{"id":212,"date":"2013-07-21T13:14:34","date_gmt":"2013-07-21T13:14:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/undead\/?page_id=212"},"modified":"2013-07-21T13:14:34","modified_gmt":"2013-07-21T13:14:34","slug":"chapter-38","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/undead\/story\/chapter-38\/","title":{"rendered":"Chapter 38"},"content":{"rendered":"

Chapter 38<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

Loyalty.\u00a0 That, pretty much, is rare to find.\u00a0 Before the Osiris virus came, I mean.\u00a0 That\u2019s why people loved dogs so much.\u00a0 Loyalty defines dogs.\u00a0 They just know that they are supposed to love you and protect you.\u00a0 That\u2019s all they need to know, and that\u2019s what they do for you, every time.\u00a0 So when I knew the world had ended, I had to go back to my place.<\/i><\/p>\n

There were three reasons I decided it was worth going to my place, despite the risk.<\/i><\/p>\n

Reason # 1 \u2013 To see if there was anyone left in my family alive.\u00a0 Sure, Riley made it sound pretty damn bleak, but I had to know.\u00a0 I blame the optimist in me.<\/i><\/p>\n

Reason #2 \u2013 To pick up a couple things.\u00a0 Selfish again, but there was something there I felt I needed to take with me.\u00a0 Something I considered part of me.<\/i><\/p>\n

Reason #3 \u2013 Loyalty.\u00a0 That\u2019s the whole point of this entry.\u00a0 Loyalty was something people always had issues finding in each other, but no problems finding in Man\u2019s Best Friend.<\/i><\/p>\n

I\u2019m glad I met Riley first.\u00a0 I don\u2019t think anyone else, of those of us left, would\u2019ve put up with my shit enough to drive me back to my house.\u00a0 Everyone else would have said hell no and floor it in the opposite direction.\u00a0 I think I knew, when I asked her, that she\u2019d say yes.\u00a0 Not sure why; I guess I was thinking the best of her, and I was right.\u00a0 I\u2019m lucky it was her.\u00a0 Especially after what I did end up putting us through that night.\u00a0 I was lucky; WE were lucky; we still are lucky.<\/i><\/p>\n

People call me a dreamer, the way I see things.\u00a0 AJ\u2019s always questioning it, but hey, I try to find the good in everything, even though I was never able to find it in myself.\u00a0 That night, I think I started to find the good.\u00a0 In the situation, and in me.<\/i><\/p>\n

Of course, I also found a reason to sing Michael Jackson more often, and that\u2019s always good, too.\u00a0 So, you know, there are silver linings in everything.<\/i><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n

Sunday, April 15, 2012<\/b>
\n9:20 a.m.<\/b><\/p>\n

\u201cTurn the radio up; maybe we\u2019ll hear something.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot the radio; it\u2019s my iPod playing through it.\u00a0 Radio\u2019s nothing but static, remember?\u00a0 Everything\u2019s down; I\u2019d been listening for hours.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, right, sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n

After a long drive through clogged roads and then trying to avoid the plagues of the undead, Riley finally seemed to be making some headway in getting to Nick\u2019s house.\u00a0 Hours had been wasted trying to find alternate routes, fighting zombies, and then trying to once again escape zombies.\u00a0 Riley yawned tiredly with a look of pure frustration.\u00a0 Finally, she pulled behind a nearby building and parked.\u00a0 Nick figured she just needed a well-deserved break, after all that had happened.\u00a0 He watched her, as she rested her head against her arms upon the steering wheel, and said nothing.\u00a0 She stared out, watching as the dead meandered off to darker spots; he noticed they seemed to not be fans of the light.\u00a0 She didn\u2019t say anything to Nick, just sat there, lost in thought.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou alright?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cY-yeah, just, it\u2019s sinking in.\u201d\u00a0 She didn\u2019t look at him; spoke softly, her voice shaking slightly.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t look okay.\u201d\u00a0 He knew he sounded stupid, but he wanted to comfort her, and his arm went around her gently.\u00a0 It stayed there for a few moments, seemingly unnoticed by Riley as she looked to be gathering her thoughts.\u00a0 Finally, though, she shrugged it off lightly.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m fine; I just needed a moment.\u00a0 That\u2019s all.\u00a0 Looks like they\u2019re backing off a bit.\u201d\u00a0 She gave a bright smile.\u00a0 It was one that didn\u2019t quite reach her eyes, Nick noticed, but he nodded with a grin of his own.<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe we can finally get there.\u201d<\/p>\n

