Get me out of this god forsaken city
let me start over somewhere new
all my friends have turned up missing
and I can't blame it on my youth
throw my heart in the well of wishing
pay my toll to just move on
ask myself to please forgive me
all my innocence is gone

---

“This mission is suicide.” CC repeated, this time with purposeful calmness and slow deliberate movements of his hands. “If we go to Washington, we are dead. You understand that, don’t you? Dead!” Under the fluorescent light he seemed like a madman, scraping through the walls of his enclosure.

“Of course, Christian. But wouldn’t you do anything to help these innocent people, even sacrifice yourself?” Inquired the sheriff. He displayed theatrical shock at CC’s words. “This is your duty.” No, it was no mans duty to go on a suicide mission against his will.

“I’ve done a lot for you.” Thundered CC, he then turned to the growing audience. “I’ve done a lot, for all of you. But I am not risking my life for this bullshit!” With the final bellow he stormed out of the courtroom. Jake soon trailed after him in silent haste, his stammering footsteps clicked through the dark corridors to the exit.

Moments later, the cadillac roared to life and its wheels screeched against the tarmac. It was soon gone.

The sheriffs eyes skirted over the remainder of the group. “And the rest of you. Will you follow their foolish steps or will you prove to be the true soldiers of God and do what is right?” The fuming man demanded, his stubby fat fingers rolled into fists which were forced into the cracked and scratched surface of the table in front of him.

“Forget it.” Ashley said softly, stepping away from the souring limelight. He was in disbelief of the arrogance of the man whose orders he had followed so obediently. “You are mad, old man.” With those softly spoken words Ash left, his swift steps echoed in the empty distant corridors. No attempt was made of stopping him.

Sweat began to drip down the sheriff’s crimson forehead. “Do not expect to be welcomed back so easily. The gates will be closed! We do not welcome wretched Godless things like you!” He grated through his teeth in a voice which was reaching a desperate tone and pointed in accusation.

“We don’t want your ‘warm’ welcome.” Spat Andy at the sheriff, he glared down at the pathetic man with sheer disgust. “We are not your soldiers. Send your own friends, no, brothers into death, don’t think of touching mine.” He then followed the steps of his companions with Jinxx by his side who didn’t waste any words on the shrivelling Godless man.

“And what about the promise! What about your wife, Jinxx!” It was the last of the desperation, the last attempt to tie chains around at least one of the wretched.

The words pierced through Jinxx. He froze half cast in the light. “Without us, who will find her, huh?” The sneer in the sheriff’s voice appeared again.

“Jinxx, let’s go. He will never find her.” Andy barked. He knew how harsh the truth sounded, how drowning it was, but it is better than being tied down by lies. He tried to pull the man into the dark, but he kept rooted to the ground.“There was never a promise, he lied!” Andy attempted again to shake his friend from the moment of doubt.

Jinxx finally forced himself to shift towards the exit, but before he merged with the shadows he turned to the perplexed gathered and called to them, “Thank you sir, I guess, for teaching me to never make a deal with the devil.” Then he paced quickly after Andy, to escape the suffocating atmosphere of the court house leaving the men sat in shocked silence at the outrageous comments made.

Outside, what was left of the cadillac were only the tire marks and the distant gaping gates of the barricade. Ashley remained waiting by his vehicle, his machine gun was already slung over one shoulder and a hand clenched over the smooth plastic casing. The man had a look of desperation in his eyes and a need to escape, to disappear.

“They said to catch up, we are going to Ely.” Stated Ash in a distracted tone as he climbed into the drivers seat of the mustang.

“What’s in Ely?” Jinxx wondered as he took on of the backseats while Andy was in the front passenger seat. A jittery, giddy mood took over them, it was a static energy that crackled through the air just before a thunder storm. It was the excitement for a change, like spontaneously quitting your day job and moving to a different city with a different dream. Something that you have always considered but never dared to do.

“A good 60 miles between us and this.” The brisk sardonic answer came from Andy, instead of Ashley. His grin grew wider as Ash pressed harshly on the gas peddle forcing out a roar out of the ageing motor.

