Episode 37: Night 7.2 - Vehement

"Where are we going?!" Lauren N. screamed past the blazing fires and the fireballs that were being launched into neighboring buildings.

"We have two cars! We need to get to those!" Owen suggested.

"That's too risky, we'll have to go on foot back to Bethesda." Eric said. "It's the only way out!"

The group ran as fast as they could as the scene behind them began to illuminate in the night sky.

"What about the others!" Lauren asked.

"We have to get out of here first, then we can talk!" Eric yelled above the noise. The four of them ran for their lives.

***

Jiko peered outside the window swearing he saw a small spark of light. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary at first until a fiery ball streaked across the street a football's field away from the window and crashed into an adjacent building, sending debris flying into the air and igniting the trees nearby.
"Woah!" Jiko backed from the window. He rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn't seeing things from his weariness. He looked outside again and realized that the fire was real and another blaze of fire appeared, as if a dragon was hiding behind one of the buildings.
Jiko ran to the back room and began to shake everyone awake. People began to stir and sit up.
"You guys won't believe me, but Friendship Heights is on fire!" He began.
"What are you talking about?" Christa asked, still half asleep.
"I'm serious, come quick!" Jiko said leaving the room. The others followed. LeAndria was still recovering and decided to stay put and go back to bed.

Everyone looked outside the window to realize that Jiko was right. The streets were glowing red and orange as more flames emitted from the hidden dragon behind the building.
Caroline knew exactly what was going on. She knew, from speaking with Ashleigh's mother, that the military would eventually begin rolling in trying to burn down everything with it.

"It's like when the Russians burned down all their crops when the Nazis invaded so the Nazis starved to death chasing them." Ashleigh said. Caroline gave her a look. "What? I listen in history class..."

This is what was going on. The Russians were coming and the zombies were going to starve to death whether they liked it or not.
"I think we need to leave." Caroline said jittery.
"Why?" Mel asked sternly.
"I can't explain right now, but I know it's the military...and they will destroy anything in its path."
No one moved.
"Please guys, please believe me." Caroline's eyes began to fill with tears.
JC huffed. "She's right. We need to get out of here. Everyone grab your things, we need to take the cars and flee."

"What about Owen, Jenny and Lauren?" Sarah asked. "They're still out there." JC just realized this and felt terrible that, for a second, he forgot about his best friend.
"We'll travel that way. If there is one thing I know about Owen..." He looked at the others, "is that he can get out of anything."

As the group began to gather their things -- Christa was busy waking LeAndria up without getting slapped across the face -- Mel whispered to Sarah. "Why are we leaving? Don't you think the military will help us?"
"I don't think they'll stop for us in the dark...they'll probably torch us before they realize we aren't zombies." Sarah responded.

About ten minutes later, the group began heading towards the two cars waiting for them in the front. They encountered a group of zombies that were heading towards the fires -- "Zombies love the light!" Jiko yelled -- and slaughtered a few that came too close to their vehicles.

***

The group of four dodged between the fires, the bullets and approaching zombies. They could not find a straight path out of the barrage and they constantly found themselves having to run towards the fire to escape the zombies or vice versa. After nearly an hour, they hadn't gained much ground and were so close to the combat. The soldiers were busy setting a blaze to the buildings that lined the streets and two tanks rolled in shooting any zombies that came too close.

They hid in an alleyway between two buildings while they waited for an opportunity to run. Eric kept watch, while the others sat against the wall to catch their breaths, and suddenly realized that the flamethrowers had ceased.

"What's going on?" Lauren N. asked realizing that silence had fallen upon them.
"I'm not sure." Eric began saying, looking around the corner to where the tanks were rolling up. "They seemed to have stopped." The others joined him and looked around the corner and noticed a smaller armored car making its way around the tanks and stop in front of the small group of foot soldiers. A large framed man with leather tanned skin and cropped blonde hair jumped out of the car and was greeted by one of the soldiers. They spoke for a little bit but the group could not make out what they were saying.

"Why did they stop?" Owen asked squinting his eyes trying to see past the glares of the flames.
One of the soldiers went back to the car and opened it for another a female to exit the vehicle. She was draped in black and no one could see what her face looked like behind a black veil. A small child jumped down after her and the veiled woman grabbed her by the arm.

Owen instantly recognized who it was and stopped Jenny as she nearly jumped out of the alleyway screaming her daughter's name. Owen struggled to pull her back and keep her quiet.
"Get the fuck off of me!" Jenny yelled.
"You need to calm down! Yelling and grabbing everyone's attention is not going to help us get your daughter out of this situation!" Owen yelled back. "At least we know she's alive..."
"What do we do then?" Lauren asked. Owen thought about it for a minute.
"Are you serious guys? We need to get out of here." Eric insisted. Jenny glared at him.
"I am not leaving my daughter." Jenny said.
"Apparently you already did that once." Eric said under his breath. Jenny lunged over at him and began to choke Eric. Lauren gasped in shock and Owen had to use force to get Jenny to let go.
"Stop it both of you!" Owen ripped Jenny's hands off of him. Clear hand marks and scratches were visible on Eric's neck after the ordeal and he coughed desperately trying to catch his breath. Owen just looked at Lauren who still could not speak in shock.
"Eric...we need to save the girl." Owen said looking down. He then looked back at Jenny who was still fuming. "We need a plan."

***

"We have to go back to the wall tomorrow morning." Ashleigh said as the three sat in an abandoned house two miles from Friendship Heights.
"Are you crazy!" David said. "We spent all day boarding ourselves up here for the night and you want to go back to that hell hole tomorrow? Why?"
"It might sound crazy, but I think we can find a way out there."
"Do explain...because right now I'm with David. What could there be that could possibly help us out." Vankelia said.

Ashleigh looked down for a minute at the dying candle that sat between them. She sighed and told the other two everything -- well not everything. She didn't mention that only four people could survive or that they knew the outbreak was going to happen or that they were secretly trying to kill off everyone one by one. But those were the minor details.

"Experiment?" David asked. "What is this bullshit!"
"I told you. Caroline and I know how to get to safety and we can get you two there too!"
"How come you haven't told us this before! Why didn't either of you just say 'Hey we have a way out!' That could have saved a few days..."
"And a few lives." Vankelia chimed in. "Ashleigh...why didn't you tell us?"
Ashleigh sat in silence.
"Tell us!" David said raising his voice. Vankelia grabbed him the shoulder. "Calm down David...give her a minute."

