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[RAWRZEZ~]

Chapter 1

Emma sat at a lunch table, reading like she always did when she had any free time. She tucked her red hair behind her ear and leaned on her hand, already wishing school was over. A white envelope suddenly came into her view.

“Here.”

Emma looked up at a girl her age, which was seventeen, with bright blond hair that spilled out in waves down her back. She also wore clothes that looked a size too small.

Emma slowly took the envelope. “What could you possibly want with me, Isabel?” Emma asked. Just by looking at her, Isabel was obviously the most popular girl with her perfect figure, the perfect amount of makeup, and her designer clothes. Emma, well, she wasn’t. She never put makeup on in her life, unless Halloween counted, and she only wore jeans and any random shirt she could find in her closet.

“I’m having my annual party, duh,” Isabel shrugged.

Emma raised an eyebrow. “And you’re inviting me? Let me guess. Max made you.”

Isabel scowled. “Yeah, that little brat practically black mailed me.”

Emma couldn’t help but laugh. As if on cue, a black mass seemed to break through the crowd of people towards the table. A tall girl with shoulder length, jet black hair, black pants, black shirt, and black fingerless gloves sat down by Emma. The only things not dark about her were her bright blue eyes. Max was what Emma liked to call ‘alternative emo’. Dressed like one? Yes. Act like one? Definitely not.

“Oh, hello my darling sister of mine,” Max smiled up at Isabel through her black lipstick.

Isabel rolled her eyes. “There, I invited her. I might as well invite Crazy while I’m at it.”

“Really?” a guy with messy dark hair and equally dark eyes asked excitedly, popping his head by Isabel’s. Isabel jumped back, startled.

“I was joking,” Isabel said.

“Oh,” the guy said, a little deflated. Zak was the boy in school that everybody called crazy for the things he’s said and even drawn. If anyone saw him sketching in his notebook, they would know to not peek.

Isabel sighed and pulled out an envelope with a smile. “Lucky for you, I’m feeling generous.”

Zak took the envelope with a shocked look. Before he could say anything, Isabel took off towards the table filled with the popular kids.

“Don’t faint now,” Max joked. “Not like the party is any big deal.”

“I know,” Zak smiled, almost skipping to an empty table.

“I don’t even know if I’m going to go,” Emma sighed.

“But you have to! Don’t leave me alone with those idiots!” Max complained.

Emma laughed. “Fine, but don’t expect me to stay long.”

“But it’s an overnight thing,” Max said. “And it’s not like we have to stay around all the boring people. We can sneak away together,” Max smiled seductively, winking and nudging Emma.

Emma smiled and knocked Max’s arm away. “Fine.”

~*~

“Promise me you’ll tone it down,” Isabel said to Max as they arrived at the lake house where the party was going to be.

“Whatever pleases you, my sister,” Max said, mock-bowing.

Isabel rolled her eyes. “Just go change already.”

Max smiled and bounded up the stairs. A few minutes later, Max skipped down the stairway to where Isabel was setting up the food in the kitchen. Isabel turned around and gasped.

“What are you wearing?” Isabel asked.

Max looked down at her puffy black skirt, black lace tank top, black tights with combat boots, and black gloves that reached her elbows. “What?” Max asked innocently.

“I thought you said you’d tone it down!” Isabel huffed.

“I did. You should have seen what I first had picked out.”

Isabel groaned in frustration and set out the rest of the food angrily.

“So, do mom and dad trust us again to be here without them?” Max asked, hopping up and sitting on the counter.

“I don’t think that it’s more trust as it is they don’t have time to supervise,” Isabel said.

The girls heard the doorbell echo throughout the large house.

“I got it!” Max shouted, jumping off the counter and darting for the door.

“No you don’t!” Isabel yelled, chasing after her. She tried to pull her sister back to no avail and Max swung the door open.

“Alec! Sam! So nice of you to arrive to our humble home!” Max smiled.

Although they were brothers, the two boys couldn’t look any more different. Alec was tall, with short black hair and piercing blue eyes. He never talked much and although he was on the football team, not many people knew of him. His little brother by a year, Sam, was quite the opposite. He was short, with curly blond hair and blue eyes. Even though he was sixteen, he looked and acted more like a ten-year-old.

“Hi, Max!” Sam smiled. “I like your outfit.”

“Thank you,” Max said, glancing over at Isabel who had her arms crossed. “Please, come in.” Max stepped off to the side, allowing the two boys to enter the house.

A girl with brown hair that was in a perfect ponytail came up the steps. She looked at Max distastefully. “Last I checked, this wasn’t a Halloween party,” the girl said in her naturally snobby voice.

