Time to Survive

I Don't Wanna Die Like This

  Chris POV


I grunted, staggering back a few steps as the bullet whizzes by my face, causing me to fall back into Ryan, his arms closing around me heavily.

"Shit, dude, are you okay?" he demanded, holding onto to me for a minute before shoving me to my feet, dropping low to the ground again.

I felt disoriented.

We were all crouched by the kitchen doorway, complete darkness to our backs, and Kuza stood at the door, aiming out at the front where the assholes were breaking in.

Jesus.

We should've left when we had the chance.

It shouldn't be like this.

We shouldn't have to hide Kelsey and Kera because of what might happen to them.

Fucking hell, the world shouldn't be like this!

"Chris?" I winced as I heard Kelsey call out, her voice tight, frightened.

"I'm fine," I called back quickly, not wanting her to leave her hiding spot. "Stay there, okay?!"

She wasn't going to stay there.

She was going to come out here if shit started to hit the fan, I knew that. She would come out here and those guys would overrun us and get her and do to her what they'd done to Kera.

And I couldn't let that happen to her.

I had to do something to keep her safe!

I let myself drop low to the ground by Kuza's feet, his hair straggling in front of his eyes as he gazes toward the front door, dust billowing in the air, new holes through the bar walls.

We were trapped.

This was bad.

"Look, assholes, we're leaving!" Kuza shouted into the silence, both sides reloading. "Just let us fucking leave!"

"No thanks, man, we need your shit!" one of them called back. "Plus, I know I saw a girl with you!"

Kelsey.

I glowered, my hand tightening around my pipe.

Fuck.

Kuza glanced at me, and I could see it in his eyes; we were fucked.

But no.

We would figure this out.

"What about the back door? Do you think they're camping back there?" I asked after a second, clearing my throat.

"Fuck, we don't even know how many there is," Ricky muttered, ducked close to Ryan where he stands behind me and Kuza. "And this place doesn't have enough windows for us to get out one of those; plus even if we tried we'd have to make it around to the other side of the room --- and they'd take us out."

"We just gotta get close to the door," Ryan grunted, his eyes narrowed as he stared forward, as if he could see something we couldn't. "I mean, if we can fire out at them, or at least see how many are out front, we can have an advantage."

"And how are we gonna do that?" Kuza grumbled., checking his clip. "We're almost out of bullets, at least I am. Chris, do you got ---?"

"I got two clips, and neither are full," I muttered, shaking my head. "All our shits in those fucking cars."

"Show's us for leaving in there," Ryan mumbled, creeping a little more towards the door.

"Don't even think about it!" I hissed, throwing my arm out to stop him as he starts to slip forward. "You're not risking your life!"

"Dude, seriously? I'm liked half decayed here already, I don't have much to lose," He snorted at me, smacking my hand out of the way. "And it's too quiet, they're about to make a move. We gotta do something now while we can, just --- just make sure tightass doesn't get hurt, okay?"

What?

I stared at Ryan, seeing him avert his yellowing eyes quickly, looking almost uncomfortable.

"I'm not gonna let anything happen to Kelsey," I said after a moment, swallowing.

"I hope so, man."

And then he fucking ran.

Fuck!

We all stare at him in horror as he literally threw himself forward, landing hard behind the bar, not even seeming to feel the glass beneath his palms and knees as he crawls behind it.

How could that not affect him?

Could he not feel that at all?

Ryan crawled forward, completely silent, and I felt my heart swell into my throat.

Fucking hell.

We couldn't lose someone else.

He's got to be careful.

Fucking ---.

Ryan raised up carefully, peeping through one of the windows, boards haphazardly reaching across it shot up and falling off now. He hesitated, and then lifted three fingers in our direction.

Only three guys?

They sure as hell had a lot of firepower, though!

And what about the back door!?

There was four of us, not counting the girls.

We couldn't take on too many with our limited supplies.

I hesitated, and then crawled forward, Kuza hissing after me. I ignored him, slipping to the edge of the bar, my back to the windows as I strained to see the hallway; it was almost directly down, the exit sign above it, and I could still see shadows moving underneath it.

Huh.

I glanced over, and grabbed one of the empty beer bottles.

I shucked it.

I could see all the guys flinch as it sails through the air, smashing into the back door and showering across the floor. It only takes several seconds before there's pounding against the door, and I felt my shoulders sag in relief.

I'd never thought I'd be relieved that deaders were outside.

But that meant we weren't surrounded.

We had no idea how many deaders were there, but if we could ---.

"Shit! Run!"

