"Be back in a tick," Mike said, turning and leaving the four girls of the group in the now pretty empty living room to go check on Chad and Nick's progress with the absolutely wonderful task of cleaning up the kitchen.
The pair hadn't been seen in a good amount of time, the entire time Mike and the girls had been barracading the house and Mike wondered if the two of them were making any headway at all. The job hadn't been a very pleasant one, and Mike was thankful that Nick didn't seem care that it was Mike who had caused it by blowing two of the horrific creatures straight back to hell.
Mike strolled through the very quiet house that had formerly belonged to people Mike hadn't even known; people Mike had actually killed, or maybe more accuretly put out of their misery. Mike proceeded on his way to the kitchen in complete silence. This allowed him to become lost in his own thoughts, as silence often does to a person.
First on his list of things to think about, was just how this day had been. In retrospect, there was quite possibly no other way that this day could've been more fucked up. Actually, Mike conceded to himself, it probably could've been. This day getting any worse wasn't' a very happy or fun thought. Well, Mike thought, some good had come out of it. Nick had kept his promise and had lead the 'team' if it could be called that to a successful rescue of Molly.
Molly. Mike's thoughts then strayed to his girlfriend; how much he loved her, how happy he was that she was okay. In fact, Mike broadened with satisfaction at the thought that there were indeed seven of them alive. Seven of perhaps the whole world. It hadn't occurred to Mike that they could be the last seven actual people on the planet, but it seemed highly unlikely. If seven teen aged kids could survive in this bullshit, then a lot of other people could as well. Though Nick had stated that the frame of mind they needed to have is that they were the only survivors. It would help keep them alive thinking the worst. It wasn't very good moral boosting thought, but it would improve survival chances thinking that there was no on to count on but yourself and the six others.
Mike sighed to himself, now thinking of his family, his parents more specifically. His mother who worked in the auto industry as some sort of consultant, and his dad, who as Mike stated earlier, was a high ranking officer in the armed forces, a branch of which no one seemed to know. Some sort of classified thing. He was a colonel, last time Mike had checked.
The big teen wondered if his parents had survived. Actually, he wondered, spreading the thought out, if any of this group's parents had survived. Mike already was aware that Molly's mother was the only confirmed parent casualty. Nick had told him that news with a grim face after one of the several distressing phone conversations with Molly before her rescue.
Now Mike's thoughts drifted to his best friends on the planet, Nick and Chad. The three were all going to hang out and play Halo or some other mind destroying video game after school today, and generally just chill out and talk about life, or something else along those lines. That was one of the great things about hanging with such close friends, it didn't matter what you did, the good conversation always remained.
Actually, Mike conceded to himself once again, maybe this day had been as good at it could've possibly been. If this thing, this... outbreak was going to happen no matter what; if there was no stopping it, this group had got off easy. Mike couldn't have picked a more preferable group of people then the people he was already with. Sure, he hadn't even known Ashley, Tracy or Ali before this morning, but they had proved reliable enough. And friendly enough; that was a big plus.
Mike approached the kitchen of the house, the house that until this morning had been occupied buy Ashley's aunt, uncle and cousins, or something like that, and voices drifted from the open kitchen door. The sudden sound cut off Mike's considerable thought chain, as he reached the door and looked inside immediately spotting Nick and Chad.
The pair looked absolutely ridiculous. They wore black garbage bags on their legs, which were bonded with what looked like duck tape the their mid thighs, and they wore yellow rubber kitchen gloves, usually used to wash dishes, or clean bathrooms and the like.
Chad held a snow shovel in his hand, and had just swept up a considerable amount of blood with it, and had put he into a huge dark green garbage can that was placed in the center of the room.
There were several body parts sticking out of the trash can. Mike glanced quickly to the side of the room, where a blue tarp which looked like it had something wrapped in it, was layed.
It was only after Mike was there for several moments when Nick and Chad noticed his presence.
"Sup, holmes?" Chad gave a weak smile of greeting.
Nick only nodded his greeting has he put what looked like a man's arm into the garbage can.
"Oh, uh... I'm good. Yourselves?" Mike replied, trying not to laugh.
Oh, y'know, we're just fuckin' dandy, man," Chad said, "No, dude, how the fuck do you think we are?", Chad also had to struggle not to smile and keep the facade of frustration up.
It was at this point that Mike started laughing, "You guys look ridiculous," he maneged to say between heavy laughter.
