Chapter 6

As soon as Chris and Leon walked into the room, Claire called for the group's attention. "I will now read the schedule we have arranged." Cory turned to Cea Jay as if to say, Schedule? "First, we will stay here one more night. We will spend tomorrow preparing our plans, and we leave first thing tomorrow night." Cory gulped. The though of them leaving during the night didn't make him feel any more comfortable than what he already was. Claire saw Cory and observed the fear in his eyes. She walked over to him. "Don't worry; night isn't much different from day after all," Claire said in a comforting voice. Cory looked at her. "Why would you say that Claire?" he replied nervously. Chris searched the closet and threw out a sleeping bag, two mattresses, some blankets, and an inflatable air mattress. After so kindly passing out all of these items, he jumped onto Killen's large and yelled "Mine!" Jill walked over to the bed. "I call the right side." She stretched and jumped onto the bed. Chris got in on the left and looked at the group. "We're just saving space!" he said nervously. He laid back and pressed his head on the pillow. Rebecca could see them holding hands, Chris' massaging Jill's. Rebecca nearly burst out laughing. Claire grabbed the inflatable mattress and blew air into it. When it finished inflating, she took a blanket and hopped on. Leon lifted the mattress and put it a few feet next to her, their mattresses placed in front of the bed. Mike walked over to hold the sleeping bag. He settled in to the right of Jill. Cory folded three blankets to make a floor-bed and plopped down against it. Cea Jay, seeing that there was no more supplies, headed for Killen's guest room. In it were two separate single beds. He motioned for Rebecca to follow. She walked around and slipped under the covers as Cea Jay dropped his shotgun and reached for his own bed. He snuggled warmly under the soft blanket. Mike got out of the sleeping bag and closed the door. "Goodnight everyone." He flipped the white light switch on the wall and the room went semi dark thanks to the moonlight. He got back in his sleeping bag and fell asleep.

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Mike was running fast, hard, beads of sweat trickling down his face. He dashed around a street corner and into a dark alley. He was holding a magnum revolver and felt it's weight. It suddenly got heavier and heavier until he couldn't hold it anymore. He fell through the floor and heard groaning. He turned around and saw an army of zombies shuffling towards him. He immediately began to shoot. Miraculously, he had an endless supply of ammo and he didn't even have to reload. He actually stopped all of the hungry zombies dead in their tracks. As he ran further the veil of darkness in front of him disappeared. He saw Cory looking at him with terrified eyes. He was running away from something. Mike, heart pounding, stepped forward into the shroud of blackness. Cory looked at him in an even more fearful way and stepped forward. What Mike saw next made his jaw drop open. Cory was running away from his dad. Mike ran to his dad smiling with relief. Everything was okay. Until his dad's skin turned orange-pale. He grew tentacles and his face was twisted into a hideous form. An extra arm ripped from his back and large veins emerged through his flesh. Large cuts and blood stains covered his body. It reached out and grabbed Cory. Cory looked at Mike and reached out his hand. His eyes were wide with sheer terror. Mike's former dad shoved a large clawed straight into Cory's chest. Cory fell gagging to the floor. He stopped breathing and a river of blood was flowing from his wounds. Mike was swept away by the river and crashed into a wall. He looked up and saw the creature standing there. It lifted him into the air. "Father." Mike whispered. "Father," he said louder. "Father! Fatherrrrrrrrr!"

Mike shot up sweating in his sleeping bag gasping for air. He looked around and saw a thick beam of moonlight penetrating the glass window. When he was about to go back ton sleep he noticed something moving. Mike cautiously looked around the corner, holding the Desert Eagle firmly in his hand, the butt of the gun dripping with sweat. As he further examined the object, he found it to be Claire shuffling around in her air bed, her arm draped around Leon (his mattress was now closer) while her head rested on his shoulder. Relieved, Mike laid back and began to rest again. Then he felt something moving around him. The creature began to grasp his shoulder. Mike grabbed his gun in one swift motioned and spun around. He aimed at the shadowy figure and then quietly put the gun back under his pillow. The shadowy figure was Leon. "Listen," Leon said quietly. "About me and Claire. It's not what it seems. Claire really needs support, but I'm really not ready to actually give her support in that kind of manner. You can not say a word about what you saw!" Mike made a crossing motion across his chest. "I won't say a word." He shuffled about and finally laid down as Leon walked back to his mattress. He was afraid to go back to sleep.

******

The fresh morning sunlight gleamed into the room, illuminating everything in a golden glow. Mike woke up and looked around. He walked over to Cory. Cory grumbled some words that Mike couldn't hear very well as Mike shook him on the shoulder. Cory stood up and stretched. "Well you're up early. And this whole time I thought I was a chicken." Mike laughed and then replied "Sorry, that's a rooster!" Cory glared at him for proving him wrong. Mike threw on his S.T.A.R.S. jacket and put the Desert Eagle in his belt. He looked at the bed and walked over to Chris' side. "Get up!" Chris jolted upwards and jumped out of the bed, running fast to get his T-shirt and supplies. Mike pretended to tap an imaginary watch on his wrist. Chris sighed and jumped onto the bed. He shook Jill. "Come on now, get up!" Jill yawned and shuffled out of the bed. She walked over to Chris and handed him a gun. "Under your pillow." It was a Magnum revolver much like Mike's. Killen must have kept it for self-defense purposes. Chris patted her on the back. "Thanks." Next Mike walked over to Leon (Who was now a few feet from Claire) and lightly prodded him with his foot. Leon moaned and woke up sulkily. Claire yawned, and without any help from the others woke up. "Good morning!" she said in a slightly cheerful manner. She walked over to Leon and said "Morning Leon." Leon rolled his eyes at Mike who once again made the crossing motion. Rebecca walked in followed by Cea Jay. Cea Jay immediately walked over to Mike to say "Good Morning," while Rebecca walked towards Chris and Jill to say hello. Leon approached Mike as he was describing the dream to Cory. "Then a river of blood swept me away and my father picked me up as I begged for mercy. then I was awake and nearly shot Leon." Cory nodded like he understood the dream. Leon couldn't help but ask, "Cory, how can you nod if it was only his a dream?" Cory looked at him and started to tell him the truth about their past.