Chapter Four
"Where do you think that chopper was headin'?" I asked Ellis, sitting patiently in a chair with my axe sitting in my lap as he reloaded his newly grabbed pump shotgun. After piling boxes and other heavy things in front of the door we came in through, we began to stock up for what was ahead of us. While the gun shop was our first target, we had to go somewhere after that.
" I reckon it's headed to the mall. There's an evacuation center there. Grab some weapons and I'll lead the way." He said, smiling to me with an air of authority. I looked on the table with a few weapons for something that could easily be dealt with. Finding nothing, I looked up at the others to see what they had gotten. Besides Nick, the others had grabbed two pistols. Coach followed Ellis and took a pump shotgun while Ro took the submachine gun. Nick simply reloaded his Silenced Submachine Gun and went with that. After that Coach sat down and started to wrap his wounds carefully with his med kit while the rest of us didn't need it. Finishing with his healing, Coach stood up with a sigh of relief as the discomfort was released and picked up another med kit.
It must have been the newly found adrenaline inside me, because I was just yearning to go outside, already in front of the door while everyone else got ready. Rochelle got done first, walking to me with an encouraging smile.
"I'm here, I'm with ya." She whispered to me. Feeling safe and protected with those words, I smiled back, and then opened the door. As soon as the door was flung open zombies turned to see what the commotion was about. Blood pumping in my ears, I ran forward with my axe raised high and ready to strike my victims. I began to slash away at them while my teammates began to take out the ones on the side of me. After taking out the immediate ones I looked around to see how the others were holding up. I turned just in time to see Nick whip around from the fence, where zombies were climbing, and looked around in horror.
"Can you hear that?" I heard him say. Worriedly I looked around; if something got the con man scared you know it's bad. The others however didn't pause to help him search for the haunting noise that only he could hear. But it soon wouldn't be just him…Nick's eyes widened in terror at something behind me and yelled, raising his gun immediately. "Hunter!"
I felt the pain before anything else. Immediately my hand grasped my shoulder, and I felt the sticky liquid overflow between my fingers. Tears stung my eyes but I realized I felt angrier than pained. The IDIOT fucking SHOT ME!
"THANK YOU! I needed to get rid of blood somehow!" I shouted, still not removing my hand. Ellis looked over and saw the blood on my hand, starting to run towards me.
"Whoa Nick, wow man what the hell you shoot her for?" He started saying, taking the advantage of the zombies realizing their defeat and retreating a little deeper into the streets we walked out on, to look at my wound. Not being an expert, I knew it wasn't too bad, but damn it was bleeding a lot and it HURT. However you could tell that the bullet just grazed it, but fuck it scared the CRAP out of me!
"If you'd looked out, you wouldn't get hit!" Nick shouted back, aiming it at me. That crossed the line. I felt my face go hot with fury.
"LOOK? YOU DIDN'T GIVE A RATS ASS THAT I WAS IN THE WAY! YOU WERE JUST SCARED OUT OF YOUR FUCKING MIND THAT YOU DECIDED TO SHOOT, NO MATTER WHO GOT HURT DOIN' IT!" I screamed, which was a very bad idea. Even now I could hear the yells of maddened zombies and feel the ground start to shake with the many feet pounding on it. While Coach and Rochelle were getting ready for the hoard, Ellis, Nick and I were still not done with the event that just happened.
"Whatever." Nick said in response to what I said. When Ellis took out his med kit to patch up my minor wound, Nick walked up and snatched it away from him. "Gimme that, let a professional do it…knowing you, you'd just do it wrong and end up killing her."
Ellis looked at Nick in shock, but didn't argue. The hurt in his eyes was enough for me to snap. I pushed the med kit away when he attempted to get close to me. "Don't touch me!"
Nick stared, bewildered, for a few seconds before I got tired of looking at him and turned away. Walking in the direction of the hoard that still hadn't registered in my brain; I could hear Nick yell after me. "FINE! BE A BABY AND DIE FOR ALL I CARE! BUT DON'T COME CRYING TO ME WHEN IT GETS INFECTED AND IT'LL HAVE TO BE AMPUTATED!"
