Semester of the Dead

Semester of the Dead 8

Chapter 8

Sunday

I have soil in my crotch.  Soil in my fucking ears.  Soil every fucking where.  EVERY. FUCKING. WHERE.  And that's the mood I'm in.  A little girl is dead.  It's the same little girl that was with that group.  The people who shot me in my heart.

Somehow I'm alive.

And somehow...she's dead.

"You're all going to pay for this," the muscular boy says, "You killed Quincy's daughter."

The man named Quincy is crying.  He's holding his daughter close and reaching for his weapon with his next hand.  He looks maddened at this point.  A crazed lunatic.  His group's actions are immediate.  They put guns up.  My heart starts beating fast.  My heart.  It's beating.  It's a weird concept.  I don't know how it happens but I'm alive somehow but right now all that is being threatened.

I look at my friends.  All these people I care about.  Mitch, my best friend.  Ignacio and Valentina were like family.  And even the new people like Luna and Quest.

Then there's Alaric.

He's sitting there looking brave with his hands to the sky.

"Beric let them go," Alaric begs the most muscular boy among the other group.

He knows him.  It's clear.  Looking at them now I recognize him.  I've seen him on television before.  It's Alaric's brother.  The other one who shot me was his brother two.  Beric and Nixon West.  I don't know how I didn't realize that before. Maybe it was just fear.  Maybe I just wasn't thinking.  Now I remember their faces pretty well though.  his brother.

"They killed a little girl."

"It was an accident."

"It's your fault," a voice says, "You shouldn't have brought her around in the first place.  She was never safe.  Not when she stole our gun and not here.  Her death isn't on me.  It's on all of you."

I can't believe what I'm hearing and when I turn and see that Luna is saying these words it's even more provoking.  I think someone tells her to shut the hell up.  I think it's Valentina but there is chorus of outrage all at the same time and it's too late.  She said them.  And I know there is no repairing what happened.  There is a divide between these two groups and I have the feeling not everyone is going to make it out of here alive.

I think someone else has that feeling too because all of a sudden something happens.

A gun is pointed at Quincy.

"Put your gun down."

The person who points the gun is the same boy who shot me.  Nixon.

"What are you doing?" Beric asks him.

"He's betraying us," Quincy nods, "That's what he's doing."

With Quincy threatened the group is rethinking their strategy.

"We're going to leave and walk out of here.  You're not going to follow us.  Take their guns.  All of them.  We're getting out of here."

~

Being around Nixon West is weird.  Being alive is weird.  Having just seen a little girl get shot is horrible.  Things are changing so fast around me and I don't know how to react to it.  I don't know how to react to any of it.  I don't know how we end up back at my house.  All their stuff is there. Unfortunately for me, I don't have anything.  I think Nixon brings us there.  Everything that happens is such a daze from that point on.  To the conversation that Mitch is having with me asking me how I'm alive and where I've been, to Valentina attempting to give me something to eat like she's my mother, to Ignacio asking me a million times if I'm OK.

Everything was just weird.  Too weird.

"I'm going to take a shower."

The water is cold.  Real fucking cold.  I don't care at this point.  I just need to get all of this dirt and grime off of me.  I'm alive.  Somehow.  I come out of the tub with a towel around my waist and see that Alaric is at the sink.  He's brushing his teeth with his toothbrush.

"Sorry.  Nixon says we need to get out of Savannah soon so everyone's doubling up in your bathrooms to make it quick."

"It's cool."

Alaric looks at me.  I look at him.  He's staring at me like I'm some sort of ghost or something.  I don't mind honestly.  I kind of like it.

"I...uh..."

My heart is beating faster.  I don't know what Alaric is going to say but I am so fucking excited for it.  He stops talking rinses out his toothbrush and his mouth and just stares at me through the glass.  Whatever is on his mind seems to be taking a while to come out.

"What?" I ask.

"I brought you some clothes," he states, "They may be a little bit big, but I know you don't have your bag anymore."

I'm glad he brought them.  I force a smile.  It's really, really forced.  It's just wasn't what I was expecting. When I came back it was Alaric's shouting that had did it.  I had this feeling he was in trouble and I was panicking.  It's almost like my heart started beating again with the thought in my head that Alaric may need me.  That motivation stuck with me.  And seeing him hug me, really hug me in front of all of those people felt so perfect.  It felt so good.  What happened in the cave felt like it happened a lifetime ago, but maybe it wasn't forgotten.  Maybe it wasn't a mistake.

