Death is only the Beginning (EDITING)

Chapter XIII

Stacy awakes with a soft gasp, a bead of sweat falling from her temple as she realizes that she is still lying on the couch, still with Rebecca and those other two men they had met the day before. 'Not running, not hiding. Not this time,' she thought to herself. 'No feeling of cold, ragged hands tearing at me,'. A shudder ran up her spine and she shakes her head, trying her best to push the nightmare from her mind. She catches her breath and looks around the apartment.

Similar to the other apartment, there's a small kitchen with only a few cabinets and a small stove. Empty picture frames in empty shelves stood beside the couch. She hears a soft grunts. She turns to see her sister turn aside, still deep in her in slumber. Soft clacking got her attention and she turns to see Jenkins and Mike sitting around a rather large dinner table, Mike cleaning parts of his rifle and Jenkins scribbling on a map laid out on the table.

"Morning" she mumbles as she lets out a heavy yawn and rubs her eyes.

"Good morning Stacy. Did we wake you?" Mike asks as tears a sheet of paper towel from a roll he has beside him and began wiping a blackish grime from the inside of the barrel.

"Nah. The nightmares did. What time is it?" Stacy asks as she takes a seat beside Jenkins, glancing at the scribbled map.

"Almost 8 in the morning. Hungry?" Mike asks as he points at the kitchen. Neatly stacked by one of the counter were several cereal boxes and cans of soup and vegetables. 

"Famished" she says, grabbing a box of 'Mini Wheaties' and pouring herself a bowl.

"So, what is the situation Mike?" 

"Well, good news is we are still alive. But that is the only good news," 

"What is the bad news?"

"We spent more ammo getting here then I thought. Combined we only have 93 rounds of 5.56mm. That's one magazine for the three of us. That food you see there on the counter? That is all we have left on food and worse, we only have a gallon of drinking water lef,t" 

"Fuck," Stacy says as she glances as at her bowl of dry cereal. 

"Plus I'm worried about your sister,"

"What about her Henry?"

"Sergeant said she froze right there, unresponsive to his shouting. He literally had to slap some sense into her to get her back to reality. That could get her killed if we get swarmed again,"

"Oh," said Stacy with a sad look on her face.

"I can't bear that. I don't want to be responsible for her death. I don't blame her or anything. I myself still can't get over the sight or even the sound of the undead. I am unsure right now to have you two tag along with us," Mike said, glancing at the sleeping Rebecca.

"Mike, you don't have to dwell on that. My sister and I have been through a lot. If it weren't for you she would have been dead yes, and I am grateful for that," she said as she places her hand on Mike's. "But we want to come with you. I at least do and knowing Rebecca, she'd want to too,"

At that moment Rebecca jerks up, looking frantically around the apartment before letting out a sigh of relief.

"You alright?" Mike asks, a look of concern on his face.

"Yeah," she mutters as she lets out another heavy sigh. "Just another nightmare," she says as she sits besides Mike.

"Thank you," she says, gently squeezing Mike's hand. "If it weren't for you, I would have been..."

"No problem. I'm just worried you'll freeze up again like that. What happened out there?" Mike said, flashing a sympathy smile at Rebecca.

"I...I just froze. Seeing so many zombies approaching us, hearing that awful moan. It got to me and I honestly thought right there is where we were going to die. But seeing you and Henry just continueing, and then seeing Stacy like that,"