Survival or Struggle?

CC and Ashley trudged through the narrow streets, careful not to make too much noise. They knew where to get gas from, but they were also stalling on the medical supplies. Yes, they needed them. But pharmacies are usually crawling with more zombies than either was comfortable with. And hospitals...lets not go there, shall we? Ashley already had a machete out, just in case. He noticed CC didn't bring anything but an aluminum baseball bat with him. With how CC was recently, Ashley didn't think CC really needed a weapon. CC was a weapon unto himself. They stayed silent for another few minutes before CC grunted, getting Ashley's attention.

Ashley looked at CC and simply followed his gaze. There stood a gas station, and if there was a gas station, there would be cartons to fill gas with. All they had to do was make sure that the store was cleared out or empty. They didn't need/want a surprise attack. They've had plenty of those already. And something told Ashley that the surprises probably wouldn't stop for a long while. At least while zombies were present. Ashley simply looked at CC and nodded, gripping his machete more tightly as they both neared the gas station. It turned out to be a little easier than he had planned. There were just three zombies, all in their work uniforms, just milling around. CC took one out and it was easy enough for Ashley to kill the other two.

After that, they got the gas canisters, two for each of them, and went back outside. They filled them up with as much gasoline as they could. Which was about three out of the four canisters. People had probably been through here to do the same thing they were. Ashley sighed, looking a bit dejected.

"Well, the next group to get gas for the gens will have to venture out further. Our walk was only about a half hour away from the complex." Ashley explained as he hefted the two he had compared to CC's one canister.

CC nodded, looking a bit worried but shrugged after a moment. "People need to survive." He said simply. Yeah, well survival sucked sometimes.

"There should be a couple of people who headed out before us working their way around back to here. We can get them to take the gas back while we look for medical supplies." CC suggested, earning a nod from Ashley.

"Easier to carry medical supplies when zombies are around." Ashley said, nodding.

So they waited, and sure enough, some of their survivors rounded a corner. Seeing Ashley and CC, they waved and walked over to them. After explaining their plan, the other group agreed with them and took the gas from them. After wishing them luck, they parted ways. Ashley and CC looked at each other.

"That was easy." CC said shortly. Ashley simply rolled his eyes and nodded before heading on their way.

It was another half hour before CC stopped again and pointed at a building. The lettering was faded, but Ashley could make out that it seemed to be a pharmacy. And there was a bunch of zombies around, they both thought. But it was either this or try a hospital. And they were leaving that as a last resort. No way were either of them stepping foot into one willingly unless they needed to. There were a bunch of zombies, but spaced out enough to where handheld weapons would be safer. And it would also ensure that there wasn't going to more zombies coming around if guns weren't a factor at the moment. So, nodding to each other, they strode over to the zombies nearest to them and started their melee.

Ashley had no trouble taking out the first three, CC about four, when the zombies started lumbering towards them. Ashley thought about taking out his guns, but thought against it. This was quieter, a lot more messier, but quieter. Soon enough, after some near misses from each of them, they managed to get inside. The place looked relatively untouched. Probably because all of the zombies being a deterrent. So, CC went on one end of the store and Ashley to the other. They got all the medical supplies Andy had asked for and got some other goodies. A few people had taken for granted. Rubbing alcohol(cleaned wounds better honestly, doctor masks, rubber gloves, headache medicine(as well as some Pepto and other pain medications), sedatives, tweezers, braces(for legs, arms, backs, they took them all honestly). In all, some pretty good finds.

Ashley and CC came away happy with their finds. Ashley mentally marked this place to come back to. He'd have to tell Andy about this place, they had a map back at the complex anyways. This was an easy enough mission, and Ashley could tell CC didn't look restless anymore, at least not that much. Ashley was happy to have come along as well, they both needed this. They exited the pharmacy carefully, still on guard and alert. They knew surprises would come around every corner. After stepping over the bodies of the newly dead zombies, CC smiled a Ashley.

"Ready to head back?" He asked him.

"Yeah, I'm actually excited to show Andy what we have. I think we've got more than we had last time." Ashley said, chuckling. CC chuckled as well but stopped suddenly.

"What--?" Ashley asked, cutting himself off as he heard it too. Squeaky shoes...?

CC just looked at Ashley, who shrugged. He wasn't sure what he was hearing. That and Ashley was still a bit surprised his hearing was this acute. CC seemed to be fine with it though. CC crept forward, Ashley doing the same. The squeaky noises seemed to be coming down an alleyway they would have to pass anyways. CC stopped and listened, Ashley stopped and peered over CC's shoulder. Whatever it was, it was moving slowly towards the alleyway entrance, seeming to have its face fixated on the wall, mouth agape. Ashley's dread grew, another surprise; of course. CC's backed up, Ashley leaning against the wall to give CC room to move.

