Hammers and Strings

I was pretty much praying that the guys were still playing. I felt a sense of relief when I heard Sisky on my headset, shouting "Butcher, what the hell!?". I wondered if they even knew what was going on. I shook my head. My friends can't be that oblivious to what's going on around them.

"Hey guys!" I greeted. William's arms were crossed against his chest. He was scowling at me. He was acting like such a girl. I swear. Sometimes, I feel like I'm the guy. "What are you doing?"

"Hanging out at Butcher's place. Would've invited you and Bilvy, but we thought you two were having make up sex or something--"

"Not funny, Sisky." I huffed. "Besides, I made William sleep on the couch last night." A chorus of "ohhh"s followed my statement. I rolled my eyes. Men. "Guys, have you any idea what's going on right now?"

"Uh...you're still mad at Bilvy?"

"Durr, genius. But besides that. Haven't you guys listened to the news lately? At all?" I could hear murmuring in the background. No one really had a clue of what was going on right now. They didn't know about Chicago's zombie infestation. I had to ask the mature one of the group. "Chiz, have you been listening to the news?"

I heard a faint "No. I don't listen to the American news." And I heard Sisky say, "Who listens to the news anymore? All I watch on TV is 'Spongebob' and 'Mythbusters.'" I heard some more talking, and finally, I cleared my throat. This discussion was getting nowhere.

"So, I'm guessing you haven't heard of the zombie infestation in Chicago, have you?/b]" I shouted over the din. They shut up quickly. I'm a genius. "Stay inside, okay? If you get bitten, you're toast. And we're coming over as soon as possible--" William ripped the headset from my head. "Hey!" I shouted, clawing for it. "William, give that back!"

"Aww. They're fighting," I heard Sisky say. I was going to give that kid a serious beating, whether or not he turned into a zombie.

"Lex and I aren't leaving this apartment complex. I advise you to do the same. Butcher, I know you keep a shotgun in the back of your closet. I think it's best that you start using it now."

Butcher had a shotgun? What the hell? Why wasn't I informed?

William switched the television off and reached to turn off the X-box. I crinkled my nose as he did so. "We're going to my apartment," William stated, grabbing my hand.

"Your apartment complex is about six blocks from here," I said, grabbing my keys as he dragged me out the door. "William, let go of me! William! I'm only going outside if it means going to save my friends!"

"We're not going outside," William says calmly. "We're going four floors down." I stared at him. "I moved into this building a month ago."

I broke up with him a month ago. "Why?"

He stopped in front of the elevator. Before he pushed the "down" button, I told him to wait. "What?" he asked, leaning against the elevator doors.

"What if there are zombies in there? Besides, that elevator never stops on the right floor." Someone decided to fuck up the buttons, and so far, I only figured out that button 9 leads to the lobby, and button 4 leads to my floor. And that button 7 leads to my friend Fran's floor. She was out in the Philippines relaxing. I hated her at that moment.

"Okay. You're right." William and I flitted down the stairs and arrived at the door leading to his floor. He stopped, and I looked around. I took a step, but William, held me back. "...Do you hear that?"

At the end of the hallway, there were about four or five people, slowly coming towards up. They were making these...moaning noises and their skin was pale. So were their eyes. "What do we do?" I was horrified. William took my hand and fumbled with his keys. The zombies were getting closer. "William!" I yelled, and he finally got the key in. He pulled me inside and locked the door. He made his way to a small closet. "What are you doing?"

He tossed a golf club at me. "Do you remember watching 'Shawn of the Dead'?" he asked as he swung a bat over his shoulder.

"William, this isn't time to reminisce on some silly comedy movie," I snapped.

He opened the door. "Batter up!"

"Don't leave me in here!" I ran back out and saw him clubbing some octogenarian. I woman started to run towards me, but I smashed her head in with the golf club. I beat the sixteen year old boy with my club, wincing at the blood now all over my t-shirt and jeans. William bashed the heads of what looked like two thirty-year-old virgins and a thirteen-year-old girl. When we were done, we went back inside the apartment. William stopped.

"Shit."

I stared at him. "What now?" I asked. I stared down at my clothes. "This is absolutely, positively disgusting."

He rolled his eyes. His look turned serious. "Lex, Pete's over."

"What's wrong with that?" Pete and I were good friends. He was the one who introduced me to William, though I knew Santi through a series of friends. "Pete's a pretty cool kid."

"No, it's not that."

"Then what is it?"

William winced. "Last night, Pete asked if he crash at my place, because Ashlee was mad at him." I nodded. Nothing wrong there. "Well, he said some sick fuck bit his shoulder, and..."

A door shot open. Out stepped zombie-Pete, hungry for brains.