THE NIGHT THE DEAD STARTED WALKING

Gunshots

Meri*
I aimed my bow. My focus was on a pretty decent sized bird. I exhaled slowly then let go of my arrow and let the bow string do its magic. The arrow appeared to speed across the air in slow motion. It felt like forever,but my arrow finally met its target.
I laughed out of joy.
I'd finally have something to eat instead of gross vegtables and canned beans.
Mulan high five me while holding two squirrels.
"Nice shot!" She said while smiling at me.
"Thanks! " I said while I smiled back.
" I hate having to eat these poor little animals," Pocahontas said while walking over to us," if we ever settle down I want to start planting things like corn."
"That would be nice," John said while walking behind her.
"Eh I guess. I really like meat instead of vegetables. Especially now when that's all we eat. It's always frozen veggies," I said while walking away to see if there were anymore birds or squirrels.
"Poor things," Pocahontas sighed.
There was a moment of silence.
We walked through trees and bushes silently. We were out if town and were planning on bringing home some food. As we walked, we kept our eyes peeled. We were all starving. I then heard groaning.
Ah shit.
I crept to where the sound was coming from. I motioned for everyone to get down. John was ready to shoot. I looked through the side of a tree and saw a creep eating a deer. I pulled out an arrow from my quiver I lined it up against the bow. I let it go of the string and the arrow once again was a bullseye.
We all got up and walked up to the dead deer and creeper.
The deer was torn apart. His throat appeared to be yanked out and it's guts were pulled out from the body.
I held back my puke.
"Man.. Too bad this stupid walker got to it first.." John said while inspecting the deer.
"Walker? " I asked.
" yeah that's what we call them," John said as he looked over the deer,"you know we can maybe cut around the infected part and get the meat that is untouched."
"No fucking way." Mulan said.
"It can't be that bad.."
"It could be infected. Who knows what would happen if we eat infected meat."
" come on just think about it."
"I don't think it'll be safe John," Pocahontas said," better safe than sorry."
" girls just think about it! I'm starving. "
"We ALL are John! And I said no " Mulan said annoyed.
" come on..it wouldn't hurt to try!" John whined.
I looked over the deer.
"No." I said firmly.
John glared at me then he looked down at the dead deer.
"You're right." He said and started to creep ahead.
" there has to be more," Mulan said.
" probably. More than likely they're deeper int-"
I was interrupted by 3 gunshots.
I froze. We all did. I looked behind me. And listened.
More gunshots followed.
"What the fuck was that?" John asked.
"They're not close. They're distant... Fuck.. I think it's the boys!" Mulan exclaimed.
"Man! Come on let's go! " I shouted as I sprinted to the direction the gunshots we're coming from.
"Damn it Shane..." I heard Mulan whisper behind me," please be ok".
**Jack.
I moved as quickly as I could while grabbing supplies. Toothless barked happily at my side. I smiled and pet him softly. He's been making a few supply runs with Meri and I for the past few months.
"Come on boy. Help me find something to eat. I'm starving," I told him while getting back to cleaning out the small store.
Toothless happily turned around and started sniffing around shelves.
I climbed up some shelves to reach the top. I felt around trying to find something useful. My hand landed in something or things..
One of the items was hard and cold. Another was large and felt like glass and the other was small and boxed. I brought the items down and examined them.
It was a handgun, a bottle of whiskey and a box of cigarettes.
I let out a sigh and put them in my backpack. It's been decades since I drank or smoked. Punzie and Hic made me stop.
Toothless suddenly walked over to me with a box of cereal hanging from his mouth.
" good job Toothless! " I exclaimed while scratching him behind the ears. I put the box in my bag.
" what did you find bro? " Shane asked while walking up to Toothless and petting him.
I decided not to tell him about the cigarettes and whiskey.
"Just a gun."
"Ahh.. "
"What about you? "
".. Nothing" he said disappointed.
"Well you can't get much these days"
"Yeah everything is pretty much picked clean"
"Mer and your people are hunting I'm sure they'll find something."
" yeah but we need ammo. "
"Yeah. Things will look up" I comforted while putting a hand on his shoulder.