"Thanks.  But uh...this is my house.  So I kind of.  You know...have clothes..."

"Oh fuck.  Fuck I'm dumb.  Well sorry."

He turns to walk out but I stop him.

"Wait, Alaric.  Is there anything else you...may want to say?"

"Like what?"

I pause.  I don't know.

"Just. You know.  We weren't in the best place when I left and I was just hoping..."

What the fuck was wrong with me?  This boy was straight.  He was dating Valentina at that.  He was off limits in so many ways but for some reason, I get even more excited just talking to him.

"I don't know how you're alive but you're alive and I'm glad."

It's not what I want to hear...but better.

"You are?"

I take a step closer to him.  He takes a step closer to me.  We're close in the bathroom.  I have nothing but a towel wrapped around my waist.  He stares in my eyes.  I stare into his.  He licks his lips.  I stare at this lips. Those moist lips.  His eyes have changed colors again.  They are blue this time.  Sky blue.  All light seems to be attracted to them.

"Yeah, man," he tells me, "You're a...you're special."

"I know.  Not everyone comes back from the dead somehow."

"I'm not talking about that."

That's when it happens.  That's when Alaric puts his lips on mine.  It's a soft kiss.  It's slow, easy at first.  His lips pressing against my lips.  This feeling that through all this chaos this man has missed me intensely rises into my stomach.  His hand scales my face.  His other hand removes my towel.  More kissing.  Harder this time.  He grabs me, picks me up and puts me in the sink.  More kissing.  Wet, passionate and hard.  Everything was hard including his hard dick grinding between my thighs.  His hands rummaging to every part of my body.

Nothing matters at this moment.

And maybe that's why I lean my legs up, push them up against his shoulders.  I see him dropping his pants.  His v-section is chiseled like stone.  His hard, thick dick is oozing precum.  It comes close to my hole, threatening entrance as it presses up against me.  He secures my legs on his shoulders.  He grabs onto my waist.

There's a knock on the door.

"Fuck," I state.

He bites his lips clearly as pissed as I am.

"One minute..."  Alaric states.

I don't know what we were about to do.  Were we about to make another mistake?  I wasn't sure but either way, I stop.  He adjusts himself and so do I.  A minute or two passes and he looks at me.  There is this intensity in his stare when he looks at me.  It's this thorough connection that I can't fucking shake.  Damn this boy turns me on so much.

He's so bad for me and for some reason after surviving what I survived I'm not sure if I care anymore.

The door opens.

Luna is on the other side.

"Was there something you wanted, Luna?" Alaric asks.

Luna just stares.   The girl is weird.  Weird as hell.  She looks at me.  She looks at him.  Then she looks back at me.  Then looks at him again.  Then her eyes go down, real, slow.  Real dramatic.  It goes down to his crotch.  There is a small tent in his pants.  Luna wants to let us know she sees it.  And it's very clear.

"Just need to shower."

"It's all yours," I state.

We walk out into the living room.  The others are all there.  The shaking feeling in my gut about what happened returns when I see everyone's faces.  Mitch is smiling at me.  I know he is happy that I'm alive but I also know he doesn't want to show it in a time like this.

"They are going to come after us," Nixon tells the group, "Quincy is manipulative, as fuck.  We can't stay here."

And he's mad.  I couldn't do it anymore.  We did some bad things.  Real bad things.   And they will come for you all.  We They are going to want revenge."

"Revenge?" Valentina asks shaking her head, "What is this?  Some ABC drama?  It was an accident."

"Was it?" Nixon asks, "That girl...she didn't sound too upset about it."

"Luna is different," Alaric tells her brother.

We all look uncomfortable.  Luna was in the shower now and everyone's uncomfortable faces were thinking the same thing.  Luna killed that little girl and she didn't even seem bothered by it.  Everyone else was walking around sad but Luna...she didn't regret it.  She had fueled the fire after the fact.  The girl wasn't right.

Quest shakes his head, "I'm going to say what everyone else is thinking.  That bitch is crazy."

"We should tie her to a fucking tree and let Quincy have her," Valentina responds, "Maybe that'll be a truce."

"She'll die," Alaric responds.

"Then let's just leave her.  Let's leave her here.  Let's leave her anywhere," Valentina argues.

"With those things outside?  Alone?  She will...die..."

Valentina shakes her head, "We're making a mistake."