She nodded, playing with her sweatshirt, pulling down the hood that had been up the entire time.\u00a0 \u201cAs long as we can get through the roads.\u00a0 They\u2019re a mess cause of\u2026 well, you know.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah\u2026\u201d\u00a0 It was odd how neither could manage to actually say the word that had haunted their thoughts so much.\u00a0 In fact, during the drive, neither of them had talked much at all.\u00a0 They\u2019d been too focused on making sure they were never boxed in, never surrounded, and found ways to go.<\/p>\n

But now that they\u2019d been in the car awhile, Nick was able to settle a bit, let everything truly sink in his head.\u00a0 He took a long look at his new companion.\u00a0 Perhaps, his only companion, if the massive leagues of the undead were any indication.\u00a0 She was what he would describe as cute, not gorgeous or stunningly beautiful, but cute.\u00a0 Cute with shoulder-length, blonde hair that was currently ruffled and mussed, and blue eyes that looked tired and shaken.\u00a0 Her face was oval, with a nose just slightly too large for her face, and a sideways grin, rather than full-on smiles.\u00a0 She looked like she had some muscle and meat on her bones.<\/p>\n

\u201cWait, are you<\/i> okay?\u201d she finally asked, catching his stare.<\/p>\n

\u201cSorry, just thinking.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHow can you not?\u00a0 This whole thing\u2026\u201d\u00a0 She slammed her fist against the steering wheel angrily.\u00a0 \u201cFuck!\u201d\u00a0 Wiping her eyes, she took several deep breaths before looking at him again.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s alright, Riley.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, what were you before\u2026 this?\u201d she asked suddenly, clearly eager to change the subject away from herself.\u00a0 Her hands tapped the steering wheel nervously.\u00a0 He could tell she wasn\u2019t comfortable with the situation in the slightest, but who could blame her?<\/p>\n

He wasn\u2019t fond of the question.\u00a0 All it served to do was remind him how he was nothing but a failure and that the only thing which erased that was the true end of the world, when zombies roamed the earth.\u00a0 In his head, it sounded as pathetic as it felt.\u00a0 His hand ran through his own disheveled hair resignedly. It had been a long morning and was getting longer.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2026 I\u2026 I wanted to be an actor,\u201d Nick finally responded, after deciding the truth was probably best.\u00a0 What did it matter anymore?<\/p>\n

\u201cWanted?\u201d<\/p>\n

He nodded faintly.\u00a0 \u201cYeah, I never got anywhere with it.\u00a0 I just moved back here from LA before all this started.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh\u2026\u201d\u00a0 Her eyes swung away, and Riley looked completely ill-at-ease and unsure of what to say.\u00a0 \u201cI guess we have something in common then,\u201d she added on after a long pause.\u00a0 A weak smile followed.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow?\u201d<\/p>\n

Riley twirled a lock of hair around her finger idly as she turned more towards him.\u00a0 Her other arm leaned against the steering wheel.\u00a0 Her line of vision focused on him directly now.\u00a0 \u201cI loved being on the camera, too.\u00a0 Hell, I loved the camera period.\u201d\u00a0 Reaching down to the floorboards of her Jeep, she pulled out a small hand camera.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2026\u201d\u00a0 She stopped there, as if unable to say even another word more, and set the camera atop her dashboard.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo what did you do?\u201d Nick turned the question back on her, after watching her stay quiet and pensive with her uncompleted thought for several minutes.<\/p>\n

\u201cA career around the camera\u2026\u201d\u00a0 A sigh followed, regretful and solemn.\u00a0 \u201cI was a TV journalist.\u201d\u00a0 She met Nick\u2019s gaze again.\u00a0 \u201cThere was just something addicting to telling a story.\u00a0 To being in front of the camera to tell others that story\u2026 I sound weird, don\u2019t I?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, actually, you make sense.\u00a0 I get it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Riley nodded, starting up the car.\u00a0 \u201cI think we can keep going now.\u00a0 I know you want to get back; I\u2019m sorry I stopped\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou needed a break; fuck, I did too.\u201d<\/p>\n

