From Death

Chapter Eleven

They didn't have enough gas to get far. There was a gas station nearby but half a year into the apocalypse, it was unlikely there was any left. The small group decided to take their chances.

Unluckily for them, the gas station had already been occupied.

Esther's vision was blurry, her body unwilling to cooperate and threatening to shut down. She could hear her name being screamed, Aaliyah's voice echoing off the walls.

Another shot rang through her ears and her body jerked back against the wall. She reached up to touch her shoulder, feeling the hole left in her. She collapsed onto the ground, eyes closed.

"Bitch can take a beating." A man commented.

Esther begged herself to get up for Aaliyah who was muttering words of denial under her breath. They thought she was dead, but they were in for a surprise once she got her damn body working. Four men, armed to the teeth. She didn't think about what they must've done to get the weapons.

"Laura, are you okay?"

Esther heard a muffled response, and Thomas sighing in relief.

Esther peeled her eyes open, a growl rising deep in her throat. One of the younger men kneeled beside Aaliyah, a grin on his face. Esther gritted her teeth, slowly gaining control of her body. Fury consumed her as Aaliyah flinched away from the man's touch. Esther growled a warning, loud enough to draw the attention of Laura and Thomas. Jake gasped quietly as he saw her eyes turn red. The cuffs around Aaliyah's hands stopped her from moving away, the man setting his gun down beside him.

Esther pushed herself onto her knees, recovering from the wounds in her shoulder and stomach. The other three in the group stared at her in shock as she snarled angrily.

The men turned around, cursing loudly. "She's been bitten! She's bit!"

The first man didn't get the chance to draw his weapon, her nails slashing into his throat. He choked on his own blood as she snatched his handgun and shot two more. The last man scrambled for his gun, shooting her in the chest. Esther stopped in her tracks, gritting her teeth.

She lifted her gun, the man's aghast expression at the end of the barrel. Aaliyah turned her head away from the loud bang. For a moment, everything was quiet. "Holy fuck, you're a zombie!"

Esther broke the metal handcuffs around Aaliyah's hands, falling to her knees. Aaliyah threw her arms around her and the zombie bristled, "Aaliyah."

The scientist stepped away, noticing Esther's crimson eyes. "Oh."

She needed to find something to eat, but hunting wasn't promising at the moment. Her body was tired from healing her bullet wounds. Esther was a danger to every living being nearby.

"I'll find you," Esther told Aaliyah, head dropping tiredly. She needed Aaliyah to get away, she was too weak, she needed to control herself.

"Good luck," Aaliyah whispered, kissing Esther's cheek.

The zombie's lips quirked up in a smile as Aaliyah ushered the group out of the gas station.