I glanced back, barely having time to duck behind the bar as the men suddenly came barrelling through the door, shooting up everything at once, glasses shattering. I cursed, ducking down and covering my head, feeling the glass rain down across my skin, my ears starting to ring with all the noise ---.

I suddenly felt a barrel press against my skull.

"Up, asswipe."

Son of a bitch.

I hesitated, and then my eyes flicked up.

"I said up, fucker!"

Oh, Goddammit.

I grunted, and then slowly rose to my feet, towering over the smaller guy holding the AK-47 at his chest, aimed right at my gut; I wouldn't stand a chance if he decided to shoot me.

"Call your guys off," he hisses at me, waving the gun. "And get your motherfucking hands up!"

My hands rose slowly, hovering beside my head, my eyes not leaving his.

Dammit.

Dammit, motherfucking shit.

Kelsey was going to be pissed at me.

"Hey, I got your tall fucker!" the guy bellows towards the kitchen, the doors still swinging, twitching a little nervously. "And if you cocksuckers don't come out, I'ma blow his ass in half!"

I glanced back, seeing his two friends were darting towards the back of the bar, no doubt going to go through all the storage rooms.

So there really was only three.

And if they didn't have weapons, we would've been able to take them.

Good thing they didn't have our car keys.

Kelsey did.

We normally left them in the car, but for some reason she hadn't.

She must've had a feeling.

She would be the only one to make it out of this.

After a moment, the door shifted, and Kuza stepped out, his hands up in the air, gaze dark.

"Where's the other one?" the guy grunts, waving the gun around still. "There was more of ya outside."

"You shot him, you motherfucker," Kuza snarled, his eyes burning as he stared at the man through his hair. "He's fucking dead."

The man narrowed his eyes, glancing between the two of us.

"Yo, Tony! There's just these two left!" he called after a moment. "Looks like we got us some brothers!"

Jeez.

Kuza and I glanced at each other.

We were brothers, they had that right.

I wasn't sure what I would do without him now, we'd gone through so much shit.

And we weren't gonna go out like this, either.

"What about the girl?" one of them called back, and we could hear them going through the shit upstairs, shoving boxes around and uprooting our beddings, no doubt.

"There's no girl, dude."

"There was a fucking girl, I'm telling you! They probably hid her ass in that kitchen!"

I stared in the direction of the voice.

He would die first.

I would rip his vocal cords out through his neck, I would ---.

"Our friends in there," Kuza interrupted, causing the guy who held us up to nervously glance at us. "He's dead, but he'll be turning soon. I don't think you wanna go in there."

Ricky.

Ricky was ---.

I heard glass crunch.

Ryan.

I shifted quickly, stepping back and shuffling some shards as the guy turned to look back at the bar, frowning.

"What the fuck was that?!"

"Probably more shit falling," I grunted. "You fucking shot everything up."

"I didn't ask you," he hisses back at me, pointing his gun at my chest. "Shut the fuck up!"

I gritted my teeth.

This was bad.

This was ---.

"We didn't find shit up there."

I looked over, seeing the other two men stepping from the hallway, looking disgruntled at not being able to find any of our stuff useful. "Doesn't look like there's much to get from these fucks."

"Are you kidding? That car was stocked up!"

"It was just junk."

"Didn't look it to me! Where's the keys?" the nervous one demanded.

We didn't respond, just stared at him.

Which seemed to unnerve him.

"Just kill them and get their shit, let's get out of here," one of the other ones muttered. "There's more biters coming this way from all the noise; already a few at the back door, we don't have a lot of time. We'll just break a window in one of the cars and get what we can carry and get the fuck out of here."

"I'm telling you, there's a girl with them," the other one grumbled, my eyes flicking to him. "We should find her, keep her around."

"You just want your dick sucked," the leading one huffed, rolling his eyes. "These fucks got long hair, you were just seein' shit."

I bristled.

"Don't get insulted," the nervous one sneered at me, and then motioned. "Get on your knees."

Fuck no.

"I said, get on your motherfucking knees or I'll shoot you now!"

"Do it," Kuza muttered, glancing at me. "We don't have a choice."

Fuck.

This really wasn't how I wanted to go out.

I knelt slowly, refusing to flinch at the glass that jabbed into my legs as I did so, my hands still up in the air.

Dying like this --- it wasn't how I wanted to go.

I mean, it probably would be a lot less painful then the alternatives, but like this?

Executed by these people?

No.

And not with Kelsey so close, either.

She would freak out ---.

"Any last words?" the nervous one grunted, the barrel suddenly pressing into my forehead.

Kuza was staring at me, his face completely white, and I could see the fear in his eyes; he was starting to think this was it too.

