When It All Goes Wrong

Testing Friendships

We approach the school, guns ready. We shoot down a few walkers and entered the school. I enter slightly before gunner as Carson and Bella exit the RV. I stop to take in the feel of the room I once used to eat lunch in, the place I passed walking in and out of school at the start and end of the day. All the pictures of figures laughing, talking, enjoying eachothers company. I was woken from the trance when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turn to see Gunner, Carson, and a talking Bella. She then nodded. I saw her and Carson exit the room. I see Gunner walk off and I go to catch up with him.
"So I guess you decided to not check the rooms" he smirked.
'Oh so that's what we where supposed to do'
I then nod. "Yeah, besides you need someone to make sure you don't do something to get yourself killed" I nudge his shoulder as he laughs.
We then make our way to the gym. Gunner leans against the door and says," You ready?" I then smirk," Always" just as I finish my sentence we bard he through the door to the gym. Gunner looks around to see the place is deserted. "I definitely don't miss this place." I say. Gunner chuckles then signals for me to follow him. I follow him up to a locker room to be greeted by two men and a girl, slightly older than me. The girl backs up to the wall and the men rush to grab their guns. We have eachother at gun point. When one of them comes up and tackles Gunner. Gunner struggles for a while as I hold the other man at gunpoint. The man nears me and I kick him between the legs. He then speaks in pain and falls to the ground. I kick him in the stomach for good measure as I beat the man strangling Gunner. Gunner reaches for his knife then the man grabs it from him. I hear the man whisper and Gunner respond. Gunner soon became very pale. The girl who was still against the wall made her way to the door and ran. Gunner yells with all the air he had left," Go after her!"
I ignore his demand and shoot an arrow through the mans head. Gunner then pushes the lifeless body off himself, picking up his knife." That was unnecessary."he says. I smirk, rolling my eyes. "Now let's make sure that she's not going to be any trouble."
Gunner and I then run out the locker room to the girl. I continue to run after her till she flees to a nearby classroom. I enter and when Gunner finally catches up, i close the door. The girl stands against a wall in the corner of the room, "We just want to talk. We aren't going to hurt you." Gunner states in a calming voice. She backs up, I hear some mumbling and she drops to the ground. I walk up to her, she's pale and unconscious. "Is she dead?" I ask Gunner.
"Let's get her back to the others, see what they think." Gunner replies.
I agree and we bring her back to the commons where we are greeted by Bella and Carson.
We set the girl down and Gunner and Carson begin to stare at her.
"Hey do you guys...like I don't know...like recognize her from somewhere?" Carson says. Gunner nods. Bella and I disagree. The girl soon opens her eyes and Bella immediately pulls her gun out and points it towards the girl. Gunner pulls the gun away from the girl,"We just want to talk."
The girl then gets a puzzled face, almost as if she is in deep thought. "Hey do I know you? you look familiar." She says motioning towards Gunner. Gunners eyes soon expand and he gasps," you are the girl from the pharmacy! Look I'm really sorry about that." Gunner says, trailing off at the end.
She replied," oh yeah. Don't worry about it. It only took TWO weeks for someone to find and help me!"
I roll my eyes at the girls remark.
"I was rescued by the Military and they had some doctors, there where working TVs and everything!"she begins.
"And why does that matter." I reply, rather sick of her.
"Well that's the thing, the TVs where playing news channels as normal. And an anchor woman said the virus is 'working'." Gunner then freezes as she finishes the word working.
"The virus is only in certain states. It's an experiment." She says trailing off.
Gunner then quickly asks," what states are they in?" She shrugs.
"I don't buy it. This has to be some kind of scam." I say.
"I believe you..." Carson and Gunner say.
Bella and I exchange a look then I roll my eyes.
Gunner begins to untie her. "I'm Gunner and this is Bella, Carson, and Rachael."
"I'm Alicia." Alicia says.
Gunner then turns to Carson and they head to the office.
Bella begins to talk to Alicia as I walk off. I walk into a nearby classroom, Mrs. Gilcrests class to be exact. I walked here with Amber all the time in 6th grade. To think this all started a month or so ago. I find a small foam 'stress ball' on the counter. I begin to throw it multiple times. Thinking in the silence of the room.
Can what Alicia said be true. If so why Missouri, why here. And to think, I could be with my family at home together. I miss them...
I make my way back to the commons to see Bella looking at the auditorium door. I join her. Soon enough Carson and Gunner come up and join us.
"It's blocked off." Bella says.
"Wait there is a hole right there." I say motioning to a small opening a the very top of the door. "Here so one help me up I think I can reach it."
"Um are you sure about that?" Gunner states.
"Well do you have any better ideas." I say back.
"Here I'll give you a boost" Carson says getting on one knee and holding his hands out.
Then Alicia walks over. "Here I got it." She says.
