick stared down at me as if I grew a seconded head. I smiled thinly at him. I let go of Coach's fingers and moved my hand to Nick's. I half expected him to pull his away but he just carried on staring at it. I walked over to the kitchen, gently pulling Nick behind with me. Nick limped over to the island in the kitchen. I told him to sit down on the counter. He did what he was told. I could feel all eyes on me as I walked over to my backpack and take out my own medi kit, carry it back to Nick and start to patch him up.
"This might sting a little." I mumbled.
"Playing innocent will get you nowhere, kid." Growled Nick under his breath.
"Shut up. Being an ass isn't going to help. I say you stick your ego down a bit and just try to get along with everyone." I said in hushed whispers as I dipped around the scar. Nick winced at the flash of pain. "And if you don't like me, big fucking whoop. I don't die easily and even if you do leave me Left 4 Dead, you've seen what my friends can do. You are a smart man Nick." I looked up at him. "If you wish to prove me wrong and keep on acting like this, fine. Be my guest. But you will get yourself killed. You may not like me but in the days to come I will trust you with my life and you will trust me with yours. I won't put that trust to shame if you don't my friend."
Nick eyed me down.
"Do you even know what you're talking about?" He hissed.
"All I'm saying is that there is no man left behind. Even if that man is a complete asshole." I handed Nick the bandages. "You can do the rest."
I left Nick to it and walked back to everyone who was still staring at me with confused eyes. I nodded at Ro and Emma for a thank you. He got what was coming to him.
"You did a good thing there, girl." Smiled Coach as he patted my head. I smiled back.
"Come on. Let's finally find out what was in that attic." I grinned as Coach picked me up with ease and held me at arm's length.
Looking back I wish we would have left the attic alone. I could of gone without knowing what was rotting in the dark of that musty roof.
Ellis wanted to carry me instead of Coach. It was like I was the cool new toy everyone wanted to play with.
'Kids! Kids! Kids! Are you bored? You want to be awesome?! Then grab yourself an Eva! She can do just about anything!
Clean your room.
Walk the dog!
For a limited time only Eva will even get assholes called Nick get the shit kicked out of, so act fast!
Eva, get yours today!'
I smiled at the little advertisement in my head. I looked like the shit. I would make an awesome toy for all ages.
"Eva?"
Snapping fingers scraped me to reality. I blinked to see Zac waving his hand in front of my face. "You in there? Maybe the hit from yesterday took its toll…"
I smiled.
"Hey guys! I am the shit!" I beamed. I was still being held by Coach with his buffy arms, my legs dangling in the air. Ellis looked at me and laughed with the group- apart from the silent Nicolas who was tending to his owies.
"Yes you are girl" Smiled Emma from behind me. Coach moved me to behind his neck and started up the stairs.
"Now, let's see what is in that damn attic." He boomed pacing up the stairs, as I gripped at the xylophone wrinkles on in forehead. Ellis followed behind us as did Emma. Rochelle and Zac waved at us as we ascended the wooden steps. They asked us to tell them if we find anything good. Emma called back to them saying that we will probably find the army up there sipping Martinis and watching football. The pair laughed at the comment and let us get on with it.
We entered the room and moved straight into business. Coach hovered under the attic's door allowing me to push up from the side, opening it. I grabbed the edges and slid myself into the darkness. I looked around. Pitch black. I could only see at arm distance, and believe me. I couldn't see far.
I looked back down at Coach who gave me a thumbs up. I returned the gesture to him with a grin. Ellis walked over with the brick of a flashlight and held it up to me.
"Here yer go. Don't go hitting yer head now." He smiled as I leant over the sides of the hole and took a hold of the steel cylinder. I nodded as a thank you.
"Now, if you find anything useful, bring it down. Be careful up there." Emma called up at me.
"Define useful." I asked.
"If it cuts, shoots, turns on fire or explodes it will come in handy. Oh, and if there is anything to draw with up there bring it down. We could have a drawing season like we used too." She smiled.
