The group ate the roasted rabbits as they sat around the campfire. Shadick and Shelia could still smell the zombies; the smell was getting stronger.
"I think we need to leave soon," Shelia told them. There was fear in her black eyes as she scanned the perimeter of the camp. "The smell is getting stronger; they are getting closer."
Zack looked up at her, nodding. "Let's finish up and get out of here. I don't want to deal with them right now."
The group finished their meal quickly, knowing they were short on time if they wanted to get back on the road before they could be ambushed. Once finished, they stamped out the fire.
As they were loading back into the bus, a shuffling sounded behind them. The sound made everyone tense up. Their hands immediately went to their weapons. They all quickly turned toward the sound, seeing two zombies as they came closer. The shuffling sound came from one of the zombies that was dragging its broken leg.
Shelia and Shadick aimed their blasters at the two zombies and fired. It didn't seem to affect them; they just kept coming closer, unbothered by the blasts. They moved so quickly that they were able to dodge the blaster fire.
Angry about her friends dying, Tracy ran forward, screaming in rage. She had a machete in her hand, swinging it in wide arcs, aiming for one of their heads. She managed to take off its head, but not before the other slashed her across the shoulder.
Streaks of Blood formed on her torn shirt. There were deep claw marks in her skin, seeping blood at a rapid pace.
The smell of the blood attracted the one who slashed her, causing it to go in a frenzy: the zombie moved quickly, his speed quickening as he came toward her, desperate for the blood that poured through her wound. Everyone blasted him with their blasters, trying to kill him before it could take a bite out of Tracy. Its frenzied pace dodged back and forth, the blasters narrowly missing it. One in the group finally hit its neck, severing its head from its shoulders. It fell to the ground with a thud, green-tinted blood pouring out.
Tracy sat on the ground, holding her shoulder tightly. Her pale face was scrunched in pain. Joe and Jamie quickly pulled her to the nearby spring, cleaning the wound before wrapping it up tight to stop the bleeding. Alice, Jamie's girlfriend, stood to the side, helping as needed. Her face was just as pale as Tracy's.
Joe's face was red, fearful that his girlfriend was going to become a zombie, and they would have to kill her. The little group was getting smaller if you didn't count the two aliens that had joined it.
Once the wound was cleaned and wrapped up, it was a waiting game to see if Tracy was going to turn into a zombie.
Stiffly, they all got back on the bus, their expressions solemn. Zack drove as usual, heading down the highway. It would take two and a half hours to get to the second town on their way to the tunnels leading to the sanctuary city. Even though they all knew that it was a human trap laid by the aliens to rid the earth of the remainder of the human life on the planet, they had to get there to at least warn those who were already there.
No one said anything. There were countless nervous glances toward Tracy, trying to see if she would turn into a zombie.
Leaning into Sheila, Zack whispered so that only she could hear, "Does she smell like a zombie? Even faintly?"
Shelia didn't say anything; she just shook her head.
"Let me know when she does," he told her.
Shelia nodded slowly, staring over at Tracy, worry on her face. She couldn't smell it yet, but knew that eventually, Tracy would change too.
An hour into their journey, Shelia gave Zack a meaningful look, then glanced over at Tracy. She indicated that she was starting to smell like a zombie.
Zack looked between Shelia and Tracy, then nodded to Shelia. His face was grim. He looked back at Joe through the rearview mirror, cleared his throat, and called back. "Joe, I need you up here a moment."
Zack was driving and couldn't stop to talk to Joe. So instead, he watched through the review mirror as Joe made his way up to the front of the bus. His face was red, fear in his eyes. Zack didn't want to be the one to tell his friend, but felt he had no choice.
"Yeah?" Joe asked, his voice tight.
"Shelia indicated that Tracy is starting to smell like a zombie. We need to keep an eye on her. I don't want anyone to get hurt. I also don't want to do anything to her unless she tries to attack one of us," he told Joe quietly, trying not to let the others overhear.
Joe nodded slowly, determination in his eyes. "I'll do it myself. If she tries to attack, it will be me who ends her. No one else, I owe it to her," he explained, lips tight, his face turning pale.
Zack studied Joe for a few seconds, then nodded. His voice was firm. "You will be the one to do it if and when the time comes. I'm still not convinced that everyone infected turns into zombies."
A sudden relief washed over Joe's features; hope lit in his brown eyes. "Thank you," he said, then went back to his seat.
Another half an hour passed, and Tracy started sweating, her face getting paler. It was a repeat of what they witnessed with Neil.
"I think we need a pit stop," Joe stated loudly, looking between Zack and Tracy.
Zack nodded in understanding. It was clear what was happening. He knew why the stop was needed. He pulled the bus over and opened the bus door so Joe could exit with Tracy.
Everyone got out, watching their surroundings and stretching their legs a bit. Zack walked up to Shelia. "We don't want a mess on the bus if we have to kill her," he explained. "If there is a chance she doesn't turn completely, I want to take it. We do nothing until we have to."
Shelia and Shadick nodded, then stood watching Joe and Tracy. Everyone else got out, still stretching, keeping their distance from the couple, knowing what was most likely about to happen. Tracy's appearance made it obvious.
They walked around the bus for another two hours before Tracy groaned in pain, sweat pouring down her face. She shut her eyes tightly as she bent over, grasping her stomach. She started to scream. Her scream didn't last long, only a moment. She suddenly stood up like nothing had happened and scanned her friends. She smiled widely. Her teeth were sharp points, her eyes green like sludge, her skin a wash of green tint. It was the same thing that had happened to Neil.
While Tracy focused on the group lined up by the bus, watching her, she didn't see the machete coming from behind, held by Joe, who swung as hard as he could, connecting to her neck and severing her head. It was a quick death.
Her head fell to the ground with a thud, rolling a few feet away from her body, blood pouring from its stump. Joe looked down at his girlfriend; his face was pale, and tears were streaming down his face. He fell to his knees, only inches from the pooling green-tinted blood, dropping his machete as he openly broke down in sobs.
They had lost another one from the alien invasion.
Joe looked up at Shelia and Shadick, hate washing over his features. His eyes were hard as he stared them down.
Zack, seeing the look in Joe's eyes, cut in before Joe could say anything. "These two didn't do anything. Don't you remember they're helping us against their own people?" he asked, trying to calm Joe. "Don't blame them for this; it was the ones still out there killing us to extinction. These two are trying to help make that NOT happen," he said, stressing 'not.'
Joe looked between the two aliens. They were both showing sympathy. He nodded, slowly getting up, stumbling back onto the bus, not looking at anyone. His eyes were red from tears, his face pale.
They were down to five humans and two aliens. Their group was getting much smaller. Now Zack had to worry about Joe attacking the two aliens who had chosen to help them survive against their people.
Turning the engine over, he started the bus. Looking briefly back at Joe, he headed down the highway. There were still two hours to get to the second town on the list. He had a grim line on his face as he kept an eye on Joe as he drove.