Among The Dead
By Danny Troup
***Chapter One***
**One Year After The Dead Rose**
I had to walk in the rain and hail during the night. It was very spooky in these woods during the night, especially when it was raining. I'm really glad I decided to wear my jacket and grab my umbrella, because it is both raining and hailing. I heard a noise, *bing bong bing bong* I sighed with relief, it was just my cell phone! But man I hated that ringtone SO much. I pulled my cell out of my pocket, and saw the caller id, Nina.
"Hello?" I asked. I got no response. 'Hello?' I asked more confidently. Finally i got an answer!
"Hurry up and get back, its getting dark and now its hailing, and you might get sick staying out in the rain, okay?' Nina asked.
Alright. "On my way now, with Firewood, some charcoal, and some lighter fluid I scavenged from a shed" I lied. "Be there soon!'
"See ya when you get here." She said before I hear the click of the call ending.
I lied about bringing the lighter fluid, and a shed, there wasn't really a shed. The shed was actually a garage with a SUV. I looked in just quick enough to know that there was a truck or suv in there and a lot of stuff. and it was painted like it was branches and leaves, so I grabbed a bunch of branches and leaves and threw them around the garage, to make better camo.
When I got back to the camp, I saw Nina, she was happy, which wasn't normal. She wasn't a girly girl, but she was just enough girly to fool people to think she was a girly girl. She and her dad used to go hunting all the time, so she has some experience with guns!
"Wow," I said with a grin. "You don't smile much since..." I trailed off.
"Yeah I know, but this time its a very special reason," she laughed. "We wont go hungry tonight!" She was also good with trapping. She moved to the side a little and I saw it, a deer hanging from a tree.
"I guess im going to be the one to gut it, huh?" I asked miserably. I could never stay miserable around her long. She came over and hugged me.
"I would like it if you could." she said as she backed off. She had that sparkle in her eyes, when she looked at me. I never see that sparkle when she looks at anyone other than me.
"I have a surprise for you, pack your things, I'll cut down the deer." I said quietly as I pulled my knife out of its sheath, and sliced the ropes holding the deer up. It landed with a thud, onto the bloody tarp that was below it.
I grabbed my sleeping bag, rolled it up, and stuck it on my TravelPack, and helped Nina take down the tent, and stick it in my pack. I grabbed my 9mm pistol and she grabbed her machete. We dragged the deer to the garage. She gasped when she saw it. I covered the deer the rest of the way with the tarp and opened the door. I walked in and dragged our sleeping bags in, and set them up by the fire place. We were both pretty good with guns, but I was best with a sword. I was surprised after everyone died that the power stayed on, and our phones didn't lose connection, there was no more internet anymore though, no one could monitor that.
After I set up the sleeping bags, we did closer inspection on the SUV. Turns out this SUV had a V8 Twin Turbo engine, Sport Steering, Sport Brakes, Sport Suspension, it had a muffler. Best thing of all, it was fortified like it was going to be going through hell. It had at least three inches of metal on it, it had old axe heads on the front, and man, all windows had a small opening to see through, even the glass was two to three inches thick.
I went to open the driver door, but noticed there was no handle, the only way in was the back. "Nina," I said listening to the footsteps coming towards me, "that better be you." I opened the back of the SUV and both Nina and I gasp with surprise, there was a guy in the SUV. "Get the rope, " I whispered "now!" She hurried over to our packs, and got the rope. She tossed it to me and I caught it with ease. I saw some duct tape in the SUV and tied the rope around the dude's feet and hands, and then went over the rope, with the duct tape just to strengthen the bindings, for safety.
After we dragged him out and left him for dead, we saw a hoard heading for his him, so we ran as fast as we could. Problem is we are professional hunters, and we had "Assassin" training. We were taught by the Native Americans, on how to fight and be stealthy. Our parents both taught us how to shoot almost all guns. Mainly because my father and her father were Generals, so they had access to at least all the guns.
After we got back to the garage, we went to sleep. Everything faded to black, and I began to dream.
I saw Nina being torn apart by the dead... she was screaming my name for help, but I couldn't move at all. I heard gun shots in the distance... all the of the dead fell to the ground, including Nina. I fell to the ground, having been shot twice in the back, then it faded black.
I woke up and raced to Nina's side and shook her, when she stirred I sighed with relief. Seconds later she sits up, and saw me. I hugged her, I haven't hugged her since 6th grade, now that we are finished middle school. The only reason I did not hug her was because she had a boyfriend, but he had turned with us on our journey for a sanctuary. She yelped with surprise from the surprise hug.
I was crying, and that is very weird. She got worried, and I finally realized my true fear. Losing the one I love, Nina. We have been friends since preschool, and thats a rare friendship, and I know I'm not stuck in the Friend Zone, because of the twinkle in her eye. No one has ever had that twinkle directed at them, just me. Some of the kids got jealous, and said that I'm lucky to have girl like that to love me. I always told them, she would never love me, I was wrong. Because after I hugged her, she kissed me! After she pulled back, I gasped with surprise. I understood now, the hugging, the twinkle, everything. She did love me, and if I lost her I would not live with myself.
It was still dark out, so we had some deer meat! I roasted it up and put the rest in a cooler in the SUV. After we finished eating, we packed our things and put them in the SUV. we grabbed a few guns from the garage and ALL the ammo, some food, and batteries, flashlights, water, a camo tarp, paint, and some knives. After we had all that set up and put in the SUV, we got in, and started it up. It had a big bass speaker, connected right into the stereo, and we looked in the glovebox and saw an animal in a cage, it was only a ferret named Munchers. He saw us and cowered away, but we left him alone and took it out and put it on the back seat. Under Munchers there was a criminal record with the guys picture on it. 'Joey Robertson' it showed 'Multiple robberies, rapes, and wanted for multiple Homicides and Murder.' Under that there was music, Metallica, Korn, Avenged SevenFold, Limp Bizkit, GodSmack, YES MUSIC!!
"Well I guess it was a good idea to leave him to the dead," I laughed, then I cringed "UGH! even still, it stinks like sex."
"Yeah, I don't wanna be raped or murdered," Nina said "Now that I seen this, I'm kinda glad we got rid of him."
I put in some Metallica in and 'Harvest of Sorrow' came on. She kissed my cheek one last time before she fell asleep in the SUV. I started it up and rammed through the open garage door. We were on our way to see our fathers once again, but before we do that we need to pick up the rest of the group up, which only two lived to this day.