I raised my middle finger at him without turning to face him before being swallowed inside the hoard.
"Alright, so what in Hell's name happened back there?" Coach demanded. We were all sitting in blue tents at the end of the street. Just getting done with clearing the area, we decided to take a small rest, especially with how injured Ellis and I were. I felt stupid, which was why I denied the first aid from Rochelle, saying it would be wasting one. She disagreed, saying if I didn't take it I'd lag behind and they'd have to wait for me. I didn't like that idea any better, so I let her heal me without complaint and she had currently gone back down to the safe house with Ellis real fast to grab two more first aids. While we held out for their return, Coach patiently waited for an explanation. Knowing how idiotic I had been, I didn't really want to admit it to the guy who reminds me of my old P.E teacher, who was also the foot ball coach. I wasn't quite sure why Nick wasn't bragging how stupid I was being, but one of us had to say it, and it was obviously not going to be him. Sighing I explained to Coach about the little "incident" between Nickie and me. He listened without talking until I reached the end.
"Well, child, I understand why you were mighty upset at the man." When he said this he shot a glare at Nick, who avoided his penetrating gaze. "But runnin' off like that coulda gotten you killed. Now promise me you won't go and do somethin' like that again, okay, youn'en?" I nodded.
Before any of us could blink, I felt something slimy across my waist and throat. Before I could even act I lurched out of my seat and was dragged across the cement at alarming speed towards the same mutated thing that had grabbed Ellis before. The tongue was tight against my throat, cutting off air. I managed to scream out "SMOKER HA-" before the tongue tightened ever so much to make the rest falter into nothing. I watched helplessly as I was dragged out of view of my teammates, struggling against the tongues grip on me to try and let myself breathe. As if picked up from a strong force, my body was forced in a standing position. What came next nothing could prepare me for. Sharpened finger nails started slashing their way at my skin, trying desperately to rip the clothing protecting my backside. I tried to scream but it turned out to be nothing but a choked gurgle. Twisting and turning I tried to get away from it, but it didn't take long for it to claw its way to my bare back and rip it away. Shutting my eyes I prayed for it to end, and finally in what seemed like hours it did. The grip on my throat turned feeble and fell away, but the tiny weight against my waist sent me down with the now dead body. The green smoke that filled the air was putrid, causing me to cough violently as I looked around for my savior. Out of the green mist a hand was extended to me, and I was surprised to see it was Nick's smirk I saw. I took his hand and he pulled me up, patting my shoulder slightly.
"Really saved me…thanks…" I muttered. He grunted, smirk still in place. The smirk was a strange smirk. It wasn't the kind where you wanted to slap him so hard the smirk would go away, it was the kind that you could live with and at the same time feel a strange mysteriousness emitting from it.
The other three had caught up with us now, Coach panting as he tried to catch up.
"Let's get a move on." Nick said indifferently, like nothing had happened. Coach stared at him as he walked away down the hill, but just shrugged. We had already secured this little area, wiping out all the zombies up and down the hill. Ellis dawdled a bit, looking for things we could use to help.
"Got some frag rounds here!" he shouted out after jumping out of a truck, putting the explosive ammo on the ground for everyone else to reach. While everyone else was grabbing this he moved back to the truck and seized a bottle of pain pills, putting them in the pocket of his coveralls.
All of a sudden we heard soft sobs coming from an unmistakable little girl. We looked around, our guns lowered so we didn't scare anything.
"Someone's still alive…" I whispered. We walked down the hill carefully, trying to lighten our steps to better hear the crying. Finding the source didn't take too long, as a girl with white dank hair and pale skin that glistened in the sun light. She held her head in obvious pain, wearing white ragged clothing. Ellis walked forward to try and ease her.
"C'mon girly it'll be alrigh' we can help ya!" he said in a calming voice, a reassuring smile on his lips. A low growl started to come from the girl as she slowly moved her hands away from her face, revealing eyes red like the devil.
