Anthology of Horror Stories

Zombies, Murder, and Mystery

By Daphne Haydens

Copyright @2019

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without permission in writing from the publisher, Daphne Haydens.

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Table of Contents

Doug Up

Chapter 2: The Tool

Chapter 3: The Awful Dream

Chapter 4: Another Dream

Chapter 5: Issues

Chapter 6: Action

Chapter 7: All Good Now

The Truth

Chapter 1: Foreseeing Everything

Chapter 2: The Infamous Thing

Chapter 3: The Life

Chapter 4: Speeding

Chapter 5: Impending Doom

Chapter 6: Trouble Came

Chapter 7: Battling to the End

Chapter 8: Calamity

Chapter 9: Recognition

Beasts from the Underworld

Chapter 1: Science

Chapter 2: The Army

Chapter 3: Arguing a Lot

Chapter 4: The Monster Is Alive

Chapter 5: City Scape

Chapter 6: Planning

Chapter 7: Defeat

Chapter 8: Friendship

Back in Time

Chapter 1: Out in Nature

Chapter 2: The Campout

Chapter 3: Weird Things

Chapter 4: The Threat

Chapter 5: Back at the Town

Chapter 7: Raids

Chapter 8: The Shady Beasts

Zombie Outbreak

Chapter 1: Anguish

Chapter 2: Where It All Began

Chapter 3: The Note We Got

Chapter 4: Journey right across the Country

Chapter 5: All the Survival Stories

Chapter 6: Risky

Chapter 7: All New

Ghosts in the Village

Story 2: Caution

Schizo Skeleton

Chapter 1: The Undead

Chapter 2: All the Voices in My Head

Chapter 3: The Stolen Thing

Chapter 4: The Destruction

Chapter 5: Plans of the Wicked

Chapter 6: Always Safe

Chapter 7: The Last Battle

Chapter 8: The Dead Are Dead

Killer Beast

Chapter 1: The Coop

Chapter 2: The Way You See It

Chapter 3: The Confrontation

Chapter 4: Taken by the Wind

Chapter 5: No Ordinary Rabbit

Chapter 6: Murderous and Fluffy

Chapter 7: Eating It

The Standoff

Chapter 1: Really Proving Myself

Chapter 2: The Math Test

Chapter 3: The Basketball Match

Chapter 4: The Construction Site

Chapter 5: The Drive Test

Chapter 6: Dancing Away

Chapter 7: Negotiating

Chapter 8: Saw That?

The Apocalypse in School

Chapter 1: To Kill or Not to Kill

Chapter 2: Let's Get Out Already

Chapter 3: The Start of It All

Chapter 4: Tons of Zombies Coming at Us

Chapter 5: One Particular Zombie

Chapter 6: A Distinct Group

Chapter 7: The Scientific Experiment

Chapter 8: The Future Is Bright

The Rivalry

Chapter 1: The Hairbrush

Chapter 2: Payback

Chapter 3: Why?

Chapter 4: Zombie Stallion

Chapter 5: Pursuing It

Chapter 6: The Last Time They Fight

Chapter 7: Friends Forever and Ever

Zombies Will Die

Chapter 2: The Hardest Kill I've Ever Made

Chapter 3: The Life I Had

Chapter 4: Worrying Events

Chapter 5: The Illness Was Dispersing

Chapter 6: An Interesting Fact

Chapter 7: Killing Them All

Chapter 8: And I Went Back

The Misunderstanding

Chapter 1: His Side

Chapter 2: Her Side

Chapter 3: Zombies Are Coming

Chapter 4: The Secret Pathway

Chapter 5: The Visit

Chapter 6: Sneaking Back into the Village

Chapter 7: The Forever Note

Chapter 8: The End Thing

Silly Ghost Girl

Chapter 1: My Individual Path

Chapter 2: Ghosts Were My Thing

Chapter 3: The Fight

Chapter 4: Accidents Happen

Chapter 5: Angry

Chapter 6: Not Good

Chapter 7: The Way to Be

Chapter 8: Better Acceptance

Doug Up
Chapter 1: Darwin the Digger

My name is Darwin. Pretty paradoxical, because this journal is really all about something I dug up. I was a building worker. I lived in a decent-sized town with a ton of miners. There was a mine near and I went to work every day. Since I was single, I was pretty content with my living circumstances and didn't feel like I had to please anybody besides myself.

But the series of events that occurred sometime in July, changed my perspective on life. Furthermore, my little house ended up being a symbol of everything that can go wrong in life.

One day, I was on my way home, when I saw my neighbor operating in his garden.

" Hi there, neighbor," I said. "What are you doing?"

" My wife wants the weeds gone. It's a ton of work," he said.

" What's the point?" I asked. "They will grow back anyhow."

" I know. That's what I kept telling her, but she didn't want to hear it. Instead, she handed me a shovel, a rake, and some other stuff. I have been digging for 2 hours. I am permitted back in to eat supper when it's done."

" Ha-ha! That just goes to show you who is wearing the pants in the family."

" Ah, just wait until you are married, man. We'll see if you'll end up the same way."

" Do not try to dissuade me," I said. "I know marriage isn't everything, but I would love to start that happily-ever-after life at some point."

" All the best to you. It's not for everybody. Some people die without that chance. I was just lucky."

" I am glad you see it that way. I have to go. Have fun in the yard."

" Yeah, right. Depend upon your meaning of fun," he mumbled, but I had already gone inside.

I put my miner's helmet on the table and sat down on the couch. When I put my feet up, my little wiener dog jumped on my lap.

" Owen," I said. "I am glad to see you. I had a long day at work. The mines had plenty of minerals and valuable blocks. But now I can relax. How was your day?"

" Woof! Woof!" Owen said.

" Of course your day was good. You're a pet dog. You don't have to work," I said while chuckling.

I sat back in my chair and poured some juice into a cup. I took a sip and said, "Aaaah, this is the good life."

That's when I fell asleep.

I do not know just how long I slept, but it probably wasn't long, as before I knew it, I heard Owen bark.

" Woof! Woof! Woof!"

" Huh? What's going on?" I said.

Owen was running backward and forward, as if he was trying to show me something. I followed him and wound up in the garden. When I came there, I discovered what he was barking about.

Chapter 2: The Tool

In the corner of my garden, there was a shiny thing. It was partially covered by sand. I bent over to know what it was, but there was only a small part standing out of the ground.

" Time to get the shovel," I said.

" Woof! Woof!" Owen concurred.

I went to the shed behind my home and got the shovel. I began digging like insane, as I was curious to see what it was.

" Umpf ... I'm getting a little tired, Owen," I said. "I have already been working throughout the day."

Ultimately, I made it through and took out the glossy thing.

" Wow!" I exclaimed. "It's a golden pickaxe! Those are pretty costly!"

This was excellent. I had been wanting one of these for a while, but I never put the money away to buy one. I went back inside and put it near the front door. Satisfied with life, I leaned back in my chair again and drank another sip of my juice.

" Tomorrow ..." I said.

The next day, I left my stone pickaxe in the house and took my golden pickaxe. It was great. My colleagues, the other miners gave me jealous looks.

" Where did you get that?" one of them asked.

" From my yard," I said. "It was just there and I dug it up."

" Ha! Darwin dug it up. That's the pun of the day."

" You know, one of those pickaxes recently disappeared in the town," one of the guys said.

" I didn't know that," I said. "What took place?"

" Well, if we knew that, it wouldn't be gone anymore, now, would it?"

" I guess not," I said. I thought for a moment. "Hey! You're not implying that I took this, are you?"

" I'm not suggesting anything," my co-worker said. "All I am saying, is that this could be the exact same one. If you claim that you found it in your backyard, then who am I to judge you? The question you need to ask yourself is: How did it end up there?"

" You're right. I do not know," I said. "But I am not complaining. I like it."

" Well, you've worked hard, Darwin. You deserve it. Enjoy it. Maybe we'll learn where it originated from after all, huh?"

" Yes, maybe."

It made me think, but I didn't have all the answers. How was I supposed to know? I just found it. When I went home that night, I was tired. The pickaxe came in handy; it was simple to deal with, but to get more done, I worked even harder than usual. So I was just as tired anyway.

I did the exact same thing as the night before. I sat back on my chair, cuddled my pet, Owen, and drank a sip from my juice.

Then I dropped off to sleep in my comfortable chair.

Chapter 3: The Awful Dream

I was in the streets of some giant metropolitan area. It was dark and the streets were filled with a spooky fog, blended together with the smell of wet pet dogs and sweat. I didn't know how I wound up there. It was a mystery to me.

When I sought to the side, I knew where the odors were coming from. A homeless person with his pet was sleeping underneath several blankets, and his bag of stuff was filled with food leftovers from the previous day. I reached over and put several coins in his hat, which was lying next to him, upside down on top of the pet.

I looked the other way and saw a girl run at me.

" Whoa, what's going on?" I asked her as she approached me.

" Help! Help me!" she uttered. "I am being chased by an explosive beast."

I clinched her and made certain she didn't trip. Then I slowly helped her and sat her down beside the beggar, who had woken up by that time. He was rubbing his eyes and didn't think anything of the situation.

The green beast was coming. I knew it; I felt it, but I was going to protect this girl from him. The monster happened the corner. Its shape was showing against the light. It had the shape of a monster, but it wasn't just any green monster. It had a red coat.

It made me laugh and shiver at the exact same time. My mind was going nuts. While the cells in my brain were lining up the info in front of me and asked the question why a beast would have a red coat, half of my body ended up being numb for a second or 2, realizing that this beast could run to me and blow up in our faces.

And it came.

The explosive monster ran at me.

It ran much faster and faster, so I ran towards it. Out of thin air, the golden pickaxe appeared in my hand. I held it firm with my consistent grip, uninformed of its origin.

I ran at the monster and tried to kill it with my pickaxe.

All set ...

" Gaaaaargh!" I yelled.

I practically hit it, but the monster ducked and ran straight previous me. I stopped. I turned around and saw the beast run at the girl. It was completely out to get her, not me. That's why it avoided me and went towards its target.

The monster started to flicker.

" Nooo!" I exclaimed.

But it was too late. The beast blew up. The beggar and the girl died. When I went towards the scene of death, her dead hand was holding a piece of red cloth she had ripped from the beast.

I couldn't save her.

" Nooo!" I screamed again.

Then I got up. I panted heavily. It had all been a dream. I was relieved when reality occurred to me.

Owen was taking a look at me with a surprised face. This pet certainly didn't understand what had happened in my mind while I was asleep.

" It's alright, Owen," I said. "It was just a dream."

Or was it?

Chapter 4: Another Dream

The next day, when I went to work, I felt a little drowsy. I wasn't too sure of what had occurred to me, but it was like the dream of the previous night was cursing my perception of reality and was covering my eyes with a thick cloud of darkness.

I didn't like it, to say the least.

I kept digging with the golden pickaxe, regardless of the absence of attention from my colleagues-- it wasn't news anymore that I had one-- and went straight home after work. I opened the door, greeted my pet dog, and ate some bread with butter and a little bowl of soup. I sat down and had fun with Owen for several minutes, until he got on my lap and went to sleep.

I was next.

I went to sleep too.

Another dream began. I found myself sitting on the steps of my backdoor that led into my yard. I looked into the distance and got up. Everything seemed calm till I heard a troubling, spine-chilling sound in the distance. It originated from the opposite side of the fence. I walked towards the fence and looked over it by pulling myself up a little.

" Baaah!”

A dark shade was shouting in my face for a second and then teleported to the opposite side of my garden, within the fence. I was shocked, so much that I fell over. When I looked at it, it teleported again.

Then I saw the golden pickaxe I had found previously. It was stuck in the ground. I got it and rushed at the dark shade. The dark shade teleported away and averted my attack. Then it chuckled with a laugh so evil that it made me shiver with worry.

I looked at the pickaxe. It flew up in the air and turned into my direction.

" What the ...?" I said, squinting my eyes to understand the reality of what was happening.

The pickaxe came at me! It was flying at me, attempting to kill me!

" Whaaaaah!" I screamed, and I tried to open the door to the house.

Why was it locked? I didn't lock the door! Who locked the door? The dark shade? Where was the key? I need to get out of here! Let me in!

" Let me in! Open up!" I screamed.

I turned my head and saw the golden pickaxe come at me. This was it. It was going to kill me.

" Whoa!" I said, as I sat up. The environment had changed. I was in my room again. I looked at Owen, who was still sleeping on my lap. This, too, had been a dream, a nightmare in which I almost got killed by the very pickaxe I had found.

Odd.

Chapter 5: Issues

Another day, another expectation of dull routine at work.

" Has anything took place in the home recently?" someone asked me at work.

" Very little. I have just been having strange dreams," I replied.

" Ah, I have had those too. It's the season. I hate fall. Everybody gets colds, and it's that unusual temperature when a shift between warm and rainy weather happens."

" I know what you're talking about," I said.

When he was gone, I added, "But that's most likely not it. There is something else ... something fishy is going on here."

I looked at the golden pickaxe I had brought to work and hit it into the rocks. It was almost as if some quaint power was emanating from this average-looking tool. I couldn't put my finger on it, but I knew something was wrong. Still, I continued to use it.

That night, I went home and fell down on the sofa; on purpose naturally, as I was just tired.

Owen was in the kitchen area. He was already sleeping, so I just closed my eyes and decided to space out for a while.

But I fell asleep, and another nightmare took place. I was in another part of our town. It was on the opposite side, where I normally didn't go. But I recognized it however. I was roaming through the streets, wondering what I was doing there in the first place. My first impulse was to go back home. I knew I had to arrive before dark, because I didn't trust the streets at night, no matter how small our town was.

Something was just behind me. I didn't know what, but I was scared to look. When I finally had the guts to turn my head, I saw a girl.

But not just any girl; it was the girl I had met in the previous dream!

" You live!" I said. "You didn't get killed by the monster, did you?"

She moved her head in an unnatural way, something that frightened me. Then she put her hands forward and came at me.

" Huh? What?"

She was a zombie! I recognized the odd walking pattern, the moaning, and other indications. I knew she was a zombie, and she was chasing me.

" Keep away from me!" I shouted as I ran into the opposite direction.

She was acquiring on me, and I was getting lost in the town streets. And after that it took place: I tripped and fell flat on my face.

" Ouch!”

I rubbed the dirt off my face and looked up. The zombie girl came closer and closer. She bent over and attacked me.

Then I got up.

" Pfew!" I said. "This is going too far. Where did all these problems originate from? I mean, just several seconds ago, I practically ended up being zombie food."

I took a look around me as if I was looking for the answer to my own question. And the answer was right there: The golden pickaxe. It was leaning against the wall in the corner of my living-room.

" What does this pickaxe pertain to the girl I keep seeing? What are the monsters? And why is there always someone dying in these dreams?"

I was turning into a little dream investigator, and to be truthful, I type of liked figuring out what was going on in my head. But, again, I couldn't put my finger on it. It was like a big blur, an unsolved secret.

Would I ever learn how all these dreams were related? Maybe I had to do something myself. Perhaps I needed to act.

Chapter 6: Action

The next day was a Saturday. I didn't have to go to work that day, so instead, I chose to return to my backyard and dig some more.

I didn't know what I was going to find, but I was determined to find some answers. I was ill of the headaches, but I didn't just want to chuck the golden pickaxe into the garbage. I had to get to the bottom of this ...

Literally ...

