When You Let a Little Less Light In

Chapter Three

Chapter Three-

“Damn it! Zoey, watch where you’re shootin’!” hollered a male voice just beyond the bushes.

“Sorry! Maybe you should move your lazy ass so that I CAN ACTUALLY SHOOT THE INFECTED!”

“Pheesh… women….”

I peered through the bushes. A gang, more like a posse, of survivors. Perfect. Two woman, one African American, the other probably Croatian, and five men. The screaming man, also white with assorted tattoos on both his arms, two African Americans, one tall and skinny with a blood-red tie, the other a bit on the chubby side and where a long t-shirt with jeans. The other two man, one in a white suite with assorted rings, the other a bit-young looking with a silly accent. Hmm…..

My foot slipped, and I cracked a twig. Shots were shot at the concrete.

“Don’t shoot!” I shrieked, putting my hands up. I slowly rose before the crowd, proving to them that I am, in fact, human. A bunch of “oh”s followed, along with blushing and guilty looks. For, of course, “shooting a young child”. I’m well close to being 18, so I’m no child.

I faked a small smile. Hunter backed behind me. The tall African American man, with the tie, screamed ,”HUNTER!”, followed by shoots. Hunter back behind me.

“Stay still, lil’ girl, or he may pounce on ya!” said the boy with the funny accent.

“No, no it’s fine!” I said, laughing a bit, turning around to Hunter. He sat down, allowing me to reach down and pat him on the back, “He’s perfectly fine.”

The crowd stood there, gaping.

“Did you train a……Hunter?” said the man with tattoos. I laughed again.

“No…..see… my family was going leaving a little too late for the Philadelphia evacuation. They…” I gulped down tears ,” They got hit by the missiles. Hunter and I were trying to run, but a infected-Hunter grabbed hold of me, and Hunter saved me. Therefore, he got bitten…. So he’s a Hunter. But, I think he may be still…..human…”

“You poor thing,” the white woman with brown hair and fiery red jacket said, then reaching out a hand ,”I’m Zoey.”

“Rochelle.”

“Nick,” said the man with rings.

“Francis,” said the tattoo man.

“Ellis,” said the boy with the funny accent.

“Coach”, said, the chubby African American man.

“Louis,” said the guy with the red tie. I shook everyone’s hand. Hunter shook his head, then his ear behind his hoodie.

“Why is he carryin’ a backpack?” asked Ellis.

“I have supplies there,” I said, reaching down and opening my backpack. Their eyes gaped at all of my supplies, as Hunter ripped open his and showed off the goods.

“My medic kit ran out,” said Coach,” can I have one?”

“Sure,” I said, handing him the small red pouch,”We’re all survivors, right?” Rochelle laughed.

“Come on, kid, we have to move before sundown,” said Nick, and began to move.

I took out my map. “I have to get to Collingwood, New Jersey, as soon as possible. I’ve heard they’re planning a secret flight out into the Heather Greys.”

They, again, stopped, dumbfounded.

“Heather Greys?” asked Louis.

“In Berlin, they’ll do a shut down. The city will be locked down for a year, no one in, or out. SO why the plague dies of there, we live. The shut downs’ happening soon, so we need a plane to fly. That’s why we need to get to any of their meet-ups, in New York, Philadelphia, which is where we are now, or in New Jersey. Specifically Collingwood,” I explained. They just stood there like bobble heads, nodding.

“Okay, but we then gotta hurry,” said Coach, then again turned around.

“Umm…. I never caught your name,” said Ellis.

“Benevolence,” I said seriously,” But call me Ben.”

“Uhh.. Ben…. What do we do about….Hunter?”

I frowned, then gave the most meanest look I ever gave. “Of course he’s coming with us,” I said, turning to see what he was up too.

Hunter was on the ground clawing gently at a string from his pants. He saw me staring, pounced up quietly, and landed by my side.

Ellis was frightened for a moment, then began to walk. I, too, am now a survivor. That means I must be with the survivors.

Man, surviving is awesome.