Ashes to Ashes (Book 1 of 2) A ZOMBIE FICTION

Becoming One with the Enemy

I awoke to a beating on my semi's door, I gripped my revolver tight and peered down to see that it was Drew. The look of panic on his face told me a story that I wasn't sure I wanted to know.

"Alex! Alex get up!"

I opened the door after grabbing my shotgun, "What?"

"Follow me!" He ordered as he ran back around the front end of the semi and towards the motel, running past the main building and to the back.

The scene was like something none of us expected, one of the storage sheds had been turned into a pen for the undead; and when Drake opened it one of them got close enough for a bite. I ran past Drew and sprinted towards one of the undead as Drake reloaded. I slammed into it, knocking it to the ground, then I opened fire on the remaining dead; spraying them with bird shot.

"What the hell is going on!?" Kat ran out shouting, then saw her son slump to the pavement gripping his bleeding arm. I stood there for a second, then turned and shot the undead that I had tackled.

"Oh my god..." Crystal said, visibly pushing her emotions for him down as she went to work cleaning and treating the wound.

"What happened?" Cathy came around, spotting the bite immediately, "He's-...."

"Infected." Drake finished for her, seeming more pissed off then anything. 

Before long, everyone else had come around the building and watched the scene unfold. For once, I actually felt remorse, not for who I had just killed, but for Drake. The bite had gotten deep and tore a large chunk from his left arm, exposing bone.

"We'll have to-...kill him..." One of the girls stated, choking back tears.

"No." Josh and I stepped in, defending him.

"Then what? We wait for him to turn on us?" The other male asked, his voice was higher pitched and carried more anger than anything.

"Maybe he wo-" I tried to say, but was interrupted.

"He will turn. And when he does, I don't want to be around to become like him."

"Shut up Mi-"

"No! Give me the keys to the truc-" 

I put the shotgun up to his skull, making him back down as he looked at the last remaining loaded shell; "I saw someone in the tower who looked like they had been bitten but had starved. They didn't get up, didn't budge, and didn't have any wounds. He didn't even look like one of them! So you, whoever the fuck you are, can shut the fuck up! There may be a chance that he wont fucking turn, and I'm willing to take that chance. If you aren't, then you can either eat lead, or take your shit and walk."

His eyes were wide with fear as my finger neared the trigger, "What the hell? You're standing up for the same person who fights with you every other day?!"

"You have three fucking seconds before I pull this trigger to make up your mind."

"Dude, he calls you-"

"Three,"

"He tells you you're an-"

"Two..."

"Why are you supporting hi-"

"On-"

"ALRIGHT! Fuck... just don't shoot me. Please don't shoot me."

I turned around and loaded five more shells into the shotgun, and as I neared Drake Josh stopped me.

"Thanks." He said, putting his rifle against his shoulder. 

"No problem."

Everyone had remained silent as I sat to the left of Crystal as she worked, not even seeming to hear the argument. From the look on her eyes though, I knew that she wanted me to be right.