Survivors of the Z’s- Cal Moore, Ashford City, California
                    DEATH WILL COME 

                            IN FLAMES
That’s what the note said

The threat

This note that had suddenly came out of nowhere had chucked us into a dark room. 

The problem was

We didn’t know if there were things

Or people

Waiting to strike

To kill us

All we could do was ponder on the moment

The note

And the blood that made it

   “What does it mean?” Dad asked

   “What ever it is and who ever sent it,” the Sargent said, he stood strong, unfazed, “ain’t scaring anybody… these fuckwits   will be the ones facing the flames”

   “Give me a gun, I know how to shoot,” Ray spoke 

   “If that time comes, but until then… no mistakes,” the Sargent said, “keep a look out, anything suspicious, don’t hesitate”

   “You can’t just shoot anyone,” mom said

   “We don’t know who these are, they could be anywhere”

   “I know,” a voice spoke

We all Looked to the door and saw the tall figure of Israel standing there. 

   “You do?” A woman soldier asked

   “It’s them,” he told, “they’re coming”

   “The Committed?” The Sargent asked

   “Yes and we need to either leave or be ready for a fight”

   “We’re not leaving, not until we have to”

   “Is it a fight we can win?” Hannah asked 

   “They’re nightcrawlers, we’re already deemed to lose”

   “My team and I aren’t built to lose, we’ll beat any motherfucker that steps up”

Hannah rose to her feet and Zach followed her. I looked over at Mason who also followed. I tagged a long and watched Hannah zooming up the stairs.

   “We’re you going?” Mason asked

   “I’m getting my brother out of here”

   “You can’t, not now,” I said

   “Don’t try and stop me, not this time”

   “He’s right and you know it, leaving now is a bad idea,” Mason warned

   “Staying here is even worse,” she told

We reached her room and I watched her gathering her things. Zach just stood there

Staring 

At nothing

   “Zach, grab what you need,” she told

He moved over and grabbed his books and put them neatly into his backpack.

   “You have no idea what’s coming?” I told

   “That’s exactly why I’m leaving,” she told, “I have a gun and my head, that’s all I need to survive, I’m not letting my brother stay somewhere that’s going to be destroyed”

I heard footsteps. I looked around and saw my mom walking towards us. Her face became more concerned as she watched Hannah preparing to leave. 

   “You’re leaving?” She asked

Hannah didn’t answer

   “Hannah, talk to me please”

Hannah still didn’t answer. She had packed everything she needed. Grabbed her backpack and went to walk out. 

   Mom got in the way, “you can’t leave, you won’t be safe”

   “And I’ll be safe here?” Hannah asked, staring her down

   “You can’t just walk out on us, I won’t let you, you’re like a daughter to me now”

   “I’m leaving,” she told, “Zach, let’s go”

She barged passed mom and began marching down the stairs. Mason and I dashed after her.

   “What’re you going to do out there?” Mom asked, “It’ll be just the two of you against the infected, is that what you want?!”

   “Hannah please, listen to us, you’ve come this far with us, why not go any further?” I asked

The front door was close and she stormed toward it. 

She wasn’t stopping

Nobody

It looked like

Was ever going to

   “Hannah please!”

Dad walked out of the living room with Ray and Israel. She opened the door and walked out. Dad noticed something was wrong and went after her. 

   “Hannah!” He shouted 

   “Leave me the fuck alone!” She told

   “Where the hell are you going?” He asked

   “This place is done, didn’t you hear him, we’re deemed to lose!”

The soldiers outside watched on. The Sargent then walked out and made his way toward her.

   “If you think you’re leaving, you’re mistaken,” he told, “Nobody is leaving, ever, does everybody understand!”

   “Go fuck yourself,” she told

   “I am under orders to protect, you are not leaving”

She walked toward the gate and the soldiers outside got in her way. 

   “Please, let us go!”

She took out her gun and Mom went out to her. Dad was already there trying to calm her down.

   “Hannah, don’t!” Mom shouted

   “Drop the gun Hannah!” Dad begged 

The soldiers looked serious now.   

   “Don’t be stupid,” the Sargent, “if you pull the trigger we won’t hesitate!”

She was stuck in the middle. I looked to my left and right at Mason and Israel. Both looked on worried. Mom and dad were trying to get close to her to stop her. 

Zach

As usual

Stood and stared

Hannah stayed beside him. She was frustrated. I hoped and prayed she didn’t pull the trigger. 

If she did

Then everything would change.

