No Time To Bleed

Bullets and shrapnel tore out the windows as the van squealed down the street.

Red hit the zombie's skull and it went down hard. The van continued squeal down the road until it stopped in front of the house I was hiding by. The doors flung open and two teenage boys jumped out the back.

“Did you see her?! Where'd she go?” The taller one yelled.

He looked to be about 6 feet or a bit more. The other one shrugged, he was shorter and a bit younger looking with sandy blond hair.

“Then, start looking. We gotta get as many people!”

I cursed under my lips as I forced myself deeper into the bush. My feet were trembling as I struggled not to disturb the limbs.

“Are you a total screw up?!” The taller boy shouted, waving his gun around. “Find the girl!”

The shorter sandy one sighed and shook his head, more curse words under his lips.

“I should have never even..... that sun of a..... he's not even a good....”

My thick wadded bush was hidden next to the driveway in a small corner near the back of the cement way.

“I swear to God if you don't find her I'll shoot a bullet straight through your head!”

The taller boy waved the gun around and the sandy haired boy walked a bit further. His feet stepped before my bush and I tried to sink my head back just a bit further. His honey colored eyes darted around and eventually landed to my spot. Their irises widened and he breathed.

“I don't see anything, Alex.”

“That's not my name!” The taller one rushed over and hit him in the back of the head with the gun. “Did you look in this bush?!”

I tore my arms through the thorns and broke into a dead sprint.

“Shoot her! Shoot her!”

“I can't get a clear shot! Chase her! Go get her!”

I heaved myself over a silver wire fence, still grasping the bat in my hand. My leg muscles stretched as I seared down the driveway next door. I took a small peek back, he was still chasing.

“Stop! Stop! We don't want to hurt! Just stop and he won't shoot!”

I almost wanted to laugh. Fuck them. Survival was the game.

I cleared the driveway an broke out in a sprint down the sidewalk. The van's tires squealed from behind.

Arms came out and tackled me to the grass.

“Stop! Stop! Just let me go!” I screamed.

The arms tried to enclose around me, I wiggled away and shoved my boot into skin. I snatched my bat and whirled around. By now the tears were streaming from my eyes like the flood gates of hell.

“Just me go! Just let me go!”

I gripped the bat before me, fingers gripping into the dimmed wood

The boy stood before me, arms waved before him. “Wow. Wow. Just calm down. Just breath. Calm down!”

“Just shoot her! Shoot her!” A woman's voice from the van shouted.

“Calm down!”

“Just let me go!”

I swung the bat and it connected with the shorty boy's skull before any more movement. A gun shot spiraled out of the barrel and cut through my shoulder, a lightning shot hit my vision. I hit the ground with a smacking thud and pinned my eyes shut past the tears.

God damn. He'd shot me. That bitch shot me.

“I told you I'd shoot. You're dumb for running.”

I almost wanted to laugh. I never went down without a fight.

* * * *

“I don't understand why you had to shoot her. She would've come with us!”

A laugh came next and it hit my head like a ton of bricks.

“Are you stupid?! She hit you with a bat. She deserved to get some bullet in her shoulder. She's dumb.”

“Well, it's still wrong. We can't go around chasing people. Remember what Lion said?”

A snicker. “Lion? Are you really bringing him up. He has more important issues. You should try pulling your head out of your ass.”

“Fuc...” My breath ran out near the last syllable and my body was in a heavy sweat.

My arms and legs had been tied.

“See? The stupid whore is awake.”

“Watch your mouth, Alex! Or I'll staple it shut for you.”

The inappropriate chuckle came next.

Cloth had been smashed against my right shoulder and it was stinging. I was guessing from antiseptic.

“Let me go!” I screeched.

The two boys who had hunted me down were sitting right in front of me. The one with sandy hair turned back and his honey colored irises twinkled nervously. God, I wished I had hit him with that bat harder. He should be dead.

“Hi, we're sorry about the whole chase thing. You wouldn't let us get the words out and-”

“William, would you shut up?! You don't need to talk to her! She's just cargo!”

I sneered. “Yeah, you're probably gonna try and trade me in the sex industry. Really original.”

Alex turned to me, icy green eyes planted in his skull and a jaw that rivaled Chuck Norris. His eyes darted across my face as William laughed.

“You think you're funny? You don't even know what's going on and you want to make jokes?” He licked his lips. “You're worthless anyway. No guy would have sex with you.”

I curled back my lips and flung a pack of spit straight to his face. It hit his lower jaw and slithered down a few centimeters.

“Just wait til I get out of these ropes. I'll kill you.” I promised.

He turned to me briskly, wiping the spit away and glaring from under his feathered black hair. “You don't know what's happening do you?”

“You're kidnapping me.”

“Other than that?”

I stayed silent, tired of these useless mind games.

“If you spit on me again. You'll be swallowing my fist.” he threatened.

I laughed and let another wad of it hit his face. Let him punch me. I had nothing to lose.