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• Chapter one; Regrets- Blake Kalebs

With subtle steps I passed Nicole. Her pale skin tone made a more natural contrast to her dark brown hair slung over her shoulder in light waves. Clutched in her tight woven fingers, was a cross that attached to the thin small chain hanging around her neck. The beautiful smile she once wore was gone, replaced with drifting eyes and a faint emotionless expression. As soon as her eyes caught my sight of her, she adjusted her outer image as strong and confident, by straightening her back, and broadening her shoulders. She was wearing a white sundress; the yellow polka dotted pattern sort of disguised the reddish haze of blood stains.

"We will be alright. God is watching over us right now. He will protect us with ease. This is just a rock in th-" Nicole started.

"Shut up Jesus freak! God is just made up s**t, created by old men, with their head up their asses." Vince cut off the fragile girl, leaving us all in a gasping state.

"Vince!" Terra spoke out in anger from across the room.

"Its okay Terra," Nicole assured, a single tear over powering the barriers of her 'Strong Act'.

"Why don't you just shut up too, Terra! I wasn't ********’ talking to you!" Vince replied, directing his anger at her now, with his arms crossed.

In the midst of this discourse I couldn't help but clench a fist and with enraged steps I stormed to Vince without a word and slamming my hand into his pale olive colored cheek. His head jerked at the hard, quick, anger driven punch.

"Talk to them like that one time, and let’s see whose blood will be on my arms next. I've heard enough s**t from you, and I'm sick of it!" I threatened the somewhat tall shaggy brown haired boy.

Vince and I never really got along, even before this 'Zombie plague'. It was rare to just have a normal conversation with him, not sayin' it was impossible because it has happened.

"I'm..Sorry.." Vince said taking his focus from the empty space behind me, to Nicole and Terra.

"Don't worry about it, it’s just stress talking." Nicole replied her voice gentle like her personality.

Nicole was right, being in this place for too long. We were beginning to lose our morals. We’re now accustom to seeing death, that blood was like muddy puddles of water. The horrid stench of rotten flesh polluted the air, and a murky grey fog was rolling in from the hills surrounding the town. No blazing sun peeking through the Momentous clouds, nor was our piercing white moon watching over us, like the world had just stopped still. It was silent on the other sides of these tinted glass walls. The only sound any of us could here were each other’s breath, but just like it appeared, it was gone.

My body shivered from the icy cold weather, so much I could barely get my body to the ledge of the desk, but I made it, even if it was only a few feet. Soon, my breath could be seen, it was becoming very cold, and just like that, the very little light that we did have went out, along with the heater.

"Great...Looks like the electricity finally went out. Well, it’s getting late, we should get some sleep. Vince can you handle taking watch tonight? I’ve done guard the past two nights." Skylar's voice was heard, after not speaking all day.

I felt for Skylar. He had to witness his own brother, Gale, only eleven fall, at the hands of those things, but just like him, we all cried until our eyes were dry, except for Vince. He never sheared a single tear; he seemed more angry, then any other emotion.

"Okay." Vince said, glaring at me, I saw my small reflection in the dark pupils of his eyes.

Unlike his, the zombies had a white glossy cover to them, and the pupil and iris were gone. The only color in their eyes were the Dark intense purple veins, spread throughout the blank white stare they gave you, before they would go at you begging for more than just your looks.

I pressed my hand against the window to give me some leverage while I’d slide down, sitting tightly in the corner. Terra and Skylar snuggled together across from me, and I peeked through the desk admiring their love in this nightmare. Nicole, on the other hand, had already fallen asleep a few feet away from me. My body still shivering, but I got passed that as my sleep won me over.

***
"GO MUSTANGS!" I screamed, cheering our team on, they just scored. To my left was Terra, Yelling random things about the other team. Gale had left to get some pop corn at the concession stand, being run by the fashion club to raise money, and then to my right, was Nicole. Who like usual, was too busy reading a book.

I Just smiled as it came to no surprise, then I leaned down to her, setting my hand on her shoulder, "Having a good time?" Asking her with a joking grin.