   “Hannah, listen to us,” Dad told, “drop the gun”

   “Look over there!” Mason shouted

I looked and witnessed the trees and bushes that surrounded the house suddenly set fire. My breathing escalated and so did everything around me. 

   “The hells happening!” Mom cried

   “It’s them!” Israel told, “They’ve come!”   

He ran upstairs. I watched him and looked back outside. I didn’t know what to do or where to go. 

SUDDENLY

Within a breath of air

A shot was fired and a soldier fell to the ground in pain

Holding his arm

   “Get to the house!” I heard

I watched as two of the soldiers helped him up and take him toward the house.

SWIFTLY

Nothing seemed real

I was just standing there watching everybody

My mom was running toward me along with my dad, Hannah and Zach. Hannah tried to fight them but mom and dad didn’t let her. I saw Ray run outside and take a gun from a soldier. Israel came passed with two oozies. 

   “I suggest you get the hell out of here!” He told, his voice, like everything else, sounded strange

The fire grew fast

It spreaded quickly through everything and it made its way on to the dry grass from the broken branches of the tall trees

   The Sargent thought about it, “we ain’t leaving for nobody, I have orders to stay until otherwise!”

   “This place is burning to the ground, you have no idea who you’re fighting here!” Israel told

The front gate swiftly burst open and a car in flames came bursting toward us. It was heading in our direction. Toward the front of the house where we stood. 

“Move move move!” I heard

They all scattered and fired at the car, but…

IT. JUST. KEPT. COMING

   “Get out of there!”

We scampered upstairs and the car crashed heavily inside. We were trapped and the house was now in flames. 

   “Upstairs now!” Dad told

   “You guys ok in there?!” A voice behind the flames spoke

   “We’re fine!” Mom told

   “We’ll get you out of there!”

The voice became muffled as the noise of the fire became higher. We reached the next floor. The smell of the flames was strong.

   “The roof!” I told, “we need to get to the roof, there has to be a way out!”

I lead the way

We climbed the stairs once more and reached another room. I saw the ladder and ran to it. I climbed fast and breathed heavily. We reached the roof

All of us

And began looking round for a way down. I looked around and saw the fire spreading quick. 

We were going to be burned alive

I could feel it

I looked around at the large garden and the flames and watched the soldiers, Israel and Ray below. 

   “Hey!” Hannah shouted

   “You guys alright?!” Ray asked

   “We’re fine!” She told

   “Can you get down?!”

She wasn’t focused on him no longer and I knew why. She had noticed something in the background. A group of black hooded figures suddenly appeared and came walking in. I looked longer and behind them a huge number of infected came with them.

   “Oh my god”

Ray, Israel and the rest began firing, but there were too many. There was nowhere to go

   “Over here!” Dad bellowed

I looked over and ran toward him

   “We’ll climb down this pipe!” He told, “The fire hasn’t reached there yet, but we need to go now, kids, you first, go!”

I ran toward it

   Dad stopped me and held me close, “what ever happens, don’t stop,” he looked over at Mason, Hannah and Zach, “all of you, just keep moving!”

   Mom hugged me next, “I love you… now go!”

I got to the pipe. Lowered myself down and tried as quickly as possible to climb down. The others came after. I reached the ground

Stopped 

And turned

   “Go, we’re right behind you!” Dad told

I ran toward the fence and looked behind me and saw them all reach the ground

Accept…

Dad 

But I had to keep moving 

I reached the fence and looked round and saw the flames coming close

   “Dad, come on!”

He was nearly there. The infected suddenly came running from the side of the house. 

   “Dad!”

   “Go, get the hell out of here!” He demanded

I climbed the fence. Mason came after, then Zach, Hannah and mom. Dad was next. His hands grasped the fence and he pulled himself up.

   “Dad hurry!”

Mom grabbed him and quickly pulled him over. He landed heavily on his back. The infected then crashed into the fence screaming after us.

   “Are you ok?” Mom asked, kneeling down next to him, “I thought I was going to lose you”

   “I’m fine honey,” he told, “I’m fine”

He got up and looked at the large flames towering over the fence.

   “Ray,” he spoke

   “I’m sorry Jeffery,” she said

   I looked on at Mason “Are you ok bro?”

    He looked on, drained “I think”

I nodded at Hannah and Zach. She nodded back. Zach clinged to the side of her. 

   “Where do we go dad?” I asked

   “Keep moving I guess,” he told

We turned

Let the noise of the infected and the flames seep into our minds and we walked away

Leaving the chaos behind us and the darkness waiting in front…

Filed under: Season Three