Virus - A Zombie Novel

21st October 2014

"Go - go - go." Lincoln yelled as we filed out of the RV. I had to hold the end of my gown as well as hold my gun up. We ran towards the closed gate of the TEXAN GARDENS where today Willow and Beau will marry. We form a circle around the bride and groom to be, making sure they will not get bit on one of the most special days they have left - well, not including the birth of their first child. There was quite a lot of Lurkers, but they were still far away. Grey reached the gate first pulling on it then realising it had a padlock.

"Stand back." He said lifting his gun and aiming.

"Are you sure that's going to work and not ricochet?" I asked. He looked at me and back to the lock.

"That's why I said stand back." He said smiling, "Stop thinking so much, it's a day for no thinking." He said smiling at me. I smiled and looked around, there seemed to be lot's of Lurkers coming from literally nowhere. The gun shots from everyone else must be attracting them. Grey raised his gun again and aimed, shooting at the lock, once, then once again and smashing it to the ground. He pulled the chain off the handle of the gate and opened it, letting everyone in. I followed Nikki in, waiting at the other side for Grey to close the gate. The last person in was Finn, who was red in the cheeks and breathing heavily. So much for being our number 1 priority. Grey swung the gate closed and grabbed the chain, wrapping it around the gate handle, and then beginning to walk away.

"Will it hold?" I asked.

"I sure do hope so." He said. He grabbed my hand and led me to where the others stood, all looking around at each other.

"We may as well begin?" Parker said. We all nodded smiling at each other. "No point doing the walk down the aisle. Let's begin with the vows." He said. Willow walked over to Beau, smiling and grabbing his hands.

"Who's first?" Willow asked.

"You should." Bennett said. She had come to terms with Nolan's death; I think every day she gets a bit better.

"Okay." Willow said taking a deep breath. "Where to begin? I always thought marriage would be cool. Getting to come home to your best friend every single day of your life until you die. In a sense that will be true after today, but so much better. I won't just be coming home to my best friend, I'll be coming home to my husband, my love, my partner in crime and my home. When I say home I don't mean house. I personally think your home has a heartbeat, belonging to the person you love most. Beau is the person I love most. You're the person I love the most." She said smiling at him, I could begin to see her eyes becoming watery, and so were his. "I remember the first time Beau asked me out. I said no, we're just friends, and he looked me straight in the eyes and said 'just friends don't look at each other like that.' Within a few seconds I was convinced I was going to be with this guy. I turned him down and he fought back. No one has ever done that. No one has gone against my judgment to get their way - no one has dared. But Beau did." a tear dropped onto her cheek, followed by more. "He pushed my buttons and got results. I remember when I first told Alex about us she asked how much I liked him. I didn't want to scream at the top of my lungs that I was so in love I wanted to take him home to my parents right now - if they were alive. So I just told her I thought he was nice - and that he seemed to like me so what's the big deal about test driving us. I think my parents would've loved you Beau, you're smart, handsome, funny, sweet, and you take care of their little girl. Also you were in the army so that's big points from dad," Everybody giggled slightly. Beau smiled slightly - trying to hold himself together. He squeezed her hands harder as she began to talk again. "Personally I don't know how long it will take you to realise what kind of person I am and pack up shop. It might be a year, a decade. You may never see past the girl you love and see the ugly side I've got - such as my face when I wake up every morning. But until then, you're stuck with Me." she finished. Finally a tear dropped from his eyes onto his stubble on his cheeks. He let go of her hand to wipe it, then grabbing it again and clearing his voice.

"Honestly, I never thought I would ever get married. It didn't appeal to me, being tied down to one person, always seeing them morning and night. But I was completely wrong. With everything going on Willow and I didn't get through each stage of a relationship. First date. Meeting parents. Moving in together. Discussing our future. Living in this life now we all are on a timer - and one day we will go off and that will be it. We were rushed into things, for example I am getting married to a girl I've known for 4 months. In this life you don't get to stop and think - you act. This is what we are doing. And I could not hope for a better person to rush into things with. Willow, you are smart, beautiful, kind and caring. You only have others peoples interests in mind and never your own, you care for everything and everyone else and you'd never hurt a fly. I remember the day you shot me in the leg to see how much it hurts. You wouldn't stop apologising and pleading for forgiveness. I kept telling you that I was fine, but you were consistent. I love you for that. I think by day 4 of you begging I began to realise my feelings for you. It was early days but they were strong." He said making her smile, "And honestly, I belong to you. I've belonged to you since the beginning, since before I even know I did. I don't know how much longer I will be alive - how much longer the man upstairs is willing to let me have with you - but I hope for my sake that it is the rest of my life." He finished just as the gate 50m away broke open, and Lurkers poured in.