And you know, even CC has his off days. Even with being what he is now. His shoe crushed a can, making it sound way louder than it should. CC squeezed his eyes shut, probably mentally cursing himself, Ashley just gritted his teeth and waited. The sound seemed to have become a bit faster, growls more prominent. Ashley got away from the wall and went and pulled CC back a little more, gaining some distance from whatever it was. As the squeaky noise became louder and louder, the zombie finally emerged. Ashley looked out his peripheral vision to see CC's jaw clench.

"A clown. Why does it have to be clowns?" CC asked quietly.

Ashley had a vague suspicion that CC was afraid of clowns. Yes, clowns were scary. But zombie clowns looked absolutely terrifying. There must have been a carnival here or a fair. Or maybe the clown just did birthday parties. Because the paint seemed fresh. But that was all that was fresh about him. The clown's outfit was bloodstained and several chucks were missing from his shoulder, leg and both arms. This guy went down a fighter. And would probably be just as hard a fighter as an undead corpse. The most horrifying thing though was the face. Yes, the eyes and teeth and pallid skin were scary. But most of the flesh of the right side of his jaw was missing.

So when the clown seemed to smile, bits of flesh would hang off, coagulated blood would drip from it, and the teeth would gnash with a horrifying sound of meeting with its own flesh. It sort of made a squelching sounds as his mouth opened and closed. CC and Ashley looked at each other as the zombie clown noticed them. The now undead mans squeaky shoes squeaked as faster as the zombie could make them go. CC sidestepped the zombie, But Ashley made sure to do away with the nightmarish being quickly. As the body fell, Ashley looked at CC.

"Scared of clowns buddy?" He asked.

"Shut up." Was the only reply he got from CC.

Ashley thought that would be the end of it, as they continued their walk back. But Ashley heard it again. Several different squeaks going off seconds before each other. Ashley looked at CC, eyes wide.

"You don't think..." Ashley asked, trailing off.

"That there was more than one?" CC finished. Ashley shuddered, knowing that at the end of this, he too would be terrified of clowns.

So when the first one came out, Ashley handed the other pistol while he aimed with the other. CC took it without question and started firing at the zombie clowns. It felt kind of like a game at the carnival. Kill the Killer Clowns, or some crap like that. And it would be funny...if it wasn't real life as they were shooting these things. The good thing is, the squeaky shoes made it harder for the zombie clowns to move faster. So it was easier to down them. Bad news: there were a lot of them.

"Was there a carnival in town or something?" Ashley shouted over the noise of the gunshots as he continued to shoot the zombie clowns.

"Who knows anymore." CC shouted back.

They went silent after that, getting another few close calls and then...silence. CC and Ashley were breathing heavily, even though they were even running to begin with. They looked at their guns.

"How much you got left?" CC asked.

"Four more. You?" Ashley asked.

"I got five." CC answered back, swallowing in order to get his breath back.

Once they got their breathes back, they started walking again, stepping over the many corpses of the now dead zombie clowns. They didn't say anything, nothing to say really. Ashley didn't think he would have seen anything worse. But he had, he should really stop being surprised about it. CC gave Ashley his other pistol back and Ashley put his own away as well. He took out the machete again and stopped suddenly.

CC stopped too. "What?" he asked, almost impatient.

"We were just here, right?" Ashley asked, looking around the area.

"About maybe a half hour to forty-five minutes ago. Why?" He asked.

"Because the pharmacy is trashed." Ashley stated.

"So?" CC asked again.

"And it looks like someone had kept some of the zombie clowns here." Ashley said, pointing to a discarded clown shoe with a blood trail following to where they had been shooting all of the zombie clowns like a damn carnival game.

"So that means..." CC said, eyes narrowing.

"Someone is following us." Ashley said, finishing CC's thought.

"But who?" CC asked him.

"Crane, or maybe one of his human minions." Ashley said, causing CC to growl in anger.

It was then he heard clapping and both Ashley and CC spun around to see who it was.

"Bravo Ashley. You aren't as dumb as you look." The man said.

"Graves." Ashley ground out, teeth clenched in anger.

"Draven Graves to you. And now I've got you right where I want you. This is both my lucky day and Dr. Crane's." Draven said, smirking evilly.

Notes