Dead End World

Chapter Four: Shotgun

The moon rose quickly above the dusty horizon. The stars surrounded it in the black void of the night sky. Eve sat on the back porch step of Spencer's house. The backyard was fenced off so no zombies could get in. She was terrified, though she'd never admit it. She couldn't stop thinking about the Zombie People. She couldn't stop imagining every single person in the bunker walking around as a zombie, infected with the deadly virus. She imagined her dad, her mom, and her friends. She thought she was safe in the bunker, but now she felt threatened, even more threatened than she'd feel if she lived on the surface. She put her face in her hands. She heard the back door open and footsteps walk out onto the wooden planks of the back porch. She slowly took her face away from her hands and looked to whoever it was. It was Theo, looking at her. He didn't look at her for long before he looked up at the moon.
"How are you so calm?" she asked him.
He looked to her. "I'm not. I just don't really know what to think."
"It's gonna be two against 250. How are we supposed to even stand a chance?" Eve mumbled.
"Well, we're gonna need a pretty good plan," replied Theo, stuffing his hands into the pockets of his jeans.
"Yeah..," she mumbled, rubbing her eye. As silence was kept between the two, the sound of groaning zombies in the distance could be heard. They listened to the sound for a little bit, letting reality sink in.
"Spencer said he'd gather wood for us while we're gone," said Theo, breaking the silence. Eve didn't reply. She stared out into the backyard. Theo sighed and turned for the door. "I'm going to bed. You should too," he said before walking into the house. Eve didn't move or say anything. She heard the door shut, but no emotion was invoked inside of her. She remembered being so brave in front of her father, daring him to let her go to the surface. Here she was, on the surface. She thought it would feel better, though. She thought she'd be a lot more brave.

     In the morning, Theo spent time arranging a plan. He sat at the kitchen table and wrote on a piece of notebook paper. Westin sat in the chair across from him, watching him write.
     "What're some ideas?" Westin asked.
     "It's hard considering I don't know the place," uttered Theo, looking at the paper, his forehead in his hand, his elbow on the table. "I don't know what the entrance looks like, I don't know how guarded the area is."
     "Maybe my dad could take you over and show you," Westin said. "Just for you to see. We can stay discrete."
     "That would be a good idea," said Theo.
     Spencer walked in, right on cue. "What're we talking about?"
     "Could you take me over to Aston? I wanna see what their place looks like before I make a plan," Theo said to him, looking up from the paper.
     Spender thought for a second, his eyebrows lightly tightened, which he always seemed to do. "I'll tell ya what, Theo. I got a truck that I fixed up. You can take it and drive there yourself."
     "Why can't you come?"
     "It's.. a complicated story."
     "Alright, then.. how far of a drive is it? How do you get there?"
     "It's a fifteen minute drive west," said Spencer. "Just follow the road the whole way and you'll get there."
     Theo nodded and stood up, picking up the paper from the table and folding it.
     "You going today?" asked Spencer.
     "Yeah. I need some better protection first," said Theo.
     "I got you covered. Come with me."
     Spencer led Theo to the basement. It was a furnished basement, a couch and TV in a decent-sized carpeted room. There was a wall full of different types of guns and weapons. Spencer stood in front of it, gazing upon his own collection. Theo looked from the wall to Spencer.
     "Where'd you find all these?" asked Theo.
     "From looting shops, houses..," replied Spencer. "Y'know."
     "Yeah," mumbled Theo, looking back to the wall.
     "You bringing your lady friend with you?"
     "Most likely. We're up here together, after all, and I'm not sure about doing all this by myself."
     "She seems stressed out."
     "Maybe she is. I'm focused on myself right now."
     Spencer nodded his head. "Anyway, choose your pick. Automatic? Shotgun? Rifle?"
     "Shotgun," Theo said immediately.
     "You got it," said Spencer, carefully removing a shotgun from the wall. He placed it on a table beside the wall. "You got any melee weapons on you?"
     "No," said Theo. "All I got is that pistol."
     "Jeez, how were you expected to survive with that wimpy gun?"
     Theo cracked a small grin. "I was wondering the same thing."
     "So, what's special about the shotgun? You seemed to be eager to pick it," said Spencer, pulling a drawer and taking out a box of shotgun shells.
     "I'm most familiar with it," replied Theo, watching Spencer. "I used one to hunt as a teen."
     "Makes sense, then." Spencer connected a sling to the gun, then held it up. "Look good?"
     "Yeah," said Theo, looking at the shotgun.
     "I'm assuming you know how to use it," Spencer said, handing the gun to Theo.
Theo held it in his hands. "Yeah."
"Let's go to the backyard, then."
They both went out to the backyard. Spencer set a soda can on top of a decent-sized rock.
"Don't worry about attracting the zombies with the noise, they can't get in here," Spencer told him, standing beside him in front of the back porch. "Go ahead."
Theo loaded the gun, cocked it, and then aimed. If there was one thing that Theo was good at besides working in the mines, it was aiming. It was something he took pride in. Whenever someone asked him one of his talents, the first thing he'd say would always be his good aim. Coordination.
He pulled the trigger and the shotgun blasted its shot, and the aluminum soda can couldn't stand a chance. It was knocked backwards a couple feet, landing in the grass. They walked over to it. They saw three little holes in the can.
"You're good," said Spencer, putting his hands on his hips.
"Thanks," said Theo, picking up the can. He saw three holes on the backside of the can as well.
"You obliterated that thing!" Spencer said. Theo placed the can back on the rock. "You're set, man."
"What're you doing?" Eve asked, standing on the back porch. They both looked over to her.
"Just testing a gun," said Spencer. Theo walked to the back porch, Spencer behind him.
"We're gonna go see what's going on in Aston," Theo said to Eve, the shotgun hung on his shoulder and the strap strung across his chest.
"What..?" Eve mumbled. "Now?"
"Soon," Theo replied. "We're only going to check out their place."
"Why didn't you tell me about this?" Eve asked, annoyance in her voice.
"I just thought—"
"You aren't the leader, Theo! You don't make the decisions!"
"Are you saying that you're the leader? You kept asking me what the plan was! I thought that meant I was in charge of making a plan!"
"No! I'm saying that we're equal, so we make decisions together and agree upon them!"
Theo sighed and looked to Spencer.
"You're in trouble," Spencer said with a sneering grin before he snuck into the house. Theo looked back to Eve.
"I knew this was going to happen. I knew it," growled Eve.
"You knew what was going to happen?" asked Theo.
"You thinking you're better than me just because you're a man and I'm a girl!" Eve exclaimed.
"I don't think that," uttered Theo.
"Bull crap! Bull crap, Theo!"
"Listen, I don't even know you. I understand we're supposed to be a team, but I don't work well with a team."
"Maybe you should've told someone that before starting to work with a team," Eve told him harshly.
"I didn't think the team part would be this emphasized," Theo replied in a mumble. Eve scoffed in disbelief and shook her head. Theo exhaled and ran his fingers through his hair. They both stood there for a few moments, letting the tension rise between them.
"So are you coming or not?" Theo asked, breaking the angry silence.
Eve sighed. "Yes. I'll get ready." She walked inside.

