Chapter 6

a compromise

as Zack and mark are in the squad car, Zack decided that it was best to go with mark to his house. After all it was best and the photos were not going to leave anytime soon.

"i appreciate that you do this Zack, I just need to know if they are alright.." mark said as he was driving down the road, in the rows of houses...it was such a nice neighborhood, shame that the white picket fence American dream homes...were now just abandoned. The car stopped in front of what appeared of one of the homes. The two got out of the car, knowing that it was time to got into the home. "after we get them, we will take them to someplace safe..than we will look for the girl ok?

As the two walked into the house there they saw that the house was untouched. The sheriff looked around "Connie?! Bennie?!" the sheriff cried out as he ran up and down the stairs looking in the rooms. He the sheriff stopped as he saw that they not there. He stopped he sat on the steps, it was than he remembered the basement. There he charged, hoping that his family would be among the land of the living. There he saw that the door was locked. He banged on the door "Connie?! Connie!?"

"mark? Is that you?!" the door opened as a woman ran out clinging onto mark. The two were showing affection. "jack, come here..your pa is up here.."

"papa? Papa!" a young boy ran up the stairs as he hugged the both of them. The sight made Zack happy.

"oh god, I feared the worst..." mark told the two as he held them "listen...we need to get you to the safe house...they have it set up"

"it's best that we hurry" Zack said hating to break up the Kodak moment from hell but he needed to remember what was going on. "we will give you a couple of minutes if you need to get things"

"in that case..." Connie told the two "is there anyway that we can grab some supplies to help people..we have plenty here including a few guns" Connie told the two. she was interrupted by the sounds of footsteps outside. "what was that?" mark looked out of the blinds. A massive horde of zombies could be seen outside

"we got company!" mark said quietly to everyone "it's to dangerous to take the squad car" he said as he saw the zombies were surrounding it.

"the car is out in back..we can just take it instead..it's in the garage..give us a few minites to get ready..." Connie said taking their son upstairs. Zack not caring threw the coffee table in the way. mark looked at him with confusion

"hey I am trying to block the door.." mark was looking at the piano than Zack again "oh right!" the two tried to push it in front of the door. The two managed to get it in the way of the door. The two had their guns ready

"Connie, I hate to rush you both...but you know the undead wants to have supper and I don't think meatloaf is what's on their menu.." the two came down in somewhat regular clothes. Connie had boxes in her arm

"i need to get two more.." she said as mark took them..running upstairs to grab items

"jack come with me..Zack, stay with my wife and protect her OK?" before Zack could respond Zack his son and just like that were gone. Connie came down and handed Zack the boxes. As the two were walking, the sounds of windows crashing behind them as the zombies were coming in could be heard. Mark ran back inside and took the boxes. "Connie come on!" as soon as Zack's hands were free. He took his gun and fired at the zombies in the heads. The sounds of plants being destroyed could be heard again. "Zack let's go!" mark cried out as Zack ran into the garage. Everyone was in the garage already as Zack got in the driver's seat.

"well, this will be fun" Zack said as he than saw the sheriff press the button that activates the self rising garage. There was a group of undead in front "jack look away" he told the kids "roll up windows and keep them up!" he said as than mark darted through zombies. The sounds of their forms slamming into the SUV was rather much less than a body but a group of sunflowers getting his with a bat. The car went through them and drove off.

"Connie, what are those boxes?" mark asked his wife confused

"food, medical supplies and last but not least mark..your hunting rifle and extra ammo" Connie said as she was obviously planning ahead. "i forgot to grab everything when everything started up...i knew you were going come though" she said in a voice that shown that there was confidence. "listen, I have a way we can save as many people as possible we just have to do something that will require some planning.

"OK, listen we'll talk about it but first we have to do something important" mark said as they stopped in front of the pharmacy. "i think we should grab as much medicine as possible, you coming Zack?"