Valentina was always smart.  I knew my friend.  I knew why she was concerned.  This thing with Luna it wasn't right.  I mean she was always a little weird girl who got caught staring at little too hard.  Her crush on Alaric was a little too obvious but this was coming from the guy who used to beat off to Alaric and imagine he was with me.   Everyone was obsessed with Alaric. Everyone was attracted to him.  Maybe Luna wasn't too weird.  But what if she was?  What if she was dangerous?

Ignacio breaks it up and makes the final decision, "Let's vote.  This is a group.  Whoever is in favor of leaving her raise your hand."

Quest, Valentina, and Ignacio raise their hands.  Mitch, Alaric and I don't.

Quest explains his vote, "I don't think I'll ever agree with the twins but we can't have someone like that around.  Nixon you should break the tie."

"He's not a part of this group," Ignacio states.

"Now he is," I respond, "He saved us."

Ignacio isn't having it, "Not yet he isn't.  One of you killed Sunday.  Who did it?"

Nixon gets quiet.  He knew and I knew who pulled the trigger.  It was him.  I don't remember much after but I remember it was Nixon who pulled the trigger.  I look at him and he looks at me.  Our eyes connect.

Nixon gets quiet.

"It was Quincy," I state.

I know it's a lie but Quincy was hostile as hell right now.  Tensions couldn't get any worse with him.  Nixon, on the other hand, seemed to know how to use a gun.  He seemed to be on our side...for now at least.

Ignacio nods, "Fine.  Then not only can you live, Nixon.  You can vote."

At that moment I'm surprised when Nixon doesn't take his brother's side.  He goes on the other side of the house, "She needs to be left."

~

We gather our things and leave Luna, right in that house.  I feel bad but I understand why the people made the decision they made.  I just wanted to give her last one chance.  Either way it doesn't matter.  We are hiking across the city to a car lot.  Nixon says that he knows a place to get some cars.  Cars that would take us to Atlanta where everyone in Savannah had probably tried to evacuate to.

As we are walking I feel Alaric walk up to me.  It's a slight brush but he presses his hands up against my hands and then whispers something to me.

"I'll tell her.."

That's all he says.  I know what he means too.  He wants to tell Valentina.  Honestly, I can see the way he looked at Valentina back at the house when she voted against him to leave Luna.  He looked disappointed.  He hadn't said anything but it was kind of obvious.  If I could tell I'm sure Valentina could tell as well.  They were in a relationship though. They were having a baby.  I wasn't sure if I was ready for that kind of drama.

"No..." I tell him, "Not yet."

He stops.  He wants to say something.  I think he wants to argue, but someone is walking up to me in the group.  I look back and notice it's Nixon. Alaric walks on ahead clearly not wanting to make it obvious that he was talking to me.  And I'm glad.  Whatever this thing that was happening between Alaric and I needed to be kept on the DL right now.

"I'm handing these out," Nixon states.

Nixon hands me something.

I look down.  It's a gun.  A pistol to be exact that he got from his old group.

Nixon isn't the spitting image of his Alaric, not like I originally thought.  He is just as attractive as Alaric but not as handsome.  It was clear Alaric was the most handsome of his brothers.  But that doesn't erase his sex appeal.  Don't get me wrong they both have similar features.  Well defined shoulders, big masculine hands, those pretty West eyes, thin narrow waists and they were both tall.  His lips are thinner and wider, his cheekbones are less prominent.  His eyebrows are thicker eyebrows.  His body has definition and even now he has his shirt off in the hot Savannah sun but it's not like Alaric.  Alaric works out.  It's clear Nixon doesn't play football like Ignacio or Alaric.  He probably focuses on parts of his body. Nixon's definition doesn't seem so pronounced.  His body looks like he does hard work, not just exercises.

"I don't know how to use those," I state, not taking it.

"You should learn.  I can...teach you."

"I don't want one.  Not after what happened to me.  Not after what happened to that little girl.  You and the other guys can use `em.  I don't need one.  I'm sure you're pretty good with those," I state, "I know from experience."

He looks around.  In the distance is Ignacio.  He's walking with Valentina.  I can tell Nixon is just aware that he's the new one in this group.  I can tell that he's probably not 100 percent comfortable with the dynamic he is seeing so far.

"You didn't tell them," he states out of nowhere, "Why?"

That is why he really came over here. Not to hand me a gun.  Not to have small talk or offer to teach me how to use it.

"Ignacio would kill you."

"That's the point. Isn't that what you should want?"

I pause.  He is really confused.  I can see how his face wrinkles up.  He resembles Alaric the most when he's really serious like now.  When he is focused on something.  His forehead wrinkles up.  His eyes squint at me trying to figure me out.