And the bottom of my garden was still far away, so without wasting time, I ate some breakfast and grabbed my shovel. Owen joined me outside, keeping me business in the process. It was hot that day, and the sweat was drenching my shirt, so I took it off.

" Howdy, neighbor," the next-door neighbor said as he looked over the fence and saw me dig. "What are you doing?"

I looked at him with a sarcastic look on my face. "What does it appear like? I am digging," I said.

" I can see that, but why?"

" To get a hole in my yard," I said. "Duh."

" But what for? Are you going to build a pool, or did you lose something?"

" A pool," I lied. I wasn't going to clarify my sudden urge to dig. He wouldn't understand. So he shrugged and left me.

I dug and dug. I dug throughout the day. Owen helped out a few times too, although he didn't get as far as I did. The neighbor returned in the evening.

" Still digging?" he asked. "Why don't you take a break?"

" I already have," I said. "I drank water about ten times today. Why do you think I haven't lost consciousness yet?"

When I said it, I all of a sudden felt the aching muscles in my shoulders and arms. It was a lot of work, and the unusual thing was that I didn't even know if I was going to find something. I just expected the best.

" Well, do not get careless," the neighbor said. "Some of the sand got thrown into my yard. Please watch where you throw that stuff."

I looked at him and said, "You know, there are other things I can do with this shovel too, like killing, breaking down somebody's fence, smashing somebody's windows, striking the neighbor; and there are many other choices."

He ended up being terrified and chose to leave me alone. Precisely what I was aiming for. Good.

A half hour later, I suddenly saw something. It was like hair or something. I kept digging around it and moved some of the sand with my hands. "Owen, come here," I said.

" Woof! Woof!”

Then I went back.

" Whoa," I said.

It was hair! But the worst of all, was that it was an entire head. It was a dead corpse!

" Ew," I said. "Where did this originated from?"

A little nervous, I kneeled in front of the head and dug out the remainder of the body. And to my surprise, it was the girl I had seen in my dreams. One of her fists was clenched, as if she was holding on to something. I pulled the fingers back and was stunned.

" The red piece of cloth," I said in amazement. "Who would have thought?"

Immediately, I asked my other neighbor (not the bothersome one) to go get a law enforcement officer.

Chapter 7: All Good Now

The next day, the crime was solved. The law enforcement officer had appeared at my home and had called over forensics groups and private investigators to find out what had happened.

I was being questioned, obviously, and I told them precisely what my experience was, how I found the pickaxe, the nightmares, and the digging till I found the dead girl.

" Do you recognize you resolved our puzzle for us with your unusual dreams?" Officer Daniel asked.

" I don't comprehend," I said. "I told you every little thing. Why am I back here? I told you that I didn't know the girl, and that I didn't do it."

" That girl was assaulted," he started. "Obviously, a boy was trying to rob her. He had a golden pickaxe with him, something he had taken that exact same day. But his greed didn't end, so he made an effort to get her bag and run off with it. When she withstood, he became exceptionally violent. Still, she held onto her bag and wouldn't let it go. So he used the pickaxe to kill her. According to his testament, he buried the girl and the said thing in your yard. It was the closest thing to the criminal activity scene that wasn't obvious and you weren't home at the time. Nobody saw him, so he thought he had gotten away with it. And even if you or anybody would find the pickaxe, he never thought you would be crazy enough to dig so deeply."

" I don't know what came by me," I said. "I just felt that there was more underneath the soil."

" And there was. The girl was below a lot of sand, and it's a true miracle you found her."

" How did you capture the perpetrator?" I needed to know. "Since nobody witnessed the criminal offense, how did you discover who did it?"

" Remember the red piece of cloth the girl was holding in her hand?"

" Yes. What about it?"

" It gave it away. Our research team consists of specialists when it concerns tracing finger prints, things, hairs, or any other forensic signs of who did it."

" So did you analyze the fabric and trace it back to the person who did it?"

" That's what we did. Yes. We interrogated a lot of people yesterday, and ultimately, it led us to him. One of the witnesses that helped us out, was a beggar."

" Really?"

" Yes. The wrongdoer's name is Albert, and he had the same red t-shirt the girl had ripped the piece from. In the beginning, he denied it, but when he found that we had enough evidence, he confessed to the whole thing."

" What was the girl's name?"

" Victoria. We sympathize with her family. She had been really missing for quite some time, but thanks to you, we were at least able to secure the killer. Thanks, Darwin."

" Wow. You're really welcome, Officer Daniel. I feel for the girl's family too. Maybe I'll go visit them one of these days."

" Good plan. Now, please excuse me, as I have more work to do."

Officer Daniel left, and I was left alone with Owen. The benefit for the golden pickaxe I had gone back to them, was lying on the table. Blood cash ... that was almost what it really felt like. I had gotten some finances, but I felt upset about this discovery. An innocent girl who had been killed ... who knew where this world was going to?

" Come on, Owen," I said. "Let's give this money to Victoria's family. It's the least we can do."

I put the bills into a bag, held the door open for my wiener pet dog, and closed it behind me. What a world, what a life ...

THE END

The Truth

Chapter 1: Foreseeing Everything

He grew up in a friendly environment, with people from all different backgrounds, races, upbringings, religious beliefs, skin color, or monetary circumstances. The Seffron Citywas a decent place, with a relatively small population. It was peaceful there, and nothing stunning or bothersome ever happened, except for on very unusual events.

But things have changed.

A lot.

The occupants have changed.

Every little thing is different now.

Everything is even worse than it used to be.

In fact, a ton of things are going terribly wrong.

Skyscrapers decorate the skies like gigantic interrupters of peace, numerous lights during the night and a chaotic crowd during the day. Sirens are heard regularly, and the state of the city is neglected by the local police, who are in desperate need of a valiant vigilante to come to the rescue when they cannot.

Tyrone is black. His mother and father were immigrants, as were many others in the previous generation. He is 22 years old and in the prime of his life. He enjoys being young and energetic, with the freedom to go wherever you want whenever you want. His newfound gift has been incredibly beneficial to himself and those around him.

Recently, he concluded what he noticed the whole time: He can predict the future. Not like a foreteller or some sort of soothsayer. Astrology has never interested him in the least.

No, Tyrone has the capability to feel what is happening before it does. It usually does not consist of everything, and the future always changes, but a certain instinctive feeling has always helped him comprehend the connection between what happens in the present and what the repercussions in the future are, more than others who have comparable insights. In this way, he can somehow predict some of the most impending events and the actions of others as a result of their objectives and previous experiences.

Tyrone observed he was different when he won games and sports, and when people started asking him things like, "How did you know that?" and "Did you just read my mind or something?"

Things that occurred were seen before they occurred, and the strong hunch he got whenever some hazard came his way, was more than simple coincidence, or so he figured. Now he is equipped with a strong self-esteem and a knowledge of his special skills.

After contemplating what he would do with these extraordinary feelings, he chose that he would use it to assist others.

" Anyone with more possibilities should go beyond the routine and use those choices for the good of other individuals," he reasoned.

Examples are plentiful. He is determined to save some individual here and there, just to make the city a much safer place. In order to safeguard his identity, he is wearing a mask and a superhero attire. He does not want his rescue efforts and his brave endeavors stand in the way of his everyday life as a simple resident.

Recently, for instance, a block ignited. The reason for it, they found out later, was a homemaker who wrongly let her dinner burn while spending hours on the phone and forgetting on the frying pan on the stove. The fire spread to various other homes beside her. Fire trucks came within a small time duration, and panicking individuals ranged from the houses.

" Is anyone else in there, madam?" one of the firefighters asked another civilian.

" I do not know. I came out because of the smoke," the lady said anxiously. "I thought I was going to die. I'm so glad I am safe, but how awful."

The firefighter approached another lady.

" Is anybody in those structures?" he asked.

" Oh, thank goodness. You're here! Please rescue my daughter," she sobbed. "I was attempting to get her, but a burning beam fell between us. I told her I would get help as quickly as I could. Please hurry!"

" Understood. We'll do what we can, madam," the fireman said. "Hey you, you, and you! Follow me into that building. Bring the fire distinguishers. Quickly. There's a girl in there. We need to take her out immediately."

" Yes, sir."

The four firemen got their devices and ran towards the building. Inside it was a mess. Smoke was all over, and things were burning all around them. There was only a little chance this girl would be alive anyhow, but at least they had to do their best they thought.

Getting here in the rooms, they could barely see anything, despite their masks.

" There's no way to get through," one of them said.

" I do not even know where to go. We have to look out or one of us will die here as well," another said.

" Ugh ... ughh ... can you guys see anybody?"

" There! It's a. wait a minute ... that can't be a little girl. Are you seeing this?"

" Hey mister, what are you doing in here? Go out before you can! This place is going to collapse!"

But the shady figure didn't move. He stood there, waiting as if he expected something to happen within seconds. Then it took place. The ceiling dropped and surrounded the boy with its pieces of burning particles. He still stood there. He didn't move a muscle.

" No, it can't be," one of the firefighter said, widening the pupils in his eyes while looking at the scene in front of him.

" Astounding," another said.

" Did you just see that? It was as if he knew exactly where the damaged ceiling was going to fall. He didn't even get scraped!"

" Something's wrong," the head fireman said.

Before they could say another word, the young man used the exact same damaged ceiling parts to pull himself up to the 2nd floor and vanish from the sight of the firefighters. What he was doing they could only guess at this time, but the smoke was becoming too thick and the flames would melt their unique suits. They couldn't stand the heat anymore.

" We need to go," one of the firefighters said.

" We can't. What about the girl?"

" We did our best. There's nothing left to do here. I understand how tragic it is to leave her alone, but perhaps we can find another method. We have to exit the building. Follow me."

The firefighters got out of the burning edifice and walked around it to find a different way to enter it. All without results. It looked like the building was done for, and with that everyone inside too.

The mother was crying. There was no consoling her. She refused to be comforted. She felt guiltier than ever. Why did she ever leave her daughter when she was her only hope?

" What sort of a mom am I?" she said in sorrow.

" The kind that tries to save her own life, madam ..." the fireman answered. But before he went on, he realized that every word would just add to her depressive state. He didn't blame her at all. If only there were a way this could have been prevented, he thought. It was too late now. They tried and they came a cropper. This is the part of the job he disliked so much.

But then there was a sound.

Everyone checked out the direction of the building, lifting their look with a renewed, small particle of hope. The vapors were thick, but the image quickly ended up being clearer. The boy emerged from the flames and the smoking air, holding the living daughter of the mourning mom in his arms. Mouths fell open, hearts began beating quicker, and the mother of the girl came running at this strange rescuer, thanking him and feeling grateful she could carry her breathing offspring in her arms.

" Thank you," she said. "Whoever you are, I will always be grateful."

" You're welcome," the black man with the mask said. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have other things to do."

With that, he ran.

" Wait," the mom said, reaching with her one hand.

But the hero had disappeared. However, he pulled that off, the firefighters would never understand it. The chances were so much against him that they considered it a true miracle, and so did the relieved mother.

This was just the first of many important acts to come.

Another case was less daring but similarly significant. The media was all over it. The moment was tense, and the crowd was anxious. Cams were being held by a dozen people, attempting to get a good angle or a good shot of the unfolding scene. Oohs and aahs were said by many as the masses looked up at a single man on the edge of a building terrace, some one hundred feet in the air.

" Do not do it!" they were shouting.

" It's not worth it! Consider it!"

The shouting voices were nothing but stifled echoes in the distance. The man didn't care. He had had it. It was over. What else did he have to live for? His marriage partner left him and his dire financial circumstances was impossible to enhance. His self-confidence was shattered, as were his purpose and his perspective on happiness itself. He was going to jump. It would be better that way, he told himself. No one would lament the loss of his useless life. He was certain of that.

Colleagues stood helplessly by in the windows, not bold to come near the hazardous edge of the building. They wanted to stop this ineffective act of anguish more than anything they loved at that moment, but their incompetence had no borders. They just didn't have the guts to come to the rescue.

Nevertheless, the exact same masked hero appeared again in this seemingly hopeless situation. Determined to save this man's life, he jumped up the stairs, running as if his own life depended on it. After reaching the distressed man, he got on the edge of the balcony and stood there, next to him and beckoning him to get his hand.

" What for?" the man said. "My life is pointless anyhow. I have no reason to live."

" You know that's not true," Tyrone said. "I dare you to name three people who at least care about you enough to live."

" Are you kidding?" the man asked. "Nobody appreciates me."

" What about all those people down there?" Tyrone asked.

" They do not care. They just want the news to be spectacular enough to get more viewers to watch their channel."

" Well, what about your colleagues?" Tyrone asked, pointing at his colleagues in the window.

" I do not think they would be devastated if I died," the man said with tears in his eyes.

" What about your kids? Do you have any kids?" Tyrone asked.

The man stopped briefly. He couldn't manage his feelings. He felt deserted and lonely, but the loving kids who visited him every weekend were crazy about him regardless of his defects. He knew that for sure. He broke down and wept.

" You know what? You're right. Life is tough, but I do have something to live for," he said.

" Then grab my hand," Tyrone firmly insisted. "And we'll get you the mental help you need."

The man reached out and tried to get Tyrone's hand.

But he slipped.

He was about to fall anyway, but not on purpose.

It was a frightening moment for everyone who was watching. But not for Tyrone. His brain determined every inch that would move in the near future. He knew where the man was going to hold on and where he was going to let go. In an immediate, Tyrone bent over and got the wrist of the slipping man, balancing himself and the preyed on individual perfectly before pulling him over the edge and assisting him back inside.

People clapped. They were happy this possibly tragic scene had ended well, at least in the sense that there was still hope for this desperate soul. People came at the man and accepted him, thanked Tyrone, and organized a way for the man to rest and get help. Tyrone wasn't going to walk down and give a speech. He knew the cost of popularity, so he disappeared out the back door.

There is another story worth mentioning before expanding on the main crisis this hero found himself in, and that's a bank robbery.

It occurred on a Saturday afternoon. He was resting on a terrace, taking little sips while enjoying a cool glass of juice. The day was bright and warm. Nothing seemed to suggest the threatening scenarios the people in his close environment would soon be in.

Tyrone saw it all happening before it did, though. He anticipated the three gentlemen in suits, hiding their faces behind sneaky masks as they would barge into the bank on the other side of the street within minutes.

He would not let them.

This was his moment of bravery.

Out of the blue he stood up and walked towards the bank.

"Can I help you, sir?" somebody behind the counter asked.

"Ssshhh ..." Tyrone said, holding his finger in front of his mouth.

He hid behind a pillar of the expensive, glamorous interior of the company, waiting on the expected bad guys to go into the lobby. His forecasts were right. Pulling guns out of their bags, the trio announced their reason for interrupting.

Shooting in the air, they said, "Ladies and gentlemen, we are here to take the money which is rightfully ours. Move and you die. Stay still, shut up, and you'll live. If we can just all comply, no one will get hurt.

The common thing that always happens was something Tyrone saw before it happened too.

"Hey, do not try to be a hero," one of the burglars would say, examining and seeing an employee reach for his cell phone.

Tagadagadack!

He would shoot the man in the chest with his machine gun.

It didn't actually happen, but it was going to happen. It wasn't too late yet. Tyrone knew it. Within a flash of a second, he turned around the durable column he was leaning his back against and elbowed the robber in his throat. The startled outlaw instantly dropped his weapon and fell over. The other two turned around, but it was far too late. Tyrone had already disappeared behind another wall.

