Afterworld

6

Chapter six

Wounds

   He, Hayley and all the others stood up but Travis. Ceara rushed over to him and knelt down beside him. He was unconscious.  Jackson pushed open one of the hatches to the side of the bus.

  He pointed to Elijah and said. “Get the other one open.”

  Elijah rushed to it and tried to open it. It was stuck. He moved back a little and threw himself at it. It didn’t work one last time he did this and flew out of the hatch into the street. Faith, Jackson’s sister, looked over at him and walked towards the hatch.

  “I’m ok” said Elijah putting his head back into the bus. Faith’s eyes widened as she watched gray bloody hands wrap around his face and dragged him out of the bus.

  Elijah yelled out in pain. Ceara heard this and rushed towards the hatch and saw one of the sick people biting into Elijah’s neck. She gagged got down on her behind and kicked the sick woman in the head.

  The woman fell back and she pulled Elijah back into the bus.

  “Someone help him!” Yelled Ceara.

  No one did anything they were frozen in fear. The sick girl got back up and reached her arm towards Ceara. Ceara panicked and pulled the hatch as far as she could shut locking it with the woman’s arm stuck in it. The woman didn’t scream or say a word.  She just aggressively groaned at Ceara.

  “SOMEONE DO SOMETHING!” Ceara screamed. “WE NEED TO HELP ELIJAH! GET INTO THE GAS STATION!”

  Ceara began dragging Elijah out of the other hatch.

  “SOMEONE GET TRAVIS!” Ceara yelled.

  Hayley grabbed Mike by the arm and rushed out of the hatch to the gas station. Jackson hoisted Travis over his shoulder and followed them. Faith followed behind her brother. Carly followed with Pfenning behind her.

  The woman still stuck with her arm in the hatch reached out after the other nine going towards the gas station. Mike looked around as he ran to the gas station to see more sick people walking towards them.

  After Pfennig at last entered the doors he slammed them shut and pushed an ice cream freezer in front of the door. He slowly backed away not taking his eyes off the doors. The sick people arrived at the door and started banging on it trying to get in.

  “PFENNIG!” Ceara yelled. “I need a little help here! How do we stop the bleeding?”

  Pfennig turned around, “I…Um…I don’t know. I’ve never had to help with anything like this before. Do we even have anything to help?”

  “No. All we have now is junk food.”

  “Umm…well get me something frozen.” Said Pfennig. “Two of them actually.”

  Ceara got up and got two sodas. Pfennig took off his jacket and placed it on the place where his neck was ripped out. He placed the soda on the jacket.

 “Mike” Pfennig held out his arm offering the other soda, “For your head. It will help.”

  Mike took the soda and sat down against the front counter putting the soda to his head. Hayley sat beside him. Blood from Elijah’s wound spread across the floor spreading all the way to Mikes feet.

  “Does he still have a pulse?” Said Jackson.

  “Wait. Let me check.” Pfennig looked down to the ground, “Yes but it’s very faint. I don’t think he’s going to make it. Ceara call the police to come help us we’re at the Porkvill Small Station.”

  Ceara nodded and picked up the phone. She dialed the number and held the phone to her ear. She almost immediately put the phone back down.

  “They said all services were unavailable.” Ceara said looking at all of us. She placed her hands on her head. “No one is coming for us. WE’RE STUCK IN A SHITTY GAS STATION AND NOBODY IS COMING!”

  “Ceara.” Carly said, “come here. You need to calm down.”

  “I think we’re just going to need to spend the night here.” Said Pfennig. “It’s not safe to go outside. I’ll stay here by Travis and Elijah if you need anything.”

  Ceara and Carly went into a back storage room. Faith and Jackson talked by the fridges. Mike and Hayley still sat against the counter.

  “Oh wait!” Hayley got up and jumped behind the counter, “Yes, I knew Zeliah wouldn’t lie to me.”

  Hayley pulled out a handgun from underneath the counter.

 “Wow, Hayley put that down. Those are dangerous.” Mike said.

 “That’s the point!” Hayley set the gun down and threw her arms out, “If any of those sick people bite us again we have some defense.”

  “Hayley we aren’t gonna kill anyone!” Mike said. “So just give it to Pfennig. Speaking of can I have some help here.”

  “He’s dead.” Pfennig spoke with his eyes facing Elijah. “But yea Mike is right give me the gun.”

  He held out his hand but just then he heard grunting next to him. He looked down. Travis was waking up.

  “My head is killing me.” Travis said propping himself up and looking around. He looked down at Elijah, “AAH, OH MY GOD, IS HE GONNA BE OK?”

  “He’s dead Travis.” Said Pfenning.

  “Oh.” Travis looked down at the ground.

  Again next to him Pfennig heard groaning. Elijah was twitching his fingers.

  “I thought you said he was dead?” Said Hayley.

  “He was, he had no pulse.” Pfennig leaned over and placed his head against Elijah’s chest.