Dead Z: Chapter Two

Romie spit, "Hn…we don't need y'alls help." She spoke as she dug the palm of her hand into the rocks and dirt as she pushed herself up on her feet. The brunette southern woman walked around the red head and over to her black hair friend. "C'mon Makenna…let's get out of here." She said as she helped her friend to her feet and then both made their way back to the truck. As Makenna reached for the door handle, another hand blocked her from grabbing it.

"Please. We can save you all. We can take you to a place where it is safe." The red head man softly said, his bright green eyes seemed to mesmerize the black hair woman. Her light brown eyes widen as she searched the emerald ones staring at her but before she could say anything, she heard Romie yell, snapping her out of the green illusion.

"Back the hell up!" Romie growled out at the man wearing the green shirt. "I don't need your damn help! We've survived this long on our own so get the hell away from me!!!"

"Damn woman! We're just trying to help!" The black hair man yelled back, picking her up by the sleeves of her shirt. As soon as he lifted her off the ground, the sleeves broke and Romie stumbled across the dirt road. Her breast taped up with bandages. All three men's eyes went wide. The woman was covered with scars and bandages.

"I TOLD YOU TO BACK THE HELL OFF!!!" The brunette screamed as her fist made contact with the green shirt man's face. He went skidding across the rocks and came to a stop in the ditch. Romie popped her knuckles. "You asshole, that was my last shirt…now I gotta go into town and find another one…" She turned around and opened her truck door, looking up at the man still standing on her trucks roof. "Get off…" She growled. The black cloak man's eye twitch but he hopped off the vehicle and Romie got in the driver's seat.

Makenna pushed the green eye man to the side and also jumped into the vehicle. Romie revved the engine and took off down the road. Rocks flying and dirt rising, she never let off the gas. Micaiah sat in the back of the truck, her knees tucked under her chin.

"Micaiah…how far is the next town…?" Romie questioned trying not to sound angry but she herself could still hear the anger lingering in her voice.

"Um…" Micaiah put down her legs and pulled out the map to look over it. "Well…the nearest town might not have much but it's the closest…it's about twenty minutes away."

"We'll stop there and see what they have. It's getting late too so we'll rest there too." Romie commented, never taking her eyes off the road.

Makenna ran her fingers through her tangled ponytail as she laid back into the seat. ///Those men…where'd they come from…/// She thought as she watched the trees zoom by as her and her group drove quickly down the dirt road.

The girls finally made it to the small town that they'd never heard of, it didn't have much left. A few small homes were standing, there was a gas station, a little grocery store and a feed store.

"Alright…we know the drill…meet back in ten minutes…Micaiah's in charge of gas and look-out. Makenna you get food and water. I'll take care of the ammo and tools. Grab anything that we could use." Romie spoke as she hopped out of the truck followed by Makenna and Micaiah who nodded in understanding to the orders. The girls separated, each carrying a container of some sort.

Romie walked over to the feed store. She used her wooden baseball bat to gently push open the door. Dust glittered across the ground as the door opened completely. Romie put down her duffel bag and hoisted her bat over her shoulders. Stepping cautiously around the small aisles of the store. Looking around every corner and dark spot. Once she confirmed that no one was in there, she sat her weapon down against the wall and began gathering the ammo and tools she needed.

Micaiah leaned against the gas stations pump. She had started the pump from inside and was now filling up the truck and several gas cans. She let out a sigh as she tapped her samurai sword against her shoulder. Micaiah began to doze off…all this running around took it out on all of them, plus it was already dark which just added to her sleepiness. The sound of the pump going off snapped her out of her sleepy daze and she bounced off the post to put the full gas cans back into the bed of the truck. She closed the tail gate, put the cap back on the trucks gas tank and placed the pump back. She stretched and waited for the others to return.

Makenna had just finished gathering what she could…which wasn't a lot but they made due. Besides, there were still live animals they could hunt and water still pumped through the springs. She made her way across the little town's somewhat paved road, duffel bag full of food and water was on her shoulder as she quietly stepped through the darkness of the street. She suddenly came to a dead stop…no more than ten feet from her was a 'crawler'. She stepped back slowly as to not draw attention but as her foot came down…it came down on an empty coke can. Her heart stopped as the zombie slowly turned it's attention to her. The next thing that happen took her by surprise, the zombie opened it's mouth and screamed.

"A howler!!!" Romie yelled out as she ran out of the feed store, grabbing her bat and running into the direction of the sound. ///Damn it…it must be Makenna!!!/// As she topped the hill she saw Makenna lying on the ground, the zombie mere feet from her. Romie took off in a sprint. The zombie fell to it's knees about to take a chunk out of Makenna's leg. The brunette woman swung her bat, nails sticking out from the end, and slammed it against the zombies head. The 'howler' was sent flying back and landed right in front of Micaiah, who wasted no time in sticking her sword through the zombies skull.

"Makenna! Makenna!" Romie slapped her face a little and the black her woman moaned as she leaned over and puked on the roads pavement. The sound of a howler could cause extreme dizziness. Makenna wiped her mouth as Romie helped her up and back to the truck. Micaiah picked up the duffel bag that Makenna had dropped and followed her friends back to the truck. Romie opened the vehicles door and laid Makenna in the backseat. The brunette bundled up a blanket and put it under the black hair woman's head, she then began to check her body for bite marks and thank God she didn't find any.

Romie did find blood running slowly down the back of Makenna's neck and after further inspection the brunette found a small gash on the back of Makenna's head. Must have been when she collapsed from dizziness when the 'howler' screamed. Micaiah pulled out the bandages, got Romie to lift Makenna's head, and then wrapped the stretchy cotton around the dark hair woman's head. Romie laid Makenna back down and then she and Micaiah climbed into the front seat, locking the truck doors and then reclining the seats back.

After living on this hellish earth for more than seven years…the girls have learned…it's no one's mistake if something happens. They wouldn't blame each other for another's injury but even still…Micaiah let a few tears slip down her cheek.

"Don't cry…we made an agreement a long time ago. No matter what. We wouldn't get mad at one another for a family members injury…or death. It wasn't your fault that Makenna got hurt. We all know, to well, the risk of splitting up and going on our on to gather supplies. It's our own responsibilities to take care of ourselves when we are away from the group." Romie said, twisting in her seat to look at her red hair friend, it wasn't that Romie was a complete heartless wench…she tried to be tough for her friends…the truth was… she didn't want to lose anybody else that was close to her heart.

In this world… they knew to count each day as a blessing and to love each other unconditionally because the grim reality was that… they may not make it to see another day together.