Zombie Apocalypse

Chapter 31

The next morning-
Romeo was at the stove making bacon, eggs, and toast all at once. They didn't have a toaster, so Romeo used the stove.
"Hm....I wonder where we are going today. Oh, wait...I have to decide." Romeo was muttering to himself when someone knocked on the door.
"Got it!" Kristina shouted from her room. Ethan groaned in annoyance. The knock came again and Kristina bursted into the kitchen.
"Are you expecting someone?" Romeo asked.
"Yeah I have a social life still in an Apocalypse and invite people to the houses I occupy all the time." Kristina said sarcastically and opened the door.
A woman stood with a box in her hands filled with letters. She shifted through them and handed Kristina two letters and a magazine.
"Have a nice Z free day." The lady said before she walked away. Kristina sat down at the table. She scanned the first letter quickly and threw it onto the table in annoyance.
"Are you expecting a letter?" Romeo asked in attempt to understand Kristina.
"Rome, stop asking questions. It annoys me, and I'm not expecting a letter." Kristina said as she opened the second letter. Romeo started to set the table, and was about to call the others when Kristina sucked in her breath and sprinted to the door. Romeo grabbed the collar of her shirt and pulled her back. Kristina shocked for a moment became very light. Then, she twisted in his grip.
"Where do you think you're going?" Romeo asked her sternly.
"To kidnap and torture the mailwoman until she tells me what I want to know." Kristina said calmly. "Let me go. I don't want to hurt you, Romeo." Kristina said quickly.
"Kristina, come back and at least eat." Romeo suggested to no avail.
Kristina kicked his kneecap hard. His leg collapsed from beneath him, and Kristina shot out the door before he could call her name. Katia looked at the scene from the doorway. She walked up to Romeo, helped him up, and flicked a leaf out of his hair silently.
"Romeo, you are leader. I know you don't like to hurt anyone, and you have a good heart, but you need to make and enforce the rules. If that means you have to hit some sense into someone you can do it. You have to do it. You have to make everyone believe you are the true leader. You can do that can't you?" Katia asked. Romeo had strengths he just needed to use them. Katia believed that he could do this.
"Thanks, Katia." Was all Romeo said. Kalani stormed into the room. "What's all the noise? Is it Kristina? She actually asked me last night if she could sleep in my room! Like I'm one to harbor traitors, please. Where is she anyways?" Kalani rambled. She sat down beside Katia and started to eat.
"She had business to do." Romeo replied.
"Figures." Kalani replied. Xander and Jax walked in discussing Jax's dream.
"Anyone else have weird dreams?" Jax asked. Elizabeth who had been walking in after them slowly began to walk back out. Katia got up to go and retrieve her. Nathan and Devin sat and spoke in hushed tones. They discussed Nathan's new fear of fire. Romeo got a plate and stood eating his food. Keeping his thoughts to himself. Elizabeth glanced at what they were eating.
"You know what? I lost my appetite. I think I'm going to go-" Elizabeth started. Katia yanked her to the breakfast table.
"Is it the food? Are you like...uh vegetarian?" Romeo asked. He set his plate down on the counter and gazed at Elizabeth.
"She's fine. Your food is fine. She's going to eat it." Katia answered for Elizabeth.
Elizabeth quietly sat and started to eat her food. They sat in awkward silence except for Nathan and Devin whispering. Until, screams were heard from outside.
"No! I have a job to do! Get your hands off me!"
"Get over here, or I'll turn you into a Z!"
"NO! Help! Someone help! I'm being kidnapped!"
Romeo, Xander, Ethan, and Jax rushed outside. Katia, Kalani, and Elizabeth lingered behind them.
Kristina was pulling the hair of some blonde chick. She was dragging her towards the door. The blonde stopped struggling when she saw Jax.
"Oh, hello. I'm Kate." Kate introduced herself.
"That's your name." Kristina said and sighed. "I thought it was Veronica."
"Kristina, what are you doing?" Romeo asked stepping forward.
"I need to talk to this mailwoman. She's here by her own will. Don't worry." Kristina said with a smile. She nodded her head. "Can she come in?" Kristina kept nodding her head repeatedly.
"Yes." Romeo answered.
"Great!" Kristina said dragging Kate inside.
"Hey, I want your number!" Kate shouted to Jax. Jax just smiled.
"Jax, get off of the 'I'm so hot' island and go and get Kate." Romeo ordered.
"You said she could come inside." Xander replied.
"Actually, Kristina used a psychological trick to make Romeo say yes." Katia said before going inside to finish her breakfast. Elizabeth and Kalani followed after.
"You know what? Just finish eating." Romeo sighed. If Kristina wanted to abduct someone and question them, then fine, but if she hurts Kate then Jax will intervene. Romeo sighed and went to the comfort of his eggs.
