Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me

Resident Evil: Guardian
Chapter 8
"For Luck"

Desperate for changing, starving for truth
I'm closer to where I started, I'm chasing after you

Forgetting all I'm lacking, completely incomplete
I'll take your invitation, you take all of me now

I'm falling even more in love with you
Letting go of all I've held on to
I'm standing here until you make me move
I'm hanging by a moment here with you
I'm living for the only thing I know
I'm running and not quite sure where to go
And I don't know what I'm diving into
Just hanging by a moment here with you

Lifehouse - "Hanging by a Moment"

I took a deep breath and locked eyes with my rivals across the table. LJ to my left, Carlos to my right, and Otto directly in front of me. Mikey, Chase and a few other gathered around us as spectators.

My eyes diverted from the others and instead down to my hands, I concentrated on the thin slates of paper that I held between my fingers. A small smile formed on my face as I registered the faded pictures that decorated the small slips of paper.

Perfect

I pretty much slammed my palm down on the table and grinned a full shit eating grin, as I lifted my hand, I saw Carlos catch sight of the contents that I held and saw his face slightly pale.

I continued to grin and my eyes traveled down to the cards that I laid face up on the table.

Ace of Clubs

Ace of Clovers

Ace of Hearts

4 Diamond

4 Clover

I had a Full House

There were a collection of whoops and a few claps, I saw LJ swore and joined Carlos in tossing out their poker hands. I laughed triumphantly and met Otto's gaze.

He was smiling.

"What's so funny?" I questioned a bit confused, then regained my wit. "The fact that I just kicked your ass?"

Otto shook his head and lowered his hand down on the table, "Nope" he said as my eyes glanced towards his set of cards. "The fact that I just kicked your ass!"

His cards consisted of a 6, 5, 4, 3, and 2 of Hearts.

He had a Straight Flush.

I did get my ass kicked

My face fell and the whole collection of spectators laughed their asses off. Carlos just shook his head and LJ gave Otto a high five while his face was red from laughter.

"And the moral of the story" said Otto as he collected his winnings from the poker game, "Never gloat about being an ass."

"Isn't that exactly what you're doing right now?" I countered.

"Perhaps…but it's okay since I was just giving you a taste of your own medicine." Otto shrugged.

"You bitch." Was my replied as I stood up ready to leave.

"Where you off to?" Mikey asked, still grinning from my defeat.

"Take a walk, maybe clean my rifle." I motioned over to the others at the table, "These guys cleaned me out"

"You be careful out there" Otto laughed, still savoring his victory, "Wouldn't want you to get bit by a zomboid"

Once before in the past, the convoy had a argument over what was the correct way to classify the legions of undead that now roam the Earth.

Myself and a few others had suggested the term "Zombie." It was short, sweet and to the point.

But no, apparently zombie just doesn't cut it. Nope, the term zombie just can't be taken seriously, not even when the evidence is happening right in front of your own eyes.

Zombies were and are forever to be labeled "fictional". These things, the things that rise from death and shamble the planet for the flesh of the living were real. It was just by mere coincidence that they have the same characteristics of a zombie.

So by giving them the term Zomboids: a being that shares similar traits to that of a fictional undead zombie, it makes them sound so much more scientific and proper.

Honestly, there's enough bullshit there to fill a pool.

"If I do, you're going to be the first to get killed by me." I called out to him as I walked away.

Surprisingly enough, Salt Lake City wasn't as infested as any of us thought, sure there was one swarm and the occasional Z here or there, but other than that, nothing. We set up camp in a residential neighborhood in the outskirts of the city, the town was rundown and part of it was covered by sand though, it reminded me once again that this virus not only kills life but the also kills the planet itself.

I guess Al Gore was right…kinda

As I walked, I passed Claire's hummer on my way and decided to drop by.

"Sup" I asked as I poked my head through the side window.

Claire had her focus on a map of what I guess is the state of Utah when I dropped in, she set the map down and sighed.

"Just trying to figure out where we are heading to next" she said while rubbing her temples stressfully.

"Not as easy as it sounds I take it"

"You have no idea…she's not here you know" Claire said and I raised my brow.

"What? Who?" I questioned, clueless.

"Kmart." Claire stated simply.

I frowned, "Since when am I only going around, looking for K?"

Claire had a slight smirk on her face, "Well if that's not the case, then what are you doing over here?"

"Uh" I stuttered and her smirk grew, "Oh shut up!" I said for I couldn't think of anything else to say.

Claire shook her head and pulled out a small box, after checking the box's contents, her features pulled up into a scowl and she threw the container out the window.