Ashleigh looked up, her eyes dark in the dimming candle light. "Because..."
"Because what!" David said.
"I can't take you guys with me." She jumped up, extinguishing the candle light with her movement and pulled out a large knife from the back of her jeans.
"What are you doing!"

***

"Is everyone ready?" JC asked the passengers in his car. They all nodded as he turned on the car and began to drive off. The other car followed behind them and they drove as the flames continued all around them. They had to drive carefully as the streets were littered with obstacles. They couldn't head towards Virginia the way they hoped but the group remembered they could reach Georgetown back towards Whitman High School.

"You think it'll be safe to head that direction?" Lauren H. asked in the same car with JC.
"We won't be going to the school...we'll avoid it completely and get to Georgetown that way...it's our only chance." JC responded.

The car drove past chunks of buildings that had blown off from the fireballs that blew into them.
Caroline viewed the scene outside the window. She noticed a bunch of zombies heading towards the tanks and the light. They were slow moving and dragged their feet as they moved. Suddenly something caught her eye. She noticed four figures running right past the zombies and hiding behind stone pillars. "Stop the car!" Caroline yelled and instantly JC put his foot down hard on the brake, causing everyone to jolt, especially in the car behind them.
"What's going on!" JC asked.
"I think I saw the others!" Caroline said pointing to the direction she saw the figures. "But something doesn't make sense." She said.
"What is it?" Lauren H. asked.
"There was someone else with them..." They all fell silent.

Christa walked over and knocked on the window of the first car. JC jumped a little at the shock and lowered the window.
"What's going on?" Christa asked.
"Caroline spotted Owen and the others...but..."
"Yeah, but what?"
"She says she saw Eric with them."

Episode 36: Night 7.1 - Vindication

"I'm curious." Mel said sharpening her knife against Jiko's sharpening block.

"About what?" Sarah asked cleaning her gun.

"How could she have gotten all that blood on her...it wasn't a splatter...it looked like she smeared it on herself."

"What, are you some blood splatter expert now?" Sarah asked.

"No, but didn't you notice how it was in streaks? There's something not right about this. Maybe I should go talk with her?"

"I don't know if that's the best idea...she went through a lot today." Sarah said.

"So did we, what's your point?" Mel said agitated.

"Well we didn't see one of our friends die."

Mel lowered to a hush, "You mean, we didn't kill and let one of our friends die?"

Sarah looked shocked but kept her opinion to herself and continued cleaning her gun.

The group had decided the grocery store would be the safest place for their final night in Friendship Heights. Tomorrow they were all planning on getting out and fleeing for the safety zone in Arlington.

"I'm not going to go." Jenny said to the group.

"What do you mean?" Lauren H. stood up. They had been there for each other since they met.

"I need to find Adelaide...she has to be here somewhere."

JC looked at Owen and they shared a somber glance. "Jenny..."

"I don't want to hear it. I'm not leaving until I find my daughter."

"But we have to be realistic...there's no way she could have survived out there by herself for this long." JC said.

"Then I'm going to look for her tonight." Jenny said picking up a machete by the back wall where milk and yogurt used to be.

"That's suicide!" Lauren H. said. "You can't do that Jenny. There are too many zombies out there...you'll get yourself killed."

"Since no one is willing to go with me, I have no choice BUT to go out by myself."

"I'll go." Owen stood up. JC was taken aback. These whole time Owen has been such a good support system to him that it shocked him to see Owen be the first to volunteer for such a task.

"Thank You." Jenny said.

"I'll go too." Lauren N. stood up as well. "I can't bare to think that a little girl is out there."

"Lauren?" Jenny directed the question to Lauren H.

"I...uh..." She began. Jenny looked desperate. "I...I can't." And Lauren H. walked away from the group and to the other side of the store. Jenny sighed and helped the other two grab weapons.

"We'll be back in a couple of hours. We're going to see if there is any activity out of the ordinary." Owen said. JC pulled him aside.

"Are you sure you're okay doing this?" JC asked.

"Bro, I got this. I'll show you I can lead." Owen gave his best friend a hug and the small recon group left.

Mel got up. Sarah grabbed her arm and gave her a look. "It's okay..." Mel said. She walked over to Caroline who was busy brushing her hair by a freezer window.

"Can I speak with you?" Mel asked.

Caroline saw Mel's reflection through the glass door and her smile turned into an evil grimace. "Yes?" She said still brushing her hair, not looking.

"Can we go somewhere more private?"

Caroline stopped and turned around giving Mel an up and down. "What is it about?"

"Please, can we speak in private?"

Caroline huffed and followed Mel into a back room that was used as the office. Mel first walked in and turned on the light. "I know what you're thinking." Caroline said taking a seat by the desk.

"Excuse me?" Mel said still standing.

"That I did something to Nina."

"Why would you think that?"

"I don't care what you think, I didn't do it." Caroline said.

"I didn't even accuse you of anything."

"Don't think I'm stupid Mel, I saw how you looked at me the other day. I'm not blind."

Mel stifled a laugh. "Then why did you do it?"

Caroline's eyes grew wide. "Do what?" She lied. Mel stifled another laugh. Caroline lunged at her and grabbed Mel by the shirt. "You say even one lie and your fate will be like hers." Mel just stared back. Caroline caught herself and realized that she had lost her cool. She let go of Mel's shirt and stood back up, backing up against the closed door.

"So you'll kill me?" Mel asked. Caroline opened the door and began to leave. She turned her head. "No, the zombies will..." And Caroline slammed the door shut leaving Mel in the office by herself.

***

"We'll go down towards Tenleytown and double back towards Bethesda. Make sure to keep in the shadows and never use your gun unless it's the last resort." Owen instructed. The group nodded and they disappeared in the shadows as they attempted to look for the little girl.

Lauren N. looked around a corner and noticed a few zombies down the road, nothing seemed too suspicious and they weren't reacting to anything living. Jenny noticed another small group down the other way too. Zombies were in every direction but they were far enough not to get noticed.

"We should climb to the roof of the highest building." Owen suggested.

"The one where the shootings took place?" Lauren N. asked.

"Exactly...can you lead us there?" He said. The three ran to the location of the last building and walked in. Lauren expected to find the bodies of the two security guards and Kelly on the ground where they were left but where there bodies were, were blood stains, dried and blackened.

"We left them right here!" She said surprised.

"Are you sure?" Owen asked.

"No doubt!"

"Maybe zombies have eaten them?"