“Last I checked, borrowing your little sister’s clothes doesn’t make you attractive,” Max shot back, looking at the super-mini skirt and tank top that skimmed the top of her bellybutton.

“These are mine,” the girl glared.

“Could’ve fooled me,” Max smiled.

“Amanda!” Isabel smiled, separating Max from the girl. “Come on in! Like always, I apologize for my sister’s rude behavior.”

“Yeah, I’m the rude one,” Max crossed her arms.

Another guy walked in with a girl on his arms. Josh, a football player with sandy brown hair, and Lana, his cheerleader girlfriend with light brown hair, were the stereotypical high school couple everyone wanted to be.

Max sat on the couch and watched as more people, mostly football players and cheerleaders, poured into the house. She saw a tall, slim guy stride in and recognized him as the Cross Country star, Brian. He had dark brown hair and deep hazel eyes. Isabel was instantly by him to strike up a conversation. Max almost laughed as her sister seemed oblivious to the bored expression on his face.
Max looked over at the door and sighed. She walked up the stairs and dialed Emma’s number. After two rings, Emma picked up.

“Chill out, I’m on my way. These directions on the invitation are hard to understand,” Emma said on the other end.

“Isabel was never good at directions. Or writing,” Max said, earning a laugh from Emma. “Hurry up. I swear I can feel my brain cells dying listening to these people.”

“I’ll be there in a couple of minutes,” Emma said, hanging up. She was in her father’s old truck with the directions taped to the dashboard. She had been driving up a dirt road for fifteen minutes before she finally saw an old house in the distance. It didn’t take Emma long to figure out it wasn’t the gorgeous lake house she was always told about.

Emma parked in front of the abandoned building with a sigh. There went a half an hour of time and gas she would never get back. No doubt the actual party was miles away in the other direction. Emma leaned her head on the steering wheel, reaching over to grab her phone.
 
Rapid thuds against her window made Emma jerk back in fear, sending her phone flying across the passenger’s seat. With her heart hammering against her chest, Emma stared wide eyed at Zak’s smiling face. Emma took a deep breath and rolled down her window.

“I see I’m not the only one who was tricked,” Zak smiled.

“One: don’t say that so happily and two: don’t ever scare me like that again,” Emma said, still on edge.

“But I couldn’t help it. You were sitting there, all alone, in an abandoned area. That’s just begging to get scared.”

“Whatever,” Emma sighed, reaching over and grabbing her phone. She examined it. “You’re lucky my phone didn’t break.” Emma went to type a message to Max.

“So, what are we going to do now?” Zak asked.

“We?” Emma asked.

Zak nodded. “My parents dropped me off here so I’m kind of stuck.”

“They dropped you off at this obviously abandoned place without checking you’d be okay first?” Emma asked in disbelief.

Zak smiled and nodded like it was a normal thing.

“Well then, how do you feel about getting a little revenge?” Emma smiled.

“I like the sound of that,” Zak said, his eyes glinting at the thought. The thought of what, Emma just didn’t want to know.

“Okay, climb in,” Emma said, nodding towards the passenger’s door. Zak went around and opened the door with a loud screech.

“Where are we going?” Zak asked as Emma started driving down the dirt road once again.

“To the lake house.”

“But we don’t know where it is,” Zak said.

“Max texted me the actual directions,” Emma informed. “How Isabel thought I wouldn’t figure it out, I just don’t know. If she wanted to annoy me, she has succeeded.”

“What are we going to do? Party crashers?” Zak beamed.
 
“Something like that,” Emma smiled. She glanced over at the black and gray stripped shirt and black pants he wore. “What you’re wearing is actually kind of perfect. We are going to pick up some things at my house.”

Zak looked at Emma questionably.

“We are basically going to wing most of it,” Emma said.

“Those are the best kind of pranks,” Zak smiled devilishly.

[RAWRZEZ~]

Chapter 2

Emma and Zak stared up at the big lake house. Emma parked the truck a couple blocks down the road so the loud engine didn’t give them away. The sun was already sinking below the tree tops that surrounded the area.

“How are we going to sneak in?” Zak asked.

“Max said there is a cellar around back. She unlocked it so we can get in,” Emma explained, walking around the house. The two of them lifted the heavy doors and gently set them on the ground. They walked down the wooden steps, shivering as the air grew colder. Emma flicked on her mini flashlight and swept the beam around the dusty room. “Ah, there’s the breaker.”

Zak walked over to the box and opened it up, causing dust to spill into the air. He went down the line of switches, clicking them all off.
“Show time,” Emma smiled.