"ELLIS! Leave the witch alone!" Nick commanded, grabbing the back of Ellis' shirt and pulling him back. The witch didn't stop growling, and moved her arms to the side as she snarled and we could see her fingers were actually long sharp claws. Not wanting to take the chance, Nick aimed at her and shot her, expecting her to die just as easily as the others do. Screaming at the top of her lungs, she rushed forwards with her arms out stretched longingly for Nick's blood. He started to run, and the others began to shoot her, trying desperately to kill her before she could reach him. With my heart pumping loud in my chest, I ran forward after her, feeling bullets streak past me as I raised my axe. Mustering all the strength I could, I flung the axe towards her, knowing I'd never be able to catch up with her. The axe and many bullets that entered her body was finally too much for her to handle. Howling in pain she fell to her knees, lifting her head to look up at the sky one more time before falling onto her side in a lifeless stain of red. Breathing heavily, Nick put his hands on his knees and leaned forward. I felt like I couldn't breathe at all, no matter how hard I tried to. The shock of what happened was almost too much to bear. Things were going by way too quickly, just this morning I was waking up to the building on fire, and the night before I was holding my mother and accepting her gift. Thinking about this made me reach up to make sure the necklace was still there, and it was. I tried to think more but I knew I couldn't, we had things to do and it wasn't safe here. Prepared for anything, they had their guns up, ready to shoot anything that moved. I stayed in the middle, my hands gripping the axe so tightly my knuckles went white.
We walked inside a building next to a couple parked cars and went inside. Wordlessly we walked down a couple small flights of stairs to see a couple zombies next to a propane tank. Coach shot the tank and the zombies were flown across the room, an arm nearly hitting me across the face. Ellis walked forward and without needing to go down the other flight of stairs he shot the last zombie mercilessly before it could run up to us. I followed close behind him, feeling slightly out of place without him. From the doorway we could hear gross gurgling sounds that made anyone want to puke.
"Boomer!" Rochelle called and lifted her gun to shoot something outside the doorway that Coach, Ellis and I couldn't see. When it exploded, us three were too close and were smothered with puke and boomer guts. We stumbled backwards, and I gagged.
"That is BEYOND nasty!" I screamed, but horror gripped me as I heard the hurried footsteps of the infected, obviously attracted to the boomer puke. Ellis pushed me up against the wall, standing in front of me while trying his best to wipe the goo out of his eyes. Afraid to do the same if something came up and attacked, I tried my best to see through it, which proved almost impossible. I could just see shapes as they moved around near the doorway and shot away at what I assumed were infected. A few minutes past and the screeching had stopped as the last of the zombies were killed. Finally I lifted my hand up and rubbed at my eyes, trying my hardest to pretend it was just water.
Walking outside we went down another tiny stair case to the street, right above our heads was what looked like the beginnings of a bridge foundation. Killing stray zombies wondering down the road we walked under one of the bridges next to a van and saw a small clearing obscured by trees and bushes. Ellis jumped onto a car next to the fence and kneeled down on one knee, shooting zombies he could see through the brush. Nick and Rochelle stayed close to the car he sat upon, killing stray zombies he missed. Looking around I found Coach limping towards us. Curiosity and concern forced me to go over to him.
"Um, sir? Are you okay?" I asked. I called him "sir" because Coach sounded a little…to informal-and for just meeting and my polite upbringing, it just wouldn't do. He grinned up at me.
"Oh I'ma fine, youn'en. My knee here just a little stiff…" he explained, stretching out his left leg. Nodding in understanding, I take my pain pills and hand them to him.
"Here, this might help…" before he could reject them I give him an encouraging smile, which he returns and takes a couple pills before standing up straight and walking back with me. We didn't reach them yet when we heard the disgusting sound of someone getting ready to hurl a spit ball.
"Fire spit coming!" Nick shouted but it was too late for the three of them to move. Ellis jumped high in the air, falling off of the car with a yelp and landing on his side.
"ELLIS!" I screamed, trying to run forward but Coach grabbed my shoulder, pulling me back. Rochelle and Nick finally made it out, cursing the pain. Ellis couldn't get up.
