Accepting The End [Zombie Apocalypse]

Chapter 8

"Tell everyone I'll be right back," A voice whispered into Izabell's ear.

"Mmhmm," a barely concious Izabell rolled over in her warm sleeping bag, sighing.

-

All Izabell could hear was screaming, and then her hands felt warm and sticky. 

It was dark outside, too dark to see, too dark to make out who was screaming, although the voice sounded feminine. 

The group decided to camp outside after a long car ride in Lee's enourmous van, Maddison started a fire and the group gathered around, falling asleep shortly. Izabell was the last one to close her eyes, watching the light of the fire flicker on each person's face. 

Izabell gasped and the warm, thick, sticky substance creeped up her arms, she wiped it onto her sleeping bag, looking for a source of light, there was nothing but glowing embers of the late night fire. 

The scream continued, it ripped through the air until the whole group was awake. 

"What's going on?" Asked a guy. 

"What's happening?" Cried a higher pitched voice, Izabell new it was Sunny. 

"Guys, don't talk." A clear female voice rung out sternly. 

"There's something on me!" Yelled Izabell, "I think it's blood." Izabell felt a pair of hands grab underneath her shoulder and pull her up, she was now on her feet, and coldness overtook her upper arms.

"Stay still," Whispered a males voice in her ear. 

"Who-" Izabell asked before a hand was put over her mouth, no one spoke.

"Shh," He shushed her quietly. 

The screaming stopped and nothing but the summer crickets chirped through the tree's and the dragging of footsteps was heard, awfully close. 

Izabell was frozen with fear. She reached and touched the bow that she fell asleep with, slung around her shoulder, although it was extremely uncomfortable, it made her feel safe.

The hands that lifted her up rested gently on her shoulders, they were warm. 

"Lee," The deep voice behing her said, "Turn on your flashlight please." 

Light flooded the ground, and a disheveled Lee came rushing towards Izabell, When Izabell looked at her hands, she saw a thick layer of black blood that oozed down her fingers and dripped onto the ground. 

"A Towell, please, Micheal," The voice said behind her, when Izabell turned around she saw Shae, She stood astounded, when was he ever this calm in any situation?

"Ann's gone," Laine said, staring at the empty sleeping bag next to Catherine, who sat quivering. 

"I think-" Izabell took a breath, "I think she got up to get something, and now-" Her voice cracked, "And now she-" 

"One got her," Maddison finished her sentence, "Did you see it happen?" 

"No, But she told be she would be right back, she told me to tell you guys she'd be right back," Izabell's voice quivered, she started to shake, two warm arms wrapped around her in a soft, but firm hug, silencing her until tears flowed from the corners of her eyes. They were Shae's.  

"Don't you dare blame this on yourself, " Phalen said, "She shouldn't have gone out like that." 

"Yeah," Catherine agreed, "There is no one here to blame." 

"THEN WHY DO I FEEL LIKE SHIT?" Izabell screamed, her face reddening, "WHY?" She asked again, tears flooding her eyes, "AND WHY ARE MY  HANDS BLOODY?" 

"Iz, it's just-" Sunny said, looking at the ground, "You guys weren't really that close." 

Izabell felt like throwing up. Her stomach was twisted into a knot. It was true, she never liked Ann that much, she thought Ann was loud and sometimes annoying, but Ann was also the one that made Maddison laugh her real laugh, the one that made funny memes, the one that reads like crazy. That was a whole life lost. 

"Sunny," Maddison said, grabbing Sunny's arm, "Never say that again." 

"Well it's true? Isn't it?" Sunny pulled away, angrily, "All the things she said about you? Are you telling me none of that ever happened? Are you telling me that she didn't drive you to started to feel self concious Maddison?" 

"Sunny!" Yelled Laine, Running up to a now angry Maddison. 

"Shut you mouth, right now." Maddison said through clenched teeth, "Ann just died,"

"Well," Sunny Shot a glare at Maddison, her eye's teary, "You could've too" 

Izabell, who's hand were now free of the blood's slimey cell, thanks to Micheal bringing a towell from the van, took Sunny's arm and dragged her away from Maddison and the group. 

"What you just said, was not the Ann I knew,"  Izabell whispered harshley to Sunny. 

"Ann's changed alot, she apologized to Maddison, and made her old friends apologize to her too. Maddison was bullied alot, Iz. When Maddison was in eigth grade, and you went to a different school, she was called a bunch a mean words," Sunny said, wiping her eyes. 

"How do you know?" Izabell asked, astounded. 

"Her diary," Sunny answered sniffing, "I read her diary."

Izabell and Sunny looked back to the group, who had packed up everything into the van and Lee waved them over. 

"Let's go," Izabell ran toward the van, Sunny close behind. 

Once they were safe in the van, Izabell noticed Maddison had cried. The marks of tears that had streaked down her face, were visibly present. Izabell knew Ann had changed, she had heared Ann mention her other friends times before, but nothing like this. Nothing this bad, and now Izabell was questioning herself. Had she ever made someone hate themself?