by Adams, Taeya
A gun went off. The bullet went into the top of Jackus’s head and made her head snap back like Buzz’s did.
Since Forres was closer to Jackus, she heard the cracking noise loud and clear.
Jackus’s body went, limply, on Forres’s.
Forres pushed Jackus off of her and lied in the pool of her old friend’s blood. Blood…. Forres thought. Everywhere. One of the people in my group’s blood is all over me. I feel like Carrie… But that’s fine because this is the world now. She breathed in but smelt the irony smells of blood. Her brown eyes began to water, making her breathing heavier.
Please don’t freak out. Please don’t freak out. The voice in Forres’s head said.
Bex knew what was going to happen. She ran over to Forres and held out her hand for Forres.
Forres stared at her for a moment. This is the world now. Blood, no cleaning. And no time for OCD. Get over it, Forres. Its blood… Forres took her friend’s hand and was helped up by Bex.
“Are you okay?” Bex asked her in a whispered voice as it was huge secret.
“I’m fine,” Forres said after counting in her head to ten. “Let’s just go…,” Forres walked away, clutching and unclutching her fists. She wanted to hit something but she restrained herself.
This is the world now. Forres told herself, once more. Its only blood… Jackus’s blood. What did she do to die!? That set Forres off. She couldn’t understand why soldiers, innocent people, mothers, kids, and so many more had to die. They don’t deserve that. She doesn’t remember her past from before but she felt as if others deserved to live more than others.
Did I deserve to live? Forres stopped in her tracks and stopped clutching and unclutching her fists. I should be grateful, right? I should. I’m alive…
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Day Two: March 29th, 2020; 2:38pm
Sargent’s muscles tensed up.
Chyler closed her blue eyes and her face turned taut as if she was in pain.
“Are you bit?” Rayne’s voice came from behind the gun. Sargent let out a breath of air he was holding, not relieved at all but he just couldn’t hold his breath anymore. “Tell me! I am not afraid to put a bullet in your diseased infected skull!”
“We’ve noticed,” Sargent said with a lisp. “Was Ben bit when you put a bullet in his head or Beatrice or how about Jezabel? If you kill us, we’ll just be added to the long list of people you killed – who weren’t infected – to save yourself.”
“Yeah, you will,” Rayne shrugged like it was nothing. “Since Forres lost her memory, I could kill Sargent and Chyler… no one cares about you.”
A lump formed in Chyler’s throat but she managed to chokes out, “You’re lying.”
“Nope,” Rayne chuckled. “Austin talks about how much you are a burden and wishes that your mother would come and just take you away.”
Tears slowly stream down Chyler’s face. She didn’t want to believe Rayne but she couldn’t help it. She always felt like a burden to Austin and now she believed it, despise when he told her she wasn’t.
“Chyler,” Sargent started. “Don’t believe her… Austin doesn’t like her or talk to her at all. She’s lying.”
Rayne laughed. “I know how to spy. The point is I can kill you both right now… But I’m not going to,” She put the gun down.
Sargent searched her face while running his hand through his long cowboy hair. “Why?”
“Do you want to be killed?” She asks, raising a brow.
He rolled his eyes and noticed something. “Wait do you hear that?” The three fall silent as Chyler wiped her tears from her rosy cheeks. “No noise. Maybe they left.”
“Or,” Rayne said, looking out the window while the car alarm was still going off. “Thy left us and went to that noise.”
Sargent goes over to the window, cautious of Rayne. Just in time, he saw a zombie pull off dead Thaddeus’s arm and took a chunk out of it. “It looks like a blood,” he mumbled, looking at the sun over the dome. It was starting to fade and barely gave off heat.
“Is that the group?” Rayne asked, pointing in the distance of the city.
Sargent followed her gaze to a black dodge car pulling up a few yards away. He squinted as if it helped him see far away and laughed. “It is…”
Chapter Forty
Day Two: March 29th, 2020; 2:58 pm
Max got out of the black dodge car a few yards away from the building they had stayed at.