"They would have left the bones if that were the case."

They heard a creak behind them. All three turned around, squinting their eyes to see better in the dark. The moonlight that crept through the window was their only source of light.

"What was that?" Jenny said. Owen drew his machete. Lauren did the same. Her breathing became heavy and a cold sweat ran down her face. Someone or something was coming down the stairs.

"Hide!" Owen whispered. They all crouched down behind a large pillar in the lobby and waited as the shadow of the person walking down the stairs elongated along the wall and ceiling. Their walk was staggered, likened to a zombie's but Owen could tell the person was holding a weapon.

"Zombies can't use weapons...can they?" Owen asked. Lauren shrugged her shoulders as they continued to look. The person reached the bottom of the stairs and slowly walked into the moonlight.

"Eric!" Owen said in shock. Standing several feet away from them was Eric Morrel in the flesh. They could swear he had burned in the hardware store in the large explosion he had caused himself to save the others. Owen began to stand up to call to him but Lauren covered his mouth and pulled him down.

"You don't know if he's a zombie or not!" She began. "It's too hard to tell."

Owen found it hard to wait but understood that she was right. They observed Eric again as he began to move. He had an obvious limp but other than that they couldn't see his face clear enough to see if he had any life in his eyes.

"We have no choice but to take a chance." Owen said. Lauren and Jenny look frightened. "I'll go."

Owen stood up from behind the pillar and stood out into the lobby to face Eric.

"Eric."

Eric looked up shocked, drew a gun and fired towards Owen.

BANG!

The two women screamed behind the pillar and immediately looked out. Owen had jumped out of the way quickly enough to avoid the bullet.

"Fuck Eric, it's me!!" Owen screamed out.

"Owen?!" Eric asked through the darkness as he ran limping over. He ran over to help Owen up.

"How did you survive!!" Owen said.

Eric helped Owen up. "We can't talk about it right now. We got to get out of here."

"Out of this building, why?" Owen asked.

"No, out of Friendship Heights. They're coming."

"Zombies?"

"No...the army."

"Isn't that a good thing?" Owen asked. The two women, after realizing things were safe, walked out and joined the other two.

Eric began to explain the situation. The military was coming to raze Friendship Heights to the ground to form a barrier around what was left of Washington DC and to kill off any zombies that may be around. Owen asked why they wouldn't save the living and Eric explained that he had seen it already happen in Chevy Chase..."The military is indiscriminately killing everyone and everything...they're not taking any chances. They killed a father and his small daughter who asked for help. Just shot them through the head. Everyone is freaking out."

"How much time do we have?" Lauren asked.

"Not much...I barely escaped Chevy Chase. They're on their way here."

"You still didn't explain how you survived the explosion." Owen said. Eric gave off a little laugh.

He began to explain but was interrupted by a flash of light from outside, a loud whistling noise, a large bang that shook the building and a sudden outburst of flames outside the window.

"They're here!" Eric said getting up.

"We have to get the others!"

"Others?" Eric said. "Other people are alive? What about JC?" He shook his head. "There's no time we have to go!"

Owen looked at Lauren and Jenny, looking for an answer.

"We can't leave without them."

"We must!" Eric said.

Another explosion outside shattered the large glass windows around them.

"There's no time! WE HAVE TO RUN NOW!" Eric yelled above the noise. The four ran out of the building, their shadows illuminated by the dancing flames in the night.

Episode 35: Day 7.4 - Vixen

I had no other choice…I had no other choice…

“Please someone forgive me!” I prayed to whatever or whoever would listen to it as I smeared her blood all over me to feign an attack. I saw Jiko running into the house down the street so I figured I would wait in hiding until he came back out.

I was the one that caused everyone to flee the grocery store before the others got back with the cars. It was my turn to keep watch and instead of making sure that nothing happened, I saw a group of zombies and lured them over to me. I kept them just far enough away from me that I could get back in the grocery store, “forget” to close the door, and have them chase me inside.

“Zombies!!!” I yelled as everyone stirred in the store.

“Everyone! Weapons, now!!” JC instructed. Owen began throwing the weapons to other people and they all prepped for the onslaught, not realizing there were only five of them.

“How did this happen!” Lauren N. asked me.

“I don’t know but five got in! There are dozens more outside!” I lied. “We need to get out of here.”

Even though Ashleigh and I had been separated since Day 1, I knew we had to continue with our plan. We were able to give each other the nod a few days back when we fought a zombie horde…so I know she’s still on board.

I should explain myself though. I’m not a bad person, I swear. It’s just that Ashleigh and I knew that this was going to happen…it’s been a hushed conversation in her household for at least a few months now. A new medicine was being tested by her mother’s company that was supposed to cure all illnesses by temporarily suppressing certain brain activity, tricking the illness to believe that the body had “died” and to dissipate itself. This didn’t bode too well with those backing up the project and as money was being pulled out; the laboratory made drastic measures and began to experiment on humans.

The pill not only temporarily shut off the human brain, but it didn’t kill the infections the person had…it only caused the infection to breed through the body like an open playground. Somehow this combination caused the test subjects to reanimate with only the most primal and basic needs still functioning: to feed and survive. The test subjects didn’t care what they did to eat, but killing seemed like the most natural avenue and because of the amount of infection coursing through their bodies, it only seemed to make sense that the infection would spread easily and rapidly.

Ashleigh and I were eavesdropping a week prior to the initial outbreak. A test subject had escaped and infected several people in the small town the laboratory was in. Not the police, not the few military personnel that were deployed there, not anybody, could stop the rapid spread of infection. People were dying left and right…and within a day, reanimating just to feed again. It wasn’t for a few days until people realized that they needed to attack the heads.

“The head?” I whispered.

“It makes sense, doesn’t it?” Ashleigh explained. “They only have the desire to feed and what is controlling that? The brain…”

I was in shock.

But I digress. I haven’t explained how the two of us are involved…and seemingly trying to kill everyone else.

Her mother caught us spying and demanded what we heard. When we explained it to her mother, she broke down and began to cry. Ashleigh asked what was wrong and her mother began to explain to us the only way we’d survive.

“It’s going to happen any day now.” She began. “So when it does, be prepared to run for it. Your father and I need to go back and help with the situation…your parents are also coming with us Caroline. Meet us here. It’s the safest place you can be.” She handed us an address on a very official looking card. “They will only admit 4 people with this card. Survive. You need to.”

“Four people…” I thought.