Once they sped through the gates ignoring the confused glances of the resident survivors an excited glow took over Andy. He felt like a teenager who snuck out of his parents house during the night for the first time.

Rebellious. Free.

They drove into the cascading night, under the stars and with no desire to look back, only forward. Their tools of the trade close by their side; Guns, machetes and rifles just in the arms reach. Unbound and no thoughts of yesterday. Even the lock of silence seemed to have began lifting from Jinxx, who smiled freely and spoke without stutter.

There was remorse too. It was hard to admit that everyone of them had became attached to the town of Eureka. It felt a shame, doing so much for it and then leaving everything behind. A waste. Like leaving a town in which you grew up, matured, broke your first bone, broke your heart for the first time and on the streets you mended it in a flare of youth.

---

Miles after miles passed by in the static night. The winds never seemed to calm, they swirled in their chaotic dance and scratched against the glass with their malicious needle sharp nails. The scenery never changed. The same star lit grey dunes littered with rock and drying weeds.

Crooked shrunk building began to grow in the distance, a tiny cluster of stores and houses, a road side town which must have gulped the unfortunate taste of the new plague. The travellers were welcomed by the sight of a familiar frankenstein cadillac with a flickering glare and the echoing of gunshots.

“Sounds like they started the party without us.” Laughed Ash as he checked the amo in his machine gun and secured the machetes on his shoulders. They followed the sounds of arms firing and hissed curses soon finding Jake and CC cutting through hoards of spitting, growling corpses that lumbered towards the two men with great speed.

With a relentless battle cry Ash began to cut the corpses’ tendons sending them toppling to the ground. The earsplitting crackle of Jinxx’s assault rifle soon joined in, contributing to the mush of flesh and bullet shells at their feet.

Andy didn’t hold back either this time. In the great flurry he brought down rows of the undead and stepped through the display of broken bones beneath his feet and splatter of unrecognisable ooze spewing organs. The brisk winded breaths would clutch in Andy’s chest as he would feel the fleshless finger clutch onto the fabric of his clothes, pulling him into the parasitic inferno.

When the bullets ran out they reverted to using brute force, to the blades hidden in their clothes or what they could find by their feet, even if it meant using broken shards of bones. Even when the battle ended the world was still a blur of colour and the steady beat of the heart pounding in your ears. This was the cluster madness of adrenaline that would not subside from the bloodstream until you collapsed on the ground asleep or drank a fair amount of some strong spirits.

“What a way to celebrate.” Ash spoke breathlessly, exhilarated, as he wiped the blood on his machetes onto the shreds of clothing on the remaining stone still corpses. “Better than booze and strip clubs.”

“Can’t agree. At least you aren’t on the edge of dying at strip clubs.” Commented Jake as he emptied the and replenished magazines from his handguns.

“You are if you are a pensioner.” Snorted Ash, earning a burst of adrenaline fuelled laughter from everyone, he began to climb over the rotting mess beneath his feet with comical disgust displayed on his face.

As the adrenaline began to drain, only then Andy noticed the fatigued that pulled at his mind, attempting to cradle him into the warmth of the darkness. Only with a firm hand on his shoulder did he manage not to collapse onto the ground below his feet without having a care in the world where he lands.

That night, Andy was not disturbed by dreams of distant memories of golden hair and hazel eyes, of distant weeping broken by a gunshot. That night he found warmth and safety in the arms of today and freedom that pulled him forward into the new morning.

---

Racing faster,
Escape disaster,
Partners in crime will leave their mark
We make our own way,
No thoughts of yesterday,
Black hearts of chrome and battle scars

Notes

As a thank you to all of you for reading this story we decided to post this chapter a day early. A little pathetic, yeah, not much, I agree. But we are rather excited to create and publish, and for once we are actually rather proud of what we made.

So far, the cowriter and I came to agreement that we will attempt to post every wednesday and sunday. So far two drafts of complete chapters have been created, so yeah... See ya all on wednesday! GOOD LUCK IN SCHOOL.