Don't Talk To Strangers | BOOK 1

seventy one

Elle McBriar
September 8th, 6 months and 58 days since the first zombie report

I found Tracy. 

She was working near the back, cleaning blankets and such.

"Tracy." I said firmly. I was wearing black combat boots, given to me by Elaine herself. I stood my ground, hoping to look intimidating.

"What is it child?" She said calmly as she folded blankets.

"What did you mean we have to be careful?" I asked. 

Tracy stood up and looked around, "Lower your voice goddammit." She swore, shoving me behind a tree. "People are everywhere, they hear everything." Tracy said to me, "Then tell me what you mean. Are we in danger?" I kept my voice low by my eyes and ears alert. 

"Of course you're in danger. Everyone is. We're in the middle of a goddamn zombie apocalypse." 

"My advice, Elle. If you want to stay alive to watch your friends kid grow up, get out of town. Don't tell anyone where you're going."

Tracy turned to leave but I grabbed her wrist, "They'll find us, have you all been tracking us for months?" I hiss. Tracy squrimed under my grip.

"Look, I can make sure they don't follow you. But you leave tonight and get as far away as you can. Stay down and stay quiet. And don't act suspicious or they will find you. And so help me God, they will kill you." 

I finally let Tracy go, as her words sunk into my core. I realised I'm a little bit late to meet the others and start off on my feet as I head to where Penny said she'll meet me.

I approach them silently, where they're talking amongst themselves.

"Hey." I said, they turned to look at me.

"Elle, what are we doing here?" Alex asked me.

I saw Elaine as she looked at me. Confusion and concern laced her features.

"I was kidnapped, by Sophia." Elaine gasped, "She took me to drain me of my blood- just like Jared and Tyler did a couple weeks back." 

Paxton reached out for me, his hand resting on my waist and I spoke to them, "Apparently her daughter is a zombie. And she needed my blood to set her free."

"Wait- that doesn't make sense. Tyler and Jared took our blood to make more zombies, how was your blood going to cure them?" Gage asked.

I shrugged my shoulders, "All she said was she figured out a formula and that she needed human blood to do it." "Everyone else here has family that are zombies and they're in on the plan to kill us and bring there family back."

They all looked confused and I don't blame them, "I promise I'll explain in more detail later but... there's something you need to know."

"Tracy came in, and said they don't agree with the ways Sophia was toruturing us, but they did nothing to stop it. And Tracy said we are all in danger, Elaine included." Elaine had tears in her eyes.

"I've known these people all my life they'd- they're not dangerous." She said, "Maybe not. But Tracy seemed pretty convinced that they were going to skin us alive to get their family back."

"So what does this mean for us then? We just die?" Alex said, who had been quiet until now. "We need to leave, tonight. Otherwise, we might not live to see next week." My voice is shaking and I know what they're all thinking.

I'm crazy, "I don't know about you guys but, every time we leave or meet someone new, there's always something going wrong. One of us is always getting injured and we barely reach the surface again. I want to watch Riley grow up, and see Megans kid take it's first steps." 

Penny nodded, "I'm in. I'm sick of watching my back every time I turn a corner." 

"Look you guys have til dinner to decide, otherwise I'm going without you. We leave at midnight." 

* * * 

I know I sound like I'm acting crazy, and maybe I am, but I am paranoid, that I'm going to get killed by something that's not a zombie. Like, I'll get shot by someone out to get me, or I'll die in a fire caused by someone who wants my blood.

I'm sick of constantly living in fear of my own life. 

I'm in the tent that contains the little stuff I own that wasn't destroyed in the explosion.

Shoving it into a black backpack along with my notebook, some first-aid stuff and a few cans of food that we will need.

"Elle." Someone said. I turned around, frightened that someone might've caught me.

But when I turn I see the 3 boys, and baby Riley. 

"Someone's been asking for you." Riley practically jumped into my hands and I almost cried at how much I missed him.

He can't say my name so he's been saying 'ow' instead of 'Elle'. 

"So." Gage said, "Where do we meet you?" He asked.

My grin grew even wider, "Does this mean you-" Alex shushed me by putting his fingers to his lips, it didn't stop me from smiling though. 

A little while later, after lunch had finished being served and I was washing the plastic bowls, Alex came up to me, "Are you sure we're gonna be able to pull this off?" He asked.

I shrugged, "We can try. We've survived worse things Al, come on." I nudged his side as he helped me clean, "I've told Megan and she seems on board with it. She told me she always felt like something sketchy was going on around here anyway."

I felt like my plan was finally coming into way, "What about Elaine? Do you think she'll come with us?" I sighed, scrubbing the already clean bowl, "We can't force her but, I hope she does. She'd be so much better off with us than these psychopaths." 

"We can only hope."

I finished packing my bag. Surely it wasn't as big as it was when we arrived, but it'll do. 

But my mind keeps wandering to everything else. 

Where are we going, how are we getting there, who's coming? It's all just one big 'blah' until it actually happens. But my stomach is churning, and butterflies are making themselves visible as I try to ignore them.

A part of me is terrified that this won't work out, that something bad is going to happen and we'll get caught and killed. But the rest of me is excited and filled with adrenaline. Like, I know we can do this and finally live the way we want but that tiny part of me, the negativeness is overwhelming.

I looked up at the sky after I exited the tent, feeling a slight shiver rumble my bones as the blue sky turned darker and the clouds began to hover. 

It's not going to storm, rain- maybe. But it's going to be dark soon. Which means we're getting closer and closer to our deadline.

I saw Penny in the distance. She smiled at me but gave me a wary nod. I noticed Alex talking to Megan as they walked closer to the tent they were staying in.

It's good so far. Let's hope nothing screws it up!

* * * 

hi ya'llll

i'm nervous and i know what happens!!

hope you like the story so farrr :)