We found out from Ashleigh’s mother as she was frantically leaving for who knows where, that there infected people coming from the pike. That was the day of our meeting. I knew we had a ticket to our survival but we couldn’t let others know. But we also knew that we couldn’t make it on our own…

The groups were too big. I wouldn’t be able to take everyone there with me. So I knew I had to slowly eliminate the group while getting us closer to the address on the card. If the plan succeeds, Ashleigh and I will be reunited and only two other people would have survived. This has to work, it must.

We all ran from the grocery store exiting through the back and down the street where the brick houses lined on both ends. People splintered at the sight of a small group of zombies down the street and somehow I ended up alone with Nina. She found a tree house in the backyard of a house and we climbed it, destroying the ladder on our way up.

“I think we’ll be safe here for a bit.” She said. The tree house had been previously used as evident from the used blankets and food wrappers that strewn the floor. We watched from out the window and could see other bodies running down the street, screams from some of the girls, and gun fire here and there.

“NO SHOOTING!” I could hear someone say.

Nina turned to me. “What should we do?”

I shook my head. “I’m not sure…can you see if there’s an exit we could take?” She went back looking out the window.

My heart raced as I pulled a dagger out of my bag. My hands shook as I walked closer to Nina, her back facing me.

“No but I think we’re safe to jump down.”

“I’m sorry.” I whispered.

“Huh, what did you say?” She turned around and screamed as I plunged the dagger straight into her heart. Her face was in shock as blood escaped her body.

“Why…” She said right before collapsing on the ground. I began to cry realizing what I had done. My mind racked around what I needed to do. There was no way I could just run out of here and no one question what had happened to Nina…I needed to come up with something. As if by instinct, I reached down into her wound and began to smear some of her blood on me. I gave myself a small cut on my arm and convinced myself that we were attacked by zombies. I hid her body beneath the blanket where she would be forgotten and I jumped down, a little over 10 ft, to the ground and tried to find anyone.

The street was silent. I looked around and noticed Jiko entering a nearby house.

“They’re back?” I thought realizing the others had come back with, hopefully, a car.

I decided to wait until he came out. I hoped he would come out. Knowing Jiko, he would absent mindedly decide and take a nap in a bed if he found it comfortable. Then I noticed three other people approaching the same house. It was David, Vankelia and Ashleigh. They entered through the garage and within a moment came out riding on bikes. Ashleigh was straggling behind, not being so good at riding bikes. I took this opportunity to try and talk to her.

“Ashleigh!” I whispered from the side of the house. She instantly noticed me and almost fell off the bike from surprise. She looked at me and then looked back at her companions.

“Wait up guys! I think I see a weapon in the bush! Let me go check it out.”

“Do you need us to come with you?” David called from up ahead.

“No don’t worry. I’ll be fine.” She walked her bike over to me quickly and ducked down the minute she was out of their sight.

“WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU!?” She asked worried. I explained everything and I tried to read her face for a reaction. “It had to be done…” She said blankly. Surprised, I agreed. “So now what?”

“Are you planning on going with them?” I asked.

“I had no choice…there was no one else. We left Elizabeth behind so that’s one less person to worry about.”

“Why don’t you just join me?”

“Give me a day. I’ll convince them to come back to your group then we can take care of this together.” She said. I nodded and told her to go back before they became too suspicious. “Where will we meet tomorrow?” She asked.

“Let’s meet at the wall. It should be the last time we see this destitute of a place.” Ashleigh agreed and she left.

“Never mind guys! It was just some metal scraps.” She yelled at the two ahead wobbling trying to get her footing on her bike. “I’m going to die on this fucking thing!” She said and smiled to me as she rode off.

I heard the door to the house open and realized that Jiko was running out. The others were gone and I knew it was safe for me to approach him. I walked out onto the street, got into character and began to cry. “Jiko!” He turned around and noticed me. He looked a bit dazed but he immediately ran over.

“Are you all right?” He asked. I collapsed and cried on the street.

“They got Nina!” I lied through my fake tears. “The zombies got her and I barely escaped.”

“Where are the others?” He asked. I told him I had no idea but he told me he would lead me back to where Christa and the other two were waiting. I looked back at the tree house and my eyes grew wide when I noticed that one of her feet was dangling out the door. I didn’t hide her well enough in the haste. I hoped no one would notice.

Everyone eventually reunited that night. They shared their ordeals through that scatter, celebrated the car that we got and mourned the loss of Nina. They asked me where her body was, but I told them that I couldn’t remember because of the fear that had taken over me. Everyone believed me, but I noticed Mel give me a second look. Could she read my face? Could she see through my lie? Whatever the case may be, that second look made it easier for me to decide on my next victim…

Episode 34: Day 7.3 - Vicodin

"Are you okay?" Lauren H. asked me. I guess she noticed my slight uncontrollable twitch I had formed. "What's wrong?"

I ignored her. I didn't even want to hear her talk. I just looked outside the window of the car as she drove, Christa and LeAndria in the car behind us.

It's been a week since my last fix...I knew I was going through withdrawal. It was like the last time when I only ate Skittles and McDonalds for an entire two weeks, then gave it up. My body shook from the lack of sugar and grease I had and this was that same feeling.

If I didn't have a fix soon, I knew I would spiral into a dark place.

"What's wrong Jiko?" Her grating voice pierced my ears.

"Just shut up." I said, pulling my black Letterman tighter across my body. I could tell she was rolling her eyes at me. I just ignored her until we got back.

"They're not in the grocery store!" Christa said coming back to the cars. "I only found five zombie bodies on the ground...they must have been attacked."

"Where could they be?" Lauren asked. LeAndria was sitting down in the car, door open.

"I'll go find them."I insisted. I drew my knives out and started to run.

"You can't go by yourself!" Christa said.

"I can go with him." Lauren volunteered.

"NO!" I said. "NO...not you. I will go on my own. I'll be back in an hour." I dashed off.

Not only did I not want her to come with me, but I had no intention, at least for the first half hour, of finding the others. I needed to go back to that house that Owen, JC and I scavenged for food the last time...They HAD to have had some drugs in the house. Everyone smoked pot these days and it looked to me like it had been rented out to Frat guys with all the paddles around the house and the beer pong tables...that or it was some freaky fetish apartment. Sweet if it was.

I ducked behind some bushes and surveyed the street. Two zombies to my three o'clock. The female one had a tattered power suit on and the male was an older Asian man...wouldn't be shocked if he worked at the Chinese Take-Out down the street. I always loved their egg rolls.