As Max waited for Emma and Zak to arrive, she decided to walk up to Isabel, who was still trying to talk to Brian. She stepped in between the two and shook Brian’s hand, making him look a little startled.

“Hello, Brian,” Max smiled. “I don’t know if you know me, but I’m Max, Izzy’s little sister.”

“Don’t call me Izzy,” Isabel glared, pulling Max away. She smiled over at Brian. “I apologize for my sister’s behavior.”

“She’s just saying that because she has a major crush on you,” Max said. “’Dear Diary,’” Max said in a mocking voice, “today I saw Brian. He’s so ho—‘”

Isabel elbowed Max in the gut, face flushed. “Stop making things up!”

Max smiled as Brian just stood there, seeming to not know what to say. “Oh, I know where you hide your diary. Think of a better place than under your bed, Izzy.”

Isabel opened her mouth to say something back just as all the lights turned off at once. Groans of complaint instantly followed.
“What’s the big idea?” a guy’s voice shouted.

“I don’t know,” Isabel said, looking around but seeing nothing but darkness.
 
“I’ll go check!” Max offered, slowly making her way towards the basement, careful not to bump into anyone.

Isabel stood with her arms crossed, waiting.

After a couple minutes of mumbling, a bloodcurdling scream pierced through the house, causing everyone to become silent.

“Not funny, Max!” Isabel yelled.

Silence answered her.

Annoyed, Isabel carefully made her way to a set of drawers on the wall. “I know I have a flashlight in here somewhere,” Isabel mumbled, blindly searching. The house was full of uncomfortable silence. “It’s just Max messing with us,” Isabel assured. Her fingers found the flashlight and she smiled triumphantly. “Found it!” Isabel announced, turning around and switching on the light.
The beam was blocked by a hockey mask and the figure lifted up a chainsaw. The silence was soon filled by screams and the loud buzzing sound of the chainsaw. Isabel pressed herself against the wall, screaming in terror.

“Don’t hurt me! Please!” Isabel yelled, covering her face with her arms.

“I don’t know,” a girl said as the lights suddenly came on. “What do you think, Zak?”

Isabel shakily looked up at Emma leaning against the doorway, laughing. She then looked at the masked man as he took off the mask, also laughing.

“You should have waited a little longer,” Zak smiled. “It was just getting good.”

Isabel looked at the chainsaw, noticing it was just a piece of plastic. Zak had his IPod on with a chainsaw sound downloaded on it.
Emma looked around satisfactorily. All the girls were huddled in complete terror and Emma could even see fear on some of the guy’s faces, although she knew none of them would admit it.

“What the hell were you thinking?” Isabel yelled as soon as she regained her composure.

“We had to thank you for inviting us somehow,” Emma shrugged as Max came back from up the stairs.

“I think it turned out pretty well, if I do say so myself,” Max smiled. The two girls continued to smile at the group as the fist-bumped without looking.

Emma heard a soft chuckle and looked over at Alec smiling.

“What do you think is so funny?” Isabel scowled over at him.

“Come on, it was funny,” Alec shrugged. “They really got us.”

Isabel crossed her arms and glared over them. “I didn’t think it was so funny.”

“That’s because you almost peed your pants,” Max stated.

Thud.

Everybody looked over at the door.

Isabel rolled her eyes. “Really? You’re still not done with this? I didn’t think you had another friend to help you.”

Emma shrugged. “That wasn’t our doing.”

Thud.

“Seriously, this is getting old,” Isabel said a little shakily.

“Don’t be such a scaredy-cat,” Emma said, walking towards the door. “It’s probably just a tree branch hitting the house.”  Emma flung the door open and was hit by a rotting smell, enough to make her gag. Standing in front of her looked like a person, but with a green tint to the skin that looked like it was sagging off. There was a gaping hole in the right forearm and the whole lip seemed to be removed, exposing the teeth. Emma screamed and slammed the door before the corpse could get in. Her heart pounded against her rib cage as she turned around to face the stunned group.

“Emma?” Max said, looking over at her friend. Emma knew by the look Max gave her that Max wanted to know if this was another prank that she didn’t know about. Emma shook her head. The room remained in stunned silence, as if they were hoping they all didn’t just see the strange sight.

Thud. Thud.

Emma flinched and backed away from the door.

“Zombie Apocalypse!” Zak shouted, almost happily. Max whacked him on the back of his head.

Thud thud thud. Crash.

