Don't Talk To Anyone | BOOK 2

twenty five

Elle McBriar
May 15th, 1 year and 172 days since the first zombie report

I zipped around the corner, farther away from the house than I wanted to be.

I don't know how much gas this thing has left but it'll give up eventually. We just need to last longer than them.

"Radio the guys. Now, tell them the situation and to get everybody into a safe spot."

I was shaking like crazy, staying on one straight road.

Paxton fumbled around and grabbed the radio from his pocket, "Goddammit pick up!" He yelled.

As he tried to get through to the others, I continued glancing out the window.

"WHAT? Are you serious?" I heard Alex scream, "You guys are idiots- okay. Be safe, radio if you need anything!"

"Who could it be? We eliminated every threat we've come across." Paxton hissed, turning his head to look out the window.

I bit my lip, "Well, not every threat."

I swerved round a corner, almost crashing into a tree as I got the car onto a straight line again.

"What the hell do you mean?"

"Remember when the Wangs invited us over for dinner?" He nodded, "There was an arrow shot through the window that we were hiding in, remember."

He pounded his fist against the dashboard, "You didn't see who it was right?" He asked me.

"Nope. All I know is that it definitely wasn't an arrow inviting us over for tea." I hissed, narrowing my eyes at the car in my rear view mirror.

"Well we need to figure something out now before we run out of gas and die!"

"Do you have your gun?" Pax asked me, I nodded and handed it to him. He opened the window and open-fired.

"W-what the hell are you doing? Don't provoke them you idiot." I screamed.

He had managed to hit a tire, which caused them to swerve, "Get the windshield next." I screamed.

He held his head out the window and pulled the trigger a few times.

"Damn it, I missed."

Chucking my gun in the back seat, he yanked his out of the holster in his pocket, "Oh shit oh shit. They have bigger guns."

"They! There's more of them?" I screamed.

"Well someone's aiming a gun at the car and someone's driving so I'd say YES."

"SHIT ELLE, SWERVE." He pulled the steering wheel so we dodged the bullet. As we swerved, the car carried on and we rolled to a stop, aiming right for a fence.

I tried to grab control of the car, reversing it back up again, "Idiot!" I screeched. The black car had turned again and was coming after us, "New plan. Change of direction... and scenery."

I turned right, then left. "Where are we going?" I had a determined look on my face, pressing my foot down on the accelerator a little harder so we went faster.

"Elle what the hell are you doing?" Paxton said, "Can you swim?"

"Is that necessary right now?"

"CAN YOU SWIM?"
"YES."

"Good, because when I say go, open your door and jump out. We're going for a dip."

I think he finally got the memo because his face looked like it clicked. I continued along the road with as much speed as I could muster.

"Okay, the bends coming up here, turn and pull remember baby, you got this." His words were encouraging, but I needed to not kill us.

I could see the wharf coming up ahead and decided to go for it.

"GO, NOW."

We opened the car doors just as the car hit the water.

The car crashed head-first into the water as it slowly submerged. I was dragged under, the coldness of the water shocking me.

It felt like tiny icicles hitting me like a bullet. I used my legs to kick and flailed my arms like a headless chicken.

I was treading water, breaking it slowly. My breath was wearing thin as I glanced up, eyes stinging from the salt.

I could see the light as I kicked my body, fighting as hard as I can. I only pray Paxton is okay.

As I reach the top, I gasp for air, refilling my lungs with air as I blink the water away, "PAXTON?" I scream, my voice raw.

He floats up, hair wet and covering his eyes, "Elle? Honey are you okay?" He asks. We swim to each other, gathering him in my arms, "I'm fine. W-we need to get out of here before we freeze to death."

I peer over the concrete which is used as a lookout. It's a picnic ground and jumping wharf for kids in the summer.

But I've almost drowned here, twice.

There was no sign of the car or anything that looks like it could harm us, I took a deep breath.

"I don't wanna get out, can we stay here?" I pleaded.

We bobbed in the water, muscles tired from holding up our heavy bodies, Paxton pushed the wet strands of hair out of my face, "We will freeze. It's okay, it'll be fine." He said.

I nodded and slowly clambered to the surface.

Once I reached the top, I coughed until my throat felt raw. "Well, it was a nice drive while it lasted." Paxton joked. I smiled and lay on the ground, collecting myself again after what happened.

"What happens now?" Paxton sighed, laying next to me. Our arms were so close they were almost touching.

"We prepare for the worst, as always. We've got a new threat, and we don't know who they are." I said through gritted teeth.

"We were so close! Fuck!" I screamed. I sat up and ran my hands through my hair, "Why does this keep happening? Are we in a simulation?" My anger levels were over the top.

"I don't know. Maybe we're just prone to people attacking us." He hand was on my back, "I know you're trying to help but you're not very good at it."

He laughed, "I know. I just don't know what to say, because I don't know either. The best we can do is stat alert and have high hopes for the future."

"The future consists of running from people out to get us and... unpredictable and unwarranted injuries."

I lay my head back down, slamming my fists on the concrete so hard it bled. But it felt good.

"I'm so sick of feeling like this." I whispered.

"Like what?" Paxton whispered back.

"Defenceless."

* * *

heyyy

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