He bit his bottom pink lip and ran a hand through his messy brown hair.
“Do you think that’s Chyler?” Austin asked, getting out of the car.
Max raised a hand to shield his eyes from the going down sun and scanned the building, squinting to see well. Finally he saw three figures failing their arms. “No, she’s right there with Sargent and Rayne. Get in,” Max ordered. They both got in the car and Max picked up the walkie-talkie. “Papa bear and mama bear, ready for the distraction?”
*****
Day Two: March 29th, 2020; 3:00 pm
“Do not call us that,” Forres answered the other line.
Zander laughed. They were in a two seat car on the other end of Max’s and Austin’s walkie-talkie. They were parked a few street over. It was blue 2014 scion pit boss. On the back of the car were bags, tied to the car.
“But its a-go,” Forres mocked. “Be ready, Twinkle toes with the other eggs”
Zander starts the car but the grabs the walkie-talkie from her. “Whoa, why are we papa bear and mama bear?”
“It just seems right,” Max laughed. For some reason, Forres’s face turned red like a tomato. “Why are we the eggs?”
“Because you are all stupid and eggheads,” Zander answered.
Bex laughed on a different line. “Thanks a lot, papa bear. Have fun but not too much fun; we don’t need cubs running around here.”
Zander set the walkie-talkie down and glanced over at Forres as he started to drive. “Do you know how to drive?”
Forres shook her head. “I don’t remember learning how. I might have…”
“If you don’t eventually remember, I’ll teach you, if you want,” Zander took a sharp turn, speeding up.
Forres sarcasm kicked in. “That be great because you’re a great driver…”
“It’d be great if you two stop flirting,” Max gagged. “Don’t want to barf my food up,” Zander turned the corner again around a skyscraper.
“Hey,” Felix laughed. “I can see you guys! Wave for me.”
Zander stuck a finger in the air.
“Rude…”
Austin growled into the walkie-talkie, “Could we please stay on task? It’s getting dark and you know what happens in the night…”
Forres looked up at the sky. They horizon was a beautiful pink, orange and blue. She smiled for a second at the beauty then started to cough, hard. “The freaks come out?” Felix laughed.
Zander ignored the comment made by Felix as well as Austin did. “Are you okay?” Zander side glanced at Forres.
She nodded, which is a lie, and wiped her bloody palm on her new dark jeans.
Zander sped past a group of zombies, eating Thaddeus and started to beep loudly to get their attention.
Forres stood in the fast moving small car with Bex’s long sword. She tried to ignore the fact that the sword had Buzz’s blood still on it. She got the urge to spit shine it. In a swift motion, she cut the bags on the back of the car open.
Raw meat was exposed and giving off a rotten smell but the undead seemed to like it. Some of the meat fell to the ground but most of the zombies didn’t care much about the fallen ones; they chased after the small, blue car.
A high pitched scream caught Forres’s attention. Forres jerked her head to the zombie that made the noise. She looked to see High Pitched Zombie on their tail. “You’re still alive?” Forres muttered.
“Huh?” Zander asked, looking back at her.
Forres kept her eyes on the High Pitched Zombie. “Nothing. Just speed up they�
��re on our tail,” She explains.
“Hey guys, it worked. We are going in,” Bex confirmed. “Meeting place meat locker.”
Chapter Forty-One
Day Two: March 29th, 2020; 3:23 pm
“Meat locker?” Austin questioned.
Bex raised her gun and shot a few drifters. Eleanor and Dean were parked a few streets down while Max, Austin and Bex goes in. “Ah, the meat locker,” Bex laughed in a French accent. “It’s a park.”
“And why do you call it that?” Max asked, opening the front door to the lobby. He scanned the place to make sure it was clear. “Clear,” he announced.
“It was near Forres’s window at the hospital and guys would go there and flex for hours and hours each day,” She explained.
Max scowled. “Not weird…”
“Exactly!”