Everyone flinched as shattered glass scattered the floor, green limbs climbing over each other to get in through the broken window.
“I think it’s time to move,” Brian said, backing away. Everyone stood still in shocked silence. “I said move!” Brian shouted, waving his arms and almost herding the teenagers towards the stairs. More crashes through glass were heard and it seemed to snap everyone out of their daze. In a panic, everyone rushed to get to higher ground. A girl screamed and they all looked down at Lana, who had tripped going up the steps.

“Lana!” Josh yelled, reaching down just as the rotting bodies came into view. One instantly sank his teeth into the calf of Lana’s leg, making her scream out in shock and pain. “Lana!” Josh yelled again, running towards her as more of the zombies descended on their next meal. Josh stared in shocked horror as a bite to the neck ceased her screaming.

Josh jumped as he felt a grip on his arm. Brian looked at him sadly. He just shook his head as if to say it was too late and half-dragged Josh up the stairs.

 They reached the third floor and Isabel shut and locked the large doors that led into a giant room with chairs, tables, plasma TVs, and every video game ever known.

“What the fuck is going on?” Josh yelled, still in slight shock at what he had just seen. “They fucking ate her! Ate her! She- she-,” Josh choked up. In frustration he grabbed a chair and smashed it to the ground. Everybody flinched, but didn’t say a word. What could be said in that situation?

The room went quiet.

“I don’t mean to be even more depressing, but look outside,” Alec said softly, breaking the silence. Large windows covered one of the walls and everybody looked outside. Stumbling bodies dotted the yard as if there was a bar nearby and it was closing time.
“What do we do?” Sam asked as he gazed out the window.

“I say we just beat the shit out of them,” one of the football players, Payton, said. “It’s obviously a prank. There’s no such thing as zombies.”

Some eagerly agreed while others looked around in doubt.

“Did you not just see what they did to Lana?” Josh asked, his voice sounding suddenly drained. “That was no fucking prank.”

“Everyone, let’s just calm down,” Emma said.

“Why should we listen to you?” Payton said. “You weren’t even invited.”

“Because if you don’t listen, I’ll make sure you can never have any babies, how about that,” Max said threateningly. “Not like the world needs more of you anyway.”

“You listen here, you Goth wannabe—,”

“You did not just call me that,” Max glared.

“Okay, okay, you’re not helping the situation,” Emma said, looking over at Max.

Max shrugged. “Sorry.”

Emma sighed. “We have to think clearly. Anyone have signals on their phones?”

Everybody pulled out their phones and tried dialing home.

“That’s weird,” Isabel said, looking at her phone. “It says I have signal but it goes right to my parent’s voicemail.”

“Same here,” Amanda said, and soon everyone was agreeing.

“Well, that’s inconvenient,” Max sighed.

Thud.

Amanda shrieked.

“Now what?” Max asked.

A small creaking of a window, followed by a slight breeze made everyone turn to look. Josh stood by the now opened window, looking down as the wind whipped his hair around.

“W-what are you doing?” Emma asked.

Josh looked up at them as if he just realized they were there. “I’m coming, Lana.”

Everyone’s eye’s widened.

“Josh! Don’t!” Brian reach out just as Josh threw himself out of the window. Alec quickly turned Sam around and everyone stood in silence. A sickening thud could be heard even from three stories up. Even Zak looked stunned and didn’t wear his usual smile.
More thuds on the door slowly dragged people back to reality.

“That’s it,” Payton said, walking towards the door. “This is nothing but an elaborate prank. Who’s with me?”

Some of the football players gathered around.

Isabel stood in front of the door with a glare.

“A prank? A prank?” Isabel screeched. “Lana got eaten and Josh just flung himself out the window and you have the nerve to call it a prank?” Isabel clenched her fists and was on the verge of tears. Max walked over and placed her hands on her shoulders in attempt to calm her down.

Payton snorted. “Just move out of the way so I can prove it.”

“I don’t think that’s a smart idea,” Max said. “No matter what you think, this isn’t a prank.”

“Move away and let the guys handle this,” Payton said, pushing the girls to the side. He opened the door and the small group stormed through the doors, punching the rotting corpses to the ground. Some made their way around the boys and towards the door. Isabel quickly closed it, just as they all heard more screams. Amanda and some of the other cheerleaders covered their ears and sat on the ground, wishing it would all end.

After a few seconds of silence, more thumping could be heard as the zombies tried to make their way inside.

“Is there access to a bathroom?” Zak asked a little too calmly.

“Really? You’re thinking of that now?” Isabel asked.

“I don’t have to go to the bathroom, now answer the question,” Zak said.

“Yes,” Isabel said slowly. “Why?”

Zak smiled. “I have an idea.”