That we weren't gonna make it out of this after all.

"Fuck you, asswipe," I grunted, my eyes rising to the shooters, a heaviness settling in my chest as I realized this might be it, that I was literally about to fucking die. "I hope you motherfuckers burn in hell."

"Yeah, well, look where we are now," he grunted in response, his hand moving back for the trigger.

My eyes don't leave his.

I wouldn't give him that satisfaction.

I could hear my heart beating, thundering heavily in my chest, my ears starting to roar as my blood pumped faster, zipping through my veins as my vision went dim around the edges.

All I could see was his finger, roving slowly to the trigger, a buzzing noise filling my ears.

I didn't wanna die.

I didn't wanna die like this.

I ---.

The gun goes off.

I flinched, squeezing my eyes shut, but I don't feel anything.

I heard shouts, and then a thunk.

And then a loud growl.

The fuck?

I blinked my eyes open, staring as the man who'd been about to shoot me was screaming, on his back, blood gushing out of his shoulder. Ryan was leaping over the counter, wisps of his black hair falling out behind him as he landed on top of one of the men, his teeth sinking into his flesh.

The other man looked startled, everything happening too fast for him to move.

And then his head was exploding.

One moment he's standing there, eyes bulging, and the next his skull is bursting into pieces, brains and blood splattering out across the bar floor, half of his face disappearing as his body is thrown back.

Oh shit.

Oh shit.

Oh ---.

"Chris!"

I'm frozen, I couldn't fucking move.

All I could do was sit there, kneeling in the glass, staring.

I'd almost died.

I'd been seconds away from death, I ---.

"Chris!"

A hand closed over my shoulder, and I looked up, seeing a pair of wide eyes staring down at me.

Kelsey.

"What are you doing?" I rasped as she knelt beside me, and I saw the gun slip from her grasp, clattering onto the floor as she grabbed my face, staring into my eyes.

Had she shot them?

Had she killed them?

"Are you okay?" she whispers, my eyes on her lips; her voice was too soft, inaudible over the screams of the man as Ryan tore into his flesh, literally eating him alive.

And none of us were doing anything to help.

I just felt kind of numb.

Shocked, I guess.

"I'm... fine," I muttered after a moment, feeling her brush at my face, and then her arms were circling my neck, holding onto me tightly, her face pressing into my hair. I hesitated, my hands curling into the material of her loose shirt at her waist.

She'd saved my fucking life, hadn't she?

Jesus.

"Nice shot," I heard Kuza compliment, stooping to grab the discarded gun off the floor. "You're fucking lucky you got him on the first try, too."

Kelsey didn't respond, just tightened her grip around my neck, shaking her head.

She'd saved me.

I'd thought I was about to fucking die, and she'd ---.

She'd killed them.

"Ryan, dude, can you, er, stop now?"

I glanced over, seeing Ryan was on his knees beside the guy he'd pounced on, his face still buried in his neck, and a nauseated feeling swept over me as I heard his teeth crunch through his skin, a pool of blood forming beneath the two of them.

"Fucking hell!" the remaining guy was shrieking, his eyes bulging from their sockets as he stared. "He's a biter!"

"Not really," Kuza grunted, checking how many bullets remained in the gun he held. "But you'll make a nice dessert for him."

Kelsey shuddered in my arms.

I tightened my grip on her, and buried my face against her shoulder, inhaling her shampoo deeply; I should've known she wouldn't stay in the kitchen if she thought we were in trouble.

She'd saved our lives.

Me and Kuza would've been dead.

I could hear Ricky behind us, coaxing Kera to come out, that it was safe now, and the shuffling of glass as the others moved around us.

But we didn't move.

"Kelsey," I muttered, feeling her lips press against my neck, and she sighed, slowly pulling away from me, her hair falling into her eyes, the majority of it still in the braid I'd made.

"Are you okay?" she asks after a moment, clearing her throat, and I nodded.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I brushed an errant strand of hair behind her ear.

She gave me a frail smile before glancing over her shoulder, and she scrounged around until she could stand, her sneakers crunching against the broken glass as she helped me up.

Shit, my legs wanted to wobble.

"What should we do with him?" Kuza asked after a moment, his back turned to us, giving us our moment.

"We don't need to waste anymore bullets," Kelsey said after a moment, clearing her throat when her voice came off a little hoarse. "Why not leave him here, open the back door?"

Where all the deaders were gathered.

"Sounds fine to me," Kuza grunted, and the guys eyes widened.

