The nightmare that won't go away chapter 8 – The road to the tree

(A/N – Because "Curse of the Gam-gul" is the story on my poll that so far has the most votes, I've decided to add a little Coraline Easter egg in this chapter for you guys to find. After you've read through this chapter, put into a review what you think the Easter egg is and next chapter, you'll find out if you were right!)


Agatha Prenderghast released a sigh from her throat as she looked out of one of the church's main hall windows as she waited for her escort team to finish preparation. It had been settled only a couple of hours ago that both Dr. Crawden and Dr. Ryder would tag along to protect Aggie on the journey with Brendan Vulka leading the escort because of his military rank which is actually quite ironic since it was Crawden and Ryder who had asked HIM to join THEM on the escort.

In case the infected were too much for her three guardians to handle at any moment, Aggie had had to change her clothing to protect herself. She still wore her puritan shoes but instead of her favourite black dress, she now wore a melee vest underneath a black female tank top where as for her lower half, she was wearing black running shorts so if she had no other choice and had to make a run for it, she would at least have a CHANCE at escaping the infected. To protect herself in case she was attacked and her three protectors were occupied, Dr. Crawden made sure that Aggie at least had a knife on her.

Just as Aggie turned away from the devastation that she could see outside, she caught sight of her three protectors. Brendan Vulka now wore a bullet-proof vest over his hazmat suit and Aggie could just barely see from where she stood that he had attached a silencer to his M16 burst rifle machine gun. Dr. Crawden and Dr. Ryder now both wore melee vest over their shirts and ties instead of lab coats where as for their weapons, Dr. Crawden had a machete and silenced M1911 pistol whilst Dr. Ryder had two tomahawks. Aggie had to admit, those three looked like they were ready for war.

The three people devoted to protecting the girl walked over to her looking like they were ready to go and get the experience over with. "You ready, little girl?" Brendan asked her. Aggie looked down at the ground before replying "Yeah, just a bit shaken up at what we're about to do." Dr. Crawden took a step further before putting his hand on Agatha's shoulder in comfort. "Don't worry, Aggie" he said. "This is for the best. If we can get you to Norman and you calm him down then this will all be over; everything will be better again." Dr. Crawden removed his hand from Aggie's shoulder when he saw her smile. "Now why don't you go say goodbye to your family?" Dr. Ryder asked in a strict tone. "You need to let them know it won't be your last."

At the strict order, Aggie walked away from her group of guardians and over to her family, who were sitting in one of the rows of seats with Neil. As soon as Perry looked up from the ground and saw Aggie in her new attire, he felt tears come to his eyes. "Good luck" he said whilst Sandra hugged the girl. "Don't worry; I'll bring him back and we'll be a family again." As Aggie turned to leave, Sandra put her hand on her shoulder to stop the puritan girl in her tracks. "Aggie" Sandra said slowly. "Before you leave, me and Perry need to speak with you privately." Aggie turned around and gave her adoptive mother a weary look before she said "ok."

When the group of three were in a more hidden part of the church's main hall, Sandra and Perry just looked at each other before Sandra turned her vision to Aggie and spat it out. "Aggie, we know how you and our son feel about each other; we've known for some time now." When the parents looked at her, they noticed that she was staring at the ground; almost in disappointment. "Well" Sandra continued. "We just want to say that... if that is how you both feel then... we aren't gonna stop you." At this, Aggie raised her head where the parents could see a glimmer of hope in her eyes. "Aggie, everyone knows that being in... THAT type of relationship with a family member isn't allowed but you and Norman are like what? Cousins ten times removed? It doesn't really matter" said Perry; trying to help the situation. "So if you want to be with him in... THAT way" Sandra continued for her husband. "Then you're gonna have to bring him back here so we can watch him be happy."