She pulled out from behind the building and pushed her foot on the gas.\u00a0 The car sped off, and they raced down the roads, averting cars when necessary.\u00a0 The car thudded every time she ran down another one of those creatures roaming outside.\u00a0 Nick\u2019s grip tightened on his axe with every thud; he hadn\u2019t let go of it once since his great escape from the hospital.\u00a0 He saw it as his one way of staying alive, and it would have to be pried from his cold dead hands before he\u2019d ever let go.\u00a0 Nick frowned at the choice of words his mind came up with.\u00a0 Would he actually stay dead if he died?\u00a0 Or would he become like\u2026 them<\/i>?<\/p>\n

He shook his head, holding the axe close to his side. \u00a0This shit is crazy enough without you getting morbid, dumbass, <\/i>he scolded himself silently as Riley continued to drive.<\/p>\n

\u201cSick?\u201d he thought he heard her say, making him turn sharply towards her.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI said, did you want to change the music?\u201d\u00a0 She gave another weak lopsided grin.\u00a0 \u201cI can\u2019t take the silence\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh\u2026 sure\u2026\u201d\u00a0 His hands reached for the iPod, and he scanned through the song titles.\u00a0 Some of her music tastes weren\u2019t to be desired, but others, others were spot on.\u00a0 Within moments, \u201cBodies<\/i>\u201d by Drowning Pool was blaring through the speakers.<\/p>\n

She raised a brow at him questioningly.\u00a0 \u201cIronic.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2026 think I\u2019m in shock still.\u201d\u00a0 He wasn\u2019t lying about that.\u00a0 None of it felt real.\u00a0 No matter how he had been forced to encounter them<\/i> in the hospital.\u00a0 No matter how he\u2019d been chased down the street and had been saved by her from them<\/i>.\u00a0 No matter how many of them<\/i> he\u2019d felt her run over and seen the dents on her hood from them<\/i>.\u00a0 Still didn\u2019t feel real, even though reality was sinking in, and he knew it was.<\/p>\n

With a brisk nod, she focused on the road, but not quite in time.\u00a0 Another zombie slammed against her Jeep, but unlike the many they\u2019d encountered, this one stayed on the hood.\u00a0 Its fists slammed angrily against the glass.\u00a0 He could see the rolls of fat along its arms and body, and the mouth opened to moan just above a saggy triple chin.\u00a0 The dirty t-shirt it wore rolled up to reveal an abnormally large stomach, covered with the violet spots Nick had come to despise in the last few hours.\u00a0 It moaned against the windshield, and Riley screamed as she tried swerving the car every which way, in an attempt to throw off the overweight, dead man.<\/p>\n

\u201cFuck!\u00a0 Get it off!\u00a0 Do something!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou think I\u2019m not trying?\u00a0 His fat ass won\u2019t move!\u201d she shouted at him, and Nick could see the panic written plainly across her face.\u00a0 Fat lips were rubbing the window, continuing to make their one noise, as its fists angrily hammered against the glass, which was quickly weakening under its weight.\u00a0 Riley slammed the brake, but it only forced the zombie to slide several inches down the hood, and it continued its attempt to reach its next meal with no trouble at all.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat now?!\u201d she cried out, accelerating once more.\u00a0 Nick was sure that was only because she had no idea of what else she could do.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know!\u00a0 Keep trying to shake it!\u201d\u00a0 His eyes went to the axe held away from him, but he ditched that thought immediately.\u00a0 He\u2019d have to break the glass.\u00a0 Breaking the glass meant the creature could get in.\u00a0 The windshield shook as the glass splintered, and spider web cracks spread all along the window.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s gonna get in!\u201d\u00a0 The moment Nick heard Riley say that, the windshield shattered.\u00a0 Glass flew at them from all directions as Riley dropped down, and Nick covered his face with his arms.\u00a0 Arms reached in for Riley and gripped her neck tightly as the zombie moaned loudly in triumph.\u00a0 She was pulled forward against her seat belt, forcing her to lose control of the car, as it continued to speed down the street.\u00a0 Her strangled shrieks echoed as she was pulled closer to its mouth.\u00a0 Without a second thought, Nick slammed his axe down on the zombie\u2019s arm, severing it completely.<\/p>\n

