Where the Undead Roam

Chapter Four

Casey's POV

"AAAAAH!" I screamed, raising my hands to shield my face. I don't know why I did. Probably the smartest thing that I could have done was get out of the way. As the figure wrapped its cold fingers around my neck, we both toppled to the ground. My eyes were squeezed shut and I struggled to breeze.

"Freeze! All of you!" I heard Alex's voice. My eyes started to tear--I didn't know whether it was from fear of impending death, gratitude that Alex didn't ditch me, lack of oxygen, or all three. I heard a click but my brain wasn't functioning enough to place what it was. Just as I was thinking that my face was probably turning purple and cursing that my last few minutes on earth I had to look like a giant grape--why couldn't I look like Megan Fox or somebody! Was I really asking for too much?--when the hands released my throat. I lay there gasping and choking like an idiot, although I had good reason. My eyes squinted open and I looked ahead of me. I saw three boys, standing with their arms raised. In two of the boys' hands were knives. From the way they glinted in the dim light, I could tell they were sharp.

"All right, now, you, the one without a knife, help my friend up please. Thank you," she said, as the tallest one yanked me to my feet. I stumbled back and Alex steadied me. My heartbeat returned to normal.

"Who are you?" she asked. I wondered if Alex had ever done this before... She was like a pro! Scary and confident.

"My name's AJ," the one that helped me up said.

Alex's POV

"Well, OK, Aj,  now... Why don't you and your kind friends apologize to Casey." I smirked as I realized I was acting this part off pretty well. Until the three boys stared and me like I was stupid. I picked up another gun and pulled that back as if ready to shoot that one too. I pointed both guns at all of them and set a finger lightly on each trigger.

They all froze and I could see Aj debating... Ha, now if they only knew I could never actually shoot a person!.. Well OK, I could never KILL a person. Right now, I really wanted to shoot these guys, so uh, no promises on that one.

"We'resorryCasey," Aj muttered childishly and I saw my friend fighting a smile just like I was.

"I'm sorry, what was that, Aj? We couldn't hear you" I mocked and Casey bit back a laugh.

"Gosh, I said I'm sorry, CASEY!" he finally groaned after a minute. We just laughed.

"Apology excepted." She smiled but then got extremely serious. "BUT I better be recieving a VERY generous backer of 'Little Debbie' Blue berry muffins"

...I think they were scared,Ha! But then again I kind of would have been too. In the little time we've known each other I realized messing with the girl's muffins was not the way to go.

"Umm, if we don't?" Aj asked cockily.

Then you don't get to travel with us during this zombie adventah!" Casey danced... Gosh she was hyper. Maybe it was all the sugar she liked.

"Excuse me... What if we didn't wanna travel with you guys?" Timmy asked shyly and I already knew he was the sensative type. He had it written all over his light features.

Casey and I exchanged a look and burst into laughter.

"Oh please" I said, sipping the tears from laughing so hard. "Like you don't want to travel with us!" I laughed again. Wow, these guys were hilarious.

"C'mon and help us pack before any infected start trying to come in," my friend said and we finished packing up any weapons. "Oh and this is Alex, isn't she so sweet?" She laughed as they began to slowly help.

I waved with a smile and I think I had Aj convinced I was mentally ill. But then again.. there was a pretty good possibility I was.

"Hey! Why didn't you guys get guns when you first got in here? I mean, you walked right by them, didn't you?" Casey asked. That was a good question.

"Uh, we didn't see them?" Aj seemed to be asking more than telling.

"Boys," I scoffed.

We were just about done when we heard one of Aj's followers call us over. The one with the brown hair... I think he said his name was Chris? Either way, the dude was holding a lighter and was staring at the flame. In the other hand, he held a can of hair spray... Where in the word would you find hair spray in a military shop?!?! The world may never know.

"Hey man, whatcha doing with that?" Aj asked as if he had read my mind. But then it hit me when Chris slowly rose the hair spray to the flame.

I swear I had a heart attack.

"DUCK!!!!" I screamed and just in time we got against the cold floor as a wave of fire exploded where our heads had been a second ago.

Chris watched the fire like a kid watching fire works for the first time. It slowly died but he still had a fascinated smile in his face.

We all  rose slowly, cautioned for another surprise fire "show".

"Dude!" I whispered to Aj. "Did he just try to kill us or is he obsessed with deadly things like that?!?!?"

Aj tilted his head in thought and shrugged casually. "Nah, he's only obsessed with fire. Like, really obsessed with it."

"Ah" Casey said, waved her hand. "So he's a pyromaniac."

We all turned to see the 16 year old boy stare at a candle FLAME like it was his other half....although you know we were in the middle of an apocalypse.

God I found his love for fire so amusing...I think I liked the pyromaniac better then Aj!

Although, you know, he almost got us all killed.

Ah well, we all have flaws now don't we.