"I'll take jack to the safe house, where is it?" Connie asked mark

"the VFW, you wont miss it" mark told Connie as he than got out of the car, Zack followed as well

"please be careful you two" Connie said as she than drove off. The two were alone on the street. Mark looked at the door and saw it was locked

"zack can I see one of your gloves?" mark said as Zack took off one of his gloves. He gave it to him and as mark put it on. "nice and snug" he said with a smile, he slammed his fist into the glass door, causing it to shatter.. Zack was shocked to that the sheriff would do this, however it was somethg that needed to happen. "after you" the two walked into the pharmacy. "Zack let me see you bag, im going to fill it with medicine..you find the photos" as Zack threw the bag to him. Mark started to fill the bag and as Zack looked around, trying to find the photo lab. As he saw the item that he needed, there he was met with the cashier's station where there was a small basket. He looked in the small basket and there he saw four of five packets of photos. As Zack looked through the photos, he noticed that it was mainly pictures of the trees..the last three photos..were the weirdest ones...the first of the last three.. one was of a little everfire sappling, that appears to be at a school yard. The second one was of a picture of a paper, there was a list of names

"mayor Lewis Anderson

deputy Gerald sugars

reverend Marco Anderson

principal Toni Constance

Jessica "princess" Angelo

Tommy sickles

Teresa birch

Samuel Henderson"

"what, is the hand of eight..or whatever this called?" Zack asked as he looked at mark "hey look at this" he motioned to mark. Mark looked at him as he walked up to him, looking at the picture "what do you think this is?"

"whatever this is, it looks official….Gerald, you bastard" mark said with the tone that had full anger in his eyes "what's the last one" he asked as Zack flipped to the last picture, it was a night time picture of the undead.

"this is unreal..." Zack said as than as the two were looking at the picture, the two heard a noise outside, mark went to go see a little girl run into a building.

"hey, I see the girl, she ran into the children's boutique" mark said as he than ran back to Zack "let's go, we cannot let her me out there...not like this"

"your right..." Zack told him as the two ran out, the two keeping a hold of all of their belongs. As the two went to the door that was opened by the girl. Mark looked at Zack with confusion

"i dont like this...you go in and find the girl...i'll stay out here and keep an eye out" mark told him with a soft smile "it's best that you go in...after all this is your rescue!" he assured Zack as Zack nodded

"i'll be right out" Zack told him. Zack went inside and saw that the store was somewhat ransacked "hello?" Zack said quietly, trying to not draw attention to himself. As he got to the show room. The room was also thrown around, he heard the sounds of crawling from the underneath the tables. Zack took out his flash light and scanned the area till he found her. The little girl was hiding underneath a corner table. She was no longer wearing the hospital gown from before. She was now where wearing a green and yellow hooded sweatshirt with sun flowers on it. A yellow skirt and brown shoes with green socks. Inside of her long hair was a pin the made him stay up a bit. She held a hand between her and the light. The look of fear on her face when she recognized him. She got up and tried to run away and as she did, Zack grabbed her shoulder "hey hey! Relax, I am not going to hurt you..." the little girl stopped and looked at Zack. Tears fell down her cheeks and than proceed to cry.

"please don't turn me in.." the girl pleaded with Zack, something that she was really scared about. "all they'll do is hurt us again.." Zack looked shocked up at her.

"easy easy, I wont turn you in.." Zack's heart was actually hurting for the girl. Those words actually disarmed lily as she hugged him, the feeling of tears on his neck could be felt. Zack actually didnt mind at this point because what was he gonna say "no thanks"? "my name is Zack, what's yours?"

"lily.." the girl told him with a sense of shyness. She looked at ground, grinding the toes of her shoe into the ground. "i wanted to look pretty, please dont be mad" Zack shook his head at the sad girl.

Zack saw that the girl was indeed harmless, however there was something off about her. Her eyes were a stunning ice white. She was obviously different "where is your mom and dad?" Zack asked the little girl in confusion.

"i..i don't have parents..i am alone" lily said to Zack still looking down "they told me that mama and papa never loved me..."

