Chapter 3: Metamorphosis

After carefully searching the bodies, and around the store again; I came up with nothing. "In the end, I guess I have to Hollywood style it huh.." Making my way back up to the lock, I started to take the clip out of my gun's magazine. I was determined to get the door open, whether that meant for me to shoot or bash the lock; I'll try it.

*Bang*

With one shot from the gun, the lock fell off of the door and to the ground. Luckily the shooting coming from outside covered for me; otherwise I'd be in a tight spot right now. Opening the door with my left hand, I kept the nose of the gun aiming into the room. As a pair of hands grabbed my right arm and yanked it down. Putting me off-balance and yanking me to the ground.

I looked through the crack of the just in time to see zombie in the room bite down on my wrist as pain erupted throughout my arm. The force of the bite caused me to drop my gun-In a panic as I snatched my hand away and kicked the metal door closed. I cradled my injured hand and saw a bloody bite mark. -The gunshots outside faded to screams, as the zombie I closed off in the room bursted through the metallic door. Causing me to scream in horror as The zombie lunged at me, only to be stopped by a swift a kick to the head; knocking it off balance. Enough time for me to pull out my combat knife and send it through the corpse's and head-ending it.

I used my other arm to prop myself up. Fortunately this gas run proved to be worthwhile- other than me pretty much Getting up and heading towards the now opened door, I could see two gasoline-filled jugs. If only those thing would have been there with out the zombie.

--Now--

"Look I know that our situation seems bad right now but if we sacrifice the gas, even a little bit of it, there's not really a guarantee that we'll be able to escape."

"Guys..I'm bitten.."

Both boys turned to look at me silently, with Ethan being the first to react.

"How long has it been since you've been bitten?"

"It's been about five minutes..but I may be able to survive this right?"

I looked down at my arm, and rolled up my sleeves to reveal the bloody mess. The bite mark has since turned black with purple veins running across it. I looked at Ethan who in turn, turned away from me. The room went silent until Sean's gunshots and the continuous groaning of zombies drawing near snapped us back into reality.

"Ethan cover me while I go grab some matches"

"Sean, we're not sacrificing the gas! That's the whole reason for us being out here!"

"Yeah..well I'm not gonna get myself killed over gas! As for you Jamie..I think is be best to amputate your whole arm, seeing as though you aren't showing any symptoms yet. Taking a spot next to me, Sean grabbed a roll of bandages out of his bag as well as a pack of matches and started wrapping up my bite wound as well as the rest of my arm too.

I closed my eyes and did my best to control my breathing, after all the wound did come with a burning-stinging sensation. Sean is nothing short of amazing; He has shouldered the weight of the apocalypse and his family's death all the while trying to survive. Same goes for the rest of us. We've all had the hardest time of our live in this.

The shock of it hadn't sunk in yet. Or else they were just trying to be optimistic, I knew it was only a matter of time, but right now isn't the time to be crying. I couldn't imagine what kind of pain Sean is going through or at least what he is thinking about, losing his family and now watching a friend slowly die..Must be a hard thing to bear witness too.

"Look, we are not going to waste a jug of gas because someone wanted to go off without the group. We've been spared only because we were rational thinkers!"

Sean stopped and looked up at Ethan, the rage and pain in his eyes was like a physical blow, or in other words a warning to shut up. "I'm sorry Jp, we wasn't here for you." "I'm sorry." He repeated. "Sean, what's done is done. Theres nothing we can do no-." Ethan stopped as soon as he was about to finish. Could he be even more insensitive?

"Guys..we're leaving one can, I don't wanna hear any arguments. It time to go"

Ethan and I nodded at Sean's stern command. I couldn't see his face due to his dreads covering it, but as he finished wrapping my arm up. I caught a glimpse of a defeated frown.

My heart tightened-I wanted to say something, maybe to lighten up the mood a bit but I couldn't. Sean flashed me a soft smile and walked away, grabbing one of the cans of gas and sawing at it with his combat knife and eventually creating a giant hole at the top. -To which he proceeded to douse the zombies closest to the window with gasoline and igniting them with a few matches.

"Sean..? Are you ok?" The boy shook his head. He could feel his face heating up as his heart was constricting along with a certain emotion rising. on his heels--yet, he just sat there. "Maybe we could...just...sit down for a while?" Sean nodded, as Aliyah sat herself down, finding the strength to move closer to the boy and wrap a hand around the other Sean's waist. Sean however, doesn't push her away, he just sat there. Frozen in the moment. The light emanating from the fire, proved to be no help. "I have to go." Aliyah nodded as Sean got up and made his way towards and into his tent.

"This was supposed to be a quick and easy mission..everything was going well until those raiders showed up".

''Bucha idiots they are'' A voice called from behind him. "They got themselves killed!"

"What do you want Ethan!?"

"Look..I'm sorry for what I did, but we couldn't take any chances, I did it for the camp Sean."

"You did it for yourself.."