Land of the Dead

28) Dead Girl in a Dead World

Chapter 28 --- Land of the Dead

Dead Girl in a Dead World

"Jett," Rose paused in a doorframe, keeping her eyes trained on him as his figure protruded closer, becoming clearer with each step taken. "How have you been lately?"

Jett paused before her, eyes tainted with a smudge of darkness. "Fine. And how have you been, Rose?"

Rose didn't bother to reply. "Come with me, I want to show you something."

Jett followed her without hesitation, and Rose closed the door behind him. It clicked, making them both know without having to think about it that the door was positively locked.

"Take a look at this newspaper clipping."

Jett's eyes glazed over a torn slip of paper, which was crinkled and dotted with blood. He picked it up, and began extracting information from it. His face began to change, from being blank to confusion to realization. He was about to spin on his heel when he felt his own sword being drawn from its sheath, and held at his neck in an unwavering grasp.

"You've realized now, haven't you, Jett? Figured out my past. Figured out about most things."

"So I'm guessing you have a cure, then?" Jett was unperturbed by his own sword being pressed against his neck.

"Yes, of course I have a cure. But in order for this cure to work, a human body is needed. And it's not just any human body...but it's a human body who has blood type O-. That's you, isn't it?"

Jett's breaths were shallow. "Yes, that is me."

"Ahh, perfect. Just perfect."

Rose began to press the sword deeper into Jett's throat, creating a line as thin as thread, blood beginning to prick at its surface.

This wasn't the way Jett wanted to go down. He'd rather go down in a fight, but he realized it mightn't be possible without being killed first. He had to map everything out carefully, and with pristine precision. One little mistake, and everything would come crumbling down.

• • •

"IVY!" Flynn's screams were drowned out by the sounds of more gunshots in the distance, peppering the ground around them. Dust began to cloud his vision, but he pushed through it, eager to find Ivy. Alice had disappeared completely, hidden behind the thick veil of dust that had risen in the air. He coughed and spluttered, the dust beginning to thin. A sliver of Ivy's thick, black hair as dark as the night sky itself was revealed in the thinning dust. Flynn reached out for it without hesitation, but her hair quickly disappeared as swiftly as it had come.

Flynn tumbled back into the dust cloud, wiping his eyes with the back of his hands. He could hear more gunshots now, could see as well as feel the dirt at his feet rise in the air as more bullets tapped the ground. He began to zigzag through the thick cloud, eyes slit and beginning to water. He felt a hand grab his trousers, and instinctively he yelped, only to realize it was Ivy, who was dragging herself up onto her feet.

"Ivy!" Flynn hauled her onto her feet, before dragging her as fast as he could back behind the broken-down amusement ride. He flung her behind it, and she hit the ground, coughing and spluttering out his name. He apologized and knelt down beside her.

"Are you okay?" He asked finally, ignoring the bullets that reverberated off the metal machine in front of them.

"They didn't get you, did they? Tell me they didn't! Dear Lord, just bloody tell me already!"

"They didn't!" Ivy hissed. "They missed me! It was the force of the gun I used to shoot them that flung me backwards!"

Flynn collapsed onto the ground, cupping his head in his hands. "Thank God, I thought I lost you."