Invasion of the Undead

Chapter 2

The sun was just starting to rise when they arrived at the meeting place. The others had already set up the tents and the fire pit. Nicole could smell stew already cooking over the fire.  It was the closest thing to a home they had had since the zombie apocalypse began. As they walked into camp, they were met by the other four survivors.  Nicole and Aaron slid off their backpacks and set them down.
"We were starting to worry." said Leeann, “What took you so long?"
Leeann was short but intense. She had piercing green eyes and flowing blonde hair. She sat on a log next to the fire pit in a light blue shirt and cut off blue jean shorts. She scooped up one of the backpacks and started unloading it.
"We ran into an old friend of Nicole's." said Aaron, “Looks like we have more than just zombies to worry about."
"What does that mean?" said Leeann, her eyes wide with curiosity and fear as she stared at Nicole.
"Go ahead, Nicole. Tell them.” Aaron sighed.
"There's a vampire named Brandon. We believe he's putting together an army of zombies and vampires to try and take the city."
James stood next to the fire pit. A tall and slender young man with a serious nature. He ran a hand nervously through his short brown hair.  His dark brown eyes reflected his concern when he said, "That doesn't sound good.”
“Wait. Who was this old friend of Nicole's?"  Hannah asked.
Hannah stood looking at Nicole. She stood rigid as she waited for Nicole to respond.
"Brandon," said Nicole, “I’ve run into him before."
"She dated him," said Aaron, with a smirk.
"You dated a vampire?" said Leeann, shock ringing in her voice.
“Yes, but that's not important."
"She's right. We need to focus on the problem at hand," said Max, as he took a stick and poked the fire.
"Right!" said Aaron, "Time to prepare for a fight."
"Brandon won't be able to come out till after sundown. So, let's take this time to prep, rest, and be ready to go at dusk."

Nicole watched them as they branched off to make preparations. They were a strange ragtag crew. None of them had much experience with combat before the zombie attack. Leeann was the smallest of the bunch, but she was solid on her feet and not easily scared off. Hannah and James were the tallest and the most wiley of the crew. Hannah could squeeze in and out of small spaces with ease, and James could creep in and out of almost any situation undetected. He was better than Aaron at sneaking up on people and was their best scout.  Max and Aaron had the most weapons experience and kept charge of the logistics of the group. All the men were dark-haired and could fade into the shadows easily, along with  Nicole. Hannah had red hair but could still blend in better than Leeann, who stuck out with her long pale blonde hair in the dark.
Aaron had gone off to the area where he kept his guns and checked over everything. He polished and loaded all the guns so they would be ready. James and Max prepped all their weapons. James had a crossbow and quiver full of arrows. He also carried a machete as a backup weapon. Max carried two pistols, a shotgun, several knives, and a sword. The two of them sat by the fire, cleaning and prepping their weapons. Leeann and Hannah each had a machete and a pistol, but they also carried backpacks full of first aid material. They spent the prep time loading up the first aid bags and putting away all the supplies Nicole and Aaron had brought back. Nicole headed to her tent. Once inside, she sat down and began polishing and sharpening her array of knives. As she worked on her weapons, her mind wandered back to when she had first met Brandon five years prior.
Brandon had seemed so perfect that first night. He was so handsome. She had noticed his pale skin, but she had assumed he had inherited a light complexion. When he smiled at her, it had made her heart flutter. When he walked up to her that night at the bonfire, she felt like she was going to faint. His dark brown eyes had captivated her.
"Hello there." he said, " I’m Brandon."
She had giggled and said, "I'm Nicole."
"Nice to meet you," he replied with a smile.
That first night had been like a dream. He always seemed to know just what to say. Unfortunately, it was not meant to last, for a few short weeks later, he had told her what he was. She had assumed he was joking until he tried to bite her. She had fought him off and ran. The next day she had moved to this town to get as far from Brandon as possible. She never iimagined he would follow her here.
"Nicole." Aaron’s voice pulled her mind back to the present.
"Yeah," she said.
"You, OK?" he asked, "You looked like your mind was miles away."
"I'm fine." she replied, "Just old memories coming back."
Aaron nodded, "OK. Well, sundown is in about two hours. Everyone is gathering at the fire pit. See you out there?"
"I'll be there in a minute."
Aaron nodded and left the tent.