"You know what Alicia, I think we got it so um thanks for your support but I got this." I say with a hint of sass in my tone. She then grinds her teeth and stabs the door with her knife.
"What the hell was that about." I yell.
She then smirks and walks away. As soon as I think she's gone she runs past me and jumps to her knife and somehow manages to stand on it. She then jumps up, pushing up with the knife to grab the bottom of the opening. She soon crawls in and disappears. I hear a growl and a few clicks before the door opens. "Ta-Da!" She says all cocky.
I roll my eyes and continue walking in. The room was empty, as far as the undead and people go.
Alicia recommends we set up camp here. Gunner and I nod as I see Carson and Bella talking. I can't help but ease drop. "Hey Carson can you get me that one thing out of the RV." Carson nods and heads through a back door. Bella turns around and Gunner and I exchange looks.
"What one thing?" I ask Bella.
Bella then jerks her head towards Alicia.
We then walk out of the room. "Okay what is it?" Gunner says.
Carson then walks in with a blue sack about the size of Gunner.
"YOU HAVE A BODY?!" I say. "It not what you think, it's for experiments." Bella says.
"Did you kill them?" Gunner says.
"No." Carson says,"yeah we are going to experiment on it."
I give a concerned look."okay then..." I say.
"Here we will show you the tests..." Carson says.
Bella nods," just follow us to the lab."
Gunner then speaks up," I know my way. I'll meet you all down there."
"Yeah um same here." I say.
They wave and start to head in the direction of the lab.
Gunner and I sit in silence. "They're crazy." He says under his breath. "We shouldn't of come here." The second he finishes his sentence I cut in,"We could leave..."He looks up."just leave and never look back. Gunner, we could do it. And if or when we do, I'll...we'll kill every last one of them. Avenge all those who died for this whole stupid zombie thing." I feel my eyes water. "Rachael are you okay?" He says, putting his hand on my shoulder. I stand up and rub off my tears. "You know I'm just going to go to the lab." I fib. I stand up and walk out of the commons and walk through the hallway.
I don't trust Alicia, I do believe her though.
I walk until I reach a stair case and I sit down. I put my head in my hands.
Ugh I wish I didn't know all this...
I haven't trusted anyone since the apocalypse... well no one but Gunner.
I mean...Amber is always suspicious, I never got to know Blake very well, I didn't trust anyone in gunner's group, and well I thought I knew Carson but the apocalypse obviously changed him, and well that leaves Gunner. He's my best friend and honestly he's got my back...
I then remember I have to meet them at the science lab. I stand up and head to the lab.
I walk in the lab to see Bella and Carson standing over the covered body. Gunner walks in soon and comes over to join us. He comes and looks at me. I mouth the words 'stick together' he looks at me with a confused look. He obviously didn't understand what I said.
"Gunner do you want to do the honors?" Bella says. Gunner nods No. "I just want to get it over with." He says.
Carson shrugs and as he pulls off the blue wrap over the body Gunner slowly makes his way over to me. When the wrap is fully off the body it reveals a girl. An infected girl, our age, she was pinned to the table by her wrists and ankles. Gunner then comes near me and puts his arm in front of me to guard me from seeing the girl any longer. I look to see Carson nearing her with a surgeon knife. Gunner then moves towards the body with his knife." NO." Bella screams. "Gunner no! We need her alive for this to work." Carson says.
Carson nears Gunner, holding something in his pocket. "Gunner. drop. The. Knife." Carson says. The girl was gunners friend Kendall. I met her once, never really got to know her. Alicia soon bursts through the doors,"STOP!" As soon as she finishes Carson shoots towards her. Alicia dodged the shot and runs behind a desk. I run over to check on her. Carson then nears us and I reach for my bow. As soon as my hand nears the bow Carson kicks it out of my reach. Alicia try's to run, Carson soon follows her and has her at gunpoint. I reach for my bow. Carson turns and shoots the bow. It flies out of my hand and on to the ground far from me. He nears me, gun pointed up towards me. "Up" he says. I slowly get to my feet, using the wall to help me stand. Gunner then stands up behind Carson on the other side of the room. Carson then turns and looks at Gunner as his gun pointed at me. "I will kill her." Carson says.
Just then he goes to pull the trigger.
Well this is the end. I get killed by one of my best friends.
Nothing. Nothing comes out of the gun. Carson continually pulls the trigger. Alicia then takes that to her advantage and hits Carson in the shin. He falls to the ground. I grab my bow and kick him in the gut. Alicia holds him to the ground as I tie him up. We then pull him in the corner.
"I say we kill him." Alicia says.
To my surprise I actually agree with her.
"I agree." I say.
Bella then bursts in the door and screams,"DONT KILL HIM!"
Carson looks at us with sad eyes.
"Please don't kill me." He says.
"Well that's two against two. It's your choice Gunner." I look to Gunner for an answer.
"Tie him up."