"Where did he go?" one of them asked in a terrified voice.

"Are you playing games? Show yourself!" the other yelled.

Tyrone didn't need a mirror. He didn't need a reflecting surface or someone signaling him when it was safe to attack. He knew exactly when the two robbers would turn the other way, and he waited on the accurate moment to strike. After about 10 seconds, this is what occurred and with the back of their heads facing his direction, the way was free to grab their heads and slam them against one another.

Knockout.

All three of them.

The weapons were lying next to them on the floor, but none had the strength to reach for them, since their level of awareness was that of a sloth.

Before his applause, the hero leapt out of the door and disappeared out of sight.

Chapter 2: The Infamous Thing

Anybody who knows about Tyrone's superpower to anticipate the near future must be in shock when they hear that he leaves the honor he could have gotten by a pleased crowd. But experience has taught this young hero the harshness of reality and the spontaneous judgments of humans.

He has determined to keep himself away from the honor of the masses, since he understands how fleeting and unstable it is.

Tyrone gets back and laments the spontaneous propensity of these basic creatures to condemn and rebuke. He reviews a previous occurrence that ruined him financially. Whether his rightful money is in his pockets, he does not care. He just wished it would have been otherwise. Why do people always attempting to get things for free?

This is what occurred:

Someone found eventually that Tyrone could anticipate the future, at least in a minimal way. He found out by the little things, like when Tyrone played cards, caught a bottle falling on the ground, or avoided a harmful chauffeur when he was crossing the road. This malicious person did not care about making somebody suffer. He simply wanted cash ... as much as possible.

His name was Jake. He devised a little plan and fooled Tyrone into losing a suit. The dirty liar ... miserable that people get away with those deceitful kinds of strategies.

There they were, being in a court room, exchanging spiteful glares at one another. The room was primarily brown, embellished with easy patterns on the ceiling. Crowds of people were curious to see the outcome of this supernatural phenomenon Tyrone was implicated of having the ability to activate. There were at least 50 people in the court room, as well as several in the corridors who were awaiting the end results. The judge had a substantial hammer and pounded the pulpit as he pleased, happy to be in charge and having the ability to exercise his profession.

Tyrone's legal representative was as incompetent as a young kid, but Tyrone didn't have a lot, so trying to find a better one was out of the question.

" What do you have to say in your defense?" the judge asked Tyrone.

" Your honor, I never planned to split the system or to get money in a dishonest way," Tyrone said.

" But you know how and that's not fair!" Jake's lawyer blurted out as he got up.

" Mr. Tyrone," the judge continued, "Do you deny the power of predicting the near future?"

" I don't," Tyrone boldly announced.

" Then don't you think," the judge continued, "that it's possibly hazardous for you to get in the lottery, no matter how low the price of the tickets? If anybody else had this power, they could apply the same to easily win all the cash for themselves."

" But I didn't," Tyrone said.

" He's lying, your honor," Jake said.

" Order!" the judge shouted. "When I want your witness, I will enable you to come to the stand."

" I ask forgiveness, your honor," Jake said.

" Mr. Jake's attorney, your customer has made a dreadful accusation. Are you able to back this claim up?"

" Yes, your honor. Exhibit A here shows that Tyrone has purchased a lottery ticket, fully familiar with which numbers would make him win."

Putting the lottery game ticket on the table, he smirked and kicked back in his chair.

" You know I purchased that ticket for you!" Tyrone shouts. "How dare you use this against me, you double-crossing weasel?!”

" Order, order," the judge says.

The whole thing blew up. There was mayhem in the courtroom. People were mad, guards were contacted to relax the circumstances. And to make a long story short, the end result was that while Jake got a truckload of money for winning the case, Tyrone had to pay a big charge and was forbidden to ever participate in the lotto, and mixed emotions existed among the populace.

Tyrone hasn't done much after that to use his anticipating power. He has kept a low profile. He doesn't rely on the common citizen as much as he used to. Just like any celeb or somebody in the spotlight, there is always danger hiding beneath the surface triggered by those who abuse the system and the wicked opportunities laid out for them by life.

Chapter 3: The Life

Tyrone wakes up. He finds himself panting just because of a nightmare he does not remember. All he understands, is that it has left him anxious and sweaty, even minutes after his awakening. It must have been dreadful dreaming about this.

He sits up for a minute or more, then gets up and gets a cup of chocolate milk. Back to reality. He stares at the pigeons outside. One of them is silly enough to fly into the glass window.

BANG!

The fat bird slides down after somewhat splitting the glass. Ridiculous pigeon. Why would you fly against the window like that? Didn't he see it? Oh well ...

Tyrone resides in an apartment, not too far away from his mom and dad, who live about 6 blocks away from him. Tyrone's apartment is small and basic, but he loves it.

He enjoys his own space, with the freedom to do whatever he wants. Every other day, though, he visits his parents to see if they are doing all right.

This day is no different than any other day, or so it appears to be initially. Tyrone's superpower is limited to the nearby future, but rarely extends into the foreknowledge of things to come hours or days ahead of him. He does not mind. All he wants is to be happy and if anything comes his way, he will stand ready to assist.

Ultimately, this day is different than the other days. He feels it. He just doesn't know what is wrong, or what is going to be wrong. In any case, he makes himself hurry to his mom and dad place this time, as his hunch is stronger than ever before.

" Knock knock!" he says as he opens the door.

Empty.

The house is empty.

" Mom! Father!" he screams, expecting an answer.

" Are you here? Remember I was going to come by today?"

No response.

He walks through the living-room. Every little thing is in its place. Nothing has been moved. The neat little room is neat as ever. He opens the door to the bed room.

What an important difference! What a mess!

Things are turned upside down in the bedroom. The sheets are off the beds, the dresser has fallen on the floor, and even the mirror has broken into a thousand pieces. This is not like them. Something took place here.

Chapter 4: Speeding

Tyrone fears for his father's and mother's lives. The tough job ahead of him has now become some kind of detective assignment to solve the puzzle and figure out what happened to them.

Before calling the cops, Tyrone searches for tracks, anything the abductors left. Through the piles of clothes, the broken furnishings, and the ripped matrass, he searches and searches till ...

" Hey, what's that?" he asks aloud to no one in specific.

It's sculpted sandstone.

Tyrone bends over and rubs the stuff between his fingers.

" I know where this is originating from," he says. "There is only one place outside the city where you can find ripped sandstone: the Rocky Caves. Perhaps these little grains of sand were in the bad guy's pocket when he took my mom and dad."

He prowls into some other objects but couldn't find anything particular.

" To the Rocky Caves it is," he says.

Tyrone heads back to his condo. He goes through the busy city streets, crosses the crosswalk without waiting on it to become green, and maneuvers his way through the crowds. When he enters his place, he puts on his mask and his superhero clothing.

He takes a look at his old pre-owned bicycle. It's a superannuated piece of scrap that he just uses to save himself some gas. But this circumstance needs more extreme measures. Forget the bicycle. There is something better in the garage.

" How's it going friend?" he says to another vehicle standing in the corner. Raising the sheet, which is covering it, he thinks about the last time he used this fantastic speed devil.

" Time for a ride," he says in a low voice as he hops on his precious, glimmering motorbike. "This is going to be awesome."

The motorcycle is crimson red. Its shiny surface area depicts flames and small patterns unnoticeable to the naked eye, unless a person comes closer and shows some appreciative respect to it. Its engine is effective and makes its rider go superfast. Tyrone enjoys this thing. It feels like a dream riding it. It's just more expensive and vulnerable, which is why he only uses it to get out of the city.

" Prepared to go, bikey?" he says as if talking with an actual person.

He sits down, kicks the engine on, and prepares to speed out the garage door.

VROOOOOOOM!

He races through the city and feels alive. Only a couple hours till he gets to the Rocky Caves. This is going to be ...

Tyrone was going to say "fun," but he gets held up by traffic. Great another red light. And another, and another. It just happens to be rush hour and Tyrone is stuck in a traffic jam with his bike, feeling that the potential of this fast beast of a vehicle gets untapped.

" What a waste," he says. "It is just like I could arrive faster on foot. If only I had known about this earlier, I could have avoided the rush hour. Now everybody is just going to work at the exact same time. Ughh ..."

The long, hard struggle to get out of the city is taking a lot longer now. After about 5 hours of sighing and complaining, the rush is finally over.

" Woohoo!" Tyrone cheers as he takes off and hits a constant typical speed of circa 80 miles per hour on the freeway leading out of his home town, heading for the rocky range of mountains. What he will find there, will stun him, to say the least.

Chapter 5: Impending Doom

This is it, the Rocky Caves. His parents must be over here somewhere. It appears so easy, and yet it is not. Why? Because there are miles and miles of mountains here, all containing the sculpted sandstone he found in his father's and mother's bed room.

His persistence has limitations, but his sense of futuristic events helps him find a distinct area on instinct. Tyrone searches and searches, and then senses something happening in one of the mountain caves near him. After about an hour of looking around, he finds the deserted cave.

Tyrone pulls over, puts his motorbike against a rock, and slips into the cavern. He has to be prepared for anything, he thinks.

" No, I need a different one! Hand me the spruce leaves and the allium!" he hears a voice yell.

" Okay, boss," an apparently less intelligent voice answers.

As Tyrone approaches the light originating from the hollow opening in the cavern, he observes 5 guys, each of them armed to the teeth. He can only guess how much the arms and pistols cost that they are holding and keeping in their pockets and holsters.

One of the men appears like he supervises, giving him the impression of a laboratory rat, with a white coat and a pair of glasses.

" I need uncommon fern, magenta wool, poppies, and some of that sculpted sandstone from the rocks. That will be the correct mix, trust me," the man in the white coat says.

" Hey Schmear, where do you want this stuff?"

" In the corner," the professorsays.

These combos sound dangerous, and they are, seeing that this mean man is adding them into a tube next to an immense rocket.

Tyrone looks around. He evaluates the situation. The rocket (what is that for?), the Professoror whatever he calls himself, and the 4 armed men. Then there is the ... hey... those are his mom and dad!

On the right side of the cave, his parents are bound and gagged. They can't see Tyrone, but Tyrone can see them. Nobody has seen him so far actually, a practical benefit he is more than ready to use.

" Ha-ha-hah!" the person with the glasses exclaims. "This is it. Let's check it on our guinea pigs."

He walks over to Tyrone's father and mother and disposes the stuff into their mouths.

" Nooooo!" Tyrone shouts, but it is too late. Why he didn't see this coming, he does not know. His powers left him alone. He couldn't forecast it. And now this bad guy poured some who-knows-what into his parents' mouths.

" Who goes there?" one of the thugs asks after hearing Tyrone's cry.

" Do not bother," professor Schmear says. "These two will be prepared within seconds."

Tyrone keeps hiding. But as he looks above the rim of the rock he is hiding behind, he sees his two father and mother turn into something ... well, something different. Their eyes redden, their mouths start foaming, and their sense of reality appears to disappear as they transform into some monstrous sort of zombies. Needless to say, this brand-new poison they have taken in has a trigger effect on their aggressiveness.

" Stand back. Let's see what they will do," the Professorsays. "Hey, little hero! If you're still there, just come out wherever you are! We will not shoot you!”

For some reason, Tyrone trusts his words and leaves his hiding place.

" What did you do to them?" he asks in anger.

" You'll find out quickly enough, as all of us will," Schmear says laughingly.

Tyrone's mother and father break their bonds and roar loudly.

" Aaaarrgghh!”

After this expression, they storm at Tyrone and jump at him, pulling him to the ground and standing prepared to put their teeth into him.

" M-mom. Dad. It's me!" Tyrone says. "Snap out of it. Please!”

But it is without results. They have been transformed. They do not have any memory, compassion, or emotions whatsoever; just a blood thirst and a craving for human flesh.

Tyrone dodges their attacks and punches one of the punks in his face before getting his gun.

" St-stand back," he stammers. "I don't want to kill you."

His mother and father aren't listening. They are only driven by their desire to kill. Ignoring Tyrone's remarks completely, they start another attack and run at their child.

BAM! BAM!

What just occurred ...?

It is as if time stands still for a moment. Adrenaline is flowing through Tyrone's blood. His heart pumps much faster than an ADD boy on the drums. He holds his breath. Fumes ascend from his hot rifle.

He just killed his mother and father.

A sense of loss and unhappiness hurries through his extremely soul. He still can't really believe what happened.

" Hahahah!" the wicked professor laughs. "It works. All set to load, boys!”

With no regard for Tyrone and his dead dad and mother, the man in the white coat puts a mixture in the rocket, all set to launch the thing. The Professor pushes the button and launches the rocket.

" There it goes! Hahahahahah!”

Chapter 6: Trouble Came

" What did you do?!" Tyrone cries out. "You have turned my parents into monsters! I had no choice but to shoot them!"

" Not just your mom and dad, boy," the wicked professor says, "But the entire city! Hahah!"

" What do you mean?" Tyrone asks.

" I produced a substance that will turn everybody into zombielike creatures like your mom and dad. I hacked the products out of these rocks, and they showed to be quite beneficial. People in the city will dislike one another, they will kill one another, and no one will know how all of it began."

" B-but why? Why in the world would you do that?"

" Oh, I have my reasons," the wicked Professor clarifies. "I started out like you. I thought I would help the world by being yourself, but all my experiments got declined. I had chemistry classes, but they weren't open to my recommendations. Ultimately I lost my family, my cash. And it's all thanks to those idiots. They took my life away, and now, I am taking theirs. Well, not really, I'm just the one who shows them a little push. And after that when panic strikes, when they're prepared to ask for a solution, I will sell them the antidote ... for billions! And they'll purchase it no matter what, as I will have a powerful monopoly. It's genius!"

" You beast!" Tyrone shouts.

" Call me what you want, boy, but you're already far too late. There's nothing you can do to stop it now. The rocket has been introduced. I wouldn't suggest entering into town. It might be a little chaotic there."

" Oh yeah? We'll just see about that!" Tyrone says as he runs out of the cavern.

He hops on his bike and starts the engine. Determined to catch up and follow the rocket into town, he hits the gas and figuratively flies through the air, going beyond the speed limitation on the highway to get to his destination in time.

He doesn't care about the criminals. He has to let go of his mother and father for a little while until he has the time to reflect on their deaths. All he has to focus on now, is returning to the city to prevent the catastrophe from dispersing.

The Professor was right, though. He is too late. Hordes of zombies are already wandering through the streets. They attack human beings, each other, and anything they can get their claws and teeth on. Tyrone dodges several dead bodies on the street by leaping on his motorbike over ledges and crisscrossing the bike towards the downtown location. What he sees there, is one of his biggest worst nightmares.

Chapter 7: Battling to the End

The downtown area is insane! As Tyrone approaches the burning structures and fuming piles of particles and lifeless bodies, he is challenged by hordes of zombies ... hundreds of zombies. He didn't know the gasses from the rocket would have such an instant effect. Is there anybody left to save, or has the entire city been destined to destruction?

Painful sounds of horror rip through the regular hustle and bustle city noises like a howling ghost shrieking and flying through the air. The worst mayhem in the city's history unfolds before Tyrone's eyes. Viewing the scenes and the bloody actual results of every person losing his/her sense of reality makes Tyrone shiver.

Random riots and blasts of aggression are thrusting everyone's heart with worry and stress and anxiety. Someone has to do something. This is getting out of hand. It already didn't get any better!