"HEEEEEELP!" he yelled. After what seemed like forever the spit faded and entered the ground, making passage to Ellis clear. Rushing forward I gently take his arm and steady him as he began to pick himself up, his face white as a sheet.
"I'm here now, I'm here now, you're gonna be okay!" I assured as he straightened up the best he could. Coach stepped behind me, holding his first aid kit. Shuffling awkwardly backwards, Ellis hovered his hand protectively over his shoulder, eyeing Coach's first aid kit.
"Stop squirming, I'm gonna heal ya." Coach said, taking a grip hold on Ellis' other shoulder. While Coach tended to Ellis, I looked around for the other two. I found them already over the fence separating the grass from cement, shooting something I couldn't see. Once Ellis' shoulder was securely wrapped, we walked on to the rest of them and found the spitter they had been shooting at.
"Nice work!" Coach complimented, looking down at the deformed fat dead lady at his feet with his head slightly tilted to the side. Moving through the brush was a little hard, twigs kept snagging my hair, but it was a small area and we were on the other side before long. Jumping over the fence again we took care of roaming zombies before looking for supplies. Finding nothing, we walked down the road for a little bit before coming across a cement truck with a ladder on the side. One by one we climbed up and the others knelt as they shot away at zombies, while I watched our backs.
"IS THIS THING HUMPING ME?" I suddenly heard, and turning around I was nearly knocked over by Ellis; who was being driven away by a jockey. "GET HIM OFF GET HIM OFF!" the jockey forced him off of the truck, and I was amazed to see Ellis was still standing. Jumping down, I ran after him and knocked the jockey in the back of the head with the handle of my axe. When it fell off Ellis' head I swung my axe, decapitating it. Turning around Ellis muttered short thanks before blowing a zombie that was heading for us both.
"Y'all okay?" Coach asked, jumping down also. Before we could answer I watched as a stealthy charger ran into Coach, knocking him sideways. I realized too late who it was after. The wind was knocked out of me and I gasped for air. A strong hand encircled my stomach completely in a death-tight grip. I felt myself being lifted into the air.
"HELP! HELP! IT'S GOT ME!" I screamed, but if help was approaching it couldn't save me from being pounded into the ground with so much strength I thought I felt something break. Agonizing pain ran across my body and involuntarily a shriek escaped my mouth. The air rippled as I was lifted again, my body limply begging to be dropped. Another slam to the ground and a million crumbles throughout the bone structure within me. It ended there though. I wasn't lifted again, and I was thankful to rest there for a moment to try and suckle the air around me like a vacuum cleaner. Breathing was hard to do with a burning liquid filling my mouth, and it terrified me to feel how sticky and warm it was. Dimly I recognized my name being called, but I couldn't move. Everything hurt. Anger and distress screamed in my head when an unknown force tried to drag me off of the ground.
"Jean! Jean! Look at me!" surrendering I obeyed and gazed up into the adorable face written with worry, black blotches scattering my vision. "Look at me…you're gonna be okay…" who he was trying to convince was a mystery to me, but I let him pull me from the ground without complaint. The stinging liquid remained in my mouth, forcing me to cough violently. Removing my hand, sluggishly I realized the reddish liquid was my blood.
"Jeanie? Are you all right?" Rochelle asked, racing forward with Nick close on her heels. Unable to answer, I just bob my head up and down as I swerved on the spot, holding my mouth loosely to prevent blood spilling out. Pushing everyone aside, Nick stepped in front of me and examined me, first aid kit in his hands.
"Let Dr. Nick fix ya up…" he muttered, turning to the others slightly to glare at them and understandingly they walked a little ways to give us privacy. In a whisper he said to me, "Now don't tell the other's I'm doing this…I'm only doing this for you." Grinning to myself drunkenly I try and find a hint of sarcasm, but I couldn't find any.
"Yes, Dr." I murmured, forcing myself to swallow the accumulated blood in my mouth. He grinned slightly and went to work.