The Twitch

Chapter Three

"Head to the corner store!" I yelled as we headed out of the alleyway. The last corner store is at the edge of town. It's a couple of blocks at most as we ran taking only back roads and not main streets. Seeing the corner store insight we were ran faster as Ralph was holding the door open for us.

He was yelling telling us that we need to hurry and get inside. All of us ran inside, Ralph closed and lock the doors. The three of us were panting heavy,Mason with his hands on his knees trying to catch his breath. Looking at Ralph I gave him a slight thank you nod,he returned a slight nod back to me."Do you know what's going on?" Tik Tik asked looking at the beer belly older man with a toothpick in his mouth and a worn old red cap on his head. The cap was faded in color and torn in the corner.

"Well from what they're saying on the radio they're saying it's a virus that broke out and they're encouraging everyone to stay indoors."Ralph snickered. I looked at him a little confused at why he was snickering until he started again. "That's a bold face lie right there, me and your dad would know that. Saw them military trucks come in earlier this morning...Yep, so I'm guessing they're going to start trying to quarantine ya'll but what they keep calling this virus don't seem like a virus...No sir, I seen what it's doing to them here people. No virus has ever done that to people before. No sirry."

He sighed a little bit taking his cap off to wipe the sweat from his bald head and placing the cap back on his head. "Erin, those things haven't made it way out here yet so you and your fellows go ahead and take what you need and make sure you take a bit extra for Renesmee. Go ahead take it all raid what you need, including a bit of ammunition in the back you know where it is. I want you guys to get back to that old bunker and hunker down there for a while make sure you keep the radio on."

Ralph said as he started pulling out his and dad's old green duffel bags from the service. He tossed one to Tik Tik and Mason. Tik tik immediately went to go to the pharmaceutical section of the corner store throwing as much as he could in the duffle bag, Mason going over to non-perishable foods, Noah was an electronics grabbing batteries, flashlights, and two more radios. Ralph tossed me messenger bag and I followed him to the back of the store.

Immediately started handing me sharp knives, a machete, ammunition, and he handed me one of my dad's old pocket knife that had his old dog tags wrapped around the handle. Looking up at Ralph showing a bit of a saddened face. Having the realization of what is going on hitting me know."Ugh,I'll be fine kid don't worry about me and don't make that face anymore doesn't look right on you."he gave me a quick hug and began handing me more stuff to put into the bag."Are going to be staying here?" I asked pretty much already knowing the answer. "If I was going back home I would have ran smack into those... 'Things'. I'm hunkered down here,the glass is bulletproof so they going to have a tough time if they think they are getting in here and I ain't going down without a fight." He laughed out loud but I could hear the hint of sadness in his voice.

I thanked him and I went back into the main store."Oh before I forget take these you know that old truck out back the old pick up one that me and your dad was trying to fix up. Well it's fixed, you go ahead and take that. Throw the duffle bags in the back and anything else you can carry." He said tossing me keys and having something else attached to the key ring as well. Taking a closer look it was his old dog tags. I gave him a half hearted smile as I turned gripping the sash of the bag tighter.

I wanted to cry but swallowed back the tears. I looked at Mason, Noah, and Tik Tik who had the bags ready. Before I could tell them let's go there were Marines banging on the door. Ralph cautiously walked over to the door looking behind the Marines and seeing those 'Things' run after them he open the door to let them in shutting the door quickly locking it again.

"Shit you let them right to us jackasses!!!" Noah yelled. They all looked around and their eyes locking on Ralph."Are you the own-",the man in front started but was cut off by one of those things banged their head on the door. Those Marines brought about six of those 'Things'. I scuffed to myself trying to think of another way out now that we can take being the front was no longer an option. Maybe going through the back door the problem we don't know if there are any of those things back there due to the fact that there aren't any windows to see.

Mason walked to the door as those things banged their head on the glass. It left small pieces of flesh, and blood on the window. Mason looked like he was inspecting them which I walked up to the door too. I could see their veins were black. Their pale to sickly yellowish in color skin, their gums were blacken and they did this constant twitching. Some of their eyes look glazed over, others looked as though the whites in their eyes were sickly yellow with the small black veins. They seem to growl, groan, and snort. Their nails for dark and they seem to chatter their teeth. Most of them had blood already dripping from their faces onto their clothes, some of the missing pieces of flesh here and there.

I sighed and looked at Ralph then the younger man and his group."Erin check the cameras in my office and get out of here.",he said sternly. Readjusting my bag I walk to the back room and into his office turning the laptop screen I could see that there's nothing in the back just the truck with the tarp on it and all of those things were still at the front of the building. There's a loud commotion from the main store. Quickly walking out of the back of the store, I saw the younger man from their group yelling and Mason and Noah yelling back.

They were arguing about how we were going to get out of here and everyone was blaming each other. One of the men grabbed Noah's shirt yanking him towards him. Mason quickly throwing a punch to the man's nose. A females in the group set her site on Mason as she held her gun. Immediately jumping in between all of them known this was going to turn into a full-blown brawl or worse. "ENOUGH, THIS IS ENOUGH YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE MARINES WHAT THE FUCK IS YOUR PROBLEM! AND AS FOR THE BOTH OF YOU I EXPECTED YOU ALL TO BE READY TO MOVE BUT APPARENTLY YOUR NOT!" I yelled glaring at both Noah and Mason. Those things continue to keep banging on the glass."GRAB THE FUCKING BAGS AND LET'S GO FUCKTARTS.", I yelled furiously.

I turn to go back to the office one more time to check the cameras, but someone had got my shoulder. Glancing over my shoulder to see the same man that was asking Ralph if he was the owner." It's dangerous for kids to be out there, it's better if you stay in here."I pulled away from him replying that we weren't kids."Hell right they ain't kids, did you see what he did to my nose.",one of the Marines said as he held his bloody nose.

Rolling my eyes I ushered my guys to the back of the store. I handed the keys to Tik Tik, telling them to get outside. When I yell for them start the car up and be ready to go.