He was lying on the ground, his hand pressing desperately against his shoulder where I guessed Kelsey had shot him, taking him out first before going for the other guy.

There was no worry he'd come back, either.

"Dudes, no!" the guy gasps, staring at all of us as we all step forward. I glanced at Ryan, seeing he was just casually munching now, the entire bottom half of his face drenched in blood, it rolling down his neck and soaking the clothing he wore; he would need to change before we left. "You can't fucking leave me here!"

"And why not?" Kelsey snapped, her hands going to her slender hips. "You fucking tried to kill us, you fucking, disgusting piece of shit!"

I reached over, threading my fingers through her quickly, squeezing.

My heart was still thundering, and I was literally counting every beat.

Shit, we'd all been close to death before, but I couldn't think of a time I'd literally stared at it, thought it was over, thought ---.

"Please." the man begged, bleeding all over the floor. "Please don't leave me here!"

"Too bad," Kelsey grunted, stepping forward. She let go of my hand as she grabbed his gun off the ground, slinging the strap over her shoulder, and then going to the other men and shaking them down.

She didn't ask where their supplies were, she knew he wouldn't tell us.

We would make it without them, anyway.

"Let's get out of here," she muttered, eyes flicking back to me, as if to make sure I was still standing there. She fished in her pocket, pulling out the keys for the cars and tossing the SUV to Ricky, who fumbled them.

"You guys get the car ready," she ordered, tightening her hold on the strap of the gun that was almost as long as she was. "Kuza, here's the coupe. Ryan --- please tell me you're changing clothes."

Ryan raised a brow at her, and then shrugged.

"Sure, why not?"

Well, at least he would be feeling better, anyway.

He wouldn't be starving and flip on any of us.

"Come on," Kelsey tugged on my hand as everyone moved to do her bidding, it almost automatic for all of us to listen to her; I don't guess there was really a leader for our group, we all just sort of stepped up when it counted.

Kelsey and Kuza were good at that.

"Where are we going?" I muttered, allowing her to drag me towards the back door; she took a step to the side, abruptly shoving one of the bathroom doors open.

"Kelsey ---?"

Her arms suddenly clamped around me, and I could feel her face press against my chest. I hesitated, then wrapped my arms around her, cradling her head to me.

"It's okay," I whispered, pressing my lips into her hair, having to lean down a little like always. "I'm okay."

"I was so scared," her muffled voice responded, and I swallowed the lump in my throat. "I was so scared I was going to lose you, I --- I just grabbed the gun, I just shot them and I ---."

"You saved me and Kuza," I told her, closing my eyes for a few seconds. "They would have killed us otherwise."

"That was awful..."

"I know, but we're okay. We all made it out okay."

For now, anyway.






I sat in the back of the SUV, my head leaned back as I stared out the window. Ricky and Kera sat up front, none of us speaking as we headed down the road. We'd left as soon as possible, Kelsey making sure she was out last so she could open the back door and let the deaders in on that wounded guy.

She hadn't felt any remorse over it.

And, honestly, neither had I.

And at least we had some new weapons out of it, although the ammo in them was going to be short-lived; I wasn't sure where we were going to find more of it.

Kelsey sat beside me, her head resting on my shoulder, her arm wrapped around my waist and clenched.

She wouldn't stop watching me.

She'd been scared.

To lose me.

Which meant she cared, right?

"How far until the next town?" Ricky suddenly asked, his voice cutting through the quiet and making all of us look at him. Kera hesitated beside him, then pulled the map from the floorboard at her feet, shuffling it around until she had it upright.

"Looks like about two more miles," Kelsey answered, seeing Kera's nervous twitching. "We should let Kuza know."

"Aight."

I fumbled for the radio in my pack, finding it had shuffled near the bottom like everything you look for seemed to do. I sighed as I keyed it up, waiting a couple seconds for Kuza to answer.

"What?"

"The next town is only another two miles," I informed him. "And it's getting dark soon; we don't wanna camp in the cars again, not with... what just happened."

"Fine by me, we'll get to town and find ourselves a building," Kuza's reply was instantaneous. "We won't fuck around, someone's up for watch tonight."

"I'll do it," Ricky offers, glancing at us in the rearview mirror. "You guys can get some sleep."

Did we look that exhausted?

I shrugged my shoulders.

I had no issue with that.

"Kels?"

"Hmm?"

"You good?"

"Yeah."

I frowned.

"You sure?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, Chris," she muttered, her eyes straight forward, not flicking up to mine. "You're the one who had a barrel centered on his forehead."

"He was a little crooked," I corrected, and the look she gave me could have ignited hell.

"You're not funny, Chris!"