GARDEN OF THE UNDEAD - A ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE ROMANCE & ACTION TALE

chapter fifteen

"Fuck" Ryan breathed as he paced around the little cabin's Livingroom in a barely controlled panic.

"So are we going to die?" Alexia asked looking up to Kaiden as tears welled in her eyes. It was easy to forget she was so young, only seventeen when the world ended. No chance to go to college, drink alcohol legally or even just get to experience being an adult.

"We're not going to die" I replied touching her on the shoulder, "I'm going to go out, find a place that can withstand a horde and come back to get you guys"

"You're not going" Kaiden declared sternly standing up from the chair he was sitting in, "I'm going with one of the guys."

"Why not? Let me do this, please" I responded, walking over to him. I just wanted to be of use to somebody. I don't want to be seen as a liability, why doesn't he just see that? So all that talk about me, Armani and Alexia being dead weight was just nothing but bullshit?

"Chen, Travis, Femi? Which one of you can join me?" he asked ignoring my question.

"Chen isn't in the right headspace for something like this. Ryan can't go. Travis has to watch out for Armani and Femi needs to be here to support Chen. I'm your only option"

"You do realise there's going to be considerably more zombies around due to the horde that's coming?" he spat, "I can't protect you if it gets too much. They're going to be fast and lethal. We can't always be in the car to search for a place".

"I know" I spat back, "I'm going. You can't control me or stop me. Nobody can. Either you come with me or I'm going to leave as soon as you do"

"Fuck" he sighed grabbing his gun off the coffee table, "You don't know what you're getting into".

Stepping outside of the security of the cabin caused me to rethink volunteering to go out and find a safe place. I couldn't hesitate right now, I thought, or he'll force me to go back in.

"Lets go" he whispered as he gripped my wrist tightly causing me to wince. He didn't loosen his grip as he pulled me through the forest as quickly as he could, staying alert for any of the undead waiting for the chance to feed on an unaware victim stumbling through the forest.

I didn't even have time to pull my wrist out of his hand, all I could manage was to barely stop myself from making unnecessary noises or failing over my feet. Looking up a Kayden made me realise how scared he was, his head swivelled around at every slight sound - even a twig snapping, and his eyes darted around as if he was a deer surrounded by a pack of wolves searching for a way out to safety.

It was dead before I heard it. An undead woman that looked no older than thirty dropped dead behind me, Kayden had stabbed her in the eye with his hunting knife before she could bite into my shoulder and end my life. I hadn't even noticed her so I had no idea how Kayden did. My body began to shake with fear as I desperately tried to calm myself from such a near death experience, I didn't want to seem weak. I wasn't allowed to be.

He gave my shoulder where the woman almost tried to bite a quick scan before shooting me a look as if to say a mean - 'I told you so', making me look sheepishly at the ground. He made me feel like a toddler being scolded by her father for doing something he told her not to. Why should I have to feel guilt for wanting to be of use?

A high pitched shriek followed by another, and then another began to be heard. They seemed to be getting louder and closer, masses of the undead which we couldn't see despite the broad daylight were hurling at us, and we were vulnerable sitting ducks.

"Run" Kayden instructed and like clockwork my feet began to pound against the forest floor as I ran for my life. Kayden ran behind me, pushing me forward reminding me to not slow down.

Slowing down meant death.

I got whiplash as I dared to look back at the masses emerging from the forest.

I wish I didn't.

Hundreds of them were chasing us ravenous. Blood leaking from their eyes, black pulpy, decayed mounds of flesh dragging behind me as they shoved at each other aiming to get to the golden meal first. Their jaws snapped against the air, yearning to make contact with our flesh. To get a taste of the euphoria they have been starved of for God knows how long.

"DON'T LOOK BACK" Kayden screamed at me, as he shot behind himself, eliminating a few of them. But it would be useless, if we couldn't get out of this forest fast enough, we would eventually fatigue and become lunch.

Whipping my head back around made it feel ten times heavier. My whole body was beginning to feel heavier, like I was stuck in a dream where I couldn't run fast enough. I could feel my heart beat in every nerve ending in my body, it felt like I had taken a bad batch of drugs and was on a never ending bad trip. My whole body ached, but my muscles forced themselves to work, devouring into every energy store my body had left. Beads of sweat ran down my back as my clothes began to cling to my body like a second skin.

Kayden kept pushing me forward whilst shooting behind himself as if he was trying to remind me he was also here in this situation, pushing me forward to live as I wouldn't give up.

My body was beginning to shut down, from never doing any exercise post-apocalypse to running at full speed and a half for what seemed to be several minutes was not an easy task. I could see the road side. I could see the car.

Reaching it, Kayden unlocked it and in a second we drove off, the car being chased by the deranged who seemed so angry they had lost their chance at a meal.

"Are you okay" Kayden asked desperately, dragging his eyes off the straight road to sweep them over me as if he was scanning me for injury. He wasn't even breathing heavily, this was what he was used to. He was a match for this world and I wasn't. He could've made it out of that forest easily, he just didn't want to leave me behind. He could've died because of me.

"I'm-fine" I breathed, as I hyperventilated trying to repay my body's oxygen debt, "Thankyou, for looking out for me, I was stubborn, I should've listened-"

"Fuck, Eden" he interrupted grasping at my hand as if he was afraid I would disappear, "You're okay, that's all that matters, got it?"

END

A/N: What a chapter right?! That forest is where the cabin is though, I hope everyone else is alright.... (insert *wicked author smirk* here)

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