Them, Dead (Us, Alive)

Chapter 2

Golden Cage City, September 15, Thursday, 10:13 am

"What do you think you're doing?!" A man with dirty clothes held my right arm up, attempting to stop me from breaking the wooden door.

By reflex, my left fist came flying to his face, which he effortlessly blocked.

"Ugh. Geez, woman!"

He groaned and held both my right arm and left wrist. Without much energy left, I dropped my weapon as tears started to fall from my eyes, he slowly placed my arms down.

"Oh goodness. Don't cry, damnit."

The man was dirty, rugged and smelly. He had a dirty gray shirt and blue jeans covered in mud and blood. He was wearing a hard cap so he must have worked in the construction. He's young, maybe my age or a couple of years older. I noticed some sort of flesh on his cap and my eyes twitched.

"Okay, well. Let's open this lock first." He reached for his pocket, took a key and opened the lock. He led me inside as my mind went blank.

Then it hit me! Why am I letting a stranger take me? So much for my dignity.

Once inside the shed, I formed a stance and was about to hit him again. Hey, it's not my fault I had the best reflex in the world.

"Whoa there karate kid." He placed his index finger on his lip as if trying to shush me. He locked the door of the shed, then I heard it.

Growling. Getting loud. More than one.

I sat on the floor and hugged my knees – like forever alone, hoorah – practicing my breathing exercise to calm down. The growling got louder and nearer but eventually it grew silent as if the undead just passed by the shed.

Once there was just silence in the little shed, aside for the occasional nearby screams, gun shots and car crashing, my sanity suddenly came back. I relaxed a bit, and sighed, when I noticed a pair of eyes looking at me.

I furrowed my brows at the guy behind the door crossing his arms like a mother about to nag her child. "What do you think you're doing?!" I shout-whisper to him.

"Wow. I just saved you from those monsters. You're welcome." There was a faint smug on his face.

"Ok, thank you Mister ---"

"Nic" He smiled offering his hand "Nicolas Frazier".

I reached for his hands to shake him, "Asher Montes".

"Oh?" he raised one of his brows in a questioning look.

I rolled my eyes and surveyed the small room. There's a small but high window facing the door. The Sun had been the only source of light we have in this room. There is a light bulb in the middle of the ceiling but it's still too early to power it on.

Now that I'm inside, the shed was surprising not too tiny. There's room enough for a single steel cabinet besides a small wooden one hanging by the wall, a small coffee table and an old sofa. I examined the walls where tools were hanged tidily and below them are more cable wires and tool boxes. At one corner, I think I saw a portable toilet bowl.

All the while, Nic opened the wooden cabinet and opened a bottle of water. He gulped the bottle until it was almost empty. He must have noticed I was gawking with my mouth open because he smirked and handed me the bottle.

"What?" I questioned him.

"You're thirsty, drink this."

"I can't..."

"Why not?!" he questioned.

"Well..." DUH, "you drank from it."

"Uh... so you think this is an indirect kiss?"