Nicole wasn't really a sports kind of girl. She was naturally the bookworm; she always had a great book in her hands, weather it being a good slasher and vampire storyline, down to her bible. For being best friends, me and her, couldn’t be any more different. She was more or less like my little sister. She was the gentle spirit, which getting walked all over, came with the name. This also meant, I stuck up for her, a lot.

"Oh yeah! This book is really good. I love the way the writer defines the small details!" she replied trying to talk over the cheering fans.

"Aheh, that’s great, I should read it after you!" I patted her shoulder, in a ‘you do that’ kind of jester, and returning to my cheering mood.
More then, half the town was here tonight. High school football was one of the only things we had to do. Ashfeild is a very small town, with a population, less then, two thousand. I found it utterly pointless to call it a town; it was more or less, a neighborhood. It has a town hall, very few stores, two high schools, and an elementary school, that serves as a junior high as well. The lack of people in this town, made it difficult to fill both sides of the bleacher.

Tonight, was a good night, and nothing could go wrong. I'm with my closest friends, our team is winning, my dad is working hard at his new job as a security guard, People were so cheerful, and then the dance was going on, everything is just perfect.

Earlier that day I debated whether going to the homecoming dance, or going to the First foot ball game, of this New Year. I mean, it wasn't my first game, being a junior and all that meant I have been too many games. This was the first time in, I don’t know how many years, well, not since my freshmen year, that we were winning, so thank god I went tonight. It's much better than going to a dance, alone.

The opposing team scored, putting our team behind a point, and everyone from our side of the bleachers booed at the other team. This next play would decide if we win or lose, but that was soon to be the last thing on my mind. The cheerleaders were still perky, and faking smiles and the players were getting tired, but were giving it their all. Standing at the top of the bleachers was the best spot to watch. I could see everything.

In seconds panic took over the front row, I looked down curious, and saw a man snapping at a girl’s stomach, ripping her organs from her body, and taking chunks out of her skin; like a wolf eating its prey. Violently eating what it can, as if in a hurry. Soon I heard screams all over the bleachers; it seemed to be happening all around me. My eyes were caught by something in the field, I trailed it, seeing it running across the field; it seemed to be heading at one of the players. It lunged at the boy; pouncing him to the ground, thrashing his head into the boy’s neck, as if it was feeding on the player. The thing was ripping the flesh stretching it off his muscle. Blood covered its mouth.
While I was frozen with fear, thinking I was going to die, the only regret I had, was pushing him away.

“We have to go!” they both repeated, I blinked awaking from my shock impulse like trance.

I followed them, watching every step. Echoes rang in the air as I raced down the metal stairs. My heart thumped irregularly and adrenaline rushed through my veins. It hadn't even been a minute, and blood spats already covered the ground. I gripped the railing to keep my balance in the chaos. Finally, we made it through the insane crowd and slid through the space between the wrecked fence and the back of the bleachers. On one side, there was a construction site for the new gym; at this pace they wouldn't finish it 'till I was long gone and out of that shitty town. We dashed across the recently moved dirt and tractors, and I bent down to snatch a metal rod. In case one of those psychos came after us, I wanted to be ready.
A screech penetrated the air, and I knew what was coming. The dumb blonde Terra panicked and hid well seen next to a pile of girders, taking Gale with her. Nicole and I crouched next to the compact tractor roller. We could hardly see anything; the field lights were the only thing that gave us a sense of direction and mere outlines of objects. We made sure to stay in the shadows. I heard footsteps and then saw a boy rush by. I turned to find what he was running away from, and spotted a disgusting limping dog. Without thinking, I extended my arm to shove my rod through its body. Nicole opened her cell phone to shine more light on it and get a better look.
"Ew, what is that thing?" Terra said, popping out of her hiding spot. Gale followed her, the lights slowly finding him in the shadows.
I nudged the dog with my rod, only to have it twitch a little, but before it had a chance to get up I slammed the metal down on it. Over and over again, blow after blow; I wasn't sure how to kill it or make sure it stayed dead.