"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.
"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.
"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."
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!"
"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."
"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."
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