Shit. I thought. My mouth salivated...I was jittery and now I wanted egg rolls. "Fuck you China man." I said sneaking behind him and cutting his head off. The female turned around brandishing her black oozed teeth and came running after me. I smiled and ran a bit to let her chase me, just for amusement. I hopped over a fence as she ran into it, unable to come after me. I walked back to her as her hands tried to reach at me through the fence. I cut one of her fingers off. She didn't wince. I cut another off. Still nothing. It frustrated me that these zombies felt no pain. She pushed against the fence trying to break it down. I stabbed her in multiple places but her need to feed was far greater of a pain than the pain I was causing to her body.

"I'm on your side...I'm fucking hungry too." I said as I dug my knife into her left eye and twisted it to finish her off. She dangled on the fence, lifeless, like a squirrel electrocuted on a power line.

I ran into the house, sneaking through the window we found unlocked and ran immediately to the bedrooms and the bathrooms looking for something, anything. I entered one bedroom, by the looks of it the master bedroom, and I ripped out the drawers and looked under the bed.

"Yes!" I said when I found a clear orange bottle in the nightstand.

"Michael Smith..." The label read and realized it was Vicodin. My hands shook as I quickly removed the cap and popped one of the pills in. My throat had been so dry that I couldn't swallow. I ran to the bathroom and took a swig from the sink. I kept my mouth on the cool running water longer than I needed. It felt so good and refreshing. The sound of the rushing water, however, made me miss someone sneaking up on me. I took a last swig and looked up into the mirror and noticed a male zombie staring back at me. He had a Fraternity shirt on but I couldn't tell the letters apart. It reminded me of this one time at the store where these sorority girls were asking for their order.

"Beta Chi Omega!" The bitch yelled.

"What does a Chi look like?" I asked back.

"Are you serious? It's an X. Obviously."

I wanted to stab her with my butterfly knife.

The zombie lunged at me as I ducked down. He ran into the mirror, breaking it with his head. He quickly whipped his head around and showed me his teeth. I could see the large chunk of his neck missing where he must have been initially bitten. He must have been no more than two years older than me. Even with his newly decaying face, I could still see where the acne would have been. His reddish hair lay thick on his head, weighed down by oil and gunk. He growled and lunged for me again. I moved quickly to the left and watched as he ran into the wall. I flicked my butterfly knife open and sliced him behind his knee. He fell down long enough for me to run down the stairs.

As I ran down, my legs buckled slightly requiring me to grab onto the banister to keep me from falling. I stopped and shook the dizziness out of my head. The Vicodin must have started working.

It couldn't have, it hasn't been long enough. I thought. But I knew it was possible with the week of exhaustion, dehydration and starvation...anything is possible.

The room began to feel warm and my anxiety to run away ceased to exist. I heard his growl behind me and I ran down the stairs, jumping the last two stairs with a little whirl. The zombie jumped at me and I moved slightly to the side causing him to miss once again. I smiled as I dug my knife into the back of his neck and cut it out of him like a Christmas Present. The zombie lied motionless and I knew I had to get out before the medicine really kicked in and I was alone.

But first I had to run back upstairs and grab the bottle of the pills I had left on the nightstand. I put it in my pocket and suddenly and I heard the garage door open. I ran to the window and looked outside. I couldn't see anything but I heard footsteps and muffled voices.

I crept to the door that led to the garage. A male's voice was distinct and I couldn't hear who he was talking to. I put my hand on the doorknob, ready to open the door and confront them but before I could the voices were gone. I waited one more minute before I opened the door. I looked in and saw the garage door open but no one standing there.

Who was it? What did they want? I looked along the garage wall and noticed something had been taken...three of them, counting the hooks, but what?

I knew I had to search for the others but the Vicodin was starting to really kick in. I had no nerves and the high I was feeling felt great. I decided I needed to get back to the girls waiting by the cars. I was in no shape to look...it would be far too dangerous. I began running down the street.

"Jiko!!" I heard someone yell back at me. I turned around and saw Caroline standing at the end of the street...she was crying...and covered in blood.

Episode 33: Day 7.2 - Verdict

Dumb? I thought...why was I always the one being called 'Dumb'. Yeah, I know I can be real immature and I know that I can spout out the mouth every now and then but I never would ever consider myself dumb. Ever since the outbreak I have been seen as nothing but a crony, Elizabeth's muscle, the sacrificial running boy. Watching her make plans with Ashleigh and Vankelia while I guard the elevators this morning didn't really give me the feeling that she had any respect for me at all.

Clunk. I hit the elevator doors with my rifle trying to pass the time. Clunk Clunk. The sound of the hallow elevator shaft made an eerie noise. Clunk...Clunk Clunk.

"Can you stop that!" Elizabeth said ripping the gun out of the my hand. I looked up angry realizing she had left the other room to tell me to quiet down. "Do you want them to hear you or are you..." She began.

"Dumb?" I finished her sentence for her. She huffed and walked back to the other room. I got up and followed her.

"Why is everything your way!" I said. She was looking over a map and didn't turn around. Vankelia and Ashleigh did, however, and looked a bit shocked. "Answer me." I insisted. She turned around and looked up at me.

"You really think you can lead this group?"

"Yes." I said. Elizabeth laughed a little. Vankelia and Ashleigh shared a glance with each other.

"What makes you think you can?" Elizabeth asked.

"What makes you think YOU CAN?" I replied.

"Excuse me? What are you insinuating?"

"We've been cooped up in Friendship Heights for DAYS now. We've lost half of our group and you have no real plan for us to get out!"

Elizabeth rushed up to my face, our noses pressing against each other. "Go ahead and leave. If you think you can survive this without me, be my guest. The three of us will do fine without you."

I stood in shock. I knew I could do better than her but I knew I couldn't do it on my own. You need people out there with you...to watch your back. I cleared my throat and got the courage to speak.

"Do you guys think she can lead you out of here alive?" I asked Ashleigh and Vankelia.

"Don't listen to him." Elizabeth said looking back at the map.

"I'm serious. Do you think she will get you out of here?" They just stared confused. "If you come with me we'll definitely get out of here by tomorrow! First thing."

"And GO WHERE!" Elizabeth swiped the map off of the table in a rage.

"Anywhere but here! We're running out of food, there are more zombies coming everyday and we're just sitting here like ducks waiting for a miracle to happen. We have to make a move!"

"What do you think I'm doing! I am making a plan for us to get out of here!"

