Zombies Vs Aliens: Respawn

Chapter 14.1

"What happened?" J.D. snapped. He crossed his arms, glowering at Fred like he caught the dog piddling on the carpet. The subject of his scrutiny looked equally uncomfortable, continuing to fight against his restraints. They'd wrapped him to the tree several inches off the ground, giving his feet no purchase to push off. Clever bitches.

"I...I...can you at least get me down from here?" Fred couldn't look me in the eye.

"Not sure you deserve it," J.D. grumbled, flexing his forearms.

"Oh, come on!"

"How did they distract you long enough to trap you like this?"

"Don't wanna talk about it." Fred muttered, kicking his legs out.

J.D. snorted.

"Which one was it, the red head? You couldn't keep your eyes off her."

Why was this important? I searched for signs of their passage, my frustration mounting when I couldn't discern which direction they fled.

"Would you piss off? It doesn't matter!"

"I can't believe you-"

I didn't have time for this. "Which direction did they take off in?" The strain must have been evident in my voice. Fred jerked his head to the left, further into the woods. I was off before either of them could protest.

"See, you upset her."

"Shut up and get me down."

I ignored them, searching the ground for tracks, blood, anything to mark their passage. Please don't let me find blood. Okay, blood was okay, long as it was Princess Bitch -Face and the surly Ginger and not my people. The Muppets could handle themselves. They could put up a good fight. Remember how they tore all those zombies to pieces? They'll protect Wolf Girl. They won't let anything happen to the little girl. Why would they take her? Did they take off to run and hide? Were they being chased?

Or did the trio pursue them?

Ginger's empty expression floated to the surface of my thoughts. Whatever her deal was, I don't think she had any reservations against hurting a human child. The mental image of her ripping them apart sent me stumbling face first into an unsuspecting pine. Half its needles went weeping to the ground. I braced a forearm against, waiting for the angry buzz between my ears to go away. I wouldn't find her dead. She was too wily to get caught by a nasty tart like Ginger.

Think happy thoughts, like unicorns and rainbows and Princess's face smashed in.

Pushing away from the tree, my head swam. A woman's laughter filled the air, such warmth and joy in her voice it wrapped around me like warm cotton. I spun around, searching for her. I had to find her. It was vital I find her. The moment distended, the laughter warped, gaining the shrill pitched cadence of screams, terrified, unending screams. My reality shifted. The sunlight paled, leeching away the surrounding greenery to a faded gray. A pale figure in blue danced through the trees at the edge of my vision, distorted and blurred beyond recognition. No, not dancing, running.

"Hello?" A wet trickle slid across my lips and down my chin. A drop of black fluid hit the ground between my feet. Puzzled, I wiped my face, leaving a dark iridescent smear across my finger tips. My nose was bleeding. "What the hell?"

The world stabilized with the same abrupt turn, colors returned as the dizzy sensation drained out of me. What in the world just happened to me? What or who was that? The knowledge floated outside my grasp, frustratingly close. If I dug a little deeper I could find it...

A scrap of metal glinted through the pine needles at my feet. Scuffing them aside unearthed a safety pin floating in a small pool of oil slick blood.

There was a small trail, a few drops, leading further into the trees. I darted forward, my temporary break with reality shoved to the side at the prospect of finding them. The trees were thinning out, I could make out a clearing ahead, a field or another roadway. Maybe I could pick up their trail again out in the open.

Something slammed into me, knocking me sideways. I thought for sure I would eat dirt before a pair of arms slid around me, buffering my fall. We skidded to a stop. I looked up at my dramatic interruption, and gasped.

"Bert?"

No way. I saw him a few hours ago. But this...

His hand dropped over my mouth, filling my nose with the scent of moss and pine sap.

"Shhh" He lifted his head up, peering through the trees.

In the few hours we'd been gone, Bert's regeneration had taken a rapid turn. His features were clearly defined, nearly re-grown, but remained sunken against his skull. His skin was a deep mahogany that looked and felt like a worn leather jacket. The eyes were the most prominent, the irises still threaded out, bleeding into the whites, but for the first time, Bert's pupils appeared lifelike, unclouded. He looked far more like a weather beaten man than a walking corpse. What happened in those few hours?

He rolled off me, easily rising to his feet. He picked his way to the clearing, barely a hint of his former shamble, turning back to beckon me forward with a wave of his hand.

Stunned, I scrambled after him, following him to the tree line. The moment I saw the field I knew why the new and improved Bert tackled me to the ground.

It must have been a meadow. Hard to recognize it with the grass flattened and charred in a now chillingly familiar shape. The ship's outline still faintly smoked in the morning sunshine. They hadn't been gone long. My building sense of dread crested and broke, like waves crashing in the surf. Princess and Ginger ran smack into the trigger happy space invaders.

There was something about the scene that felt odd, itching at the corners of my awareness.

Our campsite was wrecked, shit strewn everywhere. Here, aside from the evident scorch mark of their passing, not a twig was out of place. I didn't like the turn of my thoughts. I needed to talk with the others, regroup, figure out how we were going to find Wolf Girl. Still the idea sat there, a thorn in my palm.

Were they captured, or did they go willingly?

(14.2 will be up this evening)