Loaded with a set of combating skills and anticipating powers, Tyrone storms at the hordes and starts his fight. He punches one zombie here, kicks another there, and each time, he has the ability to visualize their counterattacks and differ from the patterns of their strikes.

Is there ever an end to this? What is he even attempting to achieve? Preventing more deaths?

While avoiding countless zombies and tearing down lots of other ones, he is trying to figure out how to get rid of the root of the issue. He isn't sure. It looks like there is no stopping the transformation of all these people, some of which are heaped on the floors and the broken streets while others are taking out their rage on vulnerable victims.

The city has never been in such a horrible state before. It spreads out like an illness. Innocent martyrs paint the city red with their blood, mayhem breaks the very foundations its biggest skyscrapers are built on, and a filthy stench of the dead embellishes the senses of all who come near. But it isn't over yet. It has hardly started.

Chapter 8: Calamity

Tyrone battles his way through some zombies until a certain suspicion captures his attention. He sees it happening before it does: A subway train is about to derail and cause hundreds of people to die or get caught up in the horrific motions of the city's previous civilians.

" I have got to stop this thing," Tyrone tells himself. "I know it is originating from ..." he closes his eyes ... "that angle."

He opens his eyes and looks at his finger, as if he didn't know where he is pointing at. He jumps off a pile of building fragments and starts running in to the direction of the subway tracks.

Where is the switch?

He has to act quickly, or the accident will become one of the biggest disasters in the city. He looks and looks, but cannot find the silly switch.

Then he sees something behind the wall.

" Aha!" he says, running towards the item.

It's a lever, a huge one, one that needs somebody to pull with all his strength to get it to move. Tyrone pulls as hard as he can.

" Umpffff! Too heavy. Let's try again."

This time it budges.

" Yes!" he cheers.

But his little celebration is based upon a wrong conclusion. The lever is pulled back, but the train tracks haven't even moved an inch.

" What the ...? Why didn't it work?" Tyrone grumbles.

Meanwhile, the subway train is coming closer. It is racing with a tremendous speed, not able to stop just because of the technological error that has occurred by coincidence. Tyrone is getting anxious. He is uncertain about what to do next. He takes a look around for another switch or lever. There is nothing there!

The subway train approaches.

It's getting closer ...

And closer ...

BANG!

The train derails and glissades over the ground, ending up above the surface because of the deviating things in its way. Floors collapse, people die, fumes of smoke contribute to the random explosions in numerous places, zombies get run over ... blood and horror illustrate the tragic scene as the so-called hero watches by helplessly, lamenting the loss of the lives he could have saved.

" Noooooo!" he shrieks.

Chapter 9: Recognition

Tyrone wakes up. He finds himself panting because of a bad nightmare he doesn't remember. All he understands, is that it has left him restless and sweaty, even minutes after his awakening. It must have been horrible dreaming about this.

He sits up for a minute or 2, then gets up and gets a cup of chocolate milk. Back to reality. He gazes at the pigeons outside. One of them is dumb enough to fly into the glass window.

BANG!

Reality strikes.

It hits him like a baseball bat.

What the ...?

He's seen this scene before. He remembers his dreadful dream. This is REAL!!! Is all that stuff with the zombies and the poor victims really going to happen? Are his parents going to be abducted?

There is only one way to figure it out. And THIS time, he's not going to let some traffic jam or search in the mountains put a time frame on him.

He understands the area. He strongly believes in his dream. It has to be real. Why else would the same fat pigeon from his dream fly into the exact same window?

Determined to stop the awful events in his nightmare, he runs downstairs, opens the garage door, pulls the sheet off his bike, and kicks the gas.

VROOOOM!

No traffic.

No hold up.

Good.

First, he visits his mother and father. Within a minute, he comes to their places.

Bam!

He swings the door open, letting it squash against the sidewall.

" Mom! Father!"

" What's the matter, son?" his dad asks.

" You need to get out of here. Come on, I have no time to explain. I will tell you later. We are lacking time."

" Uhm ... all right ... if you say so," his dad says obediently.

" As long as you'll explain it to us later," his mom says.

" Naturally, naturally. Now, let's go! We're actually in a rush here."

Both father and mother get on the back of Tyrone's motorbike.

" Oh, this is dangerous," his mom says.

" It will be okay, mother, for now. I will drop you off at the library. It's on the way where I am going anyhow. Just guarantee me you'll stay in there till I'm back."

" Okay, I pro ... whoa!" his mom exclaims, since Tyrone isn't even waiting for her to finish her sentence. He already hit the gas and has taken off into the direction of the library. After dropping his parents off, he races through the streets to his destination in the countryside.

" And now I'll handle you ... Schmear!" Tyrone says in a firm, resolute voice.

He leaves fast again, avoiding the traffic congestion just because of the earliness of his trip. He rides his flaming vehicle out of the city and finds the mountain range he is searching for within a considerable amount of time. He sees the cavern from his dream, but this time, his parents aren't in there, nor has the wicked Professor completed or tested the innovation of his hazardous substance yet.

Tyrone doesn't think twice. He knows what's going to happen. He walks right up to the punks standing guard.

" Hey, who are you?" the professor asks stunned.

" I'm the one who is going to bring you down," Tyrone says confidently as he keeps stepping forward.

" Shoot him already!" professor Schmear screams.

Bang! Bang! Tagadagadag!

They really missed. They all really missed! Tyrone's senses were at a peak. He could feel precisely when and where the bullets would go. Dodging them perfectly, he raises one side of his mouth into a slight smirk as he watches the bullets fly through the air without hitting their predestined target. With his fists, he takes out each of the four guards around the professor, knocking them out one by one and leaving them on the cold floor of the cave.

" N-no! I was just trying to help humanity. |Don't you see? I mean no harm," the professor claims.

Tyrone grabs him by the throat and holds him against the stony wall.

" You're a big, fat liar," he says. "I know what you're intending on doing, but this is where it stops."

He drops the Professor on the ground.

" Wh-what are you planning to do?" Schmear stutters.

" Watch," Tyrone says in a form of calm anger.

He collects his strength and starts to smash every tube, every piece of glass, every fluid, and every component on the chemistry table. The rocket does not get spared but bent in half by the effective hands of this superhero.

" No!" professor Schmear weeps. "Not my experiment! You have no idea of how hard I was working on that! Do you know what you're doing to me?"

Tyrone turns around.

" Yes, I do. And now the police are going to consider what they are going to do to you. I'm taking you with me."

Tyrone grabs the evil professorand takes him out of the cave. Dragging him over the rocky ground, he finally takes a look at him, punches him in the face, and throws the knocked out professor on his motorcycle.

The city has been saved. The diseases and disasters have been prevented. The sun is rising, birds are chirping, and the cold breeze feels nice in his face. The odor of fresh flowers fondles his nose. An enjoyable motorbike ride lies ahead of him.

" I think this will be a good day after all," Tyrone says with a satisfied face while flooring the gas.

" And I think I will even be in the city so quickly to avoid the traffic jams."

THE END

Beasts from the Underworld

Chapter 1: Science

This isn't it," Trevor the professor says, scratching his head. "It needs something else. I think I am doing it all wrong. The formula seems right, but something is still missing here."

Professor Trevor is an ordinary lab rat, or to put it simply, someone who has spent his entire life finding out compounds and combining chemical fluids and materials. He is impressed by the effects of one fluid mixed with another. It amazes him. It has always fascinated him. That's why he went to university ten years ago: To study chemistry and biology, primarily chemistry. His last theses and papers were full of complicated computations the instructors didn't even understand. He always outmaneuvered them, but now it looks like he hasn't followed the right formula.

It frustrates him.

He has run into problems before, and has even had explosions in his laboratory, but this time, he has been doing math for days, looked up many theories and clinical truths, and he still hasn't figured it out.

His patience has its limitations too.

" I give up," he says, throwing his hands up in the air. "I'll continue later."

It's just one of those things that takes forever and ever. It doesn't matter how much effort he puts into it; he just wants to get it done.

" Why does it have to be so difficult?" he wonders. "I have been successful with many experiments and have taken science to a higher level. This formula is just too complicated. There must be something I am lacking, but what?"

He goes out the door and returns home, after a long day of 10 hours of work. His partner welcomes him with a kiss at his homecoming, rebuking him for working overtime again.

" But honey," the Professor says. "This is very important. Can't you see the turnaround this society will have if we get this mixture working? It will be a transformation."

" I know, but you have to take it easy more often. There's more to life than work," she says.

At that moment, his three kids come running into the room.

" Father!" the smallest boy screams.

" Father, you're home! Finally," his daughter says. "I wanted to show you my drawing. Can you come have a look? It is in the living room."

" Okay, fine," Trevor says. "I will take a look at it."

The oldest child does not look so good. He looks sad. His head is hanging down and he slowly walks towards his dad.

" What's the matter with you, my child?"

" I bumped my head and lost the sports game."

" Oh, that does not seem like fun. Come here. Where does it hurt?" Trevor asks.

" Well, it's gone now. But I still hate that it took place."

" That's life, child. I'm happy you understand. Bad things happen all the time. And losing? Just take a look at me. I've been attempting to figure out a formula for the previous week and I still don't understand it."

As he is saying it, he understands that he let it get to him. His frustration got the best of him and he has given up too fast. Some things just take a long period of time anyway, and if this is actually as big as he expects it to be, putting a little time into it is the least he can do. He sees himself as this little boy who is downtrodden since he is losing; or he lost. And this brand-new awareness has made him determined again. Tomorrow, he will return and try again ... and again ... till he comprehends the correct mixture.

" Do not worry, child," he finally says. "You may have lost the game, but you have not lost the league. And let's see if you can beat this tickle monster!"

Trevor leans over and begins tickling his kid. The other 2 jump on his back and a rough rumble and jumping game starts. For several minutes, the fun with his kids does not stop and fortunately, no one gets hurt, which actually does happen in some cases.

" Supper time!" Trevor's marriage partner screams. "Come on, guys! Don't let it get cold."

" Hold on," Trevor says. "I still have to see our daughter's illustration."

After his daughter flaunts her skill and he happily pats her on the head, he thinks about what he said to his own child: He lost another game, another match ... by not having the ability to get the formula right; but the league is far from over. Tomorrow there is a brand-new day and he might just get it this time. And if not, then in 5 days, or 10, or twenty.

This brand-new combination of fluids is going to be grand. It will have a profound impact on cravings, the economy, and people's way of lives. It's worth fighting for.

Chapter 2: The Army

On the other side of town, a corporal screams his lungs out.

" Forwaaaard! March! One-two, one-two, one-two! Keep moving, you lazy bedbugs!"

Corporal James has dealt with many tough situations. He is a man of honor. Always putting his best foot forward, he has gained favor with the generals in the city's army. In numerous battles, he has battled threatening Black shades, skeletons, zombies, beasts, vampires, and other risky creatures from the deep and dark lands.

One time, he stood before hundreds of Black shades, who were already provoked by the gazing soldiers in his army. At first, the coast seemed clear, but then James saw a twinkle in their eyes, a mad shimmer emanating from deep in their souls. They were furious and were ready to attack.

" Pull back!" he screamed, but the noises of the storm they were in outweighed his voice. Thick clouds had already burst into bolstering thunder and terrifying lightning flashes had set the scene for a more dramatic war that was already raving. Rain was pouring on each and every soldier, soaking their outfits and muting the sounds of their voices.

They didn't listen.

They didn't pull back.

As one weapon, they marched forward to the threatened Black shades, who were in no other way willing to forgive or stand down what had just caught their attention.

" Return! Retreat!" Corporal James kept shouting, but only a handful of the guys obeyed his orders. The others were too oblivious of the fact that these Black shades were about to run into them and completely crush them with their numbers.

So they marched forward, not even seeing the few guys that drew back with Corporal James. All they concentrated on were the beasts in front of them. The Black shades kept still, but inside, they were boiling with a raging fire that was about to explode. Hundreds of Black shades were standing there ... in the unknown turmoil of heavy rain, creepy trees, and a soaked field of moss and random blades of grass.

Corporal James was overwhelmed. More than anything he wanted to save these guys from the awful fate that was about to beset them, but he felt defenseless.

" Give me that bomb," he finally said to a nearby soldier. He snatched the item from his hand and ran forward. Side by side, the majority of the men were still marching towards their enemy, but James was going to stop these creatures from harming his courageous boys.

As quickly as his legs could carry him, he sprinted in front of his whole army, with the bomb and several matches in his hand. A few hundred feet in front of them, he knelt down and lit one of the matches.

" Pssshhhh ..."

The fire from the match got satiated by the wetness of the weather.

" Stupid irritating matches ... Come on!" he said as he anxiously stroke the matches and lit them up one by one.

" There!" he said excitedly when he managed to light up a match and the fuse of the bomb. He stuck it in the ground and ran back.

" Return! Get out of here!" he yelled to the men he was running at, waving his arms in the air.

They finally understood it. They had seen him place the bomb in the soil. Now the guys were sprinting back and panicking, moving into all different directions other than for the one between them and the Black shades.

" You too! Get back!" Corporal James screamed in another soldier's ear. "|Don't you see? It is going to explo ..."

Boooooom!

The explosions burnt a hole in the ground, in a border of a hundred feet, triggering the grass to ignite, along with a few poor trees beside the field. The sky illuminated, the smoke covered the environment. The Black shades shied away. They disliked the light and the fire. The previous justification wasn't enough for them to strike back. The hundreds of dark creatures responded by running away in the opposite direction, never to be seen again.

The corporal had saved his guys; he had prevented their damage. His bold deed would be long remembered in the years to come.

Satisfied with his accomplishments, James watched the men march, do push-ups, and struggle to get in shape and run through an obstacle course. The fight has become a cherished memory and the future looks bright.

James is not scared of anything, or so it appears. He hates laziness and enjoys discipline. As a commanding officer, he ranks above the most affordable soldiers in the army, which he does not ignore. More than anything he has determined to take these slackers on and teach them what it means to be a man.

When someone disobeys his orders-- which has happened before-- he understands how to control these weak souls into harder tests, so they can grow up and develop their strengths. Some dislike him for it; others think it's a regrettable requirement to kick the softness out of their spoiled characters. It's for their own good, and they will see it later.

Nobody develops character without difficulty, and he knows it more than anything. Some of that hardship came when his spouse left him. They had been trying to work out their relationship for many years, but the issues in their home were too confrontational, so they chose to separate. However, seeing his children only once weekly brought him unhappiness. Since it happened ten years ago anyhow, he has somewhat accepted the circumstances and made attempts to get tougher by telling himself it wasn't all his fault. The future for his family remains unsure, but just to compensate, he has forced himself to work hard at securing the future of the city by safeguarding it. That is his mission. It's the only thing he knows how to do right.

After training the cadets, he returns to his office and finds his commander there, standing and taking a look at several photographs.

" Have a seat, corporal," he says.

" What are you doing here, sir?"

" Sit down and we'll talk," he says in a friendly tone.

Corporal James sits down and leans on his desk with one elbow. He is captivated. The last time the general came to his office was a year ago. He has been so busy ever since that he hardly saw him at the military terrain at all.

The general starts, "You may know some of the projects the army has supported in the past."

" Certainly, sir," James says.

