Left for Dead

Ellis placed both hands on each side of my face, cupping my cheeks as he leaned down and kissed me once more. My lips quivered as my body shivered from the wind that was starting to pick up from the light rain happening. Being in Ellis' embrace seemed to have made my fear and anxiety disappear for a brief moment of impact. They say you have to know everything about someone and know someone for a long period of time before you can consider yourself to be in love. Wrong. I am madly in love with this tall, southern accent, mechanic, most wonderful man that I could have ever encountered in life... even during a zombie apocalypse.

"It looks like it's really going to storm, shit." Nick interrupted.

I pulled away from Ellis and stared up into the black sky, wincing as harsher rain drops hit my face. The rain and wind were becoming harsher by the minute. Luckily for me, my adrenaline usually kicks in once zombies are around therefor I wont notice how cold it's becoming as the storm worsens.

"Ellis!" I exclaimed, startled from Ellis' gun being shot off right beside me.

"Got him." Ellis stated ignoring me.

Within a few moments we were walking again. I had no clue where we were going but the others seemed to have an idea of where we would find some gas considering the nearest gas station to the dock was empty. Typical.

"Use the scope." Ellis said firmly as he handed me a basic rifle with a scope attachment.

Without having to ask, I did as I was told and scoped out zombies from a distance so that we didn't have to encounter them as we got to the area that they were staggering around at. I had noticed that my aim and arm were more steady now. Oh cool.. progress in a zombie apocalypse. Achievement unlocked... ha.

"In here." Coach motioned us to come into a small one bedroom trailer.

"Are we resting?" Sasha asked as she stomped into the trailer, tired from all of this.

"There's too many zombies around and not enough time to rest." Coach answered peering out the door to make sure no zombies had noticed that we went in here.

"Exactly. Virgil is only going to wait so long." Nick added.

Both Rochelle and Sasha groaned and complained about the rain and how tired and hungry that they were. It wasn't just them that were hungry. We all were. Everyone of us hadn't had anything to eat or any sleep since way before meeting Virgil. It helped to not think about food or rest, especially if you were trying to avoid hunger taking over your body and your body shutting down from lack of sleep. There was a few times on the boat that I had to fight my own self to keep my eyes open.

We exited the trailer after collecting a couple cans of canned fruit and some medicine from the bathroom. A zombie that was hunched over a small flower garden, throwing up, shot it's head up at me and growled. I rolled my eyes and sighed. He was newly turned, you could tell by the puking and how aggressive he was. He ran towards me, I raised my rifle and began to reload the gun.

"Fuck" I murmured as he got closer.

Sasha calmly walked in front of my gun and grabbed my gun out of my hold, spinning it around and smashing the zombie in the side of the head with the back end of my gun. The zombie grunted as he hit the ground. Sasha stood still as she pulled a pistol out of the belt loop of her pants and shot the zombie pointblank in the back of his already busted skull.

"And that's how it's done." She said proudly with a smirk.

"Thanks... I had it." I replied annoyed.

"Yeah well, figured I'd help without a punch in the face!" She replied patting me on the shoulder as she walked past me.

I heard some of the group snicker and giggle. I scoffed and shook my head as I turned and looked over at everybody over my shoulder. Here I was proud of my gun game improving just to be disappointed by reality that I was a shitty zombie killer. Obviously I wasn't all that bad or I would be like one of the infected, but compared to everyone else here... I am shitty.

"Fuck you." I mumbled as I walked past the group and towards a house on tall balancing beams.

I marched up the stairs with the others following. I immediately began to scope out zombies into the distance. Ellis and Rochelle did the same. I was simmering mad as my blood began to boil. Was I really bringing this group down? Constantly being in trouble. Constantly having someone save me. What if something bad happens and I'm left alone again. Am I going to let myself die or worse, become infected? No I was not.

"Safe house up ahead." Rochelle stated excited.

"Yeah but look at all the god damn zombies we have to get through" Ellis replied as he was still scoping out staggering zombies.

"Let's do what we do best." Coach shrugged.

"Stay close, Amber." Rochelle said as we walked down the steps.

I wasn't sure if her comment was intentionally trying to mock me or because she was actually just looking out for me, but whatever it was, it set me off. Something inside me snapped. Rationality and good sense had officially left me. I had suddenly gained confidence that I didn't think I could ever have. This was my time to show everyone that I wasn't 'that girl' anymore.

Suddenly zombies roared and came out of every direction. Our bullets fired off and our axes chopped at the undead. I noticed the panic in the others as it started to get heavy. All these zombies at once. I blinked as a hunter leaped up and tried to pounce Sasha but Ellis immediately shot it down. I winced as I shoved zombies back and chopped at zombies that made it close to me.

"Fuck..." I started as I swung at a zombie. "This!" I added in a yell.

I shoved back the last bit of zombies that were surrounding me. I glanced around at the others who were pretty much on there remaining last few zombies. I remembered the boomer bile that I had collected from the little diner near the dock. Reaching into my bag, I firmly gripped onto the bottle and smirked.

"That should be the last of them for now... we should be able to make it to the safe room before anymore of them show up." Nick panted trying to catch his breathe in between words.

"Let's get a move on." Ellis instructed as he began to walk away with the others following.

"It's too quiet... I don't like it" Coach trailed off suspiciously.

A decomposed body of a non infected person laying on the road caught my attention. There was a katana sword under him. If I didn't do something, I would be like this guy.
I stopped dead in my tracks, looking down at the body. I crouched down and slowly pulled the sword up from under the body. I mumbled a faint 'Rest In Peace' as I did so.

"This is for you...for letting me use your sword." I whispered to the body as I stood up and reached into my bag, grabbing the boomer bile glass jar again.

Life suddenly slowed down as my adrenaline became to increase. I walked further ahead of the group, causing them to call out my name and question what I was doing. Once I was in the middle of the road, I raised the arm that was holding the bile in my hand and smashed it down onto the pavement infront of me, turning my head as glass shards flew up towards my face.

"Amber!" Ellis roared.

Puke began to spread around near my feet as the stench that attracts the undead adsorbed into my pores. I gritted my teeth as zombies out of nowhere came running towards me. I had done exactly what I wanted to do, attracted a hoard of zombies. The exact group of zombies that the others had missed just moments ago.

I gripped the katana so tight that my knuckles turned white as I swung at zombies that surrounded me. Because I had dropped the jar right infront of me, the others couldn't just shoot down zombies that were surrounding me as one wrong move could kill me. They wouldn't risk accidentally shooting me anyways. However, I heard them obviously shooting down zombies that were still coming and running towards the group of zombies that were already fighting amongst each other and trying to bite at me.

Using all my strength, I began to take down zombies as if they were bowling pins. I had finally come undone. I had finally become just as equally qualified to do this like the others were. My name echoed behind me in a blurry tone. I ignored it and continued killing zombies until the green musky mist from the puke that attracted the undead, slowly disappeared just like the zombies.

Once I was done, I exhaled and slowly turned on one foot and walked back towards my group. Blood splatter from the undead drizzled down my face and body as the rain started to wash it off of me. The jaws of everyone dropped, surprised that I had just did that AND shocked that I had survived.

"Actually Sasha..." I finally spoke, walking up to her and wiping blood off of my face.

"That.. that is how it's done" I added.