Day 11: Unnecessary Complications

Group 3: Jake, JC, Nina, Sara, Lucky, Mike, Chloe
Location: School

“You wanna explain why you’re bleeding? Or should I just eliminate the possible risk of infection right now?” Jake asked, still aiming his weapon at the woman’s head.

“The fridge fell,” she replied, matter-of-factly. “I jumped out of the way to keep from getting smashed and landed on some broken glass.”

“And you’ve just been trapped in here this whole time?” Jake asked, looking around the room. “Are you alone?”

“Yes. It’s a little hard to make friends when everyone’s either dead or trying to kill you. In speaking of which, do you mind pointing your gun somewhere else?” She asked, breathing a sigh of relief as Jake holstered his weapon.

“Sorry about that. Have to be sure these days. I’m Jake. What’s your name?”

“Sara,” she replied and glanced over at JC who completed the introductions. “Now, if we done with that, do you mind telling me…”

“Shh…” JC cut her off. The bell above the store’s front door chimed indicating someone had just come in. Backing up towards the wall, Jake waited with Sara while JC went to check it out. He listened as footsteps moved lightly across the once sparkling tile floors now tarnished by the aftermath of several bloody fights. He crouched as they neared the counter. The moment they turned, heading to the back where Sara and Jake hid, he pounced, tackling them to the ground. 

“What the…? Get the fuck off me!” A woman screeched in panic as she fought and struggled to free herself of JC’s grip. Not a moment too soon he noticed the ax. The sharpened edge glistened in the mid-afternoon sun as the woman swung it around towards him. He jerked back, hitting his head against the wall and the woman quickly capitalized, rushing forward, prepared to bring it down on him when she heard the click of a weapon beside her.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” Slowly the woman began lowering her weapon, raising her hands in surrender. JC hopped up, moving with haste to her side and snatching the weapon. “Good. Now that we have your attention, you wanna tell us who you are?”

“Chloe. Look, I’m not looking for trouble. I came to see if my friend was back; that’s all. Then your guy attacked me. I was only defending myself.”

“Yeah,” Sara chimed in as she stepped from the back room, “There’s a lot of that going around. Don’t take it personally; they stuck a gun in my face too.”

“Ok, Chloe, who’s your friend?”

“His name’s Mike. I met him on the way to Fairhaven. We thought Cabot Creek would be better but…” Chloe let the last of her words hang in the air as she gestured at their surroundings.

“Where is he now?”

“I don’t know. Our car ran out of gas. He went to find us another while I looked for food. And you can see how well that worked out.”

“That your car out front?” Jake asked, noticing the opened side door of a Porsche parked in front of the store. “Nice.”

“Please. If you’re not with the group that attacked us then that means you’re one of the good guys.” 

“I wouldn’t be too sure about that,” Sara said, leaning against the wall as she continued favoring her hand.

“You don’t know me and I don’t know you, but Mike saved me when he could have just as easily turned his back and left me to die. I owe him, but I can’t do it alone. I need your help. If I don’t get to him in time, they’ll kill him!”

“I thought you said you didn’t know where he went,” JC said.

“I lied. We were attacked. He stood up for me; told me to run and I…I just left him there. These people are monsters; worse than the undead walking the streets. Please. Help me save him.”

Continue---->
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