We're Still Alive(Book1)BEING REWRITTEN

Twenty-Six

Indiana

          Jared sighed from behind the wheel of the jeep. So much had happened in the last month. There were only 10 of them left. The brothers(Bill and Louis), his original group, along with, Joe, Lynn, Miles, and Laina. The van got spiked a few days after they started their drive, killing two people. It wasn't a conventional spike strip that hit them, but nails and tacks and shards of glass, which were set against the others so that they weren't laying flat. Whoever had set them up must have been long gone, because they never found any signs of life. The oncoming zombies that followed the sound of the crash killed three more, ate them alive while the others were forced back, and they lost the 6th from an infected gunshot wound after a group attacked them and tried to steal their supplies. The group despite not having many people, easily got the jump on them. Jared felt guilty after he and the others countered and killed the group of eight, but he knew it was for the best. Or at least he hoped it was. They were about halfway through Indiana now, still on their way to Ohio.

           "This damn place better be worth it." He growled to Casey, who sat in shotgun.
          "Yeah, if it's not then I'll hunt down the people that lied to us and kill them myself." Casey replied in a disturbingly calm tone, and Jared knew she was probably serious. Casey didn't lie.
          "I'll help you." Renee called from behind them.
          "Count me in." Joe laughed beside her. Tom didn't say anything. He was always so serious.
          "What's wrong Tom, you allergic to happiness? Can't even smile a little?" Jared joked. He'd been scared to tease him at first, but he later learned that Tom was all bark and no bite. He just muttered something and stared out the window. Jared chuckled. Casey was trying to hold in a laugh.
          "I'll shoot you both if you don't shut up." Tom threatened, which only caused them to laugh louder. Renee and Joe joined in. It was weird, considering he had a lot of trouble trusting them at first, but Jared noticed that Tom was warming up to the two of them. He even saw a little chemistry going on between him and Renee. He couldn't wait to tell Ella, who'd been paying a lot of attention to Miles.
          "Love is in the air." Casey whispered to Jared. He look in the mirror to see Renee talking softly to Tom and Joe giving them a thumbs-up. He smiled and looked back at the road.
          "Good to know that someone's enjoying the apocalypse." He joked. Casey smiled and looked back out the window. Jared couldn't help but stare at Casey's 'weapon upgrade.' She was actually a really good shot, so Lynn gave her an M16. He was also getting better at shooting, but he was better with pistols than rifles. He was given a 9mm and a .357 magnum revolver, which he grew to love. He could almost snipe with those guns.
          Hours later, he pulled the jeep to a stop at a gas station. Lynn stopped the pickup truck behind him. They would make sure the place was safe, then give everyone a chance to go to the bathroom and stretch their legs while they searched for any remaining supplies.
          After killing the few zombies inside, Jared, Casey, and Miles searched the place. There wasn't a lot left; a few bottles of soda, energy drinks, and sports drinks, along with some m&m's and candy bars. Not the healthiest food, but still food nonetheless. Jared carried his bag of food outside behind the others. Right before he reached the doorway, something slammed into his side, causing him to drop the bag. A few bottles of soda fizzed up and threatened to burst, but that was the least of his worries. He was stuck on his back, the looming shape of the once-human creature looming threatening close over him. He'd managed to get his feet onto the chest of the zombie and was trying to push it away, but it just kept coming, digging into the floor with its toenails, which were bare because of the torn shoes. It clawed wildly and snapped its jaws at Jared, foul breath seeping out. With a final shove he threw it back, just enough so that he could get back to his feet and get a good look at the thing. He couldn't even tell if it was a boy or a girl, it'd been torn up so badly. It must have been hit by a car, or maybe fell off a building; it was covered in flesh wounds with slabs of skin that hung off like loose scabs. It hardly resembled the living person it had once been.

          The monster's foot came up suddenly from where it was laying, and it kicked its legs with surprising strength. Jared didn't have time to yell out as the creature's foot came into contact with his knees, and both legs gave out. Satisfied with itself, the thing crawled so its face was just above his. He was pushing on its shoulders, but that did nothing.  He never thought to go for his guns: both were strapped to his hips, and his hands were full. The weight pushed down on his arms, getting closer by the second, and he closed his eyes, ready for the painful feeling of teeth rippinghis skin, but it didn't come. He opened his eyes to see the thing smiling at him. It looked like it was almost laughing! Yellowed and decaying teeth showed from behind chapped lips, druel starting to fall from the side. Its pale eyes were wide open, containing a crazed look he'd never seen before. in anyone living or undead. Suddenly its head dropped and he closed his eyes again. And again, there was no bite. He opened his eyes slowly to see the thing slumped on the ground, the weight of it starting to press against his body, blood pouring out of a new wound on its head. He grimaced as he pushed the body to the side, then wiped his hands off on his jeans. Tom stood over him, sheathing the bloodied knife while Casey ran in and hugged him, then started checking frantically for bites. He didn't pay any attention, though. Not to Casey fretting over him, or Tom yelling questions in his ear. He couldn't take his eyes away from the smiling zombie.