Austin started to the staircase saying, “Shut up and let’s go,” He led the way up the stairs. As they turn to go up the second flight, the group heard footsteps coming down to them. Austin put his fist up signaling for the others to stop.
The footstep came closer and louder and heavier.
Austin rose in gun, ready to shoot just in case.
Sargent appeared just as Austin’s index finger moved to the trigger. Sargent fell to the ground at the sight of a gun and took cover. “Don’t shoot!!” He yelled, blocking her head with his arms. “It’s only us,” he hissed. He tried to speak as clearly as he could with a half of a tongue but it came out weirdly.
Chyler peeked out from the corner as Austin put his gun. Her eyes were rimmed with red making Austin step to her. She stepped back and assumingly said, “I’m okay…”
Austin didn’t believe her but he left her alone.
Rayne came out from the corner and smirk, “Did Forres and the other die?”
“You’d love that, wouldn’t you?” Austin barked.
She laughed and nodded. She just loved to make people mad or sad; it satisfies her, made her feel good and warm inside.
“Too bad. They’re alive and -,”Austin didn’t get to finish telling her off. He got interrupted but a sonic bang that shook the whole ground.
“What was that?” Sargent mumbled, it didn’t sound like words but he talked slow.
“Our signal,” Bex said. She raised her gun and smirked, feeling bad in a good way. “To the meat locker!” She led the way down the stairs, whooping.
Max following, laughing and whooping with her.
The others followed, silently.
Chapter Forty-Two
Day Two: March 29th, 2020; 3:30 pm
Forres let out a hard, lung shattering cough.
Zander does a sharp turn. He looked back at Forres and said, “Are you okay?” He turned back to the road.
“You are a horrible driver.” Forres said, changing the subject. She sat back in the passenger seat.
Zander let out a nervous laugh, side glancing at her. “Me? Please. I am an excellent at driving just not when zombies are everywhere!” He laughed again.
Forres coughed into her palm and when she removed her hand she saw a pool of blood. Quickly she rubbed her hand on her pants, hoping Zander didn’t see.
He did. “Day two?” He asked. He kept glancing over at her.
“I feel fine,” She answered, swerving around the question. She knew the real answer, everyone did.
“I don’t think-,” Zander started.
She interrupted him. “Zander, if we get to the meat locker, it would be right next to the hospital. We could get medicine and I could last until tomorrow.”
“Stop using those words…”
Forres turned to him confused. “What words?”
He shook his head, saying, “Never mind…,” He grabbed the walkie-talkie, one hand still on the wheel. “Felix, guide us,” he said into it.
“Okay. Take the next left. You guys are almost there,” Felix told them.
Zander listened to him. He set down the walkie-talkie to take a left.
Forres twisted in her seat and saw that the undead was trailing behind. She moved her short hair out of her face and yelled to Zander. “Slow down. You’re losing them.”
He looked back in the mirror and relieved pressure from the gas pedal, slowing down. He took another turn and Forres noticed that they are there. Docks came in view with a lake behind it. The lake seemed to go on and on like a vast ocean. “Get ready to dive!” Zander yelled to her. “Ready?” he took one last glance at her.
Forres didn’t know how to get ready. She wasn’t prepared at all. She just reached up and held onto the two charms necklaces that were around her neck. Not ready at all, she nodded.
“I got eyes on you guys. Are you ready?” Felix asked.
“Dear god, don’t let Felix or the zombies kill us,” Zander prayed but Forres felt like he wasn’t the church goer kind of guy.
Forres looked at him then stuck her thumb in the air. She put her right injured – but healing – hand on the unlocked car door handle.
In Forres’s head, time seemed to slow. Her racing heart beat slowed and the butterflies in her stomach slowly fly away. A memory flashed through her head. She remembered that just a month ago she was cheating death and facing it head on. And each time gave her a rush like this. Never in a million years she’d think she was would be doing this at 17. And never in a trillion years, had she thought would she be friends with these types of people: Zander the doctor’s son, Bex the bad girl, Eleanor the nurse – actually Forres saw that coming –, Sargent and Austin the cowboy military guys, Chyler the different, Max the thoughtful, Felix the funny yet serious one, and then Rayne the con artist. Her misfit group of survivors and she’s growing to love each one of them.
