Status: Try out my story ya'll!
Radioactive
Chapter Seventeen;
"You're too young to live this way.."
---
Taniss crawled out of the open tent flap, zipping it behind him. He stood up and stretched his arms above his head. The tent unzipped behind him, and he jumped, stepping out of the way so Amaryllis could step out beside him. "Why do you have the keys?"
He glanced down at the keys clutched tightly in his fist, "oh, um, I have to get stuff."
"What kinda stuff?" She asked curiously, crossing to the fire to jab it with a stick.
"You know...things." He said uncertainly, glancing around for a quick get away. The other tent flap unzipped, and Matt quietly climbed out, careful not to awaken Harper. "She's still asleep?" Taniss asked.
Matt nodded, not caring that he was shirtless in front of them. "Yeah, she's been acting really tired lately."
Taniss turned away, mumbling to himself, "you are an oblivious idiot."
Amaryllis set down the poker stick, "wait, I wanna go with you."
"No," Taniss said hastily, throwing up his hands, causing her to freeze where she was. "You-you can't."
"Why not?"
"I have to get things."
"Okay? I can come."
"No, it's--it's guy things."
"Guy things? What do you mean guy things?" She placed her hands on her hips, glaring at him. Her gaze flickered towards Matt and then back at him again, her expression changing to one of annoyance. "Oh, are you getting stuff for Matt and Harper?"
"What? No!" Taniss said in alarm, holding up his hands.
"You guys are idiots! Especially you!" Amaryllis added to Matt, turning and kicking dirt in his direction.
He coughed and spluttered, turning away to avoid most of the dirt getting into his mouth, "what the--"
Taniss just turned and darted for the car. He dived inside, started it up, and was gone before Amaryllis could realize what had happened.
-*-*-*-*-*-
Taniss parked the car outside of CVS, killing the ignition. He pulled his gun out as he climbed out of the car and started towards the building. The parking lot was empty, but he had expected that from such a small town. The door slid open automatically, and he held his gun at the ready, swivelling back and forth to make sure the enterance was clear. His mind was whirring, so he shoved the gun into the waistband of his pants, humming Green Day to himself, trying to clear his thoughts. He turned down the aisle he knew he could find what he came for. He glared at the little pink boxes, unsure what to get. Finally, he grabbed two boxes of the most reliable looking ones, and shoved them into his hoodie. He didn't realize he had been humming too loud until, without any warning, rotted, moldy hands shot out through the middle of the shelves, knocking things to the floor.
Taniss propelled himself backwards in alarm, ramming into the other row of shelves, his breath catching in his throat. The zombie on the other side began throwing himself at the row of shelves. Taniss didn't move for a moment until he noticed that everytime he thew himself against them, they rocked precariously back and forth.
"Dang it." He murmured to himself, pushing himself away from the row and taking off down the aisle just as the shelves tilted dangerously forward, spilling their contents all over the floor. He dived out into the open just as the shelves came crashing down, knocking into the other row of shelves, creating a chain reaction. The crashing noise revereted through his bones, but he didn't stop moving. The zombie was already lurching towards him as he felt in his hoodie pocket to make sure the boxes were safe. He pulled his gun out just as the zombie neared him, pulling the trigger. Nothing happened. He pulled it again before cursing to himself and rolling out of the way of the zombies attack. He reached up to knock down a box of upright pool noodles to distract the zombie atleast for a moment as he searched for a weapon. His gaze landed on the aisle full of cleaning supplies. He ripped a broom off the shelf and spun around just as the zombie was on top of him. He twirled it around in his hands as if he was quite handy with a broom and had been practicing for ages, aiming for the creatures brain. It's hands managed to grip onto his shirt and rip off a good chunk as it convulsed violently, collapsing to the floor. He reached down and pulled the broom handle roughly out of the zombies body. He raised his arms in the air as if he was being cheered for by an audience. "Yes, I am Taniss. And I am quite skilled in the art of broom fighting." He pointed the broom at the zombie, "so fear me, you despicable creature." He cleared his throat, realizing what a dork he was when he was alone.
"Ugh, I feel like a loser." Taniss groaned to himself. "...oh my gosh, I'm turning into Matt..." He made sure he had what he needed before he hurried out of the store.
-*-*-*-*-*-*-
Harper was sitting by the fire when Taniss showed up, his hood up, looking a bit annoyed. "What happened?" She asked worriedly, noticing his ripped up shirt.
"Nothing you need to worry about. Here." He pulled the boxes out of his jacket, passing them to her. She glanced around making sure no one was near before shoving them into her hoodie pocket, and giving him a quick thanks.
She made her way to the lodge, making sure Amaryllis and Matt were no where in sight. They had gone to scout around, like Taniss had them doing multiple times a day. She pulled open the door and wandered inside and into the bathroom. She pulled the door shut behind her.
A few minutes later, she sat with her back against the door, the two opened boxes laid out in front of her. The box told her to only wait two minutes, but she was sure she had been sitting there for quite a bit longer before she finally leaned forward. Her gaze fell on the two pink plus signs, and her hand flew to her mouth, trying to stifle the sobs wrenching their way through her throat in case Amaryllis came inside to use the bathroom. She laid on her side against the door, pulling her knees tightly to her chest, her body wracking with unsuppressed sobs.
