While We Fall (The Eva Series #2)

Chapter Eleven

I thought about running. I imagined myself stomping on his foot or head butting him and running for my life. But running away wouldn’t keep me alive for very long, not without all our supplies in the RV. I couldn’t let them take it from us. I couldn’t let them win. But I didn’t know what to do.
“Heads up.” Dan said to Shaz. “Zombie. Get it.”
I peered ahead to see a zombie, it’s arms outstretched as it shuffled towards us.
“Oh, why do I have to kill it?” Sharon whined.
“Because I’ve gotta hold on to the girl!” Dan said angrily.
“Well, I’ll hold her. Don’t make me kill it, Dan. It’s so gross! Please?”
“Oh for God’s sake, Sharon. Why do I have to do bloody everything?” Dan said as he pushed me into her. She wrapped her arm around my neck, almost choking me.
“Hey, I found the RV, didn’t I?” Sharon pointed out as Dan started walking towards the zombie.

I watched as Dan edged closer to the zombie, and I knew I had to take advantage of this distraction and act quickly.
“There’s something you should know, Sharon.” I said.
“Oh yeah? What’s that?” She said, keeping her eyes on Dan.
“I’m infected.”
“Wha..?!” Sharon gasped, but I had already bitten down on her arm, my teeth piercing her skin.
“No!” She screamed before pulling herself away, holding the axe out towards me with fear in her eyes. “She’s infected!”
Dan spun around, but I was already running down an alley way.
“No she’s not, you idiot! She would’ve turned already! She tricked you!” he yelled. “Oh just forget her. She won’t survive anyway.”

I ran as fast as I could, my eyes darting all over the alley on the lookout for zombies. I didn’t have any weapons, so my speed was my only asset.
I came out the alley and onto another street, turning left towards the main street, where we left the RV. If I could get there before them I could get a weapon and have Dixon by my side to fight them.
I slowed my pace as I reached the main street and stood against the brick wall of a corner store, catching my breath. Carefully, I peered around the wall to see the RV, but Dan and Sharon were already walking towards the door.

“Shaz, go to the back. Let’s see what goodies they’ve got for us.” I heard Dan say.
Sharon pulled the door open, and there was Dixon, waiting patiently inside the cabin.
“Oh! A doggy!” Sharon smiled as she stepped closer to Dixon. I knew that if he saw I was in danger, he would attack her and Dan, giving me a chance to get the keys and get away with the RV.
“You’re not taking our RV!” I said, running towards Dan. He took a swipe at me with the knife, but I dodged it just in time.
“Get back, bitch!” He yelled.
My plan worked. Dixon bared his teeth and growled, causing Sharon to jump back in fright, dropping the axe to the ground. I seized the moment and grabbed the axe before she had a chance to pick it up.
“Give me the keys.” I said to Sharon as she cowered in front of me. “Now.”
“Don’t do it, Sharon!” Dan yelled.
I stepped closer to Sharon and swung the axe high as a threat. She panicked and flung the keys onto the ground.

“No!” Dan yelled. I picked the keys up off the ground just before he lunged at me with the knife, but Dixon had already leapt from the RV to attack. He jumped on Dan’s back, biting into his neck. Dan screamed in pain as he spun around, furiously stabbing the air behind him, trying to hit Dixon.
I gasped as Dan reached back and grabbed Dixon around the waist, throwing him to the ground hard. Dixon whimpered as he held him down, holding his knife up in the air, ready to thrust into his stomach.
“No!” I yelled as I ran towards him. I spun my axe and swung it sideways, the back of it cracking into the side of Dan’s head, knocking him out cold. Sharon screamed as she knelt to the ground next to Dan, trying to wake him up. I picked up his knife as Dixon stood up and snuggled up to me, licking my face.

“Let’s go get the others.” I said as we jumped into the RV, leaving Sharon and Dan in the middle of the road.
I made sure to pull over far enough away from the house so that Max couldn’t see it was me at the wheel. I didn’t want to give him an excuse to start shooting.
I pressed the horn and ducked down as I watched the front door open and Max step outside, gun in hand. Carefully, I moved into the cabin and opened the door, standing quietly behind it so I could whack him with my axe upon his entrance.

My heart raced as I listened to his footsteps get closer and closer. I was so nervous that my palms were sweating, making it hard for me to hold the axe tight.
I held my breath as he stepped onto the first step, but a voice in distance made him pause.
“Stop!” I could hear a woman’s voice yelling. It was Sharon, she was running down the street toward us.
“What the…?” Max said as he stepped back onto the road.
“Wait!” I heard Dan yell. “She’s in there! Get her!”

I stepped out from behind the door just as Max turned to look inside. I held the axe with both hands and jutted it forward, smacking him in the face with the handle. I watched as he fell backwards onto the road, his head hitting the ground with a loud thud.
“Wyatt! Jo! Ben!” I yelled as Sharon and Dan sped down the middle of the road. “Run!”
They burst out of the house and into the street, running as fast as they could to beat Sharon and Dan to the RV.
I jumped into the driver’s seat and started the engine, ready to go as soon as everyone was safely inside.
I could see Sharon and Dan getting closer, but even if they made it to the RV first, Dixon was standing at the door, waiting.

Wyatt, Ben and Jo jumped into the RV, slamming the door behind them as I put my foot down and started driving, watching Sharon and Dan get smaller and smaller in the rear view mirror.
“Eva!” Wyatt said as he fell into the passenger’s seat while Jo and Ben stood next to him. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. Dixon saved the day again.” I smiled. “Are you guys alright?”
“Yeah, but…” Wyatt paused.
Jo finished his sentence, “We thought we’d never see you again.” Tears spilled down her cheeks.
“As if I would let those assholes stop us!” I said. “Not when we’re so close to the end. They didn’t stand a chance.” I tried to be tough, to pretend as though I hadn’t been fearing for my life, but they saw straight through my act.
“Eva,” Wyatt said as he put a caring hand on my shoulder.
“I’m ok.” I said again. “Really.”

I wanted to fall apart, to crawl into a ball on the floor and cry until the fear and pain went away.

But I couldn’t. Not yet.

I had to hold it together, at least until we reached Elliot’s.

I wouldn’t be any help to anyone if I lost it now.

_______

Author's Note:

What do you think will happen next?

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