"She is right..." Ashleigh began.

"But I also see David's point." Vankelia said. She came over and stood next to me. "Your plan is for us to wait until the rest of them kill each other. What happens if they don't? What then?" Vankelia said.

"Are you betraying me too Vankelia? I don't need you either. Ashleigh and I will get out of here alive while the two of you get yourselves killed following a Morrel."

For a moment there was an awkward silence and tension in the room.

"What happened to your heart?" Ashleigh said from behind all of us. We all turned to her in shock.

"Excuse me? What did you say?" Elizabeth said in anguish.

"What happened to your heart?" She repeated herself.

Elizabeth gritted her teeth and a tear fell down her face. "It died when everyone else did." She said slamming her fist on the table. "NOW GET OUT ALL OF YOU!"

Vankelia tried to approach her and I couldn't understand what was going on.

"We all lost someone...some of us don't even know who in our families are alive any more...we're all in the same boat."

Elizabeth just stared back at me.

"You're the one causing this." She said to me. "You're the reason people are leaving me again."

"But...but Elizabeth..." I began.

"SHUT UP!" She screamed through her tears. "Now get out...ALL OF YOU!" She held a gun to our faces that she picked up off of the table.

"You don't need to do this." Vankelia said.

"Just get out. Take your own guns with you and leave. I'll get out of here by myself." She lowered the gun and collapsed on the table in awful tears.

The three of us looked at each other and gave a nod. Vankelia went to the other room to gather a few things. Ashleigh tried to comfort Elizabeth but she only pushed her back.

"Bitch." Ashleigh said under her breath as she walked past me. I stood there and looked at Elizabeth a little longer. She turned her head and looked at me.

"WHAT. Do you want to ruin my life even more?" She asked. I shook my head.

"I'm not trying to ruin you..." I said. "I'm just trying to live." I lowered my head and left the room.

We gathered our things and lowered the elevator, still hearing her crying.

"So you do HAVE a plan right?" Vankelia asked as we exited the elevator. It was still light outside and very few zombies were on the streets. A pair of them were a hundred yards away but that was far enough for us to safely sneak out of their sight.

"I think I do." I admitted.

"THINK?" Vankelia questioned. "THINK? We just left Elizabeth up there because you insisted you had a plan."

"I do okay!" I said. "We need to find ourselves some transportation."

"Fuck." Vankelia said looking left and right, clearly flustered. "That's your brilliant idea?!" She looked at Ashleigh. "Do you think Elizabeth will forgive us if we go back now?"

"I don't know..." Ashleigh said.

"Guys. I promise! We will get out of here. When I was sneaking around the other day, there were a few bikes in a garage down the street."

"Bikes?"

I had to explain it to them. I knew that bikes were the way to go for now. By the looks of Friendship Heights, I knew there would be other places down the road that a car would not be able to pass. I couldn't bear to get stuck again because our car couldn't travel on the road. A bike would prevent us from doing that, it would never run out of gas and it is a really handy get away tool from zombies when we needed something quick and fast.

"I think he has a point." Ashleigh said.

"I do?...I mean I do." I stammered. Vankelia just looked at me.

"Fine." She said. "Show us these bikes."

I was elated that they were following me now. "We could become...a biker gang or something. Let's call ourselves the MorHell's Angels." I suggested giggling with glee.

"Yeah...let's not." Vankelia said.

The three of us ran down the street to the house I found the bikes. I knew that we would have transportation but I couldn't give them the hint that I had no idea what to do next. I was the Demoralizer after all...in the end, I would demoralize even this seemingly impossible situation.

"You're clueless aren't you?" Vankelia asked me as we ran. I gave her a questioning look.

"Fuck."

And we made a right down a street with a row of once beautiful and warm brick houses.

Episode 32: Day 7.1 - Vicious

The group grabbed what they could and made it to the car. Exhausted, they helped the four who volunteered to find another car into the large vehicle.

"We'll be safe...you guys find us a way out okay?" JC said looking back at the other weary companions. He tapped the car twice as Jiko drove the car down the street.

"You do have a license right?" Christa said from the passenger seat.

"No." Jiko said. Christa put on her seat belt and held on tight.

"Come on guys let's go find some shelter for at least until they come back." JC said to the others.

Owen caught up to him and quietly whispered to him, "What about where the other guys are hiding? That's a very safe spot."

"You really think they'll let us share a space with them?"

Owen stopped to think for a moment. "What about we offer them weapons or something?"

"I'd rather eat my own hand." JC said. He turned around to the rest of the group, "Come on, we need to find shelter!"

The night before was a horrible mess. The girls seemed surrounded and utterly exhausted by the horde of zombies that had broken into their hide out. The three guys came back just in time and hacked away at zombies cutting them at their starting point and thinning out the horde coming at the girls from the front. They fought their way through until they all could reunite, utterly exhausted, and finished off the few that had come through the back door. Jiko went crazy like a mad man and slaughtered a good handful before silence fell upon the bloodied streets of Friendship Heights once more.

"JC....JC!" Nina had shook him by the shoulder noticing that he was off in his head space somewhere. "Are you okay?" JC shook his head and snapped out of his day dream.

"Has it only been a week Nina?"

"Yeah...it has. Felt like a life time huh?" Nina answered back. The group was making their way to the empty grocery store. They knew it was void of food but it was an easy temporary hiding spot. One person would remain on the roof of the Chanel store to keep an eye out for the others and the rest would find some sort of rest in the grocery store. They needed the energy for their next attempt to find little Adelaide.

"I'll take the first watch." Sarah volunteered.

***

"Keep an eye out for any cars that could possibly fit the rest of us. A van or an SUV..." Christa began. "It needs to look like it can withstand rough terrain..."

"Look, what about that one?" Lauren H. pointed to a Suburban parked outside a house. "It looks perfect...the keys might be in the house if we look."

Jiko parked the car and the four of them quietly made their way to the house, Jiko having to break a window to unlock the door. They walked inside, carrying their weapons and checked each room slowly. Besides the eerie quietness, it was a beautiful home. The French Drapes allowed for a lot of sunlight to shine through. The wooden floors seemed newly varnished and the kitchen was immaculately clean, like the rest of the house. Jiko opened up the pantry and found no food to his disappointment. "The family here must have taken the food when they ran."

"And they didn't take their car?" Lauren H. asked.

"Duh Lauren, they must have had two cars." Jiko responded.

