We Are Risen

Chapter Four

Daisy's POV

We drove down the road, the wind making my red hair fly behind me. We were careful to drive around biters on the road, and the roads are even worse now than they were earlier. I felt the bike slow under me as we turned into Ally and Bryson's neighborhood. I had been to Ally's house dozens of times since I moved to Lakeview when I was fourteen, and her mom would always make me dinner. I would often spend the night with her when Stephen, my stepdad, got pretty bad. 

I climbed off the bike after slowing to a stop in Ally's drive. Ally hurriedly got out of my truck and slammed the door, earning herself a murderous look from me. Ally ran up to the door and tried the knob, and when it didn't turn she started to panic and grabbed the doorknob, rattling it frantically. 

"Mom?" she yelled, smacking the door with her palm. "Dad? Randy?"

She started to shake the doorknob again, but Bryson stopped her by putting a large brown hand on her shoulder and pulled her back. 

"Why are you freaking out so much Al?" he asked her. 

Ally looked back at us with tear-filled green eyes. "Randy's been sick here lately, and he was locked in his bedroom this morning. Mom never came home from the hospital, and Dad said that he was staying home with Randy. Now neither of them are answering the door!"

I frowned, taking a step towards the door. I braced myself and slammed my shoulder into the door, but nothing happened. I tried again, and I heard a crack. I thought I heard shuffling coming from inside, but it was hard to tell. I slammed myself into the door again, and the hinge finally broke away from the door with a loud CRACK. I rubbed my shoulder and waited for the sharp pain to fade away before I proceeded. Ally burst into the house and started running all around the house, checking the kitchen, bathroom, and her room. I heard hissing coming from her brother's room, and I felt my heart sink into my stomach. 

"R-Randy?" Ally asked in a small, trembling voice. 

Her hands were shaking as she reached for the knob of his door. She slowly turned it and opened the door, only to scream and fall backward, knocking into me and causing me to go down with her. I grunted as she landed on top of me, still screaming. Bryson grabbed her arm and hauled her off me. Ally was absolutely hysterical, screaming and ripping at her hair. Bryson was holding her up as the corpse of what had been her brother turned with a growl, his green eyes bloodshot, his face an ashy gray. I scrambled to my feet, hissing as my shoulder started to ache, and I quickly shut the door just as Randy slammed himself into it. Ally pushed Bryson off her and made her way to her parent's room at the end of the hall, bursting in the door. I heard even louder sobs and followed her in, only to see her father sitting up beside his bed, but obviously deceased. He had to have passed away recently, and it was obvious from what. 

There was a large chunk taken out of his neck, and blood was spilled all down the front of his white tee shirt. I screwed my eyes shut as nausea made my stomach churn. Ally collapsed onto the floor beside her dad, grabbing him by the shoulders and violently shaking him. 

"Dad, wake up!" She sobbed, tears streaming down her face and streaking her already smudged mascara. 

I turned towards Toby and he wrapped his arms around me, pulling my face into his chest. Bryson had to pull Ally away from her dad, trying to convince her that he was gone, he couldn't be brought back. I pushed away from Toby, turning away from him. 

"Ally, I know it hurts," I choked out. "I loved them too, but we have to go."

"No!" she sobbed. "No, I- I c-can't just leave him like this!"

I grabbed her hand and pulled her up, dragging her out of the room. I don't think she noticed the way her dad's hand was twitching, and how his glazed, cloudy eyes had slowly started to open. I had to basically drag Ally into her bedroom and started shoving random clothes and shoes into her bag. After that, we left her house and went over to Bryson's. His door was unlocked, and slightly ajar.