"No," I state, "I want us to all live.  I want us to all make it.  You attacked me.  You took my life.  But I forgive you man because you're part of this group now.  This fuckin' band of arguing kids trying to survive."

I pat him on the shoulder.  Nixon flinches.   It's shocking, I think.  He stops walking completely and just stares at me.  It doesn't make sense to him.  I'm not sure what he's faced when Savannah fell.  I've only seen a little bit of what he and his group had to do to survive.  But he isn't expecting it and for some reason, his lingering stare speaks volumes.

He wasn't expecting humanity but humanity isn't gone.  It's still here.  It's still in us.  We just had to find a way to save it until we escape this wilderness.

~

It's late that evening when we finally find something we can use.   Quest, Alaric, Nixon, and Ignacio all have guns.  Mitch, Valentina and I are completely fine not having them.  The four boys leave the group two at a time to scout the area, clear the way killing off the zombies in our path and search for a car.

It's Quest who finds it.  He zooms around the block with it.

"A limo..." I state as the others approach.

It's one of those old school limos.  It was a stretch limo.  Nothing new or fancy.  It's a dirty silver color and the paint is peeling off.  But the shit drives.  That's more than we can ask for.

I'm shocked when Ignacio gives him a fist bump.  Ignacio wasn't the type to just be friendly, but I think after that situation with the other group it is becoming increasingly clear we need to stick together.

"Hey, let me get your bags sexy," Quest states.

I think he's talking to me when he approaches but I'm wrong.  He looks right over at Mitch when he says it.  A smile spreads across my face as Quest licks his lips clearly flirting with Mitch and takes his stuff to the car.

"What was that about?" I ask smiling, as soon as Quest leaves.

"I don't know.  Caught him staring a few times," Mitch acknowledges, "He even squeezed my ass when no one was looking.  I'm not gay. Goddam it.  I let him know that."

I roll my eyes.  He was still playing this fucking game.

"Mitch.  It's the end of the world.  Can you please...please cut it out.  He's cute..."

"Even if I was gay, which I'm not," Mitch states, "He's a hot head.  The guy just hotwired a car."

"That we needed."

"You know why he was in that camp?  It was for rehabilitated youth. He's a damn criminal," Mitch argues.

"Now's the time were everyone is showing their true colors.  And who they really are," I explain, "I don't think Quest is that bad of a guy.  I think he's showing who he really is.  And what he really wants."

"Speaking of people showing what they really want."

Everyone is busy packing up the limousine for the ride to Savannah.  There is excitement.  For the first time, all day people aren't depressed about the little girl dying or feeling guilty about leaving Luna or worried about the other group or scared about the zombies.  Right now we are excited about finally moving forward and leaving all the drama behind.  We want to get away.

In the midst of all the packing and excitement, someone is completely quiet.  I turn to see Alaric.  He is staring at me.  When Mitch calls it out, Alaric doesn't turn.  Not even for a second.  Not even for a moment.

He is being so obvious.  So fucking obvious right now.

What if Valentina sees?

Even worse, what if Ignacio notices?

He walks over to me, "I'll take your bag for you."

I have an old suitcase that I found in my house before we left.  I stuffed it with old clothes that I found in my room.  He may have heard what Quest just did for Mitch.  Or he may have just come up with this by himself.  I notice it's different from Quest though.  He lingers longer.  Taking my bags slowly, grabbing my fingers as he does.  Holding my hand for a few seconds.  Not wanting to let go.  The feeling is thick.  The chemistry is even thicker.  You can cut it with a knife.

There is this longing and I don't think he's the only one feeling it.  My dick jumps.  My heart beats faster.  He licks his lips.  Slowly.  I'm scared.  Is he going to lean in for a kiss right here and now.  Was he?  Yes...

FUCK HE WAS LEANING IN!

"Ignacio, do we have enough gas!" I randomly scream out.

I do it because I want him to know Ignacio is close.  Ignacio is watching.  Ignacio checks the gas tank, looks my way and puts up a thumb, "We should be good."

Alaric gets the hint, thankfully. Whatever odd moment he was just having ends.  He starts walking to the limo with my suitcase.  He looks disappointed.  I hope I didn't hurt his feelings.  When he leaves Mitch is staring at me.  I can see Mitch notices everything.

"Wow..." Mitch states, "You talking about Quest is cute.  Alaric is fine!  I mean...he's a 20 on a scale from 1-10.  I say that in the straightest way possible, of course.  But the chemistry has always been there.  I knew it."

