Zombies

V

Ashley:

“Where are we going now?” I asked. We had been driving for a good half hour aimlessly around New Jersey. “Well, we need more weapons, and gas for the car. After that, I don’t know.” Mitch answered me. I was  sitting right next of him, mainly because I was sharing the back of the car with him and Ryan, and I wanted to stay as far away from Ryan as I could. “My uncle had a neighbor who was a doomsday preparer. He lives a little outside Trenton. Should we try there?”   Jerome suggested. “Sounds perfect. Let’s head that way.” Mitch answered dully. He seemed like he had lost his emotions. “Hey,” I looked at him, smiling sadly.  He glanced at me with dim eyes. “Are you alright?” I asked him against softly. He nodded his head, closing his eyes. “Overwhelmed is all.” He sighed. I missed the old Mitch, who was always laughing and smiling. 

But Mitch wasn’t my biggest concern. Ryan had an unholy gleam to his eyes as he looked at the window. I realized I was in a car of strangers. When it came down to a life or death situation, these people were not who they appeared to be.  “How long will it take to get there?” I piped up again. “Not too long, Ash. I know we’re pretty close, but I’m trying to remember exactly where he lived.” Jerome replied, almost cheerily. It was so bizarre how normal and genuinely pleasant he was acting in this situation. As we sped through the city, a plethora of undead monsters lined the roads, along with other unruly drivers we shared the road with. It was also so foreign to drive on the wrong side of the road, or so it seemed for me, because I was British.  After several minutes of aimless driving in a dying city, we finally pulled into a driveway. Jerome paused, and looked around at us. “Do you guys think my uncle is..well, alive?” He asked shyly. Nobody responded. I looked at Jerome with sad eyes, because I couldn’t bare the thought of loosing my family, especially this way. “I’ll go check first.” I boldly volunteered. “I’ll accompany her.” Ryan quickly added. Malice lined his voice, and I shuddered, regretting my decision. I glanced at Mitch, trying to express my angst. He refused to look at me. Swallowing nervously, I shimmied past Mitch and exited the car. “Okay, we’ll be back in a couple minutes. If not, someone should come check on us.” I emphasized the last part, a little obviously. Mitch glanced up slightly, and acknowledged my warning. Ryan opened his mouth to counter what I said, but closed it. We walked in together, but I pushed ahead briskly. I knocked on the door politely, but Ryan pushed his way past me. He didn’t bother knocking, he just opened the door. It was unlocked, surprisingly. “Hello? Is anybody home?” I asked, cautiously wandering in. Ryan hovered around me ominously. The house was still, but it didn’t seem to be plagued with death. “I’ll check upstairs, and you can check downstairs?” I suggested. Ryan narrowed his eyes at me, and swiftly left to scope out the area. I hurried upstairs, scanning each room. They all appeared desolate. When I reached the master bedroom, a little greed overwhelmed me. I began cautiously picking my way around, exploring the goods hidden in cabinets and chests. I opened a drawer and rifled through it causally. To my ultimate shock and happiness, I found a small pistol concealed under a heap of neatly folded clothes. I didn’t know how to shoot a gun, how to load a gun, or even how to hold a gun, but it felt precious to even look at. Then, a frustratingly familiar voice called me name. It was laced with animus. “Ashhley.” It called. I snatched the gun, and held it behind the back, hiding it from the approaching voice. Ryan appeared at the doorway, armed with a shimmering blade that he probably found in the kitchen. “F-find anything?” I stuttered, backing up against the wall. He began to advance toward me, without response. There was a blood lust in his eyes. “Ryan,” I swallowed. “Stay back.” He continued to near me at an excruciating pace. I readied myself to aim the gun. “You’re hindering us, Ash. I’m sure the others will understand.” He cackled. 

Sydney:

I was sprinting through a field. Zombies tore after me at ridiculous speeds. The sky was set in blood, and the ground became an endless sea of corpses. Some grabbed at my feet, trying to trip me. The world was spinning, and the faster I ran, the harder it became to move. I screamed, and sat up, shaking.