Virus 2 - A Zombie Novel

August 25th 2014

I wake up, forgetting where I was. The bright orange roof gave me a shock, usually expecting a white one. I look over at Winter, who is still sleeping. I find my jacket and put it on, and slowly slide out of the tent. I look around, to see no one up. It's barely light up, so there's fog still layering on top of the ground made out of twigs and leaves. I take a deep breath, smelling the fresh crisp air. It smells like pine, the stuff the use to freshen up your car. But I didn't come out here to smell the air; I came out to find James. There are 3 tents and one belongs to him, and I know which one I just came out of, so that leaves 2. I decide to for the one on the far left; walking over to it. I lean in close to listen for any movement and hear none, so I grab the zipper. I pull it down to show a pink and purple faced James lying on the ground, no blanket, pillow or even sheet. Just a bare tent with a human inside. I step in and zip it up again behind me.

"James." I whisper. He opens his eyes and sits up quickly, pushing himself into the corner of the tent, scared. "It's me." I smiled at him and he relaxed.

"I thought you were Joe." He mumbled. I sighed, of course he did.

"Joe isn't going to hurt you anymore." I said.

"How would you know?" he said adjusting himself and looking away.

"Because I punched him in the face." I smiled. He looked at me, smiling. He was bruised nearly everywhere on his face. His lip was split in two places and his nose slightly crooked, but that might've been from before.

"You didn't." he whispered.

"I did. He wasn't expecting it." I laughed as quiet as I could.

"Why?"

"I had heard what he did to you -"

"Emmy," he interrupted. "Seriously, you didn't need to."

"I did. No one else was." I smiled slightly. "But he did tell me why you got punched the first day. How you drew a knife on him."

"I didn't -"

"He showed me the gash." I interrupted this time. "Don't lie to me."

"I didn't mean to cut him that badly." He sighed.

"Well, you could've told me before I went and made a big speech about how you're safe and the fire - which was a stupid idea - was only your escape plan and no one was meant to get hurt." I said. He looked at the ground, smiling. "What?"

"I was just thinking what it would be like if we just left. Started our own group, with harmless people." He said.

"That would be nice." I whispered.

"We could do it, just leave. They can't track us through the woods." He said his eyes brightening up.

"No - no I can't leave Winter." I told him. It was true, a few days ago I would've easily, but now I don't trust Luis and Joe.

"She'll be fine; she lasted before you got there."

"I don't know exactly what happened before me. We'll go once someone new gets here." I said.

"That will be ages, we are in the woods." He sighed.

"I know - but you also need time to get your strength up too, I don't want to be lugging around a beaten up 20 year old." I smiled.

"I'm Australian. We fight dingoes and crocodiles every day." He laughed. "Promise we'll leave once someone new gets here?"

"Yes. As long as I know they're safe too."

"See, you just changed the deal again." He said.

"No. I need to know they aren't going to end up like you." I smiled getting up. "I better go, Winter is probably awake."

"Come back soon?" he asked.

"Someone has to bring you your breakfast." I said unzipping the tent and stepping out. "See you soon." I smiled and zipped it back up. I turn around and immediately hit something, well someone. Joe. I groan and try to step around him but he blocks my path. "Move." I said.

"Come with me." he said grabbing my arm and pulling me.

"Let me go." I said following him.

"Watch your step, don't step on the noise trap." He warned me. So he was taking me into the non safe place. Probably to hit me, or worse. I had no weapon and I could see the outline of a gun through his shirt. I look back at the camp, which was getting further away by the minute. I gulped as he pulled me into the denser forest, trees getting closer and closer together. Finally he stopped, turning around to face me. Our bodies were so close I could feel the heat radiating off his body.

"What do you want?" I muttered.

"We need to get rid of James." He whispered, looking me straight in the eye. He was being serious.

"What?" I said raising my eyebrows.

"He's - he's planning something." He mumbled. I rolled my eyes, of course.

"He's not planning anything Joe."

"He was talking in his sleep." He interrupted. I looked at the ground and crossed my arms.

"I'm interested in what exactly he is saying." I asked.

"He kept saying the words murder, Joe, run." He said, his eyes widening.

"They could mean anything."

"In that order. Over and over." he interrupted.

"The order could be wrong. Maybe he meant Joe, murder, run. Or maybe he's just having a silly dream." I guessed.

"He's going to kill me Em." He blurted out. I scoffed and began walking away, but Joe grabbed my arm again. "Emmeline."

"He's not going to kill you." I snapped. "And maybe if he does, you deserve it."

"We both know I don't." he whispered. I studied his face, noticing the black circles under his eyes. He fidgeted with his hands and he tapped his foot over and over, impatient. He was actually scared. "I need you to make him leave." He added.

"Excuse me?" I said.

"I can't - have him walking around me when I know he's planning something. He's always one step ahead of me. I think I'll have a heart attack." He blurts out.

"Joe, calm down." I was shocked about how worried he actually was. "I'll get him to leave, but he won't go without me you know that."

"You can't - he's dangerous."

"That's what he thinks about you." I said. "I'll go with him. It's fine."

"No, I forbid you." He said desperately.

"If he hurts me, I'll kill him." I mumbled.

"No." he shook his head.

"Are you that afraid of him?" I asked him.

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Of course; you don't want me to know anything about you except you used to be a bounty hunter." I said.

"Look; I say that I don't want to talk about it. Actually I do, but I'm afraid of your reaction. I'm afraid you'll never see me as an equal again. I'm afraid the pity in your eyes when you realise how screwed up I am." He blurted. "I am afraid of him, but I didn't want you to know that."

"First of all, I have never seen you as an equal, you were always a higher rank then me, and I was afraid of you a few seconds ago; but now I'm not." I smiled slightly, "And I wanted you to know that. I'll talk to James."