"Well, who volunteers to ask Kristina?" Jax asked.
"Not it. I think she hates me." Xander confessed.
"I can't do it. We barely talk." Jax followed.
"She can't be that bad! Can she?" Ethan asked.
Xander and Jax give Ethan a 'you don't even know' look and walked away leaving Ethan outside.
"I wonder what's she's up to." Ethan spoke his thoughts aloud and moved to the side of the house. He found the room he slept in, and presses his ear against the window.
"But who gave it to you?" Kristina asked. Ethan could tell because her voice was filled with that eerie calm he had experienced last night.
"I told you this guy with black hair. Kinda looks like the cute guy with blue eyes. Except with green eyes-" Kate answered.
"Where did he say he was going?" Kristina asked with a tinge of desperation.
Ethan pressed his ear against the window, he stepped forward to hear better, but a twig cracked under his foot. Before he knew it Kristina's face looked down at him angrily from the window. He tried to appear casual.
"Just taking a walk." He said.
"Then get moving!" Kristina yelled at him. She gave him a glare until he passed. She was reminded of the time the other group members sat in a circle talking to each other. She still didn't know what they said that day. Kristina pulled back the curtain. Ethan tried to hear something, but all her heard was whispers. He walked back into house.
"Yeah, I don't know what's her problem she-" Kalani was speaking. When Ethan entered they all turned to stare at him.
"Did you hear anything?"
"Why'd she attack the lady?"
"Do you know who sent the letter?"
"What's the letter about?"
Ethan raked a hand through his hair. He took a deep breath to clear his mind.
"Kristina wants to know who sent the letter. I don't know what the letter is about. Some guy with black hair and green eyes sent it according to Kate. He dropped it off actually." Ethan summarized.
Kristina approached from the doorway nodding.
"You just couldn't stay out of my business couldn't you?" Kristina glared at Ethan, as Kate awkwardly walked out the door. Romeo stood up and the room went quiet.
"Kristina, what is the letter about?" Romeo stood in front of Kristina. He was taller than her by several inches, but she looked up at him defiantly.
"It's personal." Kristina said simply.
"How is that exactly when we both know it was sent by Ash himself?" Romeo replied. He gave her a look he always gave other people who despised him when he was a rebel. Menacing, in command, a hint of innocence, and a whole lot of 'come after me, I dare you' smile was plastered all over his face.
"Rome, your crossing the line between trust and commander." Kristina said quietly.
"That's the point. I am your commander."
"That's not what I meant. You can read it, but don't show it to anyone else. Hand it right back, and tell me exactly what you think." Kristina said the eerie calm back on her face. Kristina slowly looked around the room only pausing to give an 'your dead' look to Ethan. Finally, she took the note out of her pocket and handed it to Romeo.
Romeo carefully took it, opened it, and began to read. His expression seemed to change as he read it, ranging from amusement finally to confusion. He glanced sympathetically at Kristina. Kristina grabbed the note out of his hands, and looked up at Romeo in amusement.
"Don't fell pity for me, commander. Your not supposed to. Now if you excuse me I'm going to do something about this." Kristina waved the note in the air, and disappeared into her room.
The room was left in an awkward silence.
"I'm going to go talk to her." Katia pronounced at went to Kristina's room.
A moment later Katia came out of the room, with Kristina shouting at her that she was invading her privacy. 'Bad idea' was all Katia said when she sat back down. Romeo turned to look at his group.
"Do you guys want to stay here? Because right now we have no information, and we still need somewhere to stay." Romeo said sounding defeated.
"I think we should stay. This is the only place we know that hasn't been destroyed." Katia agreed.
"Agreed." they rest said in unison.
That moment the mailwoman came through the door, clutching at her arm. Red liquid poured between her fingers and through her thin white shirt. "The city- attacked. ON FIRE!" she screamed as she collapsed.
"Devin, fire..." Nathan voiced out his fear.
"Everyone evacuate. Ash has found us, so his army can't be far behind. Move!" Romeo yelled as he dashed to get his stuff. Everyone flooded out of the kitchen and went to retrieve their things. Soon, everyone was at the door except for Kristina. Kristina sat in her room inspecting her letter.
"Okay, everyone move out!" Romeo ordered. Everyone ran out just of the house when flames started to engulf the wood.
"What about Kristina?" Katia yelled over the screams.
"She'll, oh wait..." Romeo just opened the door almost completely covered in fire when Kristina came crawling out. She coughed clutching her letter, her foot dragged her other items such as her backpack.
Once Romeo convinced himself Kristina was okay, he turned to Ethan,"How do we get out of here?"