---
Taniss crawled out of the open tent flap, zipping it behind him. He stood up and stretched his arms above his head. The tent unzipped behind him, and he jumped, stepping out of the way so Amaryllis could step out beside him. "Why do you have the keys?"
He glanced down at the keys clutched tightly in his fist, "oh, um, I have to get stuff."
"What kinda stuff?" She asked curiously, crossing to the fire to jab it with a stick.
"You know...things." He said uncertainly, glancing around for a quick get away. The other tent flap unzipped, and Matt quietly climbed out, careful not to awaken Harper. "She's still asleep?" Taniss asked.
Matt nodded, not caring that he was shirtless in front of them. "Yeah, she's been acting really tired lately."
Taniss turned away, mumbling to himself, "you are an oblivious idiot."
Amaryllis set down the poker stick, "wait, I wanna go with you."
"No," Taniss said hastily, throwing up his hands, causing her to freeze where she was. "You-you can't."
"Why not?"
"I have to get things."
"Okay? I can come."
"No, it's--it's guy things."
"Guy things? What do you mean guy things?" She placed her hands on her hips, glaring at him. Her gaze flickered towards Matt and then back at him again, her expression changing to one of annoyance. "Oh, are you getting stuff for Matt and Harper?"
"What? No!" Taniss said in alarm, holding up his hands.
"You guys are idiots! Especially you!" Amaryllis added to Matt, turning and kicking dirt in his direction.
He coughed and spluttered, turning away to avoid most of the dirt getting into his mouth, "what the--"
Taniss just turned and darted for the car. He dived inside, started it up, and was gone before Amaryllis could realize what had happened.
-*-*-*-*-*-
Taniss parked the car outside of CVS, killing the ignition. He pulled his gun out as he climbed out of the car and started towards the building. The parking lot was empty, but he had expected that from such a small town. The door slid open automatically, and he held his gun at the ready, swivelling back and forth to make sure the enterance was clear. His mind was whirring, so he shoved the gun into the waistband of his pants, humming Green Day to himself, trying to clear his thoughts. He turned down the aisle he knew he could find what he came for. He glared at the little pink boxes, unsure what to get. Finally, he grabbed two boxes of the most reliable looking ones, and shoved them into his hoodie. He didn't realize he had been humming too loud until, without any warning, rotted, moldy hands shot out through the middle of the shelves, knocking things to the floor.
Taniss propelled himself backwards in alarm, ramming into the other row of shelves, his breath catching in his throat. The zombie on the other side began throwing himself at the row of shelves. Taniss didn't move for a moment until he noticed that everytime he thew himself against them, they rocked precariously back and forth.
"Dang it." He murmured to himself, pushing himself away from the row and taking off down the aisle just as the shelves tilted dangerously forward, spilling their contents all over the floor. He dived out into the open just as the shelves came crashing down, knocking into the other row of shelves, creating a chain reaction. The crashing noise revereted through his bones, but he didn't stop moving. The zombie was already lurching towards him as he felt in his hoodie pocket to make sure the boxes were safe. He pulled his gun out just as the zombie neared him, pulling the trigger. Nothing happened. He pulled it again before cursing to himself and rolling out of the way of the zombies attack. He reached up to knock down a box of upright pool noodles to distract the zombie atleast for a moment as he searched for a weapon. His gaze landed on the aisle full of cleaning supplies. He ripped a broom off the shelf and spun around just as the zombie was on top of him. He twirled it around in his hands as if he was quite handy with a broom and had been practicing for ages, aiming for the creatures brain. It's hands managed to grip onto his shirt and rip off a good chunk as it convulsed violently, collapsing to the floor. He reached down and pulled the broom handle roughly out of the zombies body. He raised his arms in the air as if he was being cheered for by an audience. "Yes, I am Taniss. And I am quite skilled in the art of broom fighting." He pointed the broom at the zombie, "so fear me, you despicable creature." He cleared his throat, realizing what a dork he was when he was alone.
"Ugh, I feel like a loser." Taniss groaned to himself. "...oh my gosh, I'm turning into Matt..." He made sure he had what he needed before he hurried out of the store.
-*-*-*-*-*-*-
Harper was sitting by the fire when Taniss showed up, his hood up, looking a bit annoyed. "What happened?" She asked worriedly, noticing his ripped up shirt.
"Nothing you need to worry about. Here." He pulled the boxes out of his jacket, passing them to her. She glanced around making sure no one was near before shoving them into her hoodie pocket, and giving him a quick thanks.
She made her way to the lodge, making sure Amaryllis and Matt were no where in sight. They had gone to scout around, like Taniss had them doing multiple times a day. She pulled open the door and wandered inside and into the bathroom. She pulled the door shut behind her.
A few minutes later, she sat with her back against the door, the two opened boxes laid out in front of her. The box told her to only wait two minutes, but she was sure she had been sitting there for quite a bit longer before she finally leaned forward. Her gaze fell on the two pink plus signs, and her hand flew to her mouth, trying to stifle the sobs wrenching their way through her throat in case Amaryllis came inside to use the bathroom. She laid on her side against the door, pulling her knees tightly to her chest, her body wracking with unsuppressed sobs.