Fragile Hearts [DANGEROUS FELLOWS]

⚠️THIRTY-ONE: COLD, STORMY DARKNESS⚠️

Judy yelped in surprise, instinctively slamming on the brakes. You threw your arms out in front of you to grip the back of her seat.

The zombie was still hanging on, starting to pound on the glass. It wasn't cracking yet, but you knew it wouldn't stay that way for long.

"Hold on!" Judy cried, turning the van into reverse and flying backwards, tires screeching.

With a thud the zombie slid off of the roof and onto the hood, grabbing onto the windshield wipers, making them squeaky in protest. Its eyes seemed to look directly at you, lips curled back in a snarl.

"It's just one, I'll go get it off myself," Ethan said, grabbing his bat from the floor and reaching for the door handle, but then he froze. You squinted in the darkness to find what he was looking at, and then you saw it, your heart stopping.

A whole crowd of the undead, coming this way.

"The noise must've attracted them," Lawrence realized, flinching as the zombie on the hood threw itself at the window, a web of cracks appearing.

"Then floor it!" Zion shouted, and Judy did as she was told, stomping the acceleration. The van lurched forward, but she quickly stopped again, making it rock on it's frame.

"I can't see, we're going to crash!" she said, and you screamed as suddenly a zombie appeared at your window, slamming it's fists against it.

"Somebody do something!" Hailey screeched. "I don't want to die like this!"

The van sped forward again, and the zombie on the hood rolled up and onto the roof, clearing the windshield. The headlights showed a group of them in the road ahead and Judy swerved, losing control and causing it to spin right into them.

"Get this thing off me!" Zion shouted, and you heard Saddle hissing and spitting angrily.

There was more thumps as the car ran into zombies, throwing them aside or running them over. The van stopped spinning, luckily facing forward, and Judy sped on, trying to lose the zombies that were swarming the vehicle.

You thought it was over until you saw a wall of zombies blocking the road. They stood there, unmoving, and Judy was headed right for them.

"Oh fu-" Zion began, but then the vehicle rammed into the zombies and the airbags exploded, throwing Lawrence and Judy back against their seats. The van bumped up as the tires ran over them, and then there was nothing.

Judy pushed the bag back in quickly, and you saw the road ahead was clear. Relief flooded over you, your heart pounding and your body shaking as she drove off fast to get away from the mess of zombies.

"Is everyone okay?" Lawrence asked, turning to check on them. Zion's face was flushed, cat fur coating his clothes, and Saddle was laying peacefully across his legs. Jay was still holding onto the armrest for dear life, and Ethan looked rattled.

Eugene had a hand over his mouth, looking like he was about to be sick, Hailey curled in a ball. And in the front, Judy was catching her breath. Sue, on the other side of Harry, had a hand on her chest. Harry looked a little dazed, but he seemed alright.

"They all seem fine to me," you reported, turning back to Lawrence.

"Thank goodness," he sighed, pushing back in the passenger airbag.

"Uh oh," Judy said, working the gas pedal. "I don't think we can say the same about the van."

The engine sputtered, the van starting to slow. Something popped and then everything shut off, the heater falling quiet and the vehicle going still.

"This is just fantastic," Zion groaned, and outside a flash of lightning lit up the sky. As the warm air diminished you could feel a coldness fill the van.

"What do we do?" asked Ethan, and there was a hint of fear in his voice.

"We're gonna die out here," Jay added, and for once it didn't seem like he was joking.

Lawrence reached back to take Sue's flashlight, holding it's beam up to the map, which had taken a beating.

"Well? What do we do?" Zion pried.

You heard the groan of a zombie and you quickly looked outside, but it was pitch black.

"We can't go out there," Judy said, her teeth chattering.

"We don't have much further until we get to the Safe Zone," Lawrence said thoughtfully. "It won't take us long to walk the rest of the way."

"Walk," Zion repeated. "Are you actually out of your mind? In complete darkness? While it's raining?"

"We could stay in the van until sunrise," Sue suggested, peering over Lawrence's shoulder.

"There are too many zombies around," Jay objected. "They'll swarm this thing."

"Let's just s-stay here," Hailey stuttered. "At least we'll be safe for a little while."

Rain pattered noisily on the windows as everyone fell quiet. It seemed like no one knew what to do.

"We're safer if we're moving," Lawrence spoke up. "We have to go. If we get trapped in the van by zombies, it's all over."

Judy tried starting up the engine again, but nothing happened.

"Let's just get this over with," Zion sighed, opening his door and stepping outside. Judy did next, and soon everyone was climbing out into the cold, stormy darkness.

You'd never seen the world like this before. No lights for miles, no sounds except nature, nobody else around besides the zombies.

"This sucks," Eugene said, pulling his sleeves over his hands. You remembered the hat you got from the storage supply and pulled it out from the side of your backpack, putting it on.

Lawrence shone the flashlight ahead, it's weak light only parting the shadows for a few feet.

"Stay close," he warned. "Ethan, be ready."

Ethan nodded, holding his bat tightly.

And then you all began to walk. After a few minutes Judy had grabbed your hand, looking like a scared child, and you wanted to comfort her, but you were just as scared. What was going to happen to you all?

You felt something grab the back of your jacket and you almost screamed until you realized it was just Hailey, who seemed like she might faint any minute.

"We should've stayed at the school," she whimpered.

Part of you couldn't help but to agree. If you had stayed at the school, at least for another day or two, none of this would've ever happened. But then you thought about the Safe Zone, about how you would finally all be safe. And you thought about Eugene, who needed a doctor.

No, you decided. No matter what, I'm getting to the Safe Zone.