Survival: Book One

Chapter Seventeen: Alicia

  Alicia, Elyza, and Blake had made their way into a small city just a few miles South of the border. Alicia couldn't pronounce the name, and Elyza kept poking fun at her for it.
  "Guys, shut up," Blake snickered, "The dead will hear you."
  "I just think it's so cute," Elyza laughed again, "You never took Spanish?"
  "I did!" Alicia grinned, "Don't make fun."
  "Oh, I'm just teasing you, don't get soft on me." Elyza stopped dead in her tracks, pulling out two pistols at a strange sound in the distance. "What is that?"
  "Probably just trapped dead, we need to find the grocery store. Hit the gas station too," Blake looked around wearily, "This place looks picked over."
  "Chin up B, we'll find something." Elyza holstered her weapons and motioned for them to follow. Alicia admired the natural leadership qualities in her. She rushed to Elyza's side as they crept towards the building ahead of them.
  "Nicknames? So you guys really are just friends?"
  "Not the time for small talk Alicia," Elyza whispered, "But yes, we are most definitely  just friends. Don't you worry your pretty little head." She poked Alicia's hair and laughed, covering her mouth to stay quiet.
  "Gag," Blake made a mocking noise behind them and Elyza flipped him off.
  "I wasn't... I wasn't worried. Just wondering," She felt slightly embarrassed now. Alicia was never interested in another woman before, maybe it just hadn't been the right one. Maybe I'm being delusional, Alicia thought, but she knew that wasn't true. The way she felt, looking at Elyza, it was something she had never experienced before. Talking with her made the entire world stop, just for a moment.
  They had almost made it to the large building when they heard the sound again, a rush of shuffling and moans. The dead.
  Elyza pushed Alicia behind her, immediately springing into action, "Blake! Turn around!"
  Blake spun and slashed a rotter's skull in two, preparing himself for the next. A small herd had come from the side of the grocery store, just in time.
  "Can't we get a God-damn break ?" Elyza said sarcastically, kicking an infected and smashing it's head. "Alicia you need to get that door open, the sooner the better!"
  "Got it!" Alicia was smashing the chains on the door with a hammer she had found at the dam.
  "What if there's more inside?" Blake was yelling frantic, drawing them in. What had first been only about ten rotters, had turned into over twenty. They were scrambling over each other, rushing to their next meal.
  "Too many! Heads up, Elyza!" 
  They had been pushed back to where Alicia was trying to open the door, finally, she got it open and they rushed in before the dead could grab them. "Fuck, that was way too close for comfort," Alicia was doubled over, trying to catch her breath.
  "Are you okay? Are you bit?" Elyza was checking her up and down, frantically feeling for fresh blood.
  "I'm fine, I'm fine," Alicia looked around, it was silent besides the sound of the dead pounding the door. Thankfully, it looked like they were alone. The store had been chained up for quite some time, it looked almost untouched.
  "I can't believe what I'm looking at," Blake picked up a can of beans from the floor, "Is this for real?"
  Elyza was grinning and scanning the store, "It is, oh my God. Stuff your packs. Food. Medicine. Water. Clothing. In that order. I still have enough bullets to last us weeks, but if you come across anything dead, use your blade."
  "How will we get out? The infected are swarming this building," Alicia was worried, what if her family came looking for her? They weren't supposed to be gone overnight. She was also slightly concerned about having to spend so much time with Elyza. 
  "Sacrifices may have to be made."
  "Shut up, Blake. No one's dying today, or tomorrow," Elyza the leader. "We all know you'd gladly throw your ass on the line but that's not happening." She glared at him, seriously. He must have wanted to sacrifice himself for her before. 
  They all began scavenging the building and taking what they needed. Alicia felt so safe with them, she had no problem leaving to the other part of the store. Thud, thud. She heard a thump in the distance, probably coming from behind a closed door. "There are some trapped back here."
  "Stay away from it," Elyza was rummaging through a box of clothing.
  "We need to keep our voices down, cover the windows," Blake said as he stuffed his backpack full of dried oats and ramen noodles.
  "What if they don't leave? I only have one flare and I don't think we could get passed this many, even distracted," Elyza peeked out the window and an infected smacked its face against the glass. "Yeah, they're showing no signs of moving. We may be spending the night here."
  "My mom will come. She get's a bit over-emotional and thinks she has to save everyone."
  "One night isn't that bad, yeah?" Blake's freckled face smirked as he pushed his hair back, "We have food. The roamers will leave if we're quiet. Maybe your mom will hold off. It would be better for the whole group if she was just patient."
  "You don't know my mom."