Beside the Dying Fire

Hailey's POV

Bang!

A bullet passed through Gabe, spraying my face with blood. I knelt beside my severely injured friend. Payson looked at his revolver in remorse for what he had just done. Then he went back to his insane self. I looked over at Kai. As tears swelled in his eyes, he yelled as he ran at Payson, but Payson dodged. He yanked Gabe's fake leg off and bashed Kai in the head with it, leaving Kai with a bloody gash on his forehead.

Payson dropped the artificial leg as he flared his handgun towards the ceiling.

"There's gonna be some changes around here! From now on, I'm in charge! These two, Gabe and Kai, they were just an example of what will happen if you cross me! NO ONE LEAVES ME! DO YOU HEAR ME?!? NO ONE!!!"

He pointed the weapon at Sarah.

"You," he commanded. Sarah scowled at him, making him fear for a brief second before he realized that he was the one with the gun. "Collect everyone's weapons and I'll let you help get these 2 medical attention. Got it?"

"It's not rocket science," she said as she put her knifes into her backpack. She went around the room, collecting everyone else's weapons in the bag. When she got to me, I didn't give up my weapons. Her eyes scared me into finally giving them up, just so she could save my friends. Payson snatched the bag. He reached into another bag and pulled out a First Aid Kit. He removed things such as needles and scalpels before handing it to Sarah.

"The rest of you, with me," Payson demanded.

We obliged. One by one, he zip-tied us to chairs so that we couldn't get up. All of us except for Grace. He led Grace to another room. I couldn't make out what they were saying, but Grace was not happy. Payson returned without Grace to retrieve Sarah, Kai, and Gabe. He tied up Sarah and Gabe, but not Kai yet.

"I've always wanted that outfit. You think we're the same size?" Payson joked.

He took off Kai's jacket, scarf, button-up shirt, and shoes, leaving the unconscious Kai with his khakis and a blood-stained white T-shirt. After Payson tried it all on, he took it off and threw the outfit in the trash can. Payson said that that is 'where it belongs'. He was demented.

Payson walked over to the room with Grace inside and closed the door.

"Woah!" I heard him yell. "You actually went through with it! Let's get you back out there."

Grace was sat down next to me, covered in blood. She was shaking and she wouldn't blink. It was frightening.

1 week slowly passed while we were still tied up. Kai never woke up, but Gabe did. We were all in agony. None of us had eaten, except for Payson of course. I couldn't take it any more. What I was about to do would either kill Payson...

...or get me killed.

As Payson came around to taunt us like he does every 20 minutes, this time, I leaned my head back as far as it would go, and struck my forehead into his nose. He recoiled in pain.

"You brat!" he yelled as he yanked out his gun. he looked at his gun and smiled. "Oh. no. I'm not gonna shoot you. That's too easy."

"Leave her alone!" Grace defended me.

"For that, you die, too." he responded.

The short boy led us through the building and up the stairs until we reached the 3rd floor. He pushed both of us through a window and onto a thin balcony before he climbed through as well. In the alleyway below, one walker roamed aimlessly around. Payson grabbed Grace by the back of the neck, smiled, then shoved her off of the balcony. Upon impact, she was in pain. She was still alive though. her screams attracted the one walker over to her. The corpse bit her on the back of her neck. The walker was about to bite her windpipe next, but was stopped.

Bang!

Payson shot the walker from the terrace.

"You think it was gonna be quick?!" he laughed.

He was a monster. I wasn't going to let him kill me like this. I backed about a foot behind him and forcefully pushed him forward with my shoulder. The gun went over the railing before Payson. At the last second, he grabbed the metal railing with his right hand.

"Hailey," he persuaded. "You don't have to do this. We could rule these people, this town, the whole world. What do you say?"

I thought about the offer before making up my mind.

"I say rot in hell."

I intensely kicked his hand, causing him to lose his grip. He crashed down to the ground below without making another noise. I ran back inside and found Payson's weapon bag. I pulled out one of Sarah's knives and cut my zip-ties before supporting everyone else.

We were finally free, but eventually, someone will try something very similar. Before it happens, I'll make sure to put a bullet in their brain before anyone is hurt. Next time, it'll be different.