" Good. Just recently, we began a project in cooperation with a laboratory, and we haven't even heard anything for weeks. In the meantime, the Professor there is draining our bank account by charging us the routine hour wage and not reporting any important actual results. To put it simply, he is wasting our time and our cash. I want you to go to the lab and see how far the job has progressed. If nothing good has come out of it, I want you to shut it down. We don't have room for leeches who benefit from the system."

" Yes, sir. I will leave first thing in the morning, sir."

" Thank you, corporal. I expected nothing less. That will be all."

Chapter 3: Arguing a Lot

It's early in the morning. Professor Trevor opens the front door of the laboratory. His key gets stuck for a few seconds, but after a while, he easily pulls it out. He switches on the lights, puts his bag on the floor, and takes a look at the failed experiment he interrupted the other day as he got tired of it.

He sighs.

It already looks discouraging and he hasn't even done anything yet. Trevor thinks for a 2nd and recognizes again how big this discovery could be. The repercussions could be spectacular. He has to pursue his dreams and go on with this formula.

He chooses not to stick around on these thoughts any longer and goes to work. He has hardly begun blending substances together and writing intricate computations on a notepad. He hears a knock on the door.

Knock knock!

" I'm coming!" Trevor shouts. He completes several notes he was making.

Knock knock!

" Yes! I said I was coming! Some patience, please!”

He walks to the door and opens. Without any further ado, the corporal walks in and takes a peek. Then he turns around and announces the reason of his visit.

" I am here to check if you are making any progress," he says in a stern voice.

" Oh yes," Trevor answers. "I have made significant development, but we're just not there yet. I just need more time."

" I see," James says. "But the officer ranking higher than me has instructed me to shut this place down if you do not report any substantial changes. You have a deadline, which is tonight. If your experiment does not have any actual results, we will close this place."

" Oh, no, do not do that," the professor begs. "I just need a little bit longer. |Don't you see the effect this can have on society? I am developing a compound that can make plants and fruits grow much faster. If I have success, hunger will be over all over the world. All we would need to do, is put it in the crops, and they'll grow 10 times quicker and larger. The economy would get a boost and everyone would flourish."

" I comprehend. I will stick with you today and help you anywhere I can, unless you do not want me to of course. But no matter what we do, it has to end tonight."

" I will try to hurry," Trevor says.

They work at it the whole day, blending this or that, writing formulas and reasoning and summaries. Undoubtedly, Corporal James has no clue what he is doing scientifically, but at least he gives Trevor some support and encouragement.

Ultimately, late in the evening, Trevor says, "It is not completely done yet, but I just need one more day. That's all I need. Could you please give me one more day?"

" Sorry," James says. "I have my orders. Finish it now or shut it down."

" Can't you be a little bit more flexible?" Trevor asks.

" No, I cannot. Now hurry up and do what you need to do."

" But it's not done yet!" Trevor snaps.

" I do not care, professor! You have until midnight!" James sneers back.

" Fine, I'll just try it out. But I might be wrong about this. And I do not want to be held responsible for the consequences. You gave me this due date."

" Do whatever you want. Just make certain you close this evening," James says.

" Okay, here we go."

Trevor takes a tube and carefully puts it on a plant. They watch patiently and wait on the actual results.

Nothing.

" What? Why? Why isn't it working? I almost had it right!" the professor complains. "I'm going to try more."

" You better know what you're doing," James says.

Trevor takes another tube and puts the entire content on the tomato plant. He goes back and waits.

Hey, what's that? Something is boiling. That's not the chemical reaction he expected. He gets a little closer and observes the boiling soil.

" This is impossible," he says.

" What's impossible?" James asks.

" This chemical reaction only happens when there is a Dark pearl involved."

" You put a Dark pearl underneath the plant?"

" Well, I didn't do that. It must have been there when the boy dug up the plant I asked him to bring me."

" And what does that mean?" James asks.

" I don't know. It's reacting and I do not comprehend how. This is amazing."

It is incredible, but not in the way the 2 men hoped it would be. The Dark pearl keeps boiling and boiling. It's growing much faster than they thought it would. Within seconds, the pearl has increased in size so much that it now looks as huge as a brick. And it doesn't stop there. It keeps growing and growing.

" I do not like the appearances of this," Corporal James admits.

" It's unbelievable, but I really wonder if it will stop," Professor Trevor concurs.

It's not stopping. By now, it has grown as big as the both of them and is leaning against the ceiling. Black Shade shapes are being formed by the pearl, creating a head, arms, and legs. Still in its infant state, the pearl continues to flexibly fill the laboratory's space and exponentially push the two individuals out the door.

" We have to leave. Now!" James shouts.

" No, we cannot desert it. I want to see how it develops. This has never happened before."

" You persistent fool. Follow me out of here or I'll knock you out. This is getting out of control!"

Chapter 4: The Monster Is Alive

Professor Trevor feels miserable leaving his growing speculative pearl. His curiosity has taken control of. But after a while, he sees the requirement of securing their lives by fleeing too. They open the door and run from the lab.

Crrrrrraaaassssh!!!

Just in time they jump from the building onto the street. When they look up, they see the monstrous pearl break through the roofing. The pearl has now taken form and looks like a large, black man.

" You vague, absentminded idiot! You truly had no clue what you were doing, did you?" Corporal James shouts as they run for their lives. "Take off your coat! It's slowing you down."

Professor Trevor drops his coat and looks back as he runs behind the corporal. He feels like he accomplished something, but now, it has become a disaster.

" Keep running!" the corporal commands. "Do not look back!"

But this only kindles Trevor's desire to look back a lot more. Now he truly wants to know what has become of his creature. He stops running, catching his breath, and turns around. He cannot really believe his eyes. The beast has grown to over a hundred feet tall. Its limbs are long, its face is dark and creepy, with radiant eyes and diabolic horns on its head. It looks at the 2 with a penetrating stare as if it is trying to say that it's going to chase them.

" It's gigantic!" the Professor exclaims.

" My goodness," James says as he glances back. "What have you done?"

They can't help but stand there and gaze at the roaring monstrosity. It's hard to believe what they are seeing. There is no time at all, though. They need to keep moving.

" Follow me to the base," Corporal James suggests. "We can talk about how to defeat this thing there."

No sooner said than done, the 2 get to the military base. They run in anxiously, worrying several soldiers that danger is on the way there. After several turns, they enter the general's office.

" Excuse me, sir," James says. "I'm sorry to barge in like this, but we have a serious problem."

Chapter 5: City Scape

" What is so crucial that you have to disturb my meeting, corporal? I demand an instant explanation," the general says.

" Remember that scientific project you sent me to? The one you were going to shut down? Well, it has backfired on us."

" What do you mean with 'backfired?'".

" Well, the professor and I were inside. And when we tested this liquid on a tomato plant, something began to grow. It became substantial!”

" Would you clarify it to me in more information, please? Exactly what grew so big?"

" That!" Trevor yells as he points at the beast through the window.

" Holy cow!" the general exclaims. "It is like a Black Shade but bigger."

" Looks like a proper name for my development," Trevor mumbled with almost a little pride in his voice.

" I do not have time for this, corporal. I was going to go out when you stepped in. But upon my departure, I am giving you full command of the troops in this region. Congratulations, major. You just got promoted ... temporarily ... depending on the condition that you eliminate this thing. If you do not, you will be degraded to the rank of soldier. The outcome of your profession is in your hands now. All the best."

With that, the general sticks the symbols of the said rank on James's shoulder and disappears out the back entrance, leaving James with his brand-new rank behind, who has huge eyes and an open mouth, looking at the circumstances in wonder. He can't really believe he just got promoted, but he understands too that he will lose his whole status if he doesn't blow this beast up. Suddenly, he snaps out of it and takes control. He marches outside and takes a look at the panicking soldiers in the camp.

" Men, gather your weapons! I am in command now! Get your muskets from the ammunition room. You two, go around the corner! Move, move, move!" Major James screams as he claps in his hands to motivate the soldiers to take initiative.

" Professor Trevor, if there is anything you can do to help, do it. If not, get out of our way right now. This is a military operation now."

" Yes, sir," Trevor says.

He can't think of anything to stop the giant monster. And he does not want to be an annoyance. Additionally, he doesn't want to die here, so he chooses to go back to the destroyed laboratory they left behind.

Meanwhile, Major James is commanding his troops and doing everything he can to stop the hazard. The monster stomps on camping tents and barracks with its feet, swipes away trees and structures with its arms, and breaks rocks with its fists. The soldiers have gotten their muskets and are lined up to fire at the monster.

" Ready ... aim... fire!" Major James commands.

A dozen bullets fly through the air, only to drop dead on the floor after bouncing off the beast's hard skin.

" Again!" Major James says. "Aim at its head this time. Reload ... all set ... aim ... fire!”

The bullets hit the beast's head and repeat the exact same pattern. They drop on the floor like flies, all to no avail.

" Major," one of the soldiers says. "We cannot kill this thing. It's too strong. We need better devices and more powerful weapons."

" You're right," James says. "Pull back! Let's get the bombs out."

The army retreats to the ammunition storage and gets out all the bombs they can find. A few soldiers transport them out while others stand all set with fire to light them. After some minutes, 6 bombs are being thrown at the enormous beast.

" Take cover!" James shouts.

The soldiers drop to the floor on their stomachs and cover their heads.

Boooom!

A half dozen bombs explode at the exact same time, tearing the sky with their light, their fire, and their intolerable noises. Thick smoke emerges from the hit place, in addition to many pieces of debris, grit, and dust. When the soldiers look up, they are hopeful and expect the beast to be gone. But their expectations aren't being met. Without a scratch, the black being steps out of the tremendous destruction attempt. Impatiently, it walks past the army with several huge steps, heading into the direction of the city.

" This is awful, major! It will reach the city in no time," one of the soldiers says.

" Let's go after it," the major suggests. "We have to keep trying. It's gotta have a weak spot."

Chapter 6: Planning

In the meantime, Trevor regretfully reaches what is left of his lab, the place where everything began. He picks up several beakers and tubes that have been shattered by the growing monster and looks at them with a glum expression on his face.

What in the world has he done?

He has unleashed a monster, caused a catastrophe waiting to happen. His self-confidence is shot. His self-confidence is broken. All he wants now is to crawl under a rock and hide himself from the world.

He glances to the corner of his experiment and sees his notes on the table. After walking to the table, he puts his hand on the notebook he left and browses the pages. One by one, he finds the formulas he scribbled there, the symbols, the equations, and the overview of lined up data that helped him created the fluid.

If only he could reverse this catastrophe.

" Wait a minute," he says. "What if I turned 'X' around in this computation? That would make sense. The most sensible result of this formula is the opposite of the root divided by ..."

And so he goes on for several minutes. He begins taking some notes on another page and gets excited about his brand-new discovery. Entirely focused on his possible solution, he isn't noticing the shaking ground triggered by the beast that has reached the city by now.

The beast stomps on the ground, crashing houses and knocking over buildings along the way. People all over Miner City run to all different directions in an effort to avert the large disaster that has entered their town. Screams by girls and ladies are heard, in addition to afraid cries of so-called brave boys and dads who are frightened. Residences are burning, churches are developed into ruins, and tiny business are turned upside down by the frequent stomping and slamming of the mad beast. Chaos is in the air, desperate souls are trying to save their own skin; useless attempts from the military include still shooting at the discovered danger.

" Major, I'm so glad you are here!" Trevor exclaims. "I might have found the antidote. If it works, it will reverse the impacts of the development spurt."

" What are you saying? That you can reverse this mistake?" James asks.

" That's exactly what I am saying."

" Then what are we waiting for? Let's give it to him."

" Well, there's a problem," Trevor says. "It has to be injected into the scalp, meaning somebody has to get on its head and put the injection needle in its brain. That's the only rational way. I am sure of it. The formulas all make good sense now."

" And how do you think we can do that, professor? It appears nearly impossible what you ask of us."

" Well," Trevor begins. "I made a strategy. I didn't expect this to be easy. The monster is so high that it would take a great effort to climb all the way up there. It bends over in some cases, but inadequate to time it perfectly. We just can't afford to take a chance on this."

" Then what do you suggest?" Major James asks strangely enough.

" Let's trip that thing. If we can extend a strong cord from one end to the other, we might be able to tangle its feet up and cover the cord around its ankles, causing it to fall. And that will give us a minute or more for someone to get on his head and inject the needle."

" That makes sense. Let's get to it."

Chapter 7: Defeat

Within minutes, James manages to get a big group of soldiers together and commands them to fetch some rope.

" The greatest and thickest you can find," he says. "And the 5 of you over there, keep shooting to distract the beast! We are going to set the trap on the other side of the town square. Set the clock at two minutes. After that, you'll run like your life depends on it to the destined location. We will meet there and span the ropes to trip it. Understood?"

" Affirmative."

" All clear, sir."

" Then move! Come on, teacher, you can come help set the trap."

Trevor pursues James and reaches the town square. Not too much later, a group of soldiers brings a big rope.

" Is that all you could find?" James asks.

" Sorry, sir. That's the best we could do."

" Fine, I think it will have to do for now. Let's hope it works. Hand me that needle, professor."

" You mean that you're going to jump on the beast's head?"

" Naturally. I'm not going to let one of my men sacrifice himself. If you want something done right, do it yourself. Besides, if I screw up, at least I'll have nobody else to blame."

" Okay," Trevor says, "Good luck."

The beast is coming closer. The 2 minutes are over. The guys in front of it are shooting in the air and screaming their lungs out, luring the monster into the rope trap the major and his guys set. Without hesitation, the beast follows these presumed lunatics and roars angrily at them while stomping behind them.

" Faster, much faster! Get over here!" James screams.

The running soldiers hide behind the wall of a close-by building and pant greatly.

" Now it's our turn, men," James says.

The soldiers span the rope. The monster comes closer, and closer, and trips over the rope, precisely as prepared.

Bam!

The monstrous giant falls on the town square, together with a couple of unfortunate houses.

Craaash!

Bits and pieces of the tiles, the roofings, and the monument are being bounced up from the accident. The monster is down, lying on its side, barely knowledgeable about what just occurred.

" It's just you and me now, ugly head," James says before he runs towards the beast's head. He jumps over bricks and pieces of the damaged monument, grabs onto the monster and gets on its head. The beast grumbles and whacks at him with his hand.

Whoosh!

It nearly got him, but as the major ducked, the hand missed him. James uses the beast's horns to pull him around the head, takes several steps to what he thinks is the center of its scalp, and injects the needle.

" Take that, you filthy monster!" he says with conviction, after which he slides off the monster's body.

In the beginning, it seems ineffective, but then, after about ten seconds, the beast starts to shrink. It becomes smaller and smaller. The soldiers, the professor, and the major stand by and watch as the beast gradually turns from a beast into a useless little pearl.

Chapter 8: Friendship

"Well, would you look at that," Professor Trevor says. "What a cute little Dark pearl we have here."

" Yeah, if I didn't know any better, I would ruin it right now," Major James adds.

The soldiers get around the area where the monster vanished, finding it hard to think their eyes. They look at the tiny pearl and stay speechless.

" Thank you for all you have done, major," Trevor says, holding his hand in front of him.

James shakes his hand.

" I'm sorry I got on you for your error, teacher. You are a smart addition to this army and to the city. It was an honor to deal with you. And thanks to you, I have progressed in my profession. My high rank will stay, due to the fact that you developed the remedy."

" Good. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go home to my family. Are you married, major?"

" Divorced," the major answers.