     They got in the truck. It was an old 1982 Chevy but Spencer had fixed it up pretty good. It ran smoothly across the sandy roads. Eve did not speak in the car ride there, she just crossed her arms and leaned her head against the window. Theo kept his eyes on the road at all times. He had not driven a car for a long time, and even then, he hadn't ever driven a car on an actual street. He was only 15 whenever he was forced into the bunker, so he didn't even have his driver's license yet. So, he remained extremely cautious and careful.
"You're going off the road over here," Eve said in monotone. Theo promptly steered the truck back into the middle of the lane. It was hard to see where the road cut into the sandy landscape.
Theo sighed. "I haven't driven since high school."
"High school? How old are you?" Eve asked.
"25," said Theo.
"I was thinking you were younger for some reason. Maybe 19."
"19? I'm flattered."
"I'm 24."
"I know. I remember you from high school. I never talked to you, though. You were way too cool for me."
Eve looked to him, blinking her green eyes. "Now that I think about it, I think I remember you too. You were on the basketball team."
"Mhm. I hated basketball."
"Aw, but you were so good."
"That doesn't mean I liked it."
"The year the outbreak happened, we were in the same gym class. Remember dodgeball? That one poor kid would always get targeted." Eve smiled at the memory.
"Yeah," said Theo. "I was one of the ones who pounded that kid."
"You little troublemaker."
"He was annoying."
"You were so short in high school. Whenever I saw you for the first time a few years after the outbreak, I didn't know who I was looking at."
Theo shook his head, both of his hands on the steering wheel.
"Theo..," uttered Eve. "Are you sure we won't be seen? What if they see us?"
"They won't," said Theo. "I promise."
Eve was strangely enough comforted by Theo's promise. Usually she wouldn't believe anyone's promises, but for some reason, this time she did. Maybe it was the way he said it, which was cool and soft. Or maybe it was her hopes that his promise would be held overtaking her doubtful nature.
"I believe you," Eve softly said. Theo took his eyes off the road and looked to Eve. He was a little shocked by how softly Eve spoke to him. He was used to the argumentative, negative comments.
"Theo!" Eve suddenly shouted. Theo widened his eyes and immediately looked back to the road. It was too late, though. They ran something over, bumping over it. Theo stopped the truck and got out. Eve did too, and they both looked back at what they had ran over.
"A zombie," said Theo, approaching the rotting corpse. Only it's torso and legs had gotten run over, so it was still attempting to move, trying to drag itself across the road with its arms. Eve immediately took her pistol out of its holster and shot the zombie in the head. It laid limp, dead on the road. They both stared at the lifeless, half-smashed body for a few moments before turning back for the truck.
"My first zombie kill," said Eve as she walked back to the truck.
"You shot it in the head this time. Good job," Theo said mockingly. Eve grinned and playfully rolled her eyes. They both climbed back into the truck and kept rolling down the street, towards the town of Aston.
     It was silent as they rode down the road again. Eve was feeling good about her kill, so the silence began to bother her again like it normally did. She looked at the radio in the car, seeing there was a place to insert a cassette tape. She looked to Theo.
     "You got your cassette tape?" she asked. Keeping one hand on the wheel, he reached into his bag that sat on the center console and pulled out his cassette tape. He inserted it into the cassette player and pressed play. The song Everybody Wants to Rule the World started to play. Now it wasn't so quiet in the truck.
     "I like this song," said Eve.
     "I do too," replied Theo.
     They listened to music in silence the rest of the way to Aston.