" there was a lot in Mulan's bag.. But we lost it in a herd. "
We stayed silent as we looked for useful supplies.
"So.. What did you do before all of this? " Shane asked.
"I was a nobody"
"Pardon?"
" I was.. Am a nobody. "
Shane looked at me with seriousness in his eyes.
His silence urged me to tell him more.
"I was a senior in high school," I continued," I was suppose to graduate the year before,but I didn't take school seriously. I thought pranks and having fun was more important than learning Calculus. I was ..an orphan. My parents died in a car crash and later my little sister,Emma, died from a sickness. After that I was a trouble maker. I would steal, injure and fight out in the streets. After a close call with death, I started listening to my friends and Meri, Hic and Punze helped me get out of drug addictions and deals I had made. My life was better. I was finally going to graduate. I was finally going to go to college. I was finally going to start my life and then.."
I closed my eyes, hoping I could keep tears from coming down.
" Jack.. You may have been a lot of things.." Shane said"but you arn't.. You never were a nobody. "
I looked at him and smiled.
"Thanks Shane..aaaannnd what about you? "
" I was in the military," He said while smiling, " I was born in New York and grew up there. I was an honor student. That's where I met Mulan. "
I smiled at this. I knew they were a couple.
" we started falling in love,but then I decided I wanted to go to the military and of course Mulan wanted to go too. We both went. It was one of the hardest times in my life, but after or time serving I went back to New York and so did she. We ended up getting married..we lived together for about a year when this shit started."
I nodded looking down. We both started searching again.
I heard running steps toward us. I turned quickly and saw Adam and Peter.
" ok I think we're ready to go," Adam said," we looked everywhere there's nothing left."
Shane nodded."ok we can go."
As soon as Shane looked away to walk away,Peter shoved me behind him.
"Out of my way pal."
I accidentally bumped into a small wooden shelf.
I lost balance and fell back along with the shelf.
When I made contact with the floor, all I felt was anger. The shelf had made a very load crashing sound against the tiled floor.
Toothless growled at Peter loudly.
"What the fuck man?!" I shouted at Peter as I got up.
" what happened?" Shane asked.
I didn't answer him and just death glared Peter instead.
"Stop looking at me cotton swab!" Peter ordered as he pushed me back.
"Peter stop!" Shane commanded.
I stepped back towards Peter.
He shoved me again. I looked down smiling and then looked at him again. I chucked.
"Do that shit again." I dared.
"Peter come on man stop." Adam said while trying to push Peter away from me. The ginger pushed his hand away and walked towards me balling his fist.
"Come on grandpa let's see if you're slow." He said.
"Peter stop acting like a child. " Shane said again.
Peter charged at me and swung with his right hand. I dodged it and moved to his right sticking him in his rib. He turned to me quickly and struck again . I jumped back and hit him twice in the face. Peter then punched me in the stomach twice and tackled me to the ground. I quickly fliped us over to where it was now me on top of him and started punching at his face. After about 7 blows I got of of him slowly.
Adam helped Peter up.
" you ok man? "
"Fine. " Peter answered him. I looked away and started to head to to exit. Creepers or "walkers " we're staring to gather up and bang on the doors. Toothless barked.
"What th-"
A gunshot was heard. I turned back quickly.
Peter stood there holding a gun pointed at me.
This guy missed!! I looked back at the doors.
The glass had shattered from one of them and now walkers we're pouring in and flooding the building.
"Peter shot two more rounds into the crowd of walkers before he turned away. Toothless whined as he began to sprint away
"Run!" Adam yelled.
"Nice going!" Shane growled at Peter.
I kept running.
"Where to?!" Adam shouted.
"The emergency exit!"
As soon as Shane opened the exit, walkers greeted us.
"Shit! "
Shane slammed the door shut.
I desperately looked for a solution.
"Get on the shelves!" I shouted.
We all ran towards the small shelf .I grabbed Toothless and climbed up the tall shelf with one hand the best I could . We got to the top and I set Toothless down.
"Now what?" I looked around panicking. Walkers we're all around us reaching up to try and taste our blood and flesh.
We were trapped.