Forres smiled, feeling the slow rush of adrenaline and life. It all felt new to her and seemed to take over her body. She wasn’t frightened of the feeling; she embraced it. Forres let out a whoop and then laughed.
This is the world, Forres Tanner. Feel that? The voice in Forres’s head asked. That is the feeling of being alive. Enjoy it…
“Go!” Felix screamed through the walkie-talkie.
Simultaneously, Zander and Forres jumped out the car and ran as fast as they can. Zander had slowed down the car enough for them to jump out. Just as they were about to dive into the water, a bullet whizzes past them and goes into the car’s gas tank. The car exploded behind them.
The ground was taken from beneath them and they flew through the air and into the water. Forres hit the water and she instantly thought of Jell-O. To her it felt like that; not only the jump in but as she tried to swim.
Adrenaline escaped her heart and panic filled it. She couldn’t swim. Of course in the action movie, swimming looked easy but right now, it was hard.
Zander easy rose to the surface and took a look around. “Forres?” Fear took a spot in his heart as he dived under the water again. He saw her slowly sinking to the bottom and trying hard not to. Zander swam to her and locked his arm around her waist and pulled her to the surface.
Forres coughed as Zander helped her swim to a nearby dock that was away from the exploded car. They both climbed out of the water. Their clothing clung to their bodies.
Forres lied on her back. The stars were almost out and Forres felt horrible. Her chest had tightened from being under water for so long. Her head was fuzzy from the lack of oxygen and medicine to it.
“What were you thinking?” Zander snapped at her. He raked a hand over his wet, crew cut, sun bleached hair.
Forres doesn’t replies. She just stood and started to walk away.
“Don’t you dare walk away,” He yelled after her and jogged to keep up with her. “You could have killed yourself.”
“Why do you care?” She barked back.
“Why didn’t you tell me you couldn’t swim?”
She turned to him, hands on hip. “Why are you answering questions with questions?”
“Why. Didn’t. You. Tell. Me?” Zander sternly said.
She looked away and
muttered, “Because I was embarrassed. Not everyone’s perfect like you…”
“I am not perfect,” Zander said, rolling his green, tiger eyes
Forres made a noise mixed with a laugh and snort, turned and walked away from him.
“I am not!” He followed her as if he was a lost puppy and she gave him food and he just followed her home for more. “I have flaws but I don’t fail to tell someone I can’t do something.”
“What can’t you do, Mr. Perfect?” Forres spun on her heels to him. Zander stayed silent to think. She grew impatient. “Mr. God Almighty, what can’t you do?”
Zander couldn’t think at the moment. He was so mad that she didn’t tell him that she couldn’t swim.
“Though so, Mr. Perfect,” She started walking away again.
“Hey,” He said after her. “I can’t think of one at the moment. But that doesn’t mean I don’t have flaws!”
“No, it means you’re so perfect that you can do anything!”
“I am not perfect,” He whined, throwing up his hands and let them drop to his side.
“Yes, you are,” Forres said turning a corner. The streets were empty besides them and scattered cars. “You had a family. You probably lived large because your dad was successful doctor. You had a house not a hospital… You had a perfect life. So don’t you dare say you aren’t perfect!”
“My sister died of cancer,” Zander explained.
Forrest stopped in her tracks. She could feel the pain in his voice.
“My parents split. My mom… she was killed in a car accident. My dad is insane. He was supposed to be put in asylum. My family was – is – anything but perfect.”
She swallowed. “At least you had a family…”
“Sometimes, it’s better to have no one then to have a family that died…”
“No… It’s not,” She started walking again.
He growled in frustration. “You are so complicated.”
“Ah,” Forres laughs. “My middle name… How’d you know?”