"Dammit" She muttered

"Something wrong?" I asked

"No smokes" Was her reply, frown evident.

I thought for a moment then searched through my pants pockets, eventually I found what I was looking for, a fresh pack of cigarettes I found before.

"Here" I said tossing them over to Claire, who caught them, surprised.

She looked at the pack wide eyed, "Where'd you get these?"

"Found' em" I lied, while we were playing poker, LJ pissed me off so I stole a pack of smokes from him. It wasn't mean, it was revenge.

Claire mumbled a thanks and quickly tore open the box and lit a cancer-stick, she took a deep breath and seemed to savor the smoke immensely.

As she continued to ruin her lungs, my eyes darted around for sight of something to catch my interest.

Or more like someone.

"So…" I started, "If she's not here, then where?"

Claire looked up from her smoke and released a sly smile.

"Please don't, just answer the question"

She nodded amused.

"She said she was going out to look for some electrical wire"

I raised an eyebrow, "Electrical Wire?"

Claire shrugged, "She likes using wire to make her charm bracelets."

Another brow raised, "Why's she making another one? Doesn't she have like ten?"

Claire had on one of those smiles that said "I know something you don't!"

"Why don't you ask her?" She motioned toward my humvee and I opened my mouth to question, but shook it off and started towards my truck.

As I neared, Kmart jumped out of my humvee, how she got a key to unlock it, I'll never know.

"Hi" she said cheerfully.

"Hey" I said, "Were you waiting for me?"

She bit her lip and suddenly the ground became very interesting for her.

"mmhmm" she mumbled quietly. "I kinda, uh, got you…something"

My eyes widen and my mouth curled into a smile.

"Really?" I chuckled

That chuckle must have lifted Kmart's spirits, she looked up to meet my eyes and smiled herself.

"Yep, let me see your wrist." I stuck it out and she took it, then started to fiddle with something, overlapping it on my wrist. In a minute, she was done and I got view of what she had given to me.

It was a bracelet, one of her custom made wire bracelets. This one was decorated with three separate colors, Green, Red, and Blue, all spaced out in a square like pattern.

Out of all the colors in the rainbow, those three were my favorites. How did she know…?

"Whoa" I said finally I looked towards Kmart who was literally holding her breath, nervously awaiting my reaction.

I smiled and opened my arms wide for a hug, she accepted and I felt her release her nervous breath.

"I made it…for luck" She said

"Luck? For what?" I asked

She pulled out of the hug a little bit so that there was eye contact.

"Well duh" she said smirking but then her voice went soft, "There's a lot of dangers out there. I just…I don't want to see you get…" Kmart's voice failed her and I pulled her into another hug, this one a bit tighter than the last.

"I won't" I reassured her, "There's no need to worry"

"Promise?" Her voice was…dammit, there was just something there! In her voice, something that just made me want to breakdown and cry my eyes out.

Jesus Nathan, you have it bad, really, really bad.

"I promise" I answered and her head raised, our eyes locked, and suddenly our faces began to close the distance between. My head lowered and I couldn't stop it, we're just barley inches apart now…

Oh god, thank you! Thank yo-

"NATHAN!" A very pissed off voice called forth and broke the two of us from our trance. Kmart jumped away blushing like mad and I think I felt my legs shake.

"YOU DICK!" I looked behind us and found LJ rushing towards me. I guess he found out about the stealing incident.

"Perfect fucking timing" I muttered to myself and then looked to Kmart.

"Sorry, gotta go." I apologized

"It's ok" She said with a forced smile, I could tell it was a fake smile, she was…disappointed.

I couldn't dwell on the thought for long since LJ had just about reached me by then. I started running, and surprisingly enough, I was faster.

Once before, I found out that LJ was one of the fastest runners in the whole convoy. How I was able to beat him, was a miracle.

Or maybe… I thought as I gazed down at my wrist, towards the my new charm bracelet.

I grinned, "I guess luck pays off!" I said aloud to myself, then waved over to Kmart who returned the greeting and just watched the chase take place.

"Hey LJ" I said, grinning

"What?" He growled

"Race you to the fence over there and back!" I laughed, "1, 2, 3, Go!"

Do forgive me for making this chapter much shorter than the last couple
I've had writers block for awhile and I just really can't think right now

Oh yes, and If anyone noticed, I put a few references to the RE: Extinction novel in this chapter

In other news, I got to play the Resident Evil 5 demo and I must say, It was awesome
Unfortunately, my Xbox got red ring :(
So no more zombie killing for me

Later
-Tomato