At that comment, Aggie randomly ran up to her crush's parents and gave them both a tight squeeze which they gladly returned. "Don't worry" she said through a few small sobs. "I'll bring him back for you two AND for me; I promise." As the three gave each other one last hug, Aggie's attention was drawn by a whistle from Dr. Crawden. "It's time, Aggie" he called. Aggie turned back to Sandra and Perry and after giving them both one last caring stare, left them to join her guardians. As soon as she was with them, Brendan opened the main church and the group of four walked out of their sanctuary of protection and into no man's land.


"Let's get moving; staying in the same place for too long is a mistake" Brendan said as the church's fence gate closed behind them. After about ten seconds of silence, the group got into their 'triangle of safety', which had Aggie in the centre of the triangle like shape that the three guardians formed. "I'll lead the way; you two watch her back and I'll watch yours." Brendan then proceeded to move through the destroyed village with his assault rifle raised and the other three behind him. Two minutes into the journey, the group heard their first infected's battle scream.

The entire group turned their heads left to see an infected man with only his fists to fight with running their way. "I've got him" Dr. Crawden said, drawing his machete. As soon as the infected man was in Crawden's range, the doctor brought the machete downwards straight into the infected man's head, killing him instantly. After Crawden kicked the dead man away and onto the ground, the group walked on as if nothing had even happened. A few minutes later, an infected woman came running at the group with a meat cleaver in her right hand. As if on instinct, Ryder threw one of his two tomahawks at the woman who after letting out a small cry of defeat; fell silent. Suddenly, about ten battle screams at once filled the air.

"Oh no" said Brendan. "That's a lot of them; we might not be able to take them all." Dr. Crawden was however not listening to the W.S.D.C soldier because he was too busy loading his handgun. "We can and we will" was what he said as he raised his gun to the direction of where the screams came from. As Brendan pointed his gun where Crawden's was pointing, about ten infected men and women came around the corner, all screaming bloody murder and holding weapons of all sorts. As Brendan and Crawden opened fire with their silenced firearms, Dr. Ryder used his two tomahawks to kill any extra infected that would spring from the sides or behind. Because her three guardians were so busy killing the infected, Aggie was the only one to hear the scream of an infected man from behind her. Aggie turned around to see an infected person sprinting at her with a blood-covered pipe in their hand; you couldn't see his face cause of the mask he was wearing but Aggie was pretty sure it was a male. The infected person seemed only about 13 from their height, they wore a black coat with silver stripes along with their mask which had a skull painted on it and pair of jeans with blood-covered shoes beneath them. Having no choice in the matter, Aggie drew her knife and after mentally apologising to the person, threw it into one of the eye holes of the mask; allowing the knife to go through the person's eye and into their brain. "Aggie!" She heard Brendan call. Aggie turned around to see her three guardians, each standing by a couple of now dead infected. Brendan walked towards the girl and after examining her 'handy work', pulled the knife from its victim's skull and handed it back to its owner.

"That's some good aim there" Brendan complimented. "Thanks" Aggie said in response. "Come on, you two" Crawden interrupted. "We should get going before we show up." As the group turned to continue their journey, someone ran across the road right in front of them but the thing was it wasn't an infected person, it was a survivor; one the group hoped was dead.

It was Byron White.

As soon as the mercenary saw the group, he opened fire with his handgun which led the group to taking cover behind one of the destroyed cars. After Byron had wasted a whole clip of bullets trying to kill the group, he ran the rest of the way across the road and disappeared from the hero's sights. As soon as the group were sure he was gone, Brendan turned strictly serious. "We've got to get after him; RIGHT NOW" he said whilst walking to where Byron had gone. "Are you insane?!" Ryder shouted. "He tried to kill us on sight; we're not saving him!" At this, Brendan turned around with a look of almost anger on his face. "Save him!?" he shouted in disbelief. "We're not gonna SAVE him, we have to STOP him! Because my group wasn't able to save him he's calling in the bombers; THERMAL NECULER TERMINATION! We have to stop him if we want ANY chance of saving this village!" Whilst in shock, Aggie, Crawden and Ryder sprinted after Brendan who ran in the direction Byron had gone.