[RAWRZEZ~]

Chapter 3

Isabel led Zak to the normal sized bathroom. Zak went in and began his search.

“That Zak guy is kinda cute,” Max said to Emma. “I’m going to go talk to him.” Max waltzed over to Zak, who was digging through a drawer. “Whatcha doin'?”

“I’m going to make small bomb,” Zak stated, pulling out a can of hairspray. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a book of matches.

“You carry matches on you?” Max asked.

“Yeah, why wouldn’t I?” Zak asked as if she had asked him the most ridiculous question ever. “They come in handy when it comes to things I don’t like.”

Max blinked. “Backpedaling, backpedaling!” Max exclaimed, backing up out of the room and next to Emma. Emma couldn’t help but laugh at the scene despite the predicament they were in. “He really is crazy.”

“Don’t be mean. It will probably be his crazy ass that will get us out of here,” Emma said. “At least I hope so.”

Zak walked out of the bathroom with hairspray in matches in one hand, and what looked to be a perfume bottle in the other. He positioned himself in front of the door.

“Somebody want to open that for me?” Zak asked.

Everyone looked around at one another.

“I will,” Brian said, placing his hand on the handle of the door.

“Okay, on three,” Zak said, speaking as though it wasn’t a life or death situation. “One, two, three!”

Brian yanked open the door to reveal the mass of grotesque bodies. Zak lit a couple of matches and sprayed the hairspray on the flames, causing them to grow and swallow up the front zombies. They stumbled forward, seemingly unfazed by the flames.

“Great,” Max said. “What’s worse than zombies after us? How about flaming zombies after us?”

Zak cursed under his breath and flung the round sphere into to crowd of zombies. A small explosion slightly shook that floor and everyone froze, including the zombies. Only a small fraction was caught in the crossfire, but the ones on the edges seemed to be stunned. Everyone held their breath.

The zombies turned around, towards the sight of the explosion. The teenagers looked at each other confused. Brian held a finger to his lips to make sure everyone stayed quiet, and slowly left the room. He pointed in the other direction, showing there was a path that led back downstairs.

Slowly, everyone began to exit the room, making sure they didn’t make a noise.

Nobody knew what Amanda was expecting to see after leaving the room, but apparently it wasn’t a hoard of zombies directly to the right of them. As she walked out of the door, a rotting face was inches from hers. Amanda screamed.

In one fluid motion, every dead, white eye was looking their way.

“Run!” Alec commanded.

“Why?” Max laughed. “They go point three miles an hour, if that.” Max stood facing the slow moving zombies, still laughing. “They look worse than my uncle, and believe me, he’s quite the heavy drinker. Right, Izzy?” Max said, facing the group once again. “Like this one time—”

Brian shoved Max over to the side and pulled a vase that was on a nearby shelf to block the bite of what used to be a younger girl. Brian pushed it back, casing the girl to stumble to the floor.

“Can we leave now?” Brian asked.

Max nodded, a little shaken. “T-thanks.”

The group ran down the stairs, taking two at a time.

“So, I’m pretty sure the zombies can only hear us,” Emma huffed. “So if we be super quiet, we should be fine, right?”

“For a little while, anyway,” Max shrugged. They got to the door that led outside into the night and opened it up.

“It’s either the zombies are smarter than they are in the movies,” Zak said, “or we are just really unlucky people.”

The group watched as multiple zombies bit, scratched, and tore at tires and engines to the cars that were lined up.

“Where do we go?” Emma whispered.

“The tool shed,” Max answered. “We need weapons.”

Emma nodded. “Where is it?”

Max smiled sheepishly. “It may or may not be passed those zombies over there,” Max said, pointing to a spot where a small concentration of zombies stood.

“Great,” Isabel rolled her eyes. “Now what?”

“A distraction would be nice,” Alec stated.

Zak shot his hand in the air. “Ooh! Ooh! Pick me! Pick me!”

Everybody stared at Zak.

“Zak, would you—” Alec started.

“Yes!” Zak shouted before he could finish.

“I’ll come!” Max offered.

“Max!” Isabel yelled.

“Um, guys?” Sam asked.

“What? Will you be worried about your little sister?” Max smiled towards Isabel.

“No! It’s just, um,” Isabel stuttered.

“Hm? I can’t seem to understand you,” Max said, placing a hand behind her ear as if to listen better.

“Guys?” Sam asked again.

“You’re such a pain, Max!” Isabel yelled. “I can’t show the slightest bit of concern without you—”

“Guys!” Sam shouted, making everyone look at the small kid. He pointed angrily at the advancing zombies. “With all your shouting, they are already on their way here!”