"There is nothing to know."

Mitch grabs me by my arm, "How long?  How long has it been going on between you and Alaric?"

"Mitch, nothing is going on.  Alaric is with Valentina.  He's about to be the father of Valentina's child."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"I'm your best friend.  If you can't admit it to me then who can you admit it too.  I wouldn't tell anyone.  You have to know that."

I stop.

I pause.

That's when I nod.

Mitch gets excited a little too excited, "God you need to lock that down.  I mean, you're cute, best friend but Alaric is...damn.  You need to lock that down."

"It's complicated."

"I get it. But he was worried about you," Mitch explains, "I saw it all over him when you were gone.  Sure Ignacio and Valentina were too.  Sure I was.  All these things were expected though.  Not him.  Not his worry.  Man, that boy has it bad. Look at him.  He's got it bad."

I look over at Alaric.  He's outside of the limo standing next to his brother Nixon.  He looks over at me.  Our eyes lock.  There is electricity between us.  We stare at each other.  Just stare.  I want to be closer to him.  Kissing him.  Holding his hand.  Being with him right now.  And there is so much in the way of that.  So much in the way.

And it's getting almost...painful.  I wonder what he's thinking when he's staring at me.  What is going through his mind?

The thought gets interrupted.  It's a scream.

It's Valentina.

All of a sudden I snap back into reality and so does he. Alaric and I both meet Valentina towards the trunk of the limousine.  We grab her at the same time.  Our fingers touch awkwardly as we try to find out what is wrong with Valentina.

Valentina points.

A zombie is walking.  A zombie lifts its head.  I look over and realize who the zombie is.  It's Valentina's best friend Zoe.

Zoe walks up to us.  Slow.  Mouth drawn, hanging down.  Hungry.  Her clothes are shredded into pieces.  She's missing an eye and her jaw is barely still connected.  Her skin had decapitated.  She's turned into something else.

We hold Valentina together. And at that moment I'm reminded that whatever we wanted to be with each other we couldn't because we had this girl, this fragile girl who was giving birth that we both needed to take care of.

And that's when Alaric walks away and I think he's thinking the same thing I am.  This just can't work between us.  No matter how much we want it to.

"You two get in the car.  It's time to go," Alaric states, "I'll deal with it."

We get in the car.  Valentina is still crying.  The mood goes back to what it was.  The sadness is back.  The excitement is gone.  Reality hits again.  We can't have not one moment.  Not one FUCKING moment of happiness before tragedy hits again.  Zoe didn't make it.  I didn't see Michael Power out there but Zoe didn't make it.

There is a gun shot a few seconds later as Alaric puts Zoe down.

~

The car ride to Savannah is quiet, somber but I think underneath it all we are all hopeful.  We all have this feeling in our stomach that this is almost over.  We've been through a lot.  Too much honestly but this was almost over.  We'd be safe in Atlanta.  We'd be happy.  Valentina is still next to me.  Quest is driving.  The rest of us are lined up in the limousine.  Nixon and Alaric are on the other side of the limo.  I stare over at Alaric.  He doesn't return my stare this time.  I know there is a reason he didn't sit close to me.  That much is clear.

Valentina breaks the silence.

"Before we get to Savannah I need to tell you all the truth.  The truth about Sunday," she states.

"Me?"

Ignacio interrupts her, "Savannah.  No.  We promised."

"Zoe is dead!"  Valentina barks at her brother, "If we learn anything from that, anything at all, we need to learn that we have to stick together.  WE HAVE TO.  This shit we've been through will bind us all together for life.  I can't lose anyone else."

Ignacio sighs, "Fine."

Valentina looks over at me when she talks, "I know why you're alive Sunday.  You are infected."

"Infected?"

"With a virus.  It's called the Sunday Virus actually.  You're the first person in history to have it. Some sort of genetic mutation.  A bullet in the heart can't kill you.  The virus won't let you die that easily.  It acts differently in you.  It will keep you alive even with a bullet in the heart.  Somehow.  The only place it can't access is your head.  One bullet there and you're gone."

"Like the zombies. When Sunday was born, bloodwork was done.  They found a genetic virus in Sunday.  He wasn't supposed to survive.  The doctors who worked on Sunday were the best in their field.  They'd never seen anything like it.   On his death bed, he wasn't supposed to survive but he was a strong baby and he managed.  He survived."

