Perish • Ben Parish

14

We twisted around a bridge and then came upon a series of tall buildings and the back entrance of a town. I turned to look back at Zombie and he nods.

We both knew that those buildings would make the perfect hiding spot for any aliens wanting to keep watch.

Ringer seems to think the same, because she drops to the ground a little ways away from  a nearby bus. We follow her movements and drop to the ground beside her.

"Three of them, two o'clock," she says.

I look out past the truck and squint, trying to catch a glimpse of the green glowing blobs.

There. I see a grouping of them coming towards us, approaching the intersection in front of us.

Ringer says something about how they're probably coming to check out the helicopter, but I don't hear her. I'm hypnotized by the green blobs coming closer and closer to us. They seemed to be engulfed by the blaring green light, taking over their bodies just as the aliens took over their hosts not long before.

I meet Dumbo's eyes and he gives me a nervous look. Zombie still hadn't given us the order and The Others weren't letting up. Any minute they would be on us if Zombie didn't hurry up and tell us to open fire.

Terminate all infested personnel. That was our mission. So why was Zombie hesitating?

Ringer purses her lips impatiently and gives Zombie a questioning look. "I can make the shot," she said.

I look back at Zombie, who nods, waving a hand to dismiss her comment.

Zombie chews on his bottom lip and my heart beats faster. We won't have the element of surprise much longer.

"What's the call, Zombie?" I ask in a hushed whisper.

The pavement a few feet away from us blows up in a flurry of dust and bits of concrete. I cover Teacups ears and I squeeze my eyes shut.

The world shattered as the deafening sound rang through me, shaking my body and tripping my mind.

How did they know we were here? How many of them were there that we couldn't see? Where were they hiding? Were we surrounded? Had they been watching us the whole time?

Zombie finally gives us the 'go' and Ringer opens fire, shooting one squarely in the head. She shifts her feet and shoots another, sending more vibrations into the air. The green lights radiating in my eyepiece go off one by one, just as each one of her shots leaves another Other dead.

What we do next happens to fast for my comprehension.

Ringer stops. Ringer talks to Zombie. Zombie nods. We run.

We're headed to the bus we had seen a little earlier. We needed to get under some sort of shelter...or rather, barrier in this case.

We hide in the bus and Teacup and Poundcake scatter to crouch behind some of the seats. The rest of us press ourselves against the bus' walls. Being in the bus should've made me feel more secure and safe, but it only made me feel like a prisoner- with no choice but to sit still and serve their sentence.

We'd have to stay in here until we either decided to stay or run.

Ringer looked out the window momentarily before turning back to face us. "I have an idea. Run when I say 'go'," she said.

With that, she disappeared out the back, moving as silent and as effortlessly as someone accustomed to war often did.

Zombie nodded and I let a small murmur of approval escape my lips. Ringer would know what to do. She always knew what to do, and as much as I hated to admit it, if anyone could get us out of here alive, it would be her.