\u201cRiley!\u00a0 THE CAR!\u201d he bellowed, as she fell backwards in the driver\u2019s seat.\u00a0 She looked up in time to see the inevitable.\u00a0 With a loud cry of fright, she quickly dove down with Nick as they crashed head-on into a pile-up of cars in the middle of the narrow road.<\/p>\n

Nick grunted as he was propelled tightly against his seatbelt, still refusing to let go of the axe that had saved him and Riley both now.\u00a0 His head struck the shattered windshield, and he were covered in glass and shallow cuts.\u00a0 He felt a wetness slowly trailing down his face, and after touching it, saw blood on his hands to confirm a new gash along his forehead.\u00a0 Smoke hovered around the crunched-up hood, creating an eerie haze for them to peer through.\u00a0 His eyes went to Riley, who groaned tiredly as she rose again.\u00a0 One of her arms hung awkwardly as she unbuckled her belt.\u00a0 Her face had various miniscule slices from the shards striking them, but overall, she was better off than Nick thought she might be.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou alright?\u201d<\/p>\n

She nodded.\u00a0 \u201cMostly.\u00a0 I think I dislocated my shoulder in the impact\u2026\u201d\u00a0 Her head motioned towards her right arm.<\/p>\n

They heard the moan yet again.\u00a0 \u201cAre you fucking kidding me?!\u201d Nick ranted.\u00a0 \u201cWe need to go!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRight.\u201d\u00a0 Slowly, she climbed out of the car as he did, hindered by her arm.\u00a0 The overweight undead man had been thrown finally during the impact, but he wasn\u2019t far.\u00a0 Already, he was trying to shuffle between the mangled cars, back over to them.\u00a0 Nick glanced back at Riley, axe in one hand, and his other reached for her left hand.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re not too far from my house!\u00a0 Let\u2019s go!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou think we\u2019ll be safe?!\u201d he heard her ask as he dragged her along behind him.\u00a0 Nick\u2019s head throbbed with the beginnings of a migraine.\u00a0 Great, now wasn\u2019t the time for a headache.\u00a0 The back of his head, site of his bar fight injury, was beginning to pulsate with pain as well.\u00a0 Just what he needed.<\/p>\n

\u201cCan\u2019t be any worse than here!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, no shit, Sherlock!\u201d\u00a0 Despite the situation, he couldn\u2019t help but smirk a bit at her.<\/p>\n

The two ran along the roads, without any glances behind them.\u00a0 He felt Riley\u2019s hand clutching his own quite intensely, so he knew she was still alright behind him.\u00a0 That was all he needed to know, because looks back could only tell him that the zombie in need of a StairMaster was still chasing him, or that more had joined it.\u00a0 After about twenty minutes of running, he slowed a bit and finally risked a peek behind him.\u00a0 Much to his elated relief, he couldn\u2019t see any of them, and it hit him that the undead didn\u2019t pick up speed, even in pursuit of their prey.\u00a0 They didn\u2019t seem capable of it, and lacked coordination period.<\/p>\n

Riley watched him for a moment before actually letting his hand go.\u00a0 \u201cI thought you were going to pull my other arm out its socket, with the way you were dragging me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSorry; I didn\u2019t want us getting separated.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNeither did I.\u00a0 Do you even have feeling left in your hand?\u201d she teased.<\/p>\n

\u201cNah, it\u2019s undead like the rest of the world.\u201d\u00a0 The two snickered a bit and felt a release in the tension that had consumed them throughout the early hours of the morning.\u00a0 Nick felt his body relax just ever so slightly, but it was an upgrade.\u00a0 Even she looked more at ease for the first time since she\u2019d almost run him down hours before.<\/p>\n