" I'm sorry to hear that. Why don't you come by for supper some time, just to have some fun? In fact, how about you just follow me to my home today? My spouse is an expert at cooking casseroles. Trust me, they are the best."

" All right," James says. "That seems like a great idea. I have to admit that the tomato plant a couple of hours ago already made me hungry. I do not know how you do it ... staying up so late and not even grabbing a snack or something. Do you think supper will still be warm? It's nearly midnight."

" I am certain it will be. And if not, we'll just warm it up. I've had many times when a warmed up dinner tasted even better than before. Speaking of which, did I tell you about the time I created food additive to boost the taste of it? It's a long story. I'll tell you all about it on our way home."

The two new good friends walk through the narrow alleys of the city, all set to eat a scrumptious meal.

THE END

Back in Time

Chapter 1: Out in Nature

This is Jace. I am 19 years of age ... well, I don't know how else to begin a journal, or journal ... whatever. This is the first time. I just want to write down what took place just recently. It was remarkable, and by that I mean that it would be hard to actually believe unless I clarify every part of that information, and even then there might be skeptics.

What I experienced with my good friends, surpasses the regular and the natural. It was supernatural; that was for sure. We actually didn't actually believe it ourselves in the beginning.

So let me just get to it, or I will just keep babbling about how astounding and odd it was.

All of it began when we chose to check out the environment. You see, our village is surrounded by stunning mountains, but we just never went there, partly as our mother and father were so busy and we didn't want to go by ourselves. My good friends, Alex and Karl, were about the same age at that time and were happy that their father and mother finally consented to let them go off on their own, with me of course. So we did. We prepared a camping trip.

Initially, we packed our bags, the tent, and some cooking equipment. It was amazing. My father took pride in me, since this would mean I would become more fully grown, being self-reliant and all. My mother was a little anxious, but she gave in and let me go. She knew that it would be much safer it there were three of us.

It was a hot summertime day. We met in front of my house and took off after striking each other on the shoulder (like guys do).

" What do you want to do initially?" Karl asked.

" I just want to go towards the mountains," I said. "When we get there, we'll choose what to do first. If we do all sorts of things first, it might be dark already when we get to a good spot. So let's find a spot first. After that, we can have as much fun as we want."

" Sounds like a plan," Karl said.

" Maybe we can eat some rabbits," Alex said.

We both looked at him. That remark was totally lost. Karl was a pretty smart kid, but Alex ...? In some cases we questioned what was up with him.

" Uhm ... yes, maybe," I said.

We were all quiet. For some reason, we just didn't have anything to include, so all of us kept packing our stuff.

Chapter 2: The Campout

We put our backpacks on our backs. We said goodbye to our families and started our journey. As we walked towards the mountains, we went by gorgeous orchards, farmlands, and forests. At the foot of the mountain, we stopped briefly.

" That appears like a long way up there," Alex said.

" Not so," I said. "We're not going all the way up there, just halfway. It will suffice. That's where we'll pitch our tents."

We began climbing. We were lucky there was a clear path, but it was high. Every once in a while, we rested, being significantly fatigued after such a tough climb. But ultimately, after a few hours, we came to an area where the roadway wasn't so high anymore. We discovered a creek and some lavish, green bushes and trees.

" Let's move up a little more and after that pitch our camping tent near the creek somewhere," I suggested.

My good friends agreed it was a good idea.

After another half hour, we chose a spot and pitched our camping tent. It was difficult, and we saw how much clear communication mattered when you're interacting as a team. Alex was too awkward to put the pins in the ground, Karl was complaining about the wind, and I just couldn't find some of the small products that make a tent complete. When we were done, we put our backpacks there, set out the sleeping bags, and took a look at the creek.

" I bet you can't beat my record," Karl said.

" What's your record?" I asked.

" I can skip a rock 27 times on the water."

" No way!"

" It holds true. So what do you say, Jace? Are you up for a good challenge?"

" Bring it on." With that remark, I picked up some flat rocks and began skipping them on the water.

1 ... 2 ... 3 ... 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12.

" Twelve!" I said. "That's not bad, is it?"

" But it's not 27," Karl said.

" Well, if you skip a rock 3 times 12, it will be 36," Alex added. "So all you have to do, is do it 2 more times and then you beat his record."

We both looked at each other and rolled our eyes while smiling.

" That's not how it works, Alex. It has to be with the same rock."

" Oh," Alex said. "Then perhaps you could get the rock from the bottom of the creek and use it again. You know, like recycling."

We couldn't stop chuckling. Alex and his basic logic ... often we actually learned something from his point of view. It made more sense than some of the complicated matters grownups come up with.

" Sure, Alex," Karl finally said.

After some fun skipping rocks, we got our fishing equipment out. "Fishing is one of the most dull things in the universe," Karl said.

" I could not agree with you more," I said. "But I heard there is some good trout in this creek, so let's just give it a try."

We broke up. I stuck with the fishing pole and the other two went to take some wood for a campfire. When they came back, I happily presented a huge trout I caught. They were amazed. I was very happy to see they made themselves useful too.

" Let's get this fire going," I said.

It was great. We roasted fish and marshmallows and hotdogs. Alex kept burning the marshmallows, even after we tried to show him how far he should hold them from the fire.

" Have you ever wished to perform some brave deed?" Karl asked when we were just relaxing at the fire.

" What are you aiming at?" I asked.

" Just ... you know, do something that you're proud of, something that means something to other individuals."

" Yes, I have," I said after a little thinking. "I once had a dream that I rescued some girl. She was being assaulted by shades and monsters, but I came to snatch her away and put her to safety. And after that I fought the opponents one by one. It was a pretty amazing dream, to be honest."

" Ha! And who was the girl? Olivia? Katherine? Sydney?" Karl asked.

" Oh, come on. Do I have to expose to you who I think is the hottest girl in our class?"

" Yes. Naturally."

" I type of like Sydney," I admitted.

" Oooooow!" the two boys yelled with a grin on their faces, teasing me a little. "Jace has a crush on Sydney!"

" Shhh ... I don't have a crush," I said.

" Sure. It's alright. No one can hear us here in the mountains."

" Well, what about you? I asked. Who do you like?"

Karl blushed a little but then he told me. We were just having conversations young guys have, about girls, about cool stuff, kids we despised, sports, and so on. When we were not hungry anymore, specifically with the tasty fish I caught, we entered into the tent and slept all night. It was serene, with the sound of the flowing water in the creek and the rustling leaves on the trees.

Chapter 3: Weird Things

The next day, we climbed some trees and cooked another meal. We all went swimming, regardless of the fact that the water was a little cold. And in the evening, we sat around another campfire.

Then I saw something.

" Hey, what's that?" I asked.

Karl and Alex came to look. It looked like another pebble, but it was purple. I had never seen a purple pebble before. I picked it up and held it in front of me.

" Weird," Alex confessed.

" Perhaps it is a dark pearl," Karl said. "I have heard of those. They're always purple and shiny. They can be found in the mountains and they make you do unusual things."

" Yeah, it looks like it," I said. "It's nearly like it is wonderful or something. Here, let me rub off the dirt."

I began getting it smooth by rubbing it with my T-shirt. Something took place. I do not know what. But before we understood it, we were at the campfire again. Everything looked the same.

" Have you ever wanted to perform some heroic deed?" Karl asked when we were just cooling at the fire.

" Wait, what?" I asked.

" Just ... you know, do something that you are proud of, something that means something to other people."

" Hang on ... what did you say?"

" Didn't you hear me? It's just that ... I thought about how cool it would be to prevent some disaster, or to do something that would serve humanity."

" No. That's what I mean," I said. "I heard you, but it just doesn't make any sense. You already said what you said."

He raised one eyebrow. "You're the one who is not making any sense," he said.

I was confused. Didn't he already ask that exact same thing yesterday? Why would he ask that question again? And why did it look like he was burning the exact same marshmallow in the exact same way as the day before?

" You asked me the same question yesterday," I insisted. "Have you forgotten that?"

" Okay, you're beginning to freak me out, Jace," Karl said. "I didn't even see you yesterday. So how could I have asked that question a day before?"

" What? But we were here, at the campfire! You were asking me this and then I told you that I liked Sydney, and we discussed other things."

" You like Sydney?" Alex asked. "Ha-ha-ha-ha!”

Karl smirked. "Well, thanks for telling us that, but we actually weren't here the other day. I think you're going a little nuts."

Then I looked at the dark pearl. Did I just go back in time? Maybe the magical power of this weird pearl was to go back in time. But how would I know for sure? I thought and thought while Alex and Karl were chatting away.

Then I had it.

" What's today's date?" I asked.

" Huh? It's the 23rd, obviously," Karl said.

There was my evidence. I had returned a day. When I rubbed the pearl, it pushed me back in time for an entire day. Our discussion changed. We didn't talk so much about girls or sports any longer. I revealed them the dark pearl I had found uhm ... well the day after actually ... and we attempted to figure out what it could do.

" Guys," I said in all severity, "This is a magical thing."

They both looked.

" Oh, I've heard about those. They're dark pearls," Karl said.

" Yes, and it sent me back in time."

" It did what?" Karl asked.

" It sent me back in ... stop! That hotdog is going to fall into the fire!" I alerted Alex. But it was too late. The hotdog fell.

" Hey, how did you know it would fall?" Alex asked.

" That's what I have been trying to tell you. I returned in time."

" Oh yeah? Then what am I going to do now?" Karl asked.

" Well, I don't know everything that's going to happen," I explained. "But I rubbed the pearl and returned a day."

" That's so cool," Alex admitted.

" Hang on. Hold on. Let's say you are right. What are we going to do with it?" Karl asked.

" Let me figure that out later. I am open to ideas, but let me just say that we have a very powerful pearl here, something we can use to change lives, including our own."

" Time travel ..." Karl said while rubbing his chin.

We talked some more, among which things about some of the possibilities this newfound power could give us. Nevertheless, we didn't come up with a lot of ideas that were both ethical and useful. We were going to keep it and think of it later.

Chapter 4: The Threat

The next day, the 2 boys went swimming and climbed some trees. I didn't truly feel like joining them, because I felt I had already done those activities the day before. So I just sat there and considered the impact this dark pearl would have on our lives.

" We need to use this for something good," I said while my good friends were sprinkling water at each other.

" But what?" Karl asked.

" I do not know. Prevent crime. Help those in need. Something like that."

" Nothing ever happens in this village anyhow."

" I know. So maybe we should just hide it away until something does."

" Sounds good to me," Karl said as he shrugged his shoulders.

" Just don't tell anyone, alright?" I said.

" Okay."

" Alex?"

" Tell what?" he asked.

" Never mind." I thought that if he didn't know, then he most likely wouldn't tell anybody.

I asked them to do something else, since watching them play in the water had become a little boring. We went to search for berries, so we just left the tent there with our gear, considering it safe enough for the moment.

We took off and began looking. Karl said he had heard of blueberries being up here, but I was eager to find some raspberries. Those were my favorite. Alex wasn't clear about what he wanted. He put a pinecone in his mouth and even tried to eat a leaf. We both sort of laughed about his silly experiments. He said he wanted to prove that you could eat leaves, which he did, but it didn't appear like he was enjoying it, and that's why we laughed out loud.

When we went up the mountain a bit more, Karl all of a sudden stopped me and said, "Don't ... move ... a muscle."

He was staring in the distance. I tried to see what he was looking at. Then I saw it. It was a bear! It was gigantic! I was as silent as I could be. This bear was brown and looking mean. But it didn't see us. What was it doing?

" It's eating our berries !!!!" Alex said as if he heard my ideas somehow.

" Silent, you idiot," Karl sneered.

But it was too late. The bear had picked up the noise of Alex's voice and was quickly moving towards us, grumbling loudly and showing its teeth.

" Run!" I said.

We all tried to run downhill, which I have to mention is really hard to do without tripping. I mean, I don't consider myself a very awkward character, but this time, I just got my foot stuck behind a tree branch and fell forward. I saw the huge bear coming at me. It was getting closer. It swung at me with its sharp claws and ...

When we went up the mountain a bit more, Karl unexpectedly stopped me and said, "Don't ... move ... a muscle."

Huh? Is this where we were? In desperation, I had just rubbed the dark pearl a little, attempting to place us back in time so we could avoid being chased after by an unsafe bear. The bear was staring at us. It was trying to find berries, but I already knew that Alex was going to be silly enough to open his mouth. So I jumped towards him and covered his mouth with my hand. I held it there and made certain he could not say anything.

When I let go, he silently said, "How did you know I was going to say something?"

" I've been telling you guys that I have gone back in time the other day. So that's what I just did."

" Wait, you returned in time tomorrow to tell me to be quiet now, which is precisely the other day for you?" he asked.

Alex was making things unnecessarily complicated.

" No," I whispered. "I just returned to the time we were watching the bear since I was nearly becoming its lunch. Now, let's get out of here before the same thing happens all over again."

" That's unusual, man," Alex said after thinking for a while.

My friends and I left and went back to the camping tent, which was a lot further away. Just to be safe, we left the mountains that day, since we didn't want the bear to find us.

Chapter 5: Back at the Town

We got back and our mom and dad welcomed us. They inquired about our experiences in the mountains and we just told them about swimming, campfires, and berries, but not about the bear, since that would trigger them to be worried. Nor did we tell them about the dark pearl with its wonderful powers. That would just confuse them. Besides, I didn't know what I wanted to do with it yet. It sounded so powerful but so bad if it would fall into the wrong hands.

I would soon find a way to use it though.

The next day, we met in school. As we were sitting there, the teacher asked everyone what they did last weekend.

" I went on a pony ride," one girl said. It sounded a little childish, but then she explained that she trained horses and that she learned a lot about assisting them by rewarding them with carrots and such.

" We dealt with the farm," another kid said. He told us how they milked the cows, stacked the hay, and gathered the water from trenches and wells in the ground.

" We went camping," I said when it was my turn. I told the class about our walking up the mountain, our campfire, and climbing trees. Karl told a similar story, just adding bits and pieces to what I was already saying, from his perspective.

Then it was Alex's turn. "We found a magical stone that turns back time," he said bluntly.

I buried my face in my hands.

" Oh, that sounds interesting," the instructor said. "Please tell us more about that."

" Well," he began. "We were attacked by a bear and after that Jace told me to stop talking because I was making way too much noise, but the bear didn't see me, so it was okay, and the stone looked purple. It was more like a pearl, a purple pearl. And at the campfire, Jace forecasted the future as I dropped my hotdog and he knew for some reason it was going to happen, so that's when we chose to not tell anyone about it, but I just did ..."

He realized what he just said.

I expected the worst.

" Whoops," he whispered.

The whole class looked at me. How was I going to talk myself out of this one? Why couldn't he just keep his mouth shut about the dark pearl? I knew we couldn't trust him. He couldn't help it.

" Well?" the instructor said.

At first, I looked anxious, then sheepish, and after that positive. I was going to pretend to lie by telling part of the truth. My sarcasm had no limits; everyone knew that. So I would use it to my advantage.

" Oh, he is absolutely right," I said with an amusing tone in my voice. "We found this magical rock that helps us turn back time. We can even travel to the future and turn your nose into a pig's nose."

Everybody laughed ... everybody other than for Alex.

" It can do that too?" he asked with huge eyes.

" Yes, I just didn't want to tell you because I wanted to pull a prank on you. I was going to slip up on you in your sleep and give you a pig's nose, just for fun. But now that you found my secret ... oh, me and my big mouth. Sorry, I spoiled it. Maybe I could still do it to someone who doesn't know about that special feature."