"Quit your messing around and help find the keys." LeAndria said entering the kitchen. "It must be around here somewhere."

Christa had walked up the stairs, each step causing the floorboards beneath her feet to creak. She slowly opened the bedroom door and gasped at the sight. Lying on the bed were two dead bodies with flies circling around them. They didn't look like they had turned into zombies but rather had simply died. She took a closer look and noticed that the couple were holding hands. In a weird and dark way Christa thought it was sweet.

"Christa, where are you....Oh God!" Lauren H. squealed as she entered the bedroom Christa was in.

"I think they only had one car..." Christa said. Jiko ran up to join them as she said this.

"Told you." Lauren H. said sticking her tongue out at Jiko.

"Got it!" Christa found the keys to the SUV on top of the dresser.

"You guys!" LeAndria yelled from the stairs. "Come quick!" They all gathered at the foot of the stairs and noticed two people entering the house. "Get your weapons out quick."

"Hello?" A female voice said brandishing a small metal pipe.

"Shut up...you don't want the undead to hear you."

"Sorry."

"They're living people..." Christa whispered.

"Who's THERE!" LeAndria yelled down the stairs as they hid in one of the rooms, their heads peaking out the doorway.

"Hello? We need shelter." The male voice said.

"Put your weapons down and stand by the foot of the stairs." LeAndria commanded.

"Why would we do that? How can we trust you?" The man said.

"Do it or we'll attack." The group heard two objects placed onto the floor and both standing at the foot of the stairs. They were in their late twenties to early thirties. The woman had blonde hair and blue eyes wearing a cable knit sweater over a blank tank top. The man was a bit taller than her. His dark features and strong jaw line gave him a heroic look and his tanned skin looked sun kissed.

"Our weapons are down...now can you show yourselves?" He asked.

The group appeared out of the door way and stood at the top of the stairs.

"My God...two of them are only just kids." The woman said.

"Excuse me, we're college age." Lauren H. said.

"Well technically yes...but..." Jiko began.

"Shut up Jiko...God." Lauren slapped him in the back.

"What are you doing here?" Christa asked.

"We're looking for shelter." The woman said.

"A house is a terrible place to find shelter...it's virtually impossible to fully barricade."

"We know...there were twelve of us when this outbreak began last week..." The woman teared up. The man held her in his arms.

"But we just want the SUV parked outside." The man said.

"I'm sorry but we're taking it." LeAndria said. The woman stopped crying and looked at the man.

"Are you?" He said lifting up his shirt to show the gun he had. "We can play nicely and you can just let us take this SUV so we can get out of here."

"We have friends waiting for us that need this vehicle." Lauren H. said.

"We've LOST FRIENDS left and right. We are NOT letting you have it." The woman cried and pulled out a gun of her own.

"Woah Woah Woah Marie...don't be too hasty now...you're shaking." The man said.

"Tell her to put the gun away!" LeAndria yelled.

"Marie, please put the gun away." The man pleaded.

"Fuck you! I'm not letting this car get away from us!" She pointed the gun at each of them. Jiko tried to be sly and pull the extra machete out of his jeans. "I wouldn't do that, you bastard!" She yelled.

"Marie, this is no way to handle the situation!" She turned and pointed the gun at the man.

"You're the reason my husband is dead. You are too weak and let everyone take everything from you. Now fucking go get the keys from them and let's get out of here."

The man looked up at the group. "Please if we can have the keys...she's not in the right state of mind."

"Are you fucking kidding me?" She yelled loudly.

"What should I do?" Christa asked.

"Give her the damn keys...we'll find ourselves another car." LeAndria responded. Christa tossed them the set of keys.

The woman laughed a bit. The scared looked on the man's face quickly disappeared and he too began laughing.

"Suckers." The woman said as she unclipped the gun and showed how empty the clip was. They both laughed and started for the door.

"Oh HELL no." LeAndria said. She grabbed the machete from Jiko and ran down the stairs. The woman put her hand on the doorknob to open it but LeAndria, in one quick motion, cut her hand off. The woman screamed in pain as blood gushed out of her hand. The man pulled the gun out of his holster and shot LeAndria, hitting her in the shoulder and causing her to fall to the ground. Jiko jumped down the stairs and sliced the man's head off. The other girls ran down to help LeAndria who was bleeding profusely.

"Quick rip those drapes off!" Christa instructed Lauren H. Christa quickly made work with the drapes and tied it around LeAndria's armpit to help stop the bleeding.

"You'll be okay." Christa said calmly. LeAndria tried to slow down her breathing and gritted her teeth to reduce the pain.

"We have to get her out of here." Christa said. Lauren H. grabbed the keys the woman dropped and started for the door. A hand grabbed her by the ankles. She looked down to the see the woman grab her. "Jiko, take care of this?" She asked.

Jiko smiled and chopped the woman's other hand. "Don't mess with us...you bastard." He said as he helped Christa get LeAndria to the SUV. "Lauren, you go with Jiko, I'll get LeAndria back."

The team drove out of the driveway with their two vehicles as they heard the woman's screams from the inside the house. Christa tried to shut it out of her mind but couldn't help but think they had left a woman bleeding from her two missing hands to die and be vulnerable to a zombie attack.

"Don't....feel guilty." LeAndria said through gritted teach. "Ah!"

"How can you tell."

"I just can...they tried to trick us, remember? And then kill us on top of that."

"You're right. Have we become heartless?" Christa asked.

"I don't think heartless is the right word..."

"Then what is?"

"Survivors."

The two vehicles rumbled down the decrepit road back to where their group was.

***

"No way..." Sarah said looking up from her sniper rifle's scope lens. "Did I just see that little girl?"

Episode 31: Night 6.2 - V-Day Massacre

"Midnight." Owen checked his watch as the three guys left the Chanel store. "You know what day it is right?"

"Enlighten me." JC said scanning their surroundings for any sign of zombie activity.

"Come on dude, it's Valentine's Day." He said. JC just glared at him. Owen looked down realizing what he had said. "Oh, I'm sorry..."

"We have no time to even think about that, we have to find Adelaide."

Jiko stopped suddenly. "Yo...yo...over there." He pointed. Three zombies were walking the streets aimlessly down the street. "You guys want to do it?"

"I only have my gun." Owen said. Jiko tossed him an extra machete he hid tucked away in the back of his pants. "You can use this one. I have one already." All three guys smiled and crept away behind a bush.

"Dibs on that fat one." Jiko said. "It'll probably ooze out a lot when I cut his head off."