“Oh,” Max dragged out. She pulled out two decretive lawn ornaments that consisted of a metal pole that went into the ground and dragonflies on the top. She passed one to Zak. He took it with a smile. “We’ll outrun them and circle back to the shack, okay?”

Zak nodded. “Suicide mission!” Zak yelled out, dashing across the lawn. Max ran after him and they hit the metal poles together, causing it to echo through the air. The zombies froze for a second and then made their way towards the loud noise.

The rest of the group quickly ran across the grass towards the small shack full of potential weapons. Isabel threw open the door and they ran in. They scanned over the tools, never thinking they would have to use everyday lawn equipment as zombie killing weapons.
Amanda screamed, making everyone look over as a straggling zombie from the group must have heard them. With reflexes nobody would have thought was possible, Alec swung a shovel off the hook it was resting on and sliced it towards the zombie’s neck, causing it to fly off the shoulders. Dark blood oozed from the gaping wound as the body fell to the floor, twitching slightly.

“Dude,” Emma said in awe.

Alec turned towards the group to see everyone staring at him. “What?” Alec shrugged nonchalantly.

“That was awesome,” Brian said, equally astonished as everyone else.

Alec shrugged again and looked sheepishly at the floor. “Thanks.”

“Chainsaw!” Sam said excitedly, breaking the focus from his brother. He grabbed the red colored chainsaw off the wall and held it out. To Emma, it looked quite large in the small boy’s hands. Sam wore a smile on his face as he examined the weapon.

"Who exactly are your parents?" Emma asked, looking at Alec and Sam.

“Our dad’s in the secret service and our mom is part of the Black Ops,” Alec stated normally.

Emma held up a hand. “Enough said.”

Alec smirked. “Quite perfect, don’t you think?”

“It would be perfect if they dropped by to help,” Emma said. She glazed over the sharp objects hanging on the wall and plucked off a pitchfork. “You guys have lots of things here collecting dust.”

“Yeah, but I’m sure glad it’s here,” Isabel said, shakily grabbing a metal shovel.

Max and Zak busted into the room and shut the door, both panting and sweating.

“Who decapitated the zombie out there?” Zak asked between breaths.

“Alec, why?” Emma answered.

As if presenting a trophy, Zak held up the bodiless head. “It’s Payton!”

Amanda let out a scream and everyone took and involuntary step back. The head’s jaw continued to move and a gurgling sound escaped its mouth.

“Oh, hey, look at that,” Alec said. “I’ve always kind of wanted to hurt that jerk but I never thought I’d get to behead him.”

“Alec!” Isabel yelled.

“Sorry, bad joke,” Alec said.

“Zak! Get rid of it!” Emma said.

Zak sighed. “Fine.” He walked outside for a few seconds and then returned, going to a bucket of tools to search for a weapon.
“How did it go?” Emma asked Max.

“One good thing is that they are all super slow,” Max said, pushing a sweat-soaked strand of hair behind her ear. “Bad thing is that they have the numbers, that’s for sure. It won’t matter how slow they are if they end up surrounding us. I say we grab weapons and leave. I’m sure it won’t be long before one of them hears us.”

“My truck is a couple blocks down the road,” Emma said. “I think that’s our best shot at getting into town.”

“What do you think we’ll find back home?” Sam asked, his bright blue eyes filled with hope looking up at the girls. Emma and Max looked at each other. Max shrugged.

“I don’t know,” Emma said slowly. “I don’t want to say everything is going to be fine, because I really don’t feel like it will.”

“Just be a little more pessimistic,” Max rolled her eyes. “Don’t listen to the ginger. She has no soul.”

“Hey!” Emma said, but couldn’t keep herself from smiling.

Max smiled back. “Oh, you know you love me.”

A half groaning, half gurgling noise made every head turn towards Zak, who was sitting by the disembodied head. With a straight face the made Emma want to laugh despite the situation, Zak reached over and clamped the zombie Payton’s jaw closed, making the noise less audible.

“Zak,” Isabel groaned. “Get rid of that now, please.”

“But why? It’s kind of cute,” Zak pouted, holding up the head by its ears. The jaw opened and closed as if it was trying to bite Zak.
“Throw it out,” Max said, opening the door.

“But I don’t want to,” Zak complained. “I like Payton much better this way.”

Sam walked up to Zak and pointed towards the open door. “Get rid of it,” Sam said.

Zak stared at Sam for a minute, and then stood up. “Okay,” Zak said, walking towards the door. He dropped the head and kicked it on the way down, sending it flying away. Zak wordlessly closed the door and sat back down. He noticed everyone was staring at him. “What?”