\u201cHey\u2026 Nick\u2026 can you help me out and\u2026\u201d\u00a0 She shifted her eyes down her still-dislocated arm.\u00a0 \u201c\u2026pop it back in?\u00a0 If more come, I\u2019ll be completely screwed like this.\u201d\u00a0 This was the reason he finally set down the axe that had become his lifeline.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, sure.\u201d\u00a0 He helped her slide off the black sweatshirt she wore, revealing beneath a snug, white tanktop and toned arms that hinted she could play sports in her spare time.\u00a0 He moved behind her now, unsure of what to say as his hands slid along her arms ever so gently.<\/p>\n

\u201cI hope I don\u2019t fuck this up.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI trust you, and you better not, cause it\u2019s not like we have another option.\u201d\u00a0 A smirk followed her reply, as her body tightened, and he could see Riley bracing herself.\u00a0 \u201cOkay, go ahead.\u201d<\/p>\n

He nodded, holding her arm, and rotated it slightly.\u00a0 Taking a deep breath, he turned her arm before forcefully attempting to shove the shoulder back into place.\u00a0 A loud cry of pain escaped her.\u00a0 She screamed in pure agony, jerking instinctively.\u00a0 Nick backed off immediately, arms in the air.\u00a0 He watched her try to control herself and fail miserably.<\/p>\n

\u201cSorry!\u00a0 I\u2019m sorry.\u00a0 Shit, I can\u2019t do this!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m good, Nick.\u00a0 It\u2019s alright,\u201d she said, tears of pain shining in her eyes.\u00a0 \u201cNot like we can go to a doctor anymore.\u00a0 Just\u2026 get it back in.\u201d<\/p>\n

With a brisk nod, he held her with one hand, while the other took her arm and began moving it again.\u00a0 This time it was in a gentler manner; he was terrified of hurting her like that again.\u00a0 She turned her face towards his, with only inches between them.\u00a0 \u201cJust do it, Nick.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay, I got this.\u201d\u00a0 This time, more slowly, he rotated her arm, before trying to force it back into place once more.\u00a0 She yelled out in agony yet again, but this time, he didn\u2019t let go.\u00a0 With a last uncontrollable howl of pain escaping Riley, she took in a long deep breath, and he continued until he, at last, heard a resounding pop and felt her shoulder snap back in.\u00a0 She moved her arm ever so slowly and nodded.\u00a0 She gave a sigh of relief before bending down and handing the axe he had set down back to him.<\/p>\n

\u201cBetter.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou sure?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I can move it now.\u00a0 It\u2019s sore, but\u2026 better.\u00a0 Damn, that hurt like a bitch.\u201d\u00a0 She tried to sound nonchalant \u2013 he could hear her try \u2013 but her voice shook a bit.\u00a0 Her hand tried to inconspicuously wipe away the tears in her eyes, but he saw.\u00a0 Yet, Nick chose not to say anything; he wasn\u2019t sure just what he could<\/i> say anyway.<\/p>\n

At last, he took a long look at their surroundings, now that their situation had taken a small leap for the better again.\u00a0 Cars were crashed every which way, Riley\u2019s included.\u00a0 He had always liked the neighborhood, peaceful and pretty in a calming matter.\u00a0 He sighed.\u00a0 How many times had he walked through this neighborhood?\u00a0 And now it was so devoid of true life.\u00a0 He paused at his own thought.\u00a0 This was Nick\u2019s neighborhood.\u00a0 It had taken them awhile, but he\u2019d finally made it home.<\/p>\n

\u201cCome on, we gotta go!\u201d<\/p>\n

She blinked, staring at him as she rubbed her shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cOkay, where?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re right down the street from my house!\u201d\u00a0 He tossed Riley her sweatshirt quickly.<\/p>\n

She gave him a determined look, one that matched the new surge of energy Nick was feeling, which had come with the realization that he was almost home.\u00a0 Nick had no idea what he\u2019d find, but he didn\u2019t care.\u00a0 He just had to see for himself and was happy Riley seemed to understand that.\u00a0 She tied the sweatshirt around her waist and nodded at him.\u00a0 \u201cLead the way.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRight.\u201d<\/p>\n