After running for about five minutes, the group stopped at a fence gate which led the courtyard of the old abandoned warehouse. Brendan then looked through the fence to see Byron White about to leave in the helicopter Brendan and his team had arrived in. "He's trying to escape" Brendan told the group. "I'll find another spot outside the fence where I can get a clean shot at him; keep him distracted for a while." And with that, Brendan ran off; leaving the other three to confront White.

Without even thinking of a plan, all three immediately stepped into the courtyard after opening the fence gate. When Ryder accidentally stepped on a bit of glass, Byron was alerted to their presence and turned to point his gun at them. After seeing Dr. Crawden, he smirked. "So" he stared. "You came all this way to save your nephew even with the village in this state, huh? You must be a very protective uncle." At the taunt, Crawden became angry.

"What are you trying to do, Byron?" Crawden shouted. The mercenary then stopped smirking and began scowling. "I shouldn't have to explain myself to you" he replied, emphasising the 'you' by moving the gun in Crawden's direction. Seeing how this situation could quickly turn bad, Dr. Ryder tried to calm everything down. "Look Byron you don't have to take us with you, we've got a mission anyway but you can still take others! We've got a whole group of survivors at the church!" As Ryder tried to step forward, Byron pointed the gun at him instead. "Take one more step and you're dead." Byron white then removed what appeared to be keys from his back pocket.

"Look I have the keys to the chopper, alright? I'm gonna go back to 'Wide spread' HQ and I'm gonna have them tell the army. We'll send reinforcements; we'll save EVERYONE!" This lie only made Crawden more enraged. "WITH A NECLUER BOMB!?" He shouted. "Brendan Vulka told us your plan; you're gonna kill everyone!" Knowing he had been found out, Byron pointed the gun away from Ryder and back at Crawden. "Then maybe I should start with you!" After his threat was spoken, Byron's scowl was replaced with a frown. "Look, I have no choice here, right? Look, this 'infection' threatens the entire bloody world; Blithe Hollow is lost either way!" At this, Aggie stepped forward with one of Ryder's tomahawks in her hand.

"It's easy to kill loads of faceless nobodies, isn't it!?" She shouted at the mercenary whilst small amounts of tears fell down her face. "Stay back!" Byron ordered. "They hardly seem human!" Aggie continued, ignoring Byron's order. "Stop!" Byron ordered again; now pointing the gun at Aggie. At this, Aggie stopped for a moment and then suddenly, she tossed the tomahawk...

At the helicopter's control panel; rendering it useless.

"NOOOO!" Byron shouted as sparks flew from the helicopter. Now stuck in the infected village, Byron angrily pointed the gun at Aggie again. "You son of a bitch! You're gonna pay..." Byron's sentence was stopped by his scream of pain as a bullet from Brendan's machine gun passed through his leg and he fell to the floor; his gun sliding away from him. Frowning, Crawden simply picked up Byron's gun and left the courtyard to find Brendan, Aggie and Ryder following closely behind as Byron pleaded for them to help him.

After Ryder closed the fence gate, him, Crawden and Aggie heard footsteps and turned to see Brendan with his serious face on. "He was right about one thing" he started; referring to Byron White. "Currently, Blithe Hollow is lost. If not him then soon, someone else will send a nuke with our name on it. The quicker we get Aggie to Norman; the better." With that, the group of four continued on their journey whilst in the courtyard, Byron White cried tears of despair as the infected slowly moved in for another kill...


(A/N – Okay, I've got TWO things to tell you guys.

1. Do you think you found the Coraline Easter egg? If so, put what you think it was in a review and find out next chapter if you were right!

2. If you want to vote on my poll but don't have a FanFiction account, tell me what option of the poll you want to vote for in a review and I'll create another account to vote for you).