"Follow me!" Ethan yelled and ran with the group following behind him. The group gazed at the scene around them. A woman cradled her baby to her chest. The baby cried, swaddled in blankets, and the mother ran not quite knowing her destination. A house burned in flames as a mother and daughter awaited the father to come out. The cat sprung out the window and landed on its feet, and began to clean itself. Screams were heard everywhere like a creepy soundtrack in a horror movie. People ran everywhere screaming out names, but their voices were drowned out by the screams. Fire blazed around the town in the daylight. It seemed so unnatural, like this couldn't and shouldn't be happening. Yet, here it was the town blazed in light almost resembling Ash's fury that the group had gotten away, but also his happiness that he had gotten Gaby. Romeo along with the rest of the team just hoped Ash was a no show. They didn't want to deal with him just yet. Maybe, never again.

-

Ethan led them to a pond in some forest out of the town. It was a lot of running, but they managed to pull it off. There was no Zs in the town thankfully, just the fire. It was dark now, so Jax made a fire to keep them warm and give them light. Although, it was a pretty cruel reminder of what just happened. Ethan had nothing now that his house was destroyed, so Romeo decided that he was now an official member of the team.
There was a stirring in the leaves. That wasn't so unusual sense it was a little windy, so Romeo shrugged it off. Katia was rotating some cans of beans and cooking meat over the fire, while Xander searched for some kindling in his pack. Jax sat beside Elizabeth handing her bandaged and such for the wound she had gotten when some lady pushed Elizabeth onto the floor exclaiming she had found Tammy. Romeo sat near the fire trying the get rid of the cold feeling at the back of his neck. Kristina sat on a tree branch braiding her bangs, some rope from her backpack dangled down onto the floor. Ethan paced near the pond stopping occasionally to mutter something to himself. Kalani leaned on a tree examining her nail like she always did, and Devin coaxed Nathan about his fear of fire. Every so often Nathans gaze would drift towards the corner of Devin's shirt.
The rustling of leaves came again. This time someone else said shhh. Suddenly, everyone was on their feet, except Kristina who was in the tree. A voice came from the undergrowth of the forest.
"Give us the girl!" the voice commanded.
"If you want Kalani you can have her!" Kristina shouted from the tree getting a horrible glare from Romeo and Kalani.
"Who was that?" the Z asked.
"Jonathon Morgenstern." Kristina said stealing the name from one of her favorite book series.
"But, you sound like a girl." another voice responded.
"Likewise." Kristina muttered.
"What do you want?" Romeo asked defiantly. He glanced from place to place his eyes darting here and there.
"We need Kristina Dotson, Ash's sister to be precise. No harm will come to her if she comes willingly. Ash says it regards the letter, and its family matters." the Zs walked into the light standing a few feet in front of Romeo. They knelled down and held their hands up to show they meant no harm. Everyone's gaze went to Kristina in the tree.
"What are you looking at me for? I'm Jonathon Morgenstern." Kristina told them firmly.
"Kristina looks very much like you." The Z said with a curious glance at Kristina.
Kristina sighed. She hopped of the tree, and landed firmly on her feet.
"Ethan, come." Kristina and hoped she wouldn't regret trusting Ash.....and Gaby. Ethan came and Kristina dumped all her stuff in his hands.
"Guard this with your life." Kristina whispered and walked towards the Zs. Kristina hugged Katia and Elizabeth nodded and walked next to the two Zs.
"Very good Jonathan Morgenstern." Ash said as he came out from the cover of the trees. Kristina instinctively moved into a fighting stance. A bandage covered the upper area of his arm, while another bandage moved diagonailll
"Oh, please no need for that. Well just have a friendly chat, if you want to of course." Ash said politely. Gaby came out and placed her hands on one of his shoulders and tip toed and glanced over his shoulder.
"Gaby!" Katia yelled out to her friend. Gaby came out from behind Ash and gazed at her friend. She took a couple steps forward and stopped like an invisible wall was there.
"Hey, Katia. Whats going on?" Gaby asked so casually Katia felt like they were back in junior high having a normal talk. Katia so longed for those days she burst into tears.
"Oh, Gaby!" Katia ran towards her, but Ash's voice cut through her moment like a knife.
"We'll do a trade. You can have Gaby, while I take Kristina, for a while. No harm will come to either if the other remains perfectly fine. I'll see you later, Gaby." Ash turned and went back into the cover of the trees. Kristina glanced back at the happy reunion of Gaby and Elizabeth and Katia. Gaby caught Kristina's gaze and motioned for her to follow Ash. Kristina sighed and went into the cover of the trees.
"Gaby, can we ask you a question?" Jax asked.
"Sure." Gaby replied. She really wanted to avoid questions, because Ash told her to and she didn't want to jeopardize her mission.
"Where are you and Ash staying?" Jax asked simply.