“Nothing,” Emma said, shaking her head. “Let’s all hurry up and get out of here before we are found.”

Everybody picked out some form of weapon and gathered around the door.

“We have to be quiet,” Brian said. “Not one word out of this place. Tip-toe and make as little noise as possible.”

Every head nodded.

Brian took a deep breath and opened up the door.

Just as a zombie happened to be strolling on by. 

Amanda screamed, making the zombie turn its head towards the group.
 
“Will somebody please gag that girl?” Emma said frustrated.

“I will!” Max said happily, looking over at Amanda with an evil-looking smile.

“That’ll have to wait,” Brian said, gripping the hoe he had chosen for a weapon as more zombies caught on to where their next meal would be. “Looks like we aren’t leaving here silently.”

[RAWRZEZ~]

Chapter 4

Despite the looming death, Max couldn’t help but giggle to herself at how lost the group of cheerleaders looked. They always thought they were God’s gift on earth. Now it was Max’s time to shine.

Max expertly swung a skinny pole with a point on the end. She guessed it used to be a decoration in the yard that they had kept for some reason. She skewered a zombie’s head as it closed in on them and pushed it off with her foot, shuddering at the squishing noise it made.

“I see those years of kendo classes helped,” Emma said.

“Never thought I’d use them this way,” Max half-laughed. “I told you that you should have taken the classes with me. But no, you had to take karate. How well is that going to help when you can’t exactly use hand-to-hand combat?”

“Sorry for not predicting the zombie apocalypse,” Emma joked, gripping the pitchfork. “Well, let’s get going.”

Everybody looked at each other, each taking in a deep breath.

“I wish this was a dream,” a short-haired cheerleader whispered.

“I don’t think anyone wants this to happen,” Emma said. “Well, maybe Zak.” They looked over at Zak, who was light bouncing on the balls of his feet, eager to run into the crowding zombies.

“Better to get going now instead of waiting until they surround us,” Brian advised. “I’ll lead.”

“Ooh, how brave,” Max winked.

“Let’s just get going,” Isabel complained. “I’m about to have an anxiety attack as it is.”

Brian nodded and started to run, with everyone else at his heals.

“Don’t think of them as people, don’t think of them as people,” Emma mumbled to herself, looking away whenever a zombie got close enough for her to hit them with her weapon. She watched as most of the others hit them without a second thought. Emma knew the people were already dead, but the thought of them normal made it a little hard to stab them in the head.

A movement by Emma made her twist her body to attack. A little girl, or what used to be a little girl, stumbled towards her. Emma froze.

A flying piece of metal blurred into view and embedded itself into the zombie’s girls head, making her fall over motionless. Emma snapped out of her daze and looked over as Zak grabbed her wrist.

“Move,” Zak said, pulling Emma until she started to run again.
 
“I think I see the truck!” Isabel shouted, almost out of breath.

“Shh,” Brian said, freezing in place.

Everyone froze, looking around.

“I don’t see anything,” Alec whispered.

“Exactly,” Brian said. “Think about it, do we really want to attract every zombie in a mile radius because they hear a loud truck?”

“Maybe there aren’t any more,” Isabel said hopefully.

“I really don’t want to take that chance,” Brian said. “I doubt they were just out in the middle of nowhere.”

“We shouldn’t talk,” Sam whispered, pointing to dots in the distance. “Let’s start walking to town.”

Isabel groaned, along with her cheerleader friends. “But I’m tired.”

“There’s a farmhouse not far down the road,” Emma said, remembering passing by it on the way to the lake house. “If we’re lucky there will be some adults there.”

“Sounds like a plan to me,” Max said. “Then we can rest there until tomorrow, whether or not there are people there.”

“Fine,” Isabel groaned. The group walked silently on the edge of the gravel road, careful not to step on the rocks and make noise.

“Our definitions of ‘not far’ must be different,” Isabel glared after twenty minutes of walking.
 
Emma shrugged. “It wasn’t by car. I guess you didn’t get your slim figure because you’re in shape.”

“You little—”

“Now really isn’t the best time to start an argument,” Alec said without looking back at them
.
“Sorry,” Emma and Isabel sighed.

“I have no energy to fight anyway,” Emma added. She looked up and smiled. “See, there it is,” Emma said, pointing to the tall house hidden partly by the trees.

“Good. I was beginning to think you lied to us,” Isabel said.

The group gratefully stumbled inside the house, not caring for politeness in knocking.

“Hello? Is anyone home?” Brian called. They waited in silence. “Let’s look around.” They went from room to room, finding nothing.

