Chapter 8

Zombies and Deadites and…?

Why do I have to be here again of all places? Krueger…you son of a bi-

The thought cut off suddenly in Jill's head as she looked all around her, unable to run through any of the crowds for fear of becoming one of them. She couldn't afford that to even attempt to happen again. But there was nothing she could do. She had a combat knife, sure, but what good would that do with zombies on all sides?

Then she heard a vile screeching noise above her. Jill looked up with a start, seeing many dark, harpy-like creatures flying around the crowds. The zombies paid no attention as they called in voices like fingernails on a chalkboard, "We'll swallow your soul! We'll swallow your soul!" Jill's gaze then returned to the combat knife she held in her hand. It was her only chance to take one of them with her. She hurled it at one of the strange creatures, nailing it straight in the eye with a triumphant laugh. But it soon turned to a scream of horror as the harpy's eye spit it out like a mouth spit out sunflower seeds.

Both of the flying creatures dive-bombed toward her as the zombies closed in—

-only to explode in a bloody mess as a seemingly giant boom sounded, followed by the sound of a motorized tool running. Through the rotting haze, she could make out blood and zombie parts flying as someone – Jill couldn't tell if it was male or female at this point – buzzed through them with what looked like a chainsaw, shooting at a few with a double-barreled Remington.

The buzzing got closer, and Jill, shaking with relief as a glimmer of hope showed up on the other end of the tunnel, could now tell that her savior was a male…and a rather good-looking one, at that. He was built almost as strong as Chris, and about as tall. He had unkempt black hair, a somewhat-grizzled face, and was wearing a blue button-down with jeans to match. Both of these were red with the blood of zombies and those creatures, and he was wearing a back holster buckled around his pecs. His left hand held the shotgun, while his right was replaced with a very powerful chainsaw.

"Hey! Over here! Get me out of here!" Normally Jill wouldn't have needed help, but she had nothing to defend herself with; this wasn't her territory anymore. He managed to see her through the crowd with blue-green eyes that were bright, but gaunt at the same time, and continued with the cutting and shooting of the zombie crowd. In another 10 minutes that seemed like eternity, it was all over.

It was only then that the man turned to Jill, his eyes drilling into hers.

"Lady, I'm gonna have to ask you to return to your home", he said in an idiosyncratic, somewhat deep voice.

"Go home, my ass", Jill replied in indignantly. "I'm in this just as much as you, buddy. Who the hell are you, anyway?"

"Who wants to know?"

"Jill Valentine, BSAA, former S.T.A.R.S. member, wants to know." The words had a clear effect on him, but not what she was hoping. She thought he'd back down and apologize, but that wasn't what came.

"Well, hello, Ms. Fancy-Pants", the man retorted. "Take it from Ash, if you're leading anything right now, it's jack and shit…and Jack left town."

Just then, another harpy-like abomination came flying down with a cry of "I'll swallow your soul!" The man who called himself Ash seemingly had no idea it was coming, either. Jill glanced up to signal it out to him, but by that time, he had his shotgun, over his shoulder, pointed behind him right in its face, and said, "Swallow ithis/i." With a shot from the Remington, the harpy's face was turned into nothing but a bloody mush.

Twirling the shotgun around his hand a few times, then holstering it back, Ash said, "Look, I don't think now's the time for a power struggle. We've got bigger problems going on here." "So I've noticed", Jill replied, looking around. "I just ended up here after me and Chris fell asleep, we got separated after we got here, and…" She trailed off, not daring to think negative anymore.

"You love him, don't you?" The comment made Jill turn back to Ash with a smirk. "Maybe I do, smart guy. What makes you think that?"

"Well, the way you were talking about him, baby cakes", Ash replied. Jill had to admit, this guy had nerve, but now it was her turn to call it off.

"Sorry if you're lonely and available…Ash…but like you said, we've got bigger problems here." And together they headed off into the dark.

Keeping as close to Rebecca Chambers as he possibly could be, Jacob walked on with her right next to him. Granted, he knew she'd survived Raccoon City, but this was a whole new world for her…even if it had been transformed into Raccoon City. There were still unknown…ithings/i out there that she hadn't even dreamed of.

Hearing the ever distant moans of zombies, as well as distant gunshots and buzzing that could've only been Ash-hole (that was his name for him), Jacob could only hope everyone else was doing alright.

It was then that his gaze turned to Rebecca, seeing her shake but trying desperately hard not to show it. Obviously she thought that she'd never go through this horror ever again. Jacob, in an attempt to comfort her, put his left arm gently around her shivering shoulders. She look at the hand that hung loosely around her neck, and gently held it with her own right hand, wrapping her other arm around him.

Jacob didn't let himself be surprised; even though she was 5 years his senior, he felt that they needed to stick by each other equally. "It'll be alright, Rebecca. When it's your dream, you're in control."

"I'm not worried about Krueger coming after me, Jacob", Rebecca answered back, and Jacob stopped his pace, easily stopping Rebecca as well. They looked into each other's eyes, mahogany looking down into forest green, and Jacob asked, "What are you afraid of, Rebecca?" At this she inched a bit closer, he feeling her heartbeat against his chest, and answered.

"I'm hoping that our friends will survive…and…" "I know", Jacob whispered, and they head each other so close, it felt like they were trying to meld into one another. But she wasn't planning on being stopped, as she looked back up at him and finished, "…and I'm afraid that I'll lose you in the process." At this a slightly stunned expression, slightly intensified by Rebecca's slender, warm hand on his cheek, walked across Jacob's face. He could only go with what was happening as Rebecca's face moved in.

As her lips barely came against his at first, he could only feel a sense of dangerous, yet wonderful, sereneness at what was happening, and he returned the kiss with full-on force, encoiling her in both of his arms this time. If only this wasn't a dream…and yet, everything that happens in one follows you out, he thought as they both took a short breath before their lips met once again.

Yet it had barely started again, when they heard the deep cackle that both of them hated so much. They broke off, but still in each others' arms, and looked around nervously. At first Jacob couldn't see anything, but then he saw his trademark: 4 talons were curved around a nearby 'lamppost' as Freddy stalked out from behind it, his red and green sweater seeming to glimmer from the ghoulish light twenty-odd feet away. Rebecca finally let go of Jacob, and they both tensed, ready for anything.

"What a touching moment we have here. Ain't that right, Jacob?"

"Damn straight. Now why don't you leave before the audience gets ticked off?"

"I was just about to tell you the same thing", Freddy retorted, and the shadow he cast off lengthened until it went upright, right in front of them. Shadow-Freddy's claw dived for them, but they both jumped away, Rebecca landing in a heap on the street.

"How 'bout I show you what real dream power can do?" Jacob's call-out had gone down an octave, up an octave…everywhere and nowhere at once as Freddy's claws on his glove elongated, curved, wrapped around its owner, so tight he couldn't get out. Krueger struggled to free himself from his claws, but they refused to budge from their coiled position.

"Now", Rebecca said as she got up and walked toward Krueger, "that's what I call wrapped up." Jacob looked down at her, and, smiling warm-heartedly, said, "Horrible pun, Rebecca."

"Like you could do better", she retorted.