Alex looked happy. He was probably relieved that I wasn't going to give him a pig's nose anymore. And the rest of the class didn't take me seriously at all. They thought it was all just a huge joke.

" That sounds very funny, Jace. I am sure you can make up a lot of stuff about all kinds of 'wonderful' objects, but we are attempting to have a serious discussion about what we were doing in the weekends here."

" Sorry, teacher," I said.

" It's all right. Let's hear it from someone else."

After class, I didn't even snap at Alex. Like I said, I didn't think he could help himself. He was just a little different. Karl came to me and told me what a genius I was for talking my way out of that one.

" Thanks," I said. "Have you thought of what we could do with this yet?"

" We could win the lotto," he said.

" I think so, but I don't know if that's what this was meant for. Let's think of it a little more. It's not like we frantically need cash. Besides, that would be type of unethical, would not it?"

" Only if you get caught," Karl said.

I chuckled. That Karl and his way of justifying everything. I knew he meant well, but sometimes, he crossed the moral line a little in my eyes.

Chapter 6: Secret Opponents

I got home and listened to my mother and father having a discussion. They were pretty worried, to say the least.

" Shades will assault the village," my dad said. "They have been spotted outside the village surface and some of them were especially hostile. They attacked a number of villager, and now the whole town is anxious and upset."

" How many do you think there are?" mom asked.

" I do not know. Some have mentioned a few, others lots, and one of the villagers even said he saw tons of them, hiding in the forest."

" What are they after?"

" Oh, you know. They are uncivilized, vicious monsters. They don't have to have a reason. They just want to destroy our town, I am sure."

My mom looked frightened, and my dad noticed he went a little overboard.

" But," he said quickly, attempting to relieve my mom's mind, "I think that if we just leave them alone, they won't come any closer. Maybe they just want to perform a few easy acts of violence and after that head back to where they came from. Who knows? Besides, we reside in the town's center. They will probably assault the houses at the town borders first."

" I sure hope so," my mom said.

I couldn't sleep that night. I knew without a doubt that I had bumped into this mysterious dark pearl for a reason, and now the town seemed to be in peril. I didn't know how at the time, but maybe I could make myself helpful in some way. If I could utilize the pearl's wonderful powers, I would have the ability to save lives.

Chapter 7: Raids

They came one by one. It was hard to stop since it was so sporadic. The shades that attacked the town were vicious and ruthless. A little fight here, a little killing there ... it was unstoppable.

One of the shades that assaulted the village, was a small, tricky one. The Burges family had been residing on the town's borders for a very long time, but now they were seriously thinking about moving. When the sneaky shades snuck into their home, it damaged all the fruits in the basement and all the vegetables in the shed. After that, it came after them.

" Father! Father!" the little girl shouted. "Where are you?"

" Come on, honey," the mother told her while hanging on to their newborn. She came running out of the house, trying to secure her offspring but fearing for the life of her partner.

They left, looking back and seeing something happen on the window through the window. But they didn't have time to stay. The father would meet them at his brother's place, but he never made it.

The next day, there was a funeral service, but during the event, an entire crowd of shades made this moaning sound and attacked the attendants. Many were harmed, couple of were killed.

That exact same evening, a huge Shade, at least 15 feet tall, went into the town and began slamming walls and hitting monoliths. When the town's people resisted with pitchforks and pickaxes, they were simply smashed to the ground. People were kicked hundreds of feet away by this enormous monster; others were simply stepped on or pinned to the wall of one of their houses. It was mayhem. It was awful.

Reports from deaths by shades or losses through those assaulting opponents were all over the place. People were distressed. The village held a council meeting which my father went to. He brought me along, just to observe what was going on, and maybe because they were so desperate they could have used suggestions from anybody going to include an insight of some sort, even teens.

" Our town is dying," the mayor said. "We have come together since we cannot hold back the shades any longer. Their random riots and assassinations have become too much. This should have never happened. If we don't do something, we will all be eradicated."

" Let's burn the forest," someone suggested.

" Then they will only be forced to come out and kill more of us," another disagreed.

" Maybe we should assault them," my father suggested. "They would never see it coming."

" Sounds like an idea," the mayor said. "But even if we could kill some of them, we wouldn't have the manpower or the combating abilities to get rid of them completely. We have heard reports of hundreds of these dreadful creatures, lurking underneath the shadows. How are we ever going to match that?"

" We should discover what they want," I said.

Everybody turned to me.

" Who is this?" the mayor asked.

" Uhm ... this is my son," my dad said proudly.

Then the mayor turned to me and asked, "And how are we going to do that, young man? They don't speak our language. They don't even talk. They just come in and start pillaging our town. How do you suggest we learn about their intentions?"

I was silent.

" I don't know," I confessed. "But if we could somehow discover that, they may leave us alone after that."

" We will keep it in mind," the mayor said. "Any other ideas?"

Chapter 8: The Shady Beasts

When we got home from the meeting that night, I was miserable. I mourned just because of the families who had lost really loved ones. People who had been extremely killed by those horrible beasts ... it just wasn't fair. We didn't even know why they were assaulting us. Generally, shades would leave us alone if we didn't look them in the eyes. We always had to make sure we didn't bother them, and they wouldn't respond. But this time it was different. They were angry. They were after something.

I sat there in the middle of the night, thinking of the causes of all these unusual events.

Then I thought about the only thing I could do, the only thing that made real sense: I was going to go back in time and discover the origin of all this. If I could only get near the shades and look for a motive, I may be able to stop all these tragedies.

I decided.

I was determined to solve this.

This was the reason I found the dark pearl.

I took it out of my pocket and rubbed it. I rubbed it hard, just to ensure it would work.

Before I knew it, I was back in the living room. It wasn't night anymore, but throughout the afternoon. My mother and father had a conversation. They were pretty stressed, to say the least.

" shades are about to assault the village," my dad said. "They have been found outside the village surface and some of them were particularly hostile. They attacked a number of villagers, and now the entire town is restless and upset."

" How many do you think there are?" mother asked.

" I don't know. Some have mentioned a few, others dozens, and one of the villagers even said he saw hundreds of them, hiding in the forest."

I recognized this discussion, and it was before it actually all took place. No one had died yet, and I was going to make certain it would never happen. I told my parents I had to go outside and ran out. Then I went to Karl's house.

" Psst, Karl," I said while looking up.

He opened his bedroom window.

" What's going on?" he asked.

" Want to follow me into the forest? I have the gut feeling we can really use this unusual pearl we found."

" Sure. Give me a second and I will be right there," he said.

A little later, he stood beside me in front of his house.

" So what have you learned?" he asked.

" These shades are going to kill villagers," I said. "It already took place ... well, in the future, I guess, but I went back in time, to the present time, to stop it."

" That is so incredible!" Karl said. "So you are from the future?"

" Yes, well, I know what's going to take place. And now I want to make an effort to stop a disaster from happening. Does that make any sense?"

" Obviously. Shall we get Alex too?"

" Let's leave Alex where he is," I said with a smile. "Let's just go together, just the 2 of us. I am certain we'll get to the bottom of this."

We ventured to the forest with the dark pearl. To be sincere, it was sort of spooky, with the fog and the spooky noises we heard. We couldn't see much, so we stayed close to each other. The fog was so thick that we could only see about 15 feet in front of us, if that. As we gradually approached the open space in the middle of the forest, which was a place where I thought we had the biggest chance of experiencing shades, we heard the noise of feet. Like I said, we couldn't see much, but we were certain that we were being followed. We turned around but saw nothing. When we turned around again ...

" Wraaah!" Karl and I shouted.

A scary Shade was right in front of us, looking in our eyes from only 2 feet away. Where did that one originated from all of a sudden? But he wasn't the only one catching us by surprise. Before we could say another word, we were surrounded by shades. They were all coming closer and gazing at us.

Why weren't they trying to kill us?

I didn't comprehend any of this.

" Quickly," Karl whispered. "Get the dark pearl. Perhaps we could return to the time before they snuck up on us."

I took it out of my pocket, but that produced a response I didn't expect. As soon as these mean-looking shades saw the dark pearl. They all kneeled down. What was happening? Were they worshipping this item or something?

One of the shades wasn't kneeling. It looked like their leader. He came forward and made a gesture as to say, "Hand it over."

Then it clicked in my mind. Perhaps they lost this precious pearl and would begin their killing spree out of anger. Perhaps they were just searching for it in their desperate attempts to search the place. Maybe giving it back to them would stop this rubbish before it even took place.

" What are you doing?" Karl asked. "Don't give that to them. It's our only way out."

But he really missed the point. He didn't get it, so I ignored his suggestions and handed the dark pearl to the Shade. He happily accepted my gift. When he held it, he looked at it with joy. The other shades were still kneeling. Then he held it up and uttered some unusual sounds I had never heard before; it was most likely in their language, or so I figured.

When he was done talking, the shades stood and followed him. They were headed into the direction of the mountains, far from the village.

We both looked at the departing, black creatures, trying to make sense of what had just happened.

" This is amazing!" I finally said. "They are gone. GONE! They will not ever return. All they were doing, was looking for their pearl. It's so easy if you think about it."

" So that was it then?" Karl asked. "They just wanted their pearl back."

" Yes, and remember you said you wanted to perform a heroic deed? Now you did! We just prevented the deaths of many villagers. We just prevented a war! Aren't you happy with yourself?"

" A little," Karl said. "I just pictured it to be different. You know, with sword fighting and swinging and picking up a beautiful girl to save her from the scourging flames of a fire, or to be carried on the villagers' shoulders and have an after-party."

" Oh, come on. You have to admit this was cool. It does not matter that nobody saw it. We know what we did, and that counts for something."

Karl was still a little upset when we walked home. He didn't get the same brave feeling as I did. We talked some more, going over the events that had been taking place since we found that strange pearl.

Then, suddenly out of the blue, he said, practically weeping, "But we could have won the lotto!

THE END

Zombie Outbreak

Chapter 1: Anguish

Dear journal ...

No, no, no ... that's not how I should begin. I am a tough man for crying out loud! Let's begin over, since it may be journal but that does not mean I have to seem like a wimp. These are hard times, so let's put it in a way that will get the adrenaline in your blood going.

Look, we had just hardly come to the stupid barn, but as quickly as we arrived, the zombies were already pounding at the doors. They just wouldn't disappear. A consistent howling, gnashing of teeth, and wailing were heard. Their sounds were renting the air, as it were, and the reeking odor of corpses entered our senses each day we left.

There were lots of them ... THOUSANDS of them. I lost count of how many I already killed. Two of my friends were keeping the score though. I think one of them already reached number 765 or something. It was a cool pastime if you ask me; something to keep them busy and help them focus on other things.

Not me though. Such trivial activities didn't occupy my mind. I was only consumed with just one thing: Finding civilization. I just knew there were others out there like us. Others who had made it through the disaster and were now waiting on a rescue or were developing their society the way it used to be.

But listen to me rambling about this or that. I am sure that you understand. We were stuck in a barn, surrounded by zombies, thinking that we would be safe but discovering that quite the reverse held true. Let me introduce myself and my team to you.

There were four of us:

Initially there was me.

My name is Jake. I am 25 years of age. I had been battling zombies for a whole year and it was almost as if I did nothing else in life. Naturally, I was just a student when the entire thing came crumbling down on us and panic emerged, but that's another story. Let me assure you that my preferred weapon was a golden sword. Do not ask me how I found it. I just did; and besides, that too, is another story.

Then there was Liam. He was 24. He still had a difficult time getting used to the circumstances, and he flaunted everything all the time as his hormonal agents fluctuated all day. The fact that there were 2 girls and two guys made him go a little crazy sometimes, and he certainly liked the brunette. Either way, they flirted back and forth all the time, which put me and the other girl in an uncomfortable position. Liam's favorite weapon was an iron axe. He got it from a barn just like this one, and he never parted with it since.

The 3rd member of our little made-up team was Darcey. She was only 19 years of age and had just completed high school when the zombies attacked. Her brown hair and blue eyes made her a target for many flirty guys in school, and the fact that she had been a cheerleader all that time made it worse. All she ever spoke about, was make-up, hair, outfits, and nails. She wore short skirts and tight t-shirts all the time, and I doubt that she ever got good grades in school, as I've seen her handwriting and spelling ... Awful ... Like I said, she flirted a lot with Liam-- the only person in the area that would show interest in her-- but I often questioned if she was actually into him or if she just liked the attention. By the way, she often used a shovel to protect herself. In some cases, I caught her tossing a bottle of perfume or nail polish remover in a zombie's face. 10 points for imagination whenever.

The last one in our group was Melody. In my eyes, she was a lot smarter than the brunette, and contrary to the popular viewpoint about her hair color, this blond was a bright, strong survivor. With her pickaxe, she would bust the heads of countless zombies and pull out her weapon within seconds each time as if she had been fighting all her life. It was always a satisfaction to watch her from the corner of my eyes, especially when her hips swung one way and her arms the other ... it was just amazing how she ... well ... anyway, I am daydreaming here. Melody was 21 and she had a charming face, but she didn't put a ton of effort into beautifying herself. She was in survival mode, and she just had a way to get things done quickly, working on solutions and quick ideas to get us to the next place.

So there we were, discussing what to do and where to go. It was an issue, because we thought we had lost them, and now we had to move again.

" How far is the town?" Melody asked.

" If I am right, it should be about 10 minutes from here," I said.

" Let's go then," she said.

" But how?" Liam asked.

" Through there," she said, pointing at a fracture in the back of the barn.

" Do you think there are any zombies there?" Darcey asked.

" I do not know," Melody admitted. "But I hear sounds from all sides of the barn. All the doors are being smothered while it seems like that opening might actually help us slip out. It's our only chance."

All of us agreed that it would be the best way to get out of there, so we rushed towards the fracture. It was at the bottom, so we had to lie on our stomachs and crawl through it. Melody was the first one. She lay flat on her stomach and began crawling through. All of us waited and after that we heard a whisper, "Guys, it's safe. Just keep silent and follow me."

I went second. I crawled through and securely made it outside. There I saw Melody hiding in the bushes and signaling with one hand to go to her. Liam was after me and soon joined us in the bushes, gone from the barn with zombies. Darcey was the last one to crawl through, but when she stuck her head through the crack, a zombie appeared and shouted in her face.

" Wraaaaah!”

Darcey quickly drew back and shouted, "Eeeeeh!”

" She didn't make it," I said, burying my face in my hand.

" Well, don't just stand there! Let's go get her!" Melody said.

She hurried towards the barn and smashed the zombie in the head with her pickaxe. His screech alarmed the zombies on the other side, who came running towards us within seconds. Melody helped Darcey crawl through while the 2 of us were fending off a few zombies with our weapons.

" Let's go! Let's go!" I shouted.

All of us ran as quickly as we could. I observed immediately who was really out shape and who wasn't, because there I was, running and observing Melody's behind, who was way ahead of everybody, running her lungs out and reaching the village long before we did. Outstanding. What woman!

Darcey kept up with me, but it was sad to see that Liam, the one who displayed so much, could not really back up his mouth by running quickly. He fell back, though still ahead of the zombies, and I actually broke a smile when I saw him panting heavily and getting here late.

" Ugh ... ooof ... owowow ... Heeesh ... hi, men. What's the hurry?" Liam said. "It's not like those zombies are the fastest in the world or something."