“Hello?” the short-haired cheerleader said in a bored tone, opening a door and then instantly screaming.

“Becky!” a blond yelled as a zombie of an older woman tumbled on top of her.

Becky continued to scream, pushing the rancid face away from hers. Alec swung the shovel at its head, but not before it got its teeth deep into the cheerleader’s wrist. The zombie fell back and Alec brought the shovel down, chopping the head in half to make sure it would remain motionless.

Becky scooted away quickly, tears streaming down her face as she cradled her bleeding hand. Every cheerleader was instantly around her in concern.

“Get some medicine,” Isabel commanded, taking Becky’s wrist carefully and looking at it.

Everyone looked around uncomfortably.

“I’ll go find some,” Emma said, rushing towards a bathroom they had checked over earlier. She dug through the cupboards and found a first aid kit. She spun around and her heart nearly jumped out of her chest as a figure stood in front of her. She dropped the kit and almost screamed until she saw who it was. “Alec! Don’t do that!” Emma huffed, picking up the kit once again.

“Do what?” Alec asked, and then dismissed it entirely. “You do know what is probably going to happen, right?”

“Of course. I think everyone does,” Emma shrugged, passing by Alec to leave the room. “But I feel like we have to try. I don’t want to lose anyone else.” Alec nodded and followed Emma back into the room where everyone gathered around Becky.
 
“I-I don’t know what’s going on,” Isabel said shakily.

Emma walked up, noticing Zak was looking at her skeptically. For what, she didn’t know. Emma kneeled down and looked at Becky’s wrist.

Becky sniffed, keeping down tears. “It really hurts,” Becky said.

Emma stared at the wound. “That’s weird. It looks like gangrene has already set in.”

“Gan-what?” Becky sniffed.

“Gangrene. The rotting of a limb, or something. It usually happens after days of an infection,” Emma explained, watching. She could swear she saw the rotting skin travel up the girl’s arm.

Becky bit down a scream as more pain coursed through her arm.

Although she knew it was futile, Emma started to wrap up Becky’s arm with gauze.

“Thanks,” Becky said through clenched teeth. “I’m sorry we’ve been mean to you for so long.”

“That hardly matters right now,” Emma smiled. “It’ll all be fine.”

“Don’t lie,” Becky said. She clenched her injured wrist, feeling like her whole arm was torn apart. “We all know what’s happening.”

“Becky…” Amanda said sadly.

Becky screamed out, clutching her head. The rotting skin could already be seen making a spider web pattern up her neck. “C-can somebody end it, please?” Becky forced out. “It really hurts! A-and the thought of me wanting to eat people… somebody end it, please!”

Everyone instinctively looked over at Zak, who raised his hands in the air. “Even I have my limits,” he said sorrowfully.
 
Becky continued to scream, no matter how much she tried to hold it in. Her brain felt like it was splitting apart. Was this what the other people had gone through before turning into a flesh eating monster?

“Please,” Becky continued to say over and over. Nobody could bring themselves to do anything. The girls started to move away, not able to watch their friend in so much pain.

“Forgive me,” Brian said, closing his eyes as he brought the hoe down on her head, silencing her screams of pain. The room remained silent.

Emma walked over and set a blanket that was on the couch over Becky’s now lifeless body. “We should remove the bodies,” Emma said listlessly, breaking the silence. “Then let’s all get some rest.”

People nodded. Brian and Alec carried the bodies out of the house, setting them off to the side.

“We should bury her,” Brian said.

“We should,” Alec agreed. “But we have neither the time nor the energy to do so. We need rest.” Alec placed a hand on Brian’s shoulder. “Don’t dwell on what you did, okay? You did her, and everyone, a big favor. It was too late.”

“I know,” Brian said, unconvinced. He walked back inside and let Alec’s hand drop. Alec sighed and followed him in.

After thoroughly searching the entire house and barricading the doors and windows, everyone grabbed pillows and blankets, setting them up in the big living room.

“Any chance when we wake up it’ll all be a dream?” Isabel said in the darkness as everyone settled in to sleep.

“I wish, sis. I wish,” Max yawned.

“That was more exercise than I ever want to do again,” Zak said, just wanting to be part of the conversation.

Emma laughed. “Same here. My nonexistent muscles are aching.”

“You know, I’m extremely tired but at the same time my adrenaline is still at its all-time high,” Brian said.

Soon, the room was filled with quiet, idleness chatter that soon began to die out as people fell asleep. Regardless of the possibility of zombies breaking in, soon everyone in the room fell into a deep sleep.