ZomBetrayal

Chapter 18: Fire

I pull the knife out and shove it into her skin, right where her heart would be if she was alive.

I pull it hard and the knife rips through her skin. She falls down, one leg curled under her the other bent in an inhuman way.

"Guys!" I says little louder than normally but, not loud enough for them to hear. I run out and into Carter.

"What the heck Avery?"

"So, I just walked in and there was something I didn't expect and I need to talk to the others."

We run to the rest of the group and I say, "Emerald is not dead. She-" but, before I could finish I heard screams of joy. "You need to shut up and listen to me! Emerald is a zombie I may have just killed her but I can't promise that," I say, silencing everyone.

"We need to do something about this. I know you've never really come in close contact, but whatever you did didn't kill Emerald it only delayed her. We need to burn her." Kyle says.

"Earlier I said we may not keep all the dummies. Well, we need some so we can burn that wood. Any volunteers to have theirs destroy?"

By the end a few people were laughing. They must have thought the way I sayid it was funny, but it still pissed me off.

"I will," Sawyer says.

"Me too," Kyle volunteers.

"Okay, when we end up using the dummies, Sawyer, you can partner with Jasmine. Kyle, I guess you can partner with me since we are both leaders."

We untie the rope from Kyle and Sawyer's dummies.

"Jasmine and Audrey come with me to get Emerald," I say.

"Why?" Audrey asks.

"Because I need someone else to help and you're my friend, so I thought you'd want to help. If you don't then stay out here and help with the fire. OR SIT OUT AND DO NOTHING. NOT LIKE THAT'S SOMETHING NEW." By the end I was yelling.

Avery, calm down" Jasmine whispers.

"Fine, just leave her out here then," I yell back. As we walk to the door I suddenly feel bad. "Hey Jasmine, I didn't mean to yell at you."

"It's not me I'm worried about, it's Audrey I'm worried about."

When we walked in Jasmine grabbed Emerald's left and I grabbed her right arm. We brought them behind her back and tied it with a piece of rope off a dummies.

Jasmine grabbed the rope and hauled Emerald backwards. I helped a little but my arm stop me from doing a lot of it.

"I'm really sorry for yelling at you Jasmine."

"It's fine," she says but she didn't sound fine. "You were just mad at Audrey."

When we arrived the fire was just starting to burn.

"What took you two so long?!?" A voice exclaims. I turn, Audrey.

"I mean tying up a zombie that's trying to kill you does take some time!" I yell back. 

"Avery, calm down!" Several people yell at me.

" "Just toss her in..." I say, barely above a whisper to Jasmine. "I can't handle this right now."

"Go sit in the tree house... I'll come get you after this is over," She whispers in my ear.

I take off running. Once inside the treehouse I leaned against the wall. "I'm so stupid!" I mutter, kicking the wall. I muffle a scream of pain.

"Yes, you are" I hear a voice say. I recognize the voice, but where from?  I turn around but there was no one there. "Hello?" I ask.

"Hello Avery," A voice says strangely, calmly. I turn around again.

There was Dominick, leaning close to where I just was. How did I miss him?

"Dominick...but I-I haven't seen you for months..." I say in disbelief. Sure I've seen him talking to Alexa but I haven't actually talked to him.

"Don't lie to me!" He demands. "I know you've seen me talking to Alexa and I know you would do whatever it takes to stop me. But I have a little job for you. Me and Alexa were partners in more way then one, partners in crime and we were, still are, dating. Now, she's trying to fight her way out of this. I can't have her going and blabbing everything. Your job is to get close to her and end her."

"But I can't...she's still part of my group... Even if she betrayed us" I say.  

"Don't you see? She was NEVER with you. I sent her into the woods. I sent her to you. She's been with me from the beginning."

"No..." I say as I slide down the wall. "It can't be..."

"Believe me, it's true."

"I can't kill her. She was my friend before any of this happened."

"Either you kill her or I kill every last one of your group. Your choice."

"Avery!" Jasmine yells.

"Coming!" I yell back.

"Oh, and one last thing. Don't tell anyone about this or I will kill them." I look up and instead of Dominick there was Jasmine.

"Are you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost."

Yeah, I'm fine." I lie.

"No, you aren't. Come back with me."

"Can you not say anything about this?"

"About what?"

"Me looking sad. I don't want to worry anyone."

"You're too selfless," she says, shaking her head.

"That's not the first time I've heard that, but please don't tell anyone about this." I beg.

"I won't but, you can't give anyone a reason to think you aren't okay."

"I won't."

"Come on let's get back. They're probably worrying about you."

"Can't have that," I say with a smile.

I'm glad she didn't ask what happened. What would I have said? 'Dominick came back and told me to kill Alexa. By the way, me telling you this will get you killed.'

I can't do that. I can't put any of them in danger, not even Alexa. What am I going to do about Dominick?"

AN: whatcha think?