The Only

CH 26

That night I dreamt of my family, of my parents and my two older brothers. It was thanksgiving and my brothers were home from college. My mother was at the stove, cussing out the turkey as she tried to carve it. My father was on the couch watching a football game, and I ran to the door to let my brothers in. Dean and Brett were twins, but they didn't look anything alike. They both went to college in New York, and I hadn't talked to them since the semester began. As soon as they stepped over the threshold, my brothers were suddenly replaced by two feasters, and when I turned around, I saw that mom and dad were no longer there, replaced by feasters. They closed in on me, dead flesh flopping off their arms, the whites of their eyes blood red. They got so close I could smell their pungent breath.

I jolted awake, sitting up on the floor. "You okay?" Timmy asked from the recliner where he was shoving things into his backpack.

I nodded, trying to slow my breathing. My heart was pounding in my ears so loud I was afraid it would try to jump out.

"Must've been some dream," he said, pulling a bottle of water from the pack and handing me one.

"It was," I said, unscrewing the lid. I drank half the bottle at once, then choked when a drop went down the wrong pipe.

My coughing woke Jesse, who stirred and dropped his bone at my feet.

"What?" He asked, sitting up.

Timmy threw Jesse's backpack at him. It hit him in the face and it rebounded into my lap. I handed it to him, along with his bone.

"Yes!" Timmy shouted. "I am on fire!"

I shot him a look and he shut up. "We need to leave. Get you back to the mothership. The hurricane is over, I think."

We all fell silent and listened. There were no sounds of any kind to answer us.

I got up and grabbed my backpack. "I'm gonna go grab some food. I'm guessing it's about a two hour hike from here to the school grounds."

I slung the bag over my shoulder and grabbed a candle, holding the glass dish with both hands. I followed the minimal light to the opposite side of the store, where in dug through what food I could find. Canned food lasted a long time, but I left the can opener at the cabin in the swamps. I grabbed three bottles of Gatorade and four of water and shoved them inside my hiking bag.

I started pulling out boxes of Pop Tarts and ripping them open, dumping the contents carelessly into the big pocket of my bag.

"So what's your plan?" Timmy asked, coming up behind me and picking up a Pop Tart I dropped.

"I don't know," I sighed, dropping the bag to the floor and letting myself sit. "I have to save Jesse. He's my best friend. I can't leave him like this. And if it means asking the very aliens who want to kill me for help, so be it. I'm just-" I trailed off.

"Just what?" He asked, sitting beside me and opening the Pop Tart, handing me one.

I took it, nearly sobbing, and felt a tear roll down my cheek. "I'm just worried I can't trust them. You know? What if they don't help him? What if they just take our bodies and kill us?"

"I won't let them." He said, squeezing my hand. "They listen to me. They won't hurt either of you. I'll make sure of that."

I wiped the tears off my face and took a bite of the Pop Tart. Timmy stood up and pulled me to my feet. "Alright?" He asked.

I nodded. "Yeah. Thanks."

"Anything."

"I know."

"Oh by the way, look what I found," he said, pulling an iPod out of his pocket. "Someone must have lost it here. Fully charged."

I opened it, scrolling through the music files. One song caught my eye, one from an old band I used to love. I pressed the play button, and Centuries by Fall Out Boy started blasting through the store.

"Think anyone will remember us?" I asked.

"After today?" he nodded. "Definitely."

.

.

We headed to the front of the store, where we found Jesse waiting.

"You ready?" I asked.

He nodded. "Thanks Stase. I owe you everything."

"Don't say that yet, this might not work." I answered.

"Either it works, or you put a bullet in my head. Either way, thanks."

Timmy shoved open the doors, and a cold breeze blew in. "Alright, let's do this." Jesse said, cracking his knuckles. "Go out swingin'."

We stepped outside, and immediately were swarmed by five feasters, teeth bared. I pulled my pistol out of my waistband and shot two in the head. Timmy kicked one in the chest, sending it flying into a car. One was attacking Jesse, who was punching it in the gut, but having no effect.

I raised my gun and aimed at the monster's face. I pulled the trigger, and felt something shove me from behind. My bullet missed by three feet, whizzing through the air and dissapearing.

My pistol hit the ground with a clack. I turned to face my attacker, but Timmy had him pinned against the wall. He punched the feaster hard in the face and I heard a crack, and a drop of blue-purple blood oozed from the back of its head. It's eyes rolled back and Timmy punched it again, and this time its head shattered, leaving brain pudding all over the wall.

Jesse cursed loudly from behind me. I turned around to see him still fighting with the feaster. The zombie-creature had him by the neck, hissing in Jesse's ear. I was close enough to see the red of the monsters eyes, and the hunger within them.

"Hey!" I shouted, getting the feasters attention.

It looked up and I pulled Timmy's dagger from my belt, hurling it between the monster's eyes. It fell to the ground, releasing Jesse, who pulled away and straightened his shirt.

"You okay?" I asked.

"Yeah, I think so," Jesse answered. "Good aim."

"Thanks for that," I said to Timmy.

"For killing a feaster?" He said, raising an eyebrow.

"It almost killed me. You killed it first. So thanks."

"Anytime," he answered.

I wiped the blood off his knife and stuck it back in my belt.

"We gonna go?" I asked, and we started walking toward the school grounds.