" Sshhh ..." Melody said, "... there might be zombies in this town too. I say we head for the church tower. A ton of those towers have hatches that lock. If we can make it there, the zombies will ultimately quit, or we can come down with this rope from my bag and move down through the roof."

" That seems like an outstanding idea," I said.

Shortly afterwards, we tiptoed to the church and went inside.

No zombies.

Good.

Our next move was to climb up the stairs to the belfry and hide there. We even found some food hidden in one of the rooms in that building. When we showed up, it was beginning to get dark. We closed the hatch and all went to sleep. It had been a long day.

Chapter 2: Where It All Began

It was all a huge mishap. At least, that's what we heard. Not too far from one of the larger towns in the country, there was a speculative laboratory. I didn't think our clinical research had advanced this far yet, since we all lived under reasonably primitive situations, but apparently, they knew how to develop mysterious compounds.

One of those substances was the Y412, a chemical green slush that was supposed to treat clients from certain diseases. Instead, it did the opposite. When they tested it on rats, it didn't seem to do anything, so the biggest mistake they made, was presuming that it would be safe for humans too.

And after that it happened.

The man lying down on the bed was injected with the Y412.

Immediately, he arose and attacked one of the scientists. The patient jumped at him and began choking him while the others were kicking and punching him, attempting to stop a murder.

But this made it even worse.

It stirred the hostility in the client's brain. He ended up being even more wild and ferocious than before. His nails turned into claws and his teeth into fangs within seconds. As the drool from his mouth hit the floor, the newly-bred monster attacked the other researchers too, biting and scratching each of them.

Before they knew it, they were all the same: It only took seconds before they developed into zombies themselves and started damaging the place. They broke out and terrified the town the clinical center was at.

There was a soldier there, Bart, a retired hero who heard about the outbreak. He didn't waver and got his silver sword. Then he stormed out of his house and opened his mouth in wonder. Dozens of zombies were quickly going through the streets, breaking homes and biting victims along the way. He had never seen anything like this.

" Let's fight back!" Bart shouted. "Resist! We cannot let them take the village."

He banged his sword on the doors of those who were still unaware of the situation. The civilians gradually came out and looked at the continuous turmoil.

" Get your weapons!" Bart shouted. "Let's kill these men!”

Some of the villagers got pitchforks and shovels. Others armed their kids and spouses with hammers and knives, but most of them escaped in fear.

" Come on!" Bart shouted as he stabbed one of the zombies in the stomach. "We can win this!”

He stabbed and yelled and slashed. He fought back with all his might, but the zombies were becoming too many; they were growing greatly. They were dashing through windows and turning everyone in their way into zombies. Panic was all over.

" We can beat these monsters!" Bart kept shouting. "We can beat ... ".

THUD!

Some zombie punched him in the face. It knocked him out and left him there, being stepped on by various zombies but allowing him to remain human. Who knows what occurred after that ...?

I heard it didn't take long before the whole town became zombies and dead people. From there, the illness spread right across the country. This was the beginning.

Chapter 3: The Note We Got

I got up by the sound of snoring. Liam was lying on his back and seemed like a saw cutting through a log. It wasn't the best way to wake up, but I discovered the sun came up anyhow, so it made a lot of sense to start taking a look around.

Melody was covered up with a blanket, and so was Darcey. They were so tired from the day before that they kept sleeping, regardless of the incoming rays from the sun.

I just sat there for an hour. I was going to leave them there, as I knew they needed it. Besides, I took pleasure in watching Melody sleep. She was so pretty. I questioned if she even knew that I was so satisfied by her. Most likely not.

Darcey got up.

" Whe-where am I?" she asked.

" We're in a church tower," I answered. "We're safe here. No zombies."

I guess the word "zombies" woke Melody up, since she immediately increased from her sleeping position and reached for her weapon. "Zombies? Where?" she said.

" Do not worry," I said. "We locked the hatch, remember?"

" Oh yeah," she said as she rubbed her eyes and yawned. "So what is the strategy?"

" We should look for any clues to find a group of survivors," I said. "There is only so much we can do by ourselves, but if we join others, we can withstand all the zombies."

" Well, how about awakening this sleepy head?" Melody said, pointing at the snoring Liam.

" Sure," I said. "Hey, Liam, time to wake up."

No response.

" Liam!" I yelled. "Wake up! It's time to get up!"

Nothing.

" I can poke him with my pickaxe," Melody said.

" Amateurs," Darcey commented. "Let me show you how it's done."

She leaned over and softly whispered something in his ear. It seemed to permeate through his brain immediately, since his eyes opened and he stood, taking a look at Darcey with big eyes.

" What?" he asked.

" Oh, nothing," Darcey said.

" What did you tell him?" Melody and I inquired.

" Do not worry about it. Isn't the most important thing that he is up?" she said.

" I think so," I said.

Liam was trying to get his hair straight. "What now?" he asked.

" Let's go downstairs," I suggested. "We'll search the homes for any indicator that people left and grouped someplace. We can't stay here for long. We need to find others."

After carefully opening the hatch, we decreased the stairs and searched the church. Luckily, we didn't have to look anywhere else, since on one of the benches, there was a note that read, "Meet us at Paradise. Turn left at the Elephant Rock."

When I picked it up, we all stared at it for a while.

" Man, that's remarkable," Liam said.

" Where is Elephant Rock?" Darcey asked.

" It's on the other side of the country," Melody said a little disappointed. "It's not that awesome. All we have, is a note and some vague directions. And it's far. It will take at least a few days to walk there, if I'm not mistaken."

" But it's a chance," I said. "Before this, we had nothing. Now we have an objective."

Chapter 4: Journey right across the Country

We took the note and tried to find other supplies. None of the zombies in the area were alarmed by our slipping around the village. Fortunately, they were all gone or hiding from the light.

Something that I had been seeing before, was that the zombies seldom came out during the day. They were unsusceptible to light and often they did appear in the daytime, but the majority of them disliked the light. They remained in the shadows until the sun would set.

This would give us a long time to fill up on stuff. So we did. We found food, water, and blankets; and we loaded every little thing that was useful.

Then we left town.

On our way to the presumed group that we hoped would exist.

The plains were dangerous. If there would be any zombies there, they would have seen us by that time, but there weren't. I was just hoping none of them would be clever enough to take a peek there.

And since there was nothing else to do, Liam got into bragging mode, like always.

" You know, Darcey," he said. "It's good we came back for you or you would have been bitten and turned into a zombie."

" Yeah, that would have been dreadful," Darcey confessed. "Thank you for saving me."

" Obviously, if you had gone as the first one, then one of us would have been at risk. It was just a coincidence," Melody said.

" Still," Darcey said. "Liam was brave to come back."

" No, he wasn't," I said. "He just returned since Melody told us to return."

" But I would have gone anyway, whether she said it or not," Liam firmly insisted.

" Sure," I said. "I still think you should be thanking Melody instead of Liam, Darcey."

After that, it was quiet. All of us sensed it. Darcey was just trying to find a reason to flirt with Liam and Liam was just boasting again, despite the fact that he was the last to show up in the town just because of his sluggish speed.

Melody and I exchanged looks. It was type of like teaming up against the weirdos in the group or something. By having two people to tease, it was as if we were connecting better. We both smiled and shook our heads.

" So where did you get that golden blade?" Melody asked.

" Well, let me tell you," I began.

Chapter 5: All the Survival Stories

This is the story of how I found the golden sword. The simple truth is, I had been trying to find a weapon for days after the outbreak. My parents tried to protect me, telling me to hide in the basement when the zombies assaulted. When the sounds had vanished, I came out of my hiding place and discovered an empty home. After all that time, I still didn't know what had happened to them. Perhaps they had developed into zombies, or maybe they had just died. Nevertheless, I still had an unclear hope of finding them in the colony, which was why I was so determined to find it.

I truly hoped my parents were still alive someplace.

Anyhow, I climbed up out of that basement and found the whole village to be empty. I knew there were zombies prowling beneath the corners of the homes, so I hurried to a nearby castle.

The castle was owned by some rich lord who had settled in this town, and some of the townspeople had worked at this place to make a living. I knew that if I wanted to find a valuable weapon somewhere, it was going to be in that building.

When I came there, dead bodies were all over the floor. It was horrible. The sight of it was terrible. And I think I even got a little upset when I saw them. I stepped over them and entered the castle. The bridge was broad open, and so was the gate. I looked around and tried to determine where the best place would be to find a weapon to defend myself.

I went downstairs and looked some more till I found the armory. Racks with axes, spears, and bows were leaning against the walls, making my dream come true.

" Oooh, nice," I said when I picked up an axe with ornaments and a shiny surface area. I put it down and looked for the perfect weapon to wield. I was going to be very picky, because I knew I could not take all of them with me.

But then I heard something. The door opened and a creepy zombie stood in front of me. It was the very first time I had seen a zombie. It was a terrifying experience. I have to admit that I wasn't entirely prepared for this. It was a female, and the flesh on her face and arms was hanging loose. It was very gross and it was the least attractive image of woman I would ever see. And now it was out to kill me. She came right at me.

" Creeaaaah!" she shrieked, holding her arms and claws in my direction.

She knocked me over.

I fell backwards.

The female zombie was on top of me, trying to bite me, but then I managed to get my feet up and push her in the stomach, from me, so that she would fall backwards. Before I could blink my eyes, I saw a blade from the armory impale her. She had fallen onto it and had now become a dead zombie.

I stood and brushed off the dust from my body. Then I looked at the weapon that had killed my foe.

It was a golden sword.

It was gorgeous.

I didn't know why I hadn't seen this blade previously, but now that I had, I fell for it. It would become my main weapon, specifically since it had inadvertently saved my life. I put the sheath on my back and looked like a real warrior. I practiced pulling it out and putting it back in for a few minutes and went outside.

And after that I saw her ... the total opposite from the monstrous monster I had just ruined.

The stylish girl standing in front of me was the ultimate charm. Her long, blonde hair was waving in the wind and she was leaning on one hip with a pickaxe in her hand, and it was dripping with blood. She looked at me, and I knew at that moment that the extreme ugliness I had experienced in the castle was hell before paradise. Wow! Could there be any animal on the face of the planet who looked more gorgeous than this girl?

" My name is Melody," she calmly said. "Great sword. Where did you get it?"

" At the armory," I said. "There are more weapons if you want any."

" I'm good," she said. "Thanks though. I have just become pretty good with this pickaxe, and I am beginning to like it."

She looked down at a zombie that was attempting to get up, moaning greatly.

" I told you to stay down and die!" she shouted as she thrust her pickaxe in the zombie's neck.

After that, he made no more sounds. I was shocked. For a girl this cute she certainly had experience when it came to eliminating zombies.

" You're pretty brutal," I said laughingly.

" Yeah? Well, I have been doing it for a while. In case you have not discovered, they are all over."

" I have actually, but I just made my very first kill."

She chuckled a little. I wasn't certain if she was being sarcastic or friendly, but it was kind of amusing. "Congratulations," she said. "Prepare yourself to kill more of them. There is no scarcity of these revolting monsters."

" Sounds about right," I said. "By the way, where are you going? If you want, we could take a trip together."

" Sure," she said. "But you better not get in my way. And if you turn into a zombie, I won't hesitate to chop your head off. Nothing really personal."

" Oh, I understand. Well, I am trying to find a colony of survivors."

" Good idea," she said. "You never know if someone else may be out there."

And that's the moment the other 2 showed up.

" Oh my, did you just kill those zombies?" Darcey asked when she walked towards us.

" Some of them, yes," was Melody's response.

" Are-are you guys warriors?" Darcey asked.

" I have been training a lot since the outbreak," Melody said. "But he just got his first kill."

" Good," Liam said. "I began killing some the other day. It's a thrill, and I don't even feel guilty about it."

" I don't want to kill," Darcey said. "Why is this happening?"

" Well, honey, you'll need to, whether you like or not," Melody said. "If you don't kill them, they will kill you. It's as simple as that. Here, take a shovel. Then you'll at least be able to take them out when they run at you."

Unwillingly, Darcey accepted the weapon Melody handed her. Liam stood next to her and put his arm around her shoulder. "Don't worry, girl. I will look after you. I have an axe and it's upset."

From that moment on, I already knew our whole trip was going to be like this. And that's pretty much how we met each other.

Chapter 6: Risky

Back to the plains. We were walking and walking ... it took forever and ever. We hid under a giant rock, taking turns standing guard during the night. And we did the exact same thing the next day and the next day. We had enough water to make it all the way through these empty landscapes, but in the end, we had to economize, as our resources were running out.

Ultimately, we saw something though: The shape of a town.

" Good," I said. "Finally. Perhaps we can fill up on water and food there."

" I'm tired. I long for a bed," Darcey said.

I could tell that Liam was exhausted too by the way he was walking, but he tried to look tough and walk up straight in order to impress Darcey. Still, he was slumping over a little. It was funny.

When we came to the village, it was awfully silent.

" I do not like it," Melody said. "Something's wrong."

" It's not that weird for it to be quiet," I said. "We've been to many deserted towns. How is this one any different?"

" I do not know. It's a hunch. Call it female intuition if you will, but there is something fishy going on here. Just be prepared for anything."

" I don't feel anything," Darcey said.

We didn't comment on that. We let it go and got our weapons all set. When we looked up, we saw it.

Zombies were all gathered on the roofs, lying in wait to assault us. They were everywhere ... hundreds of them, and they all climbed up on the homes to assail us. When they noticed that we saw them, they all jumped off instantly.

" It's just raining zombies!" I screamed.

" Let's get out of here!" Liam screamed.

" To the opposite side of the village. Rush!" Melody said.

We ran and ran, and evaded zombies that were falling out of the sky. Some of them hit us a little, making us deviate from our straight course, but the majority of them really missed.

" Ouch!" I said when a zombie scratched me with its claws.

" Take that!" Melody said, cutting him open like a fish.

" Thanks," I said.

" Don't mention it. Now, let's keep going!"

We kept running. I saw Darcey and Liam kill several zombies behind us, and Melody was leading the way, trying to guide us through to leave this evil snare.

" Therein!" she screamed. She pointed at an airtight home with no windows and a steel door. We followed her inside and held the door shut. "Check if there is any way to get in upstairs," she commanded. We went upstairs, but everything was sealed, as if someone was attempting to be a hermit or something.

" Great home," I said. "I would not want to live here though."

The others concurred.

We could hear the spooky sounds made by the zombies outside the door. We put a beam halfway the door, just to lock it more tightly. We heard the zombies scratch and bite, but none of them could come in.

" How long are we going to be here?" Darcey asked.

" Till they leave," I said. "And seeing how eager they are to get to us, that could be a looooong time."

Chapter 7: All New

We sat there for hours, thinking about methods to get out of the home undetected to bypass the zombie crowd. But we could not find a way. Even Melody sat down and rested her arms on the pickaxe. She sighed. It was hopeless, and she knew it along with everybody else.

We just looked in front of us, not saying a word. This went on for a while.

Then suddenly, when it started to become dark outside, we heard another noise.

" Blasted zombies! You won't get far away from me so easily!"

It was a low voice. It had to be a man. But we didn't know who. All we knew, was that when we took a quick peek, we saw zombies being thrown up in the air and blood squirting all over the place.

" Let's help him out," Melody suggested.

All of us stood and started fighting the zombies. When we slashed through a few of those monstrous creatures, we saw a