The two walked along the abandoned streets, both ready for anything else they might encounter.\u00a0 Oddly, Nick started walking behind Riley, in a protective stance, rather than leading, like he knew he should have been.\u00a0 He almost tripped when she halted in front of him suddenly.\u00a0 She turned to Nick, a serious expression upon her face.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need to find me a weapon\u2026 just in case.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cGood point.\u201d\u00a0 They looked around.\u00a0 With all sorts of items littered along the ground, it wasn\u2019t hard to find a makeshift weapon for Riley to wield.\u00a0 The first thing they came upon was a discarded crowbar that made Nick wonder if, before people died, they hadn\u2019t tried to take advantage of the chaos by robbing the dying.\u00a0 The entire thought made him sick.\u00a0 He handed it back to her as they continued along the sidewalk, Nick leading now, his trusty axe in hand.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe may not find anything,\u201d he heard her say softly.<\/p>\n

\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt may not be pretty.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOkay, I just wanted to prepare you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know.\u00a0 I just\u2026 it\u2019s like I said earlier:\u00a0 I have to see it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJust so you don\u2019t keep wondering.\u00a0 No, I know.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah\u2026 it feels like a dream.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t get to see this happen.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m starting to think you were lucky that way.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI think I\u2019m lucky now.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m still debating that one.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy?\u00a0 We\u2019re alive, anyway.\u00a0 We ain\u2019t alone\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s true, but-\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201c-Wait.\u201d\u00a0 He cut her off as they turned another corner in the small neighborhood.\u00a0 He pointed to a small, one-story house, just yards away, with a well-kept lawn and a small boat attached to a truck parked out in front.\u00a0 \u201cThat\u2019s my house.\u201d<\/p>\n

The two headed in, both gripping their only weapons tightly in preparation for what might happen.\u00a0 Nick knew he might have been a bit optimistic, but he\u2019d survived when he\u2019d been surrounded by it in a hospital \u2013 maybe his father had survived, too?\u00a0 Not to mention his baby brother.\u00a0 Immunity could have been genetic, for all he knew.\u00a0 He hadn\u2019t thought to ask Riley if anyone in her family had survived, if she\u2019d been able to find out.\u00a0 Nick suddenly felt like an asshole for not asking that, considering what she was doing so he could find out what had happened to his family.<\/p>\n

Nick stepped in to find the house almost virtually how he\u2019d left it.\u00a0 That was, until he reached his living room and saw the broken glass door, shards covering the floor.\u00a0 He saw the smears of blood along what remained of the sliding door, and he knew then that his family was either dead or eaten.\u00a0 He swallowed hard, saying nothing to Riley as she stood silently beside him.\u00a0 She simply put a comforting hand on his shoulder, and in her expression, he could see that she had dealt with the same pain before.\u00a0 Her family was gone, too; the look in her eyes answered his unspoken question.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou warned me it wouldn\u2019t be pretty,\u201d he croaked out.\u00a0 His voice was rough and scratchy.\u00a0 Nick almost didn\u2019t recognize it as his own.<\/p>\n

\u201cNick\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, I had to see it, and I am.\u201d\u00a0 He continued his walk further into the house.\u00a0 He whistled sharply, hoping to call Spunky out like he always had.<\/p>\n

His heart sank when he heard nothing.\u00a0 No, not her\u2026\u00a0 <\/i>After losing everything and everyone else, he couldn\u2019t lose his last link to his own sanity.\u00a0 That dog had meant everything to him, ever since he\u2019d moved to California too many years before.\u00a0 He\u2019d always seen her more as a friend, rather than a pet.\u00a0 He whistled again, silently praying his dog was alive.<\/p>\n

A moan reached his ears first, a moan that was closer than it should have been.\u00a0 It was a moan that he couldn\u2019t find the source for, yet it sounded frighteningly close.\u00a0 A small blur lunged for him, forcing him to fall backwards against the nearby couch in surprise, with brute strength beyond what should have been there.\u00a0 He looked down at the thing now crawling along his chest, reaching achingly for his throat, and he screamed in horror.<\/p>\n

Matted, light blonde hair.<\/p>\n

Eyes the color of the ocean.<\/p>\n

A round baby face that, if given the chance to mature, may have charmed many, as Nick had been able to do.\u00a0 As all of the Carter children had typically been able to do.<\/p>\n