I gave her a nod and turned to the black of the room. I hit the button on the side of the torch. The light bulb busted out a stream of light, slicing through the darkness of the musty room. In front of me was just a pile of boxes labelled "Xmas". I smiled at the thought of a zombie coming up here in winter with undead children and decorating a Christmas tree, leaving brains for zombie Santa. I turned and shone my torch around apart from some blankets but nothing else was in the room. I did a full spin when something caught my eye. There was a wall with a door in it cut halfway through the attic. I moved forward, not finding anything useful in the first room, I thought there could be something good in here. I took a hold of the handle and swung open the door. My eyes widened and I dropped the torch to cover my mouth with both hands, trapping the throw up that was speeding up my throat. The smell in the room hit me, making my body wrench over and fall away from the opened door. The torch lazily rolled around the floor and tilted to the horror that was in front of me making it light up for all to see.
Two dead, rotting bodies rested on the wall, both of the skulls busted open like a party popper. One was far smaller than me. It only looked like a baby. The other body had its arm wrapped limply around the smaller corpse holding it up. In the other hand, of what I can assume to be the mother of the child, was a pistol. It didn't take long to figure out what had happened here.
The mother didn't want the fate of the child to become of the undead army and took it upon herself to end it for the little one. Either the mother or child was bit or they were being overrun that made her take this path. But with no other infected in the roof, I could only assume it was the first option. I moved away from the door to get some air. I waddled back to the open latch were I had come up and got down on my hands and knees, sticking my head through and gulping down the untainted air that was below me.
Emma, Ellis and Coach looked up at me.
"Jesus Eva, you look pale! Did yer see a ghost up there or summit?" Asked Ellis. I glanced over at him.
"No, ghosts don't smell like rotting flesh." I gagged. Ellis made a face. Emma moved over to Coach.
"Get me up there if you will, my good man." Emma said patting the butch man on his shoulders. Coach nodded and bent over slightly, knotting his fingers together to make a step. Emma placed her foot in the formation and jumped up as Coached threw his hands up. I moved back as Emma grabbed the sides of the hole. I grabbed her hand and pulled her up. She looked around. Her eyes fell on the rotting mother and her child. Her eyes flashed with fear thinking that they were infected and moving, but when the smell of decay floated over to her nostrils, she brought her hands to her mouth and wrenched like I did.
"What is it?" Called Coach from the floor below. Emma moved to the hole and breathed down it like I did.
"Bodies. Rotting. Dead. Horrible." Mumbled Emma as she ate up the air. Coach shook his head at us.
"You ladies shouldn't of saw that."
"Believe me, I'm not standing in line to see it again." I chuckled, still managing to find some dark humour in this like I always did. I had left the torch were it was. I moved over and picked it up, the smell still upsetting my stomach to the extent of swallowing back my stomach acid.
I shone my light at the corpses. The eyes had sunken in and turned to goo. My stomach grumbled unhappily at me as I carried on looking over the blown out brains on the wall. Nothing else was in the small room. I sighed and moved forward, kneeling in front of the bodies. I could now see there was a bite on the mother's neck. Guess I was right about getting infected. I hated always being right… Sometimes.
I looked over at the shining gun in the rotting hand. It looked the same make as my own Eagle. I felt bad as I pulled the claws away from the gun and looked over the ammo. Only two bullets were fired. I guess you can't miss at point blank range.
I turned back to Emma who was standing at the doorway. I stood and walked past her.
"Come on. There's nothing here and the smell is making my eyes water."
"Do you think… She did the right thing…?" Emma asked. I looked over my shoulder at her. She was staring at the child with worried eyes, then to me. I nodded.
"I think she did. I wouldn't want to eat my own child. It might have been selfish in a way… But still. They died together. That's all they could hope for in this wasted world."
Emma smiled thinly.
"You're getting deep again."
"Gurl, you have no idea. Now get a move on before I get poetic on your ass."
Emma chuckled softly and headed for the hole and jumped out of it. I looked back at the mother and child. My eyes drifted to the blankets I spotted earlier. I grabbed two and pulled them to the bodies. I grabbed the ankles of the mother and gently pulled her down. She let go of her child and let him roll away as I laid her on the floor. I moved the child back to her mother's side and wafted the sheets over them both. The blanket fell like snow onto the undisturbed pair. I turned my back to them and pulled the door to a close. Walking away from the room I sat down and pulled the attic's door onto my back. I look one glance at the door before jumping down to the floor below the door closing behind me, leaving the mother and child to an eternal sleep together.
I would like to think that even to my last breath, they stayed together. I don't want to know the secrets of that little room. But they weren't alone.
That's all you can wish for in a world of monsters trying to kill you.
Oh and zombies.