I'm so confused when she starts saying my history.  I had met Valentina when I was young, very young but it wasn't when I was a baby.  I remembered meeting Valentina.   I remembered my mother moving to Savannah.

"How the hell do you know that?" I ask.

"Because my mother was one of those doctors treating you.  She worked at the time at the CDC in Atlanta.  Your parents were his patients.  I know what you are thinking.  Your father wasn't in your life.  That isn't true.  He was.  There is a reason you don't know him.  You were much too young.  When he found out about your mutation he started working with a  group.  A group that offered him billions with a B to experiment on you.  The group that hired Mr. Drake.  They wanted to do some other testing on you.  On your blood.  They weren't the government.  They were something else.  My mother said they were terrorists.   I think they were opportunists.  I don't know who they are but I know they are out there.  They wanted to manufacture a drug that would stop death.  A drug that would heal.  The virus in you keeps you alive...somehow.  It would kill you if it was manufactured though.  It would have taken too much of your blood to correctly manufacture.  Your father agreed...for the money.  Your mother didn't want that.  She ran away with you."

"To Savannah," I state.

I remember parts of it.  It was such a long time ago.  So long ago.  My earliest memory was driving in a car with my mother.  Escaping something.  I had no idea she was escaping my father.  My father and the terrorist group he was willing to sell me out to.  I can believe it all.  I had to.  My heart was still beating after being shot.

I'm just shocked that Valentina kept all this from me for years.

"My mother was the only one your mother could go to," Valentina explains, "So they hid you.  They hid the truth even from you.  It was your mother's request to keep you protected.  My mother couldn't look out for you all the time.  So she had me and Ignacio do it."

"That's why you guys were friends with me?" I ask, "Because your mother asked you to..."

Ignacio shakes his head, "We love you Sunday."

"But you kept that secret from me.  This whole time.  This whole fucking time?" I ask, "You hid the fact that I'm a fucking FREAK."

"You're not," Ignacio argues, "You're special.  The virus works differently in you. The group that Mr. Drake for doesn't get that it was just you.  They broke into my mom's lab and tried to steal samples of your blood that she had when they found her in the last few years.  They thought they could recreate you with what they had.  They needed more blood.  Something else happened.  They wanted something to keep people alive but it ended up mutating into something that will kill people and then bring them back to life."

It was clear.

It was so fucking clear.

My blood had created the zombies.

I was the cause of all of this.

"Don't blame yourself," Valentina states, reading my mind, "It's the group.  They want to find you.  They want to drain you completely.  That's probably why they sent Drake.  To keep an eye on you while they experimented with their samples of blood just in case they need more."

And they needed more.

They need all of it.

They were going to drain me dry.

I turn outside of the window.  I keep staring, "I'm a freak."

"Our mother can do something about it," Valentina states, "Not about you.  But about the virus.  She can stop it if we get him to her.  I know she can.  That's why we have to get to Atlanta.  She'll be at the Center for Disease Control.  She has a lab at the CDC."

Ignacio crawls over to me.  He reaches down.  He holds my hand.  He looks me in my eyes.

"Everything will work out," Ignacio states, "She'll make an immunization and everything will be back to normal.  I promise."

I want to be warm with Ignacio but I can't be.  I feel disgusting.  I feel guilty.  I feel like this is all my fault.  But if there was a chance that we can fix this.  If there was any chance at all then they were right.  I had to go to the CDC

"Fine.  I'll go."

"We'll all go," Alaric adds, "We stick together."

I turn away from Ignacio.  I look outside of the window.  Off the side of the highway I can see the open fields.  We were going to Savannah.  We were going to stop this madness and restore humanity.

And that's when I see something.  Something that makes my jaw drop.

"They are marching," I state.

"What?" Ignacio asks.

I point to the window.  I see them out of the window.  On the side of the highway in the distance on the field.  And there were thousands of them.  THOUSANDS.  This wasn't a herd.  This was a march.  No more than that.

Quest pulls the limo over.  He must have heard me.  He must have turned and noticed.

We stop and see.

We climb up on the limo to get a better view.  There was no way in hell.

"More than thousands."

These people couldn't have all come form Savannah.  No way in hell.

There could be a million down there.  Marching.

Ignacio's mouth gets dry, "Everyone get in the car.  Quest I need you to drive faster than you ever drove in your life.  The stake of humanity is in your hands at this point.  We need to get to Atlanta and we need to get there fast.  The dead are marching.  They are marching down I-16. They are heading towards Atlanta..."

To read the next chapter go to www.crushedcrown.com