"Hey man, fuck you! You wanna come in here and do this shit?" Chad waved the snow shovel around the room for added emphasis.
Mike shook his head, "Hell no, you're on your own."
"Oh thanks, buddy," Chad replied, smiling now, "Anyway, I'm winning the puking contest."
Mike raised an eyebrow, "Oh really? How many times of you puked?"
Chad held up two fingers, "Twice!" he said, smiling with gusto as though proud of it.
Mike smiled, "And how many times has Nick puked?"
"None. There's something wrong with this kid, lemme tell ya," Chad replied, glancing at his best friend, who hadn't ceased working the whole time.
Nick finally entered the conversation, "Hey, don't give me too much credit here. I've gagged a couple of times."
"Yeah," Chad agreed, "He said he hasn't eaten anything today," Chad turned to Nick, "We had freakin' breakfast today! What the fuck do you mean you havn't eaten?"
"I told you, I don't eat in the morning. You had breakfast, I didn't," Nick replied, close to grinning, "You just don't notice shit."
"Well, aren't you hungry?" Mike cut in.
Nick looked around the room then up at Mike, "Well I was."
Mike and Chad both laughed at this comment.
It took a moment for the laughter to cease, "Well," Mike began, "How far along are you two?"
"Almost done," Nick replied, as Chad used the snow shovel to scoop up more loose blood and add in to the collection in the garbage can, "We got the woman's body which was basically in one piece in that tarp right there," Nick pointed to the tarp that Mike had spotted when he had entered the room. "And all the loose parts of that guy, Ashley's uncle, was it? Is in this garbage can with all the blood that we've collected so far... That folded tarp will be put across the floor when we're done," Nick pointed at a folded blue tarp on the other side of the kitchen as he finished his gruesome report with a question to Mike, "How's the house?"
Mike knew instantly what Nick was talking about, "It's secure. No one's getting in here without a fucking tank."
"Then let's hope they can't drive tanks," Nick said, "Where're the girls?"
Mike jerked his head slightly towards the living room, "They're all in the living room relaxing, or some such," Mike responded.
Nick nodded, "Alright, Mike. Please check all the barricades again, and add anything else you can. Just to be sure," Nick paused for a moment to think, "There's a T.V. upstairs," he said, remembering the first sweep they the group had done of the house, "In the master bedroom. After you're done double checking the barricades, please move everyone up there and see if anything's changed, would you?" Nick asked.
"Things better've motherfuckin' changed," Chad muttered, scooping more blood into the garbage can.
Mike nodded, "Yeah, sure," he said to Nick's request, "How long 'til you're done here?"
"Oh, I dunno," Nick said, "Seven to ten minutes, maybe? Just get all that done, and we'll meet y'all upstairs, alright?"
"Done," Mike said, "See ya in a few," Mike turned to leave.
"Oh, and Mike," Nick began as mike turned back to look at Nick, "Look around outside again for any of them. Don't let any of the girls look, just you. Other then that, make sure every blind is pulled, and every light turned off. Also make sure that that T.V. is turned way the fuck down. No noise from anyhing can be allowed, alright?"
Mike nodded, "You got it," he said, turning as he walked away, leaving his friends to finish their wonderful task.
There was a small pause before Chad looked at his best friend, "Y'know what Nick?"
"What, Chad?" Nick answered.
"This job fuckin' sucks my fuckin' balls all fuckin' night, okay?"
"Noted. You missed some blood over there..."
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Mike stepped back into the living room, and immediately saw that Tracy was in the chair that he had claimed, and the other three girls we sitting around in various spots on the living room floor.
They were all talking, and Mike was relieved that it looked like at least everyone was getting along, even if no one was having a good time.
All four noticed Mike's appearance and immediately quieted waiting for him to say something.
He didn't disappoint. Mike took a breath, "Alright, Nick said we double check all the barricades to make sure they'll hold, and then we all head upstairs where there's a T.V. and we see what's goin' on. Nick and Chad are almost done, and they'll join us up there once they are."
There was silence as the four girls absorbed the order.
With a quick burst of speed, Tracy hopped up from the recliner, and clapped her hands together as she headed for the house's front door, trying to raise some spirits as she went, "Alrighty then, let's get on that!"
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Chapter 22. Cool. Hope Im not boring anybody yet, as nothing too heart-racing has happened in some time.
Has anyone noticed that this whole story has so far taken place in a single day? And I got a ways to go on this day.
Hope everyone is still enjoying this, and I'm ever thankful for your support!
'Til next time!