"Dude, I think that's a chick." JC responded.

"You're right...the shit that happens to you when you become a zombie, I swear."

On the count of three the guys jumped out of the bush and dashed for the zombies. The fat one turned around only in time to see a machete chop its head off.

The other two were quickly mowed down as Jiko noticed a head dart down in the bushes.

"Someone's over there!" They all ran. David stumbled out of the bushes and tried to make a bee line for the main street but the guys blocked him from all directions.

"What are you doing in the bushes?" JC asked, pointing his machete at David's throat.

"I wasn't doing nothing, I swear." David said quivering.

"Did you see a little girl out here?" Owen asked. David shook his head furiously.

"Take us to your hiding spot." JC ordered.

"Why should I?"

"Or this machete," Jiko said placing his machete on David's ass, "will rip you a new one."

"Fine, fine I'll take you there...but I swear I don't know what you're talking about."

***

"Do you hear a banging at the back door?" Mel asked.

"A faint one...do you think the guys are back?" Sarah asked.

"I'll go check." Mel got up and went to the back door to see if the guys were trying to get back in. She cracked the door slightly and a grisly hand shot through trying to grab her. Frightened she slammed the door shut cutting off the fingers that twitched a few more seconds on the ground before finally they ceased.

"What was that!" Sarah ran to check on Mel.

"There are zombies outside! And from the little I saw, there are a lot of them!" Mel said. The two of them ran back to the other women and warned them to arm themselves. Suddenly they heard crashing from the front store. They all ran and realized the front windows had been smashed and through their barricades they could hear the moans of several zombies.

Sarah ran up with her gun.

"No guns." LeAndria said pushing Sarah's gun down gently. "It's the middle of the night...one fire and we'll have the entire city coming after us."

"How many machetes do we have?" Christa asked. Devin ran to the back room and panicked as she picked up the meager supply.

"We only have two machetes." She said tossing one to Christa and one to LeAndria.

"Everyone else grab what you can...that barricade won't hold much longer." Christa said. The other women scrambled to find what they can. Nina and Caroline broke a metal coat rack to use as a piercing object. Jenny grabbed a metal chair and Mel shared her throwing knife with Devin.

"I can't use this...I don't know how." Devin replied.

"Well you better learn fast...because here they come!" The zombies broke through the barricade and the women braced themselves for the worst.

***

"It took you long enough!" Elizabeth yelled down the elevator shaft as the elevator made its way up. She stood in front of the doors as they opened ready to give David a piece of her mind. He was stark white in the face and even in the darkness Elizabeth could tell something was wrong. The minute he walked out, the other three guys walked out, Jiko holding a machete to the back of his head.

"What is going on!" Elizabeth said in shock. Ashleigh and Vankelia ran out from the other room, groggy eyed obviously from slumber.

"Where is she!" JC asked.

"Who? Where is who?" Elizabeth asked back.

"Don't play dumb with me." JC responded. Elizabeth bit her lip as her temperature began to rise.

"Dumb?" She stuttered out of anger. "You're calling me dumb?" In a rage she went over and slapped him in the face. JC reacted and hit her across her face with the butt of his machete knocking her to the ground.

"I'm sorry, I've never hit a girl...but don't try to do anything funny." JC said. Ashleigh and Vankelia helped her up.

"What girl!" Elizabeth said now yelling.

"The little girl! I know you took her." JC said. He motioned for Jiko and Owen to raid their small office space. Vankelia and Ashleigh followed them.

"I might hate you guys, but I would never harm a little girl." Elizabeth said.

"Why do you hate us?"

"I hate you, most of all."

"Why me?" JC asked.

"I don't owe you an explanation. Maybe one day you'll get to find out...if both of us are still alive at that point."

Jiko and Owen ran back to the elevator lobby with the other girls.

"No little girl." Jiko said. JC and Elizabeth glared at each other.

"Fine. We'll leave. I trust you that you wouldn't hurt a little girl...if you DO happen to see her...somehow let us know." JC said as the three guys entered the elevators. The doors began to close but Elizabeth stuck her hand in causing them to open again. She said nothing for a minute but then said, "Okay...I will." The doors closed and the three guys went downstairs. Elizabeth slapped David in the back of head. "You're so dumb for getting caught."

"I can be called dumb and you can't?"

"Yes." Elizabeth said and walked back to their sleeping quarters.

***

"Go!" LeAndria said as the girls dashed forward and began attacking the oncoming zombie horde. A female zombie tried to swipe at Sarah but she stabbed her through the eye with a screwdriver, giving Lauren H. enough time to drive a crowbar through her head.

Mel took a few out with her throwing knives and as she was pulling one out of a zombie's head Devin yelled, "Duck!" Devin tossed a throwing knife a zombie but hit it with the side of the knife rather than any portion that would have caused damage. "Fuck!" Devin ran to find a more suitable weapon.

Christa and LeAndria slashed a few zombies and realized that more were coming through.

"We can't hold them back forever!" LeAndria said. Lauren N. was straddling a zombie and stabbing it in the face with a wooden clothes hanger.

Devin was rummaging through the back room trying to find another weapon. She felt a tap on her shoulder, a drip of ooze landed on her back. She knew it wasn't good when she heard moaning. She turned around and saw a tall male zombie stand above her. The zombie grabbed her by the face and clawed her eyes out as she screamed a blood chortling yell. Nina heard the scream and ran towards the back. She saw Devin's body on the ground being eaten by three zombies and another dozen or so were pushing their way through the back door.

"You guys! They're coming in from the back!!!" Sarah and Christa ran back to see what was going on and they began to kill as many as they could.

Jenny was pressed against a corner while two zombies approached her.

"Stay back!" She said using the metal chair to keep them at bay. One of the zombies slashed at the chair, sending it flying.

"Someone please protect Adelaide." Jenny said as her last words as a zombie lunged for her and bit a huge chuck off of her neck -- her screaming becoming nothing more than a gurgling noise.

Mel stabbed the two zombies eating on Jenny's body from behind and wiped the knives clean on her jeans as she ran back to attack another few zombies. Lauren H. had bashed another one straight across the face with her crow bar, pulling a chunk off of its decrepit face.

"Oh God, ew....oh God." She stammered.

"How are we going to survive this!" Caroline said to Mel.

Mel gave her a look. "How have we survived the last week? We fight." Caroline agreed and speared a zombie through the face with her jagged broken coat rack.

"You're right...I will fight."