"Welcome," he beamed. "This is my home away from home, so make yourself at home."
"In a cemetery?"
"It's not that bad. It's pretty serene. Plus the dead stay dead here. No rising from the grave so far."
"Still doesn't make it any less creepy."
"Oh, don't be such a Debbie Downer. Sit down. Let's talk."
He sat down and I sat down across from him. I placed my bag beside me and watched him do the same. He lit a fire with a lighter creating a warm glow amongst the chilly gloom.
"So what happened to the fancy stick?" I scoffed. "You actually managed to impress me out there.”
"Really? It's just something I made using junk at the junkyard. A spear. It took me forever to make” he blushed as I rolled my eyes. “I fashioned it after my favorite video game-"
"Ugh, videogames. You sound like Audrey."
"Who?"
"Nevermind.”
“Well, I left it at the front gate if you want to look at it.”
“No. I don’t.”
“Ok. Ok. Well, I bet this will put a smile on your face." He smirked and reached for his backpack. He pulled out a packet of small spongy cakes. He held it up like a trophy, ripped it open, took out one, and bit into it. He then held the packet out to me. A mouth full of cake, he offered me the other. "Twinkie?"
"No, thanks," I frowned. He seemed disappointed but continued eating. I studied his face now getting a good look. He looked to be banged up a bit. He even seemed to be sporting a shiner and bruises to go with it. Poor guy. My eyes then scan the place as he chomped down on the second cake. I felt unease. Not because of the creepy choice of setting, but for the living who might come by. "So you sure this place is secure?"
"Yep. Along as the gate is closed, they stay out. Maybe one or two might squeeze in -”
“No. I mean the living.”
“Oh. Well, not even my sister knows about this place. Also, most strangers stay clear of places like this, so we’re good."
"Are you sure? No one followed you?"
"Follow me?! No way! They don't care about me or where I go. My sister does, but only when she remembers I'm related to her," he huffed. "Besides, they sent me out on a supply run. They've been sending me out for a lot of supply runs lately. To get me out the way I guess. They probably think I'll be gone for days since they sent me on some stupid hunt for watch batteries. Jokes on them, I found them already. Ha!"
"How about Jade though?"
"What about her?"
"Well, last I left you she was knocked out on the floor thanks to your genius thinking and you were going make up some bullshit story to save your ass. What happened with that?"
"Well, she woke up. That's for sure. She was a bit confused and dizzy at the time so she brought my story. Didn't make her any less angry though. She yelled a lot. Asked me a bunch of questions and yelled some more."
"Oh. So is that who gave you that shiner?"
"The black eye," he asked touching it hesitantly. He shook his head. "No. Ace did this but it's nothing. I've had worse."
"Worse?"
"Yeah. Let's just say I don't keep medical supplies around just for kind strangers like you," he chuckled. He then sighed. "He just gets really angry and frustrated with me is all. After Jade told him my story about getting jumped, he told me I should have done something. Said I was useless. Then he punishes me...with his fist."
I shook my head. "You should leave them."
"But my-"
"Your sister. Yeah, I know, but it's not fair to you. Does she even try to stop it? Does she do anything?"
"She tries to talk him down and she has kept him from killing me so far."
"That's fucked up."
"I'm fine. Really. Don't worry about me," he smirked. He fidgeted a bit and threw his twinkie wrapper to the side. He then grabbed another one. "You sure don't want one? Here take one."
He handed it to me, but I had no interest in cake or food at the moment. I placed it on top of my bag beside me. I looked up at him and his mouth was already full of cake. I groaned. "Enough with the twinkies!"
"You don't like them?"
"They're fine, but I didn't come here to stuff my face, kid. I came here-"
"For Gemma."
"Bingo. You know her?"
"Yeah. Redhead, right? Tall, pale, insane."
"Yeah. Exactly. Definitely nuts. She part of your crew, right?"
"Yeah. Unfortunately," he mumbled. He tensed up and look downward. "When you said Gemma, I thought the name sound familiar. I wasn't entirely sure. Then it came back to me. You're talking about Big Red."
"Who?"
"Big Red. Her codename is Red Devil, but everybody calls her Big Red. Have you come across her or something?"
"Have I come across her? She's in my house right now. Well, where me and my friends are staying at least. She just showed up one day-"
"Wait! You said she's at your house?" he gasped. "Oh, God. Are you serious?"
"Yeah. She's tied up in our kitchen now-"
"That doesn't matter. You're like in serious danger," he shrilled. He then began grumbling to himself. "They never tell me anything. Shit. Of all the things to not to tell me..."
"Hey! Hey!" I snarled. I snapped my fingers in his face. "Talk to me. What's up?"
He came back to attention. His eyes wide and the color draining from his face. "Has anyone died since she's been there?"
"Meh. No. Not really. We had an old lady named Grace die, but that was before she came and the corpses killed her."
"Well, you're lucky. That's a damn miracle. You see Red takes pleasure in killing. She kills people. She likes toying with them first and then she lets them turn. Sometimes she lets them turn and watches them devour loved ones. She thinks it's funny. She's a psychopath and Ace loves her for it. She’s like his little pet," he said. "He sends her in when he wants a bloodbath, so I don't get it. You should be dead by now."
"Well, we're not and she's tied up. Maybe we got the better of her."
"Of her. Ha! If she wants to kill you... if she wants to get free, she will. She knows how to manipulate people to get what she wants. Trust me. She won't stay tied up for long," he warned. "Hmm...the only reason you're still alive because Ace had to order her not to. That's the only thing that makes sense."
"Why would Ace order her not to? Is that his usual thing?"
"No. Not at all. He takes pleasure in sick shit like Red, but he's a lot more tamer about it I guess. Still strange. At less...," he pondered. He then gasped. "At less, he needs you alive."
I scoffed. "For what?"
"I don't know. It's the only explanation I got though."
"You're hopeless. Do they really not tell you anything?" I sighed. "What about the Ace? What's his deal?"
"Ace aka Johnathan? He's just a power-hungry asshole who takes his jollies on preying on the weak and stealing from them. Who needs to find supplies or food when you can make someone else do it for you," he scowled. "But he didn't start off like that. He was a jerk but he was fairly normal when we met him. Part of me pities him."
"Really?"
"Yeah. Like you, he had a daughter, but he lost her doing this. It broke him. The way she died and everything. It truly broke him."
I started to ask how she died but part of me was afraid. People dying in this mess was enough to mess with your head, but losing a child...that was something else. I thought back to the zombified little girl and I got chills. I then thought of my daughter. Was Mya alive?
Both of us then froze as we heard something. It sounded like it was right behind me. The crinkling of paper? I quickly stood up and look back. A hand was reaching out from behind a gravestone and bushes. It had managed to pull my bag closer to them and its fingers felt around on top of my bag. It grabbed the Twinkies and I grabbed its wrist. It was no way it was a corpse. I pulled out my gun and pulled the intruder towards me. I gasped.
"Audrey?!"
"What? You're weren't eating them and I got hungry," she whined. I let her go and she grab the spongy cakes. "You don't want it right?"
Audrey gets those Twinkies in Part 3.
P.S. I wish someone would make a normal looking wooden spear and Twinkies is a nod to Zombieland. xD
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