Violet sores, covering pale, grey skin.<\/p>\n

All belonged to a person Nick hadn\u2019t expected to succumb to the terrible fate met by so many others.\u00a0 It was his own, two-year-old half-brother, Kanden Carter.\u00a0 Nick screamed again, tossing the undead toddler off of him.\u00a0 It immediately lunged for Riley.\u00a0 Riley, yelling in shock, swung her crowbar like a baseball bat and sent the two-year-old zombie flying against the wall on the other side of the room.\u00a0 Nick got up, staring in shock at the sight he had just witnessed.\u00a0 He couldn\u2019t move, couldn\u2019t process any of it.\u00a0 This had been that final shock that he just couldn\u2019t take.<\/p>\n

\u201cNick\u2026 we need to bail!\u00a0 Nick!\u201d<\/p>\n

They were interrupted yet again, this time by a series of loud, familiar barks that were coming their way.\u00a0 A large, furry, golden blur leaped up against Nick, licking him excitedly.\u00a0 He snapped back to reality then, hugging his dog tightly.\u00a0 Had Spunky seen all this happen?\u00a0 She had probably been hiding ever since the virus hit the house.\u00a0 Thank you<\/i>, he thought silently, thankful that his loyal companion had been found alive and unharmed, when no one else he loved was.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe gotta go!\u201d\u00a0 Riley\u2019s voice forced him back to the present and reminded him that he couldn\u2019t do anything.\u00a0 It reminded him that he now had someone else to protect.<\/p>\n

The zombie version of Kanden rose again, and Spunky growled menacingly at it, challenging it to try and get past her to her master as she bared her teeth.\u00a0 Nick watched in stupefied shock and horror.\u00a0 Could animals sense the difference?\u00a0 Spunky had loved Kanden since they\u2019d come back.<\/p>\n

\u201cNick!\u201d<\/p>\n

He nodded, running behind Riley out of the house.\u00a0 Spunky followed them faithfully, looking thrilled to have finally found her master again.\u00a0 They ran down the street, hearing the moans of zombies, undoubtedly attracted by all the noise they had been making.\u00a0 The two \u2013 now three \u2013 raced down the streets, looking for any safe place to hide.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe yours?\u201d Riley asked as they ran, jerking her head back at Spunky.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah!\u00a0 Just glad I found her.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe need a plan!\u201d<\/p>\n

They upped their speed, running on nothing but pure adrenaline as they fled their pursuers.\u00a0 They continued sprinting away, too afraid of attracting more if they let themselves slow down.\u00a0 The three escaped the neighborhood, running down a set of random streets with no real destination in mind.\u00a0 Finally, after running for twenty minutes with no words, no plans, just the drive to put as much distance between them and the hordes of creatures as they could, they let themselves slow down, and then finally stop.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2026 need\u2026 a place\u2026 to rest\u2026\u201d Riley pointed out, between short breaths.<\/p>\n

Nick looked around, breathing heavily.\u00a0 He spotted the local SuperTarget his stepmother liked to shop at and pointed immediately.\u00a0 \u201cOver there!\u00a0 We can pull down the gates and rest there for a bit!\u201d<\/p>\n

With Spunky nipping at their heels, they began running, once more, for the first resting place they had come upon since the dead had risen.\u00a0 The store only took them minutes to reach, and there seemed to be no zombies in sight.\u00a0 Still, they both had their weapons at the ready, having learned their lesson within the past several hours.<\/p>\n

\u201cLooks empty.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo one would shop while they were dying, right?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLet\u2019s hope so.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick glanced back at Riley, to make sure she was safe, before opening the door and heading inside.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Chapter 38 Loyalty.\u00a0 That, pretty much, is rare to find.\u00a0 Before the Osiris virus came, I mean.\u00a0 That\u2019s why people loved dogs so much.\u00a0 Loyalty defines dogs.\u00a0 They just know that they are supposed to love you and protect you.\u00a0 … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":8,"menu_order":38,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"onecolumn-page.php","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/undead\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/212"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/undead\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/undead\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/undead\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/undead\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=212"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/undead\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/212\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":213,"href":"http:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/undead\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/212\/revisions\/213"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/undead\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/8"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/undead\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=212"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}