Brain Dead

Chapter Four

        The next day came quickly, and started to the sound of Jasper packing all of the supplies we gathered in bags and carts. I sat up in my sleeping bag. “What’s going on?” I asked curiously. “We should leave later today, there’s some things I have to do. I stood up. “Like what? We’re safe here.” He shook his head. “No. This place isn’t safe, Alex. Or at least it isn’t anymore.” With that he walked out of the tent and I heard the sound of the cart’s wheels rolling away. I stepped out of the tent. The place had changed a lot more ever since yesterday. Almost all the people who had been camping out here where gone, and shelves stood empty and dirty.  I realized I should probably gather some things. Before leaving I peaked into the tent again to check up on Connor who was still snoozing.

 

I strolled down the aisles. I couldn’t really think of anything I wanted to buy, so I just collapsed on one of the couches on display. The couch was leathery, and was cold from the air condition. Relaxing, I took the free time I had to ponder. I organized my thoughts until I heard a familiar yawn. Connor. I sat up on the couch and watched him walk over in my direction from a nearby aisle. He smiled when I saw him. It felt like something was bubbling in my intestines when he sat next to me, with that cute half smile of his.

 

“Morning, sleepy head.” I teased. “Morning.” He responded lazily. Connor seemed still half asleep. “Here,” I suggested. “I’ll go get something really quickly, and you stay here.” He nodded as he slowly began to shut his eyes. I headed to the refrigerator aisle with the milk, water etc. and searched for one of those cheesy coffees in the tiny glass bottles.

 

When I headed back Connor was sleeping again, and I had to wake him up softly by vigorously shaking his shoulders. I had him drink the coffee, which gave him a small amount of energy.

 

I watched him drink the coffee, until he looked at me with an unreadable expression on his face, but then I realized…

 

Was I staring at him?

 

My face felt like it was burning, and I figured my cheeks where bright red.

 

I’m an idiot. What was I doing? My stomach felt like it was doing somersaults inside. What was I feeling? Then it hit me- I- no, impossible. I can’t- I don’t like Connor. He’s my friend, and friend only. I shifted in my seat uncomfortably. Connor pulled the bottle off from his lips, and smiled gently. He placed down the bottle on the floor. “Before we leave this place,” He began to say. “Want to have some fun?” I smiled at the idea, knowing it’s get my mind off the fact that I might just like Connor.

 

Together, we made an idea to go all the way insane, and make an edible pool. I ran off to the drink section, and chose a few six packs of soda for our pool idea. When I located him he had a small blow-up pool that he picked out through the large selection. We emptied the cans of Pepsi, Sprite and Ginger Ale into the pool until it was almost completely full. I went over to the clothing racks and changed into a bathing suit to properly enter our soda pool. When I returned to our invention he was already there, waiting to get in with me. Together we crouched inside, and laughed as we became sticky from the sweet drinks that stuck to our skin. I hadn’t heard his laugh in a few days, and the sweet sound of his voice when he was happy reassured me everything’s alright.

 

After cleaning up ( or at least what we consider cleaning up ), we headed back to the tent hoping to meet Jasper there. He was in fact there, but he had a stern look plastered on his face. “We need to get out of here.” Jasper stated, not waiting for a response from us. He began to lead us to the back door that he pushed open. As we walked outside, warm air hit us like a bus. The stench still lingered in the air, but this time it really, really stunk. After Jasper locked the thick doors, he jumped into the drivers seat, waiting for us to climb in. Usually, Connor and I would sit in the back, but we decided that we would prefer to smell old car than rotting flesh.

 

“Where’re we going?” I asked impatiently after a half an hour of driving driven in silence. Silence. “Hello..?” I questioned, waiting for a response. “I’m trying to drive.” Jasper snapped back. I know I should’ve felt bad, and I sort of did, but I was curious. The rest of the ride was driven in silence.

 

We parked in front of a cottage that was wrecked, and seemed to have fallen apart a long time ago, even though the whole zombie thing happened in a somewhat recent timeframe. Jasper stepped out of the truck and calmly stood by the door of the place. Connor and I followed him. Jasper and Connor entered, leaving me alone outside. I hesitated before I walked inside, scared of what might lie in this cottage. I doubted Jasper’s know anyone who could possibly be alive and living in a house like this.

 

As I followed Jasper’s footsteps, he stopped in the middle of the grimey, moldy, hallway. Connor, who was behind me, broke the silence by saying; “...Um, are we stopping?” I giggled at his oblivious comment. Jasper, however, was incredibly serious, and his face was stern. He reached down and wrapped his fingers around a metal handle. “Alex, grab my waist.”

“Um, excuse me-”

“Alex. My Waist. Now.” He demanded. “Fine.” I said, following his order. “Okay, good. Connor, grab Alex’s waist.” I was flustered and felt my face burning red. When he lightly held my body, I gasped lightly and could tell he was feeling as awkward as I was. “Good,” Jasper said again. “I’m going to pull, and I’m going to need you guys to help me. I’m going to count to three. one...two...three!!!

We all pulled together, and I felt Jasper’s stomach tighten as I pulled forcefully. As for Connor, he gripped my waist gently, yet steadily and pulled with all his might. I heard Jasper grunt, and we went flying backwards as the floor door sprung open. Connor and I flew a bit farther than Jasper, and I ended up in Connor’s lap, his long, thin, fingers still wrapped around me. I bounced up from off the floor, and looked down at him, laying on the floor. He groaned, and slowly sat up. To seem helpful, I held out a hand for him to grab as he stood up. We headed over to Jasper who was already crouching over the basement. He turned to us. “Guys, come on.”

 

He slowly crawled down the ladder that had been coincidentally resting on the side of the wall. I followed after Jasper, and Connor after me. We began crawling so far deep in, my vision was blurred in the pitch black room. I couldn’t fathom where Jasper was, so I had to listen closely for noises and sounds that could help me locate them. I dizzily skidded across the floor as I reached the unexpected bottom of the room. “Does someone have a flashlight?” Jasper asked. No one answered and there was silence. “Are you serio-”

“I do!” I interrupted, and whipped out my phone from my pocket. I struggled to turn it on, but as soon as I found out how, I opened the Flashlight App. It lit up the room, casting our shadows on the scratched up, wrecked wall. “No…” Jasper muttered, under his breath. “Alex, shine the flashlight over there.” He pointed to a dark vastness. I tilted the phone and instantly shivers ran up my spine. Three zombies stood lazily in the corner, and they spun in our direction with scowls. “NO!” Jasper yelled. The zombies neared toward us, and I leaned against the wall, paralyzed. I had never actually encountered zombies in a situation like this, but then again, I haven’t done many things with zombies.

Jasper leaned on the wall next to me, slightly touching my shoulder. The zombies where getting closer and closer by the second. Connor was scampering up the ladder that I tried to get on. I looked back over at the ladder, and I saw Connor hanging slightly off the ladder with a hand held out in my direction. “Go, Alex, Go! Grab his hand!” Jasper directed. As soon as the words left his mouth, I reached for Connor’s fingers, that grasped onto mine and hauled me up the ladder. We scuttled up the ladder with worried expressions on both of our faces. When we made it up, Connor peaked down the basement. “Jasper!” There was no reply, and only sounds of sobs, groans and three gunshots.