Blood Soaked Sheets

Chapter 9 One Less Member

As days passed Lilac noticed a change in Jon's personality. He used to talk all the time and he would never leave Lilac or Adria alone, now all he wants to do is drink; kinda like his father. "Jon, you need to pack you things, we're getting ready to leave." Lilac said.

"What?"

"We can't just stay here forever, supplies are running low."

"But we could just scavenge for supplies, like we normally do." He said placing his beer down.

"We're just going to another neighborhood, we already looted the houses here, time to move on." Lilac sat next to Jon and threw the beer in the garbage, "You are not your father, so stop acting like it." She then walked out of the bedroom and slammed the door behind her.

"I'm nothing like my father!" He yelled kicking over some boxes. Jon was getting angrier by the minute, he didn't want to leave this house, he just got back and now they're leaving again. And even though it's only a neighborhood away he still felt like he was moving miles away, just like the first time. After everyone ate lunch they started loading the car and pilling in, the three brothers drove with Diane and Lilac put Adria in the back seat. She honked the horn once thinking that Jon would come out and get in the car but all he did was throw a bottle at the window and slump back on the couch. Mike knew he couldn't let Lilac leave without Jon, it wasn't fair for Adria or Lilac. Mike walked walked back to the house and found Jon chugging another blue moon and sat down beside him.

"What the hell do you want?" He asked slamming the bottle on the table.

"You have to come with us, think about Adria and Lilac, think about your mom, she just lost her husband now she's gonna lose you. You have to get in the car and come with." Mike talked with sincerity in his voice making sure that Jon knew how much he was throwing away. Jon just looked at mike and took another swig from his bottle, threw it at the window and stood up.

"Fine." Jon stomped out of the room; Mike trailing behind him. They both got into their designated car and headed elsewhere. Adria fell asleep five minutes into the ride while Jon just mumbled through a mouth of beer. In the other car Diane drove while the three brothers reminisced about the past and that maybe this was all a dream, it was all just in there head. They went down mainstreet and drove past old buildings, some were burnt to the ground and some were just ruble on the ground. Diane was leading the way, seeing how Lilac has never been here before, but Diane slammed her foot on the break causing Lilac to yelp and wake both Adria and Jon. everyone stepped out of the car to see a horde of biters walkin there way, Lilac grabbed her knife along with a pistol in her belt. Jon grabbed his pistol and reloaded it, raising it to the horde. Mike grabbed his mallet, Dan grabbed his hatchet and Josh grabbed his metal pole vaulting pole. Diane stayed in the car with Adria; doors locked. The horde grew closer and the gangs heart beat all synced to a quicker pace, they all stood in a fighting stance waiting for the right moment to charge even though they could all get in the cars and go the other direction, but they stayed and stood their ground. Finally after about a solid minute of waiting the three brothers all charged after the herd, hitting heads and stabbing eyes. Lilac and Jon ran after and began shooting pistol after pistol, Lilac digging her knife through every skull she could get her hands on. The group fought for their lives and not once did they stop for a breath, not once did one sit for a break, they fought. Lilac dug her knife through a biters head and pulled it out revealing that the blade was still in the head of the biter, so in a fumbling, frantic thirty seconds she was grabbing the gun from her belt and began once more to fight. The group all came together forming one of those usual fighting circles, hammers hit heads causing blood and brains to fly, gunshots echoed in the back as Jon and Lilac fired. Lilac pulled the trigger on her gun as a biter limped to her gnawing at the air in front of her, but nothing came from the barrel. Small clicks of the trigger was all she heard. She dropped her gun and punch the biter in the jar knocking it to the floor and curb stomping its head in. soon the hundreds of biters turned to none within half an hour, the group was gasping for air that didn't smell like shit and rotting carcase. Lilac glanced back at the car and realized that Diane and Adria were gone.

"Jon where is your mother?" She yelled.

"I thought she was in the car."

"She's gone, so is Adria!"

"Okay calm down, she probably got scared and ran off, we can find them." Jon said walking back to the car. Lilac couldn't believe that this was happening, and how Jon was so calm with this one month old baby in the woods with a fifty year old lady who doesn't even know how to shoot a gun. Lilac would be relieved even if she found Adria in a tree hole somewhere with no trace of Diane. As long as her baby was safe. The group re hydrated with the little water they had left and began to search. Jon and Mike went back down the road thinking that maybe they went back to the house, while Josh and Lilac went into the woods just to left of the car leaving Dan to watch over the cars and their belongings. Lilac was shaking with rag and fear, also a hint of after battle edrenaline.

"We will find your baby Miss. Lilac do not worry." Josh said noticing that Lilac was frightened.

"Thank you Josh, but you can just call me Lilac, you don't have to be all formal ya know." she said looking at the tall bearded boy.

"Why yessum I do ma'am, my mama always told me to treat women with respect so that's what I do." He said. Lilac was astonished that a man in this world would still be as chivalrous as that.

"Well she taught you well, c'mon let's keep going." They walked for another mile and came across brocken branches and Adria's blanket covered in mud and leaves.

"I think they went through here." Josh said. Lilac rolled her eyes, sighed, and smiled up at Josh.

"Thank you Josh, you are a really good tracker." She tried not to sound sarcastic but Lilac was bad at trying to sound nice, that just wasn't who she is, or maybe who she was.