"who did?" Zack asked as he was appalled, granted he was an orphan himself and the bias was showing, however who on earth would abandon their child in a such a place?"

lily looked at up at him, her tone was of fear "the man in the lab coat" lily went up Zack and whispered in his ear "he never liked any of us" she said that last part really scared. The fear was visible

"listen lily...i understand that you are scared..so I want you to stay with me OK?" Zack asked her as she walked back a bit "look, I know I look scary but..." Zack was interrupted the sounds of glass shattering in a million pieces. It was mark, he was thrown through the main showroom's window. The sounds of lily's scream came after as soon as what came through the window was frightening. It was a creature made what appeared to be a man, his limbs were muscular, but his skin was a very primary blue, His upper torso was covered by a metal breast plate. His waist was covered with metal as well. His legs were visible as he was scanning the room with a blue light that was in the middle of his helmet. The creature held in his hand what appeared to be a tactical knife. The sounds of his metallic boots could be heard crunching the glass as he walked in. Zack looked in horror but suddenly he started to shoot at the warden. The bullets were being absorbed, but it managed to get him to be the target. "mark get up!" Zack cried out to the out cold mark. With inhuman speed the creature dashed to Zack and pushed him through a wall and threw a stone wall. Zack was out cold for a minute as the sounds of lily's scream could be heard

"no! I wont go back!" lily cried as she was throwing things at the creature

"you must come back" as he the creature's terrifyingly mechanical voice could be heard, he came closer to the scared little girl. As than a shotgun could be heard..the warden fell back a bit. It was mark with eyes of anger

"you aint gonna get me again asshole!" mark barked out as he began to fire his shotgun at the creature. The creature started to walk towards him. Absorbing the bullets.

"you must be destroyed..for you are getting in the way of my directive.." the creature said as he grabbed mark and threw him over the way where Zack was. Mark felt all of it as it hurt him

"shit...sack...are you alive?" mark said as he tried to wake him up "zack come on...wake up!" as mark tried to wake him up. The warden grabbed him by the neck. He pinned him against a stone stone of and as the warden's grip was tight..the knife was getting raised up and as the knife was getting closer and closer...mark was trying to stop it. Suddenly a strange event occurred as Zack was behind the warden and suddenly as the warden was about to say something, Zack just punched warden sending him flying through a church wall. The creature got up, inside of the church….the warden looked confused at him

"unknown threat..." the warden's voice was slightly more concerned

"who would've thought….they'd made tin cans that talked?" it was Zack, but his voice it was different..much more confident. As the warden charged at him with his knife. Zack stopped him in his place and then held him in place. Ripping off his arm. "you certainly are weaker without your knife aren't you?" zack's tone was more mischievous "let's see if your head comes off!" Zack said as he then grabbed the creatures head and proceed to rip off the metal part but as he was "huh?" Zack said as he was back to his sense "what the.." he asked as then the warden charged at him, knocking him into a pew.

"..target me be destroyed.." as he was still talking, a bullet hit him from a handgun. Zack turned around to see mark walk through the main doors.

"thats what you get you son of a bitch!" mark barked out in anger. As he came in, he saw that the creature was fucked up. He looked at Zack with confusion "what did you do? As he said that Zack just took a couple of breathes as he than felt something going off in his head. His head began to pulsate in agonizing torment, his eyes were flickering in and out and out of the blue..he heard a voice go off in his head and talk as he fell on all fours clinching his head

"during his 19th year of existence, the powers inside of him will start to form, everything that I have prepared will actually be put into play"

Zack pulled out a bottle of pills inside of his jacket's hidden pocket. They were red pills that were called "placeobline" after he took two pills dry, everything started to become calm again

"i cant believe that happened..." Zack said as he got up

"well, well it seems that things are more fun than I thought!" Zack and mark looked behind them to see the man from the inn, this time they could see what his face looked like...a strange man with a smirk on his face and that red and black suit. His brown eyes were the color of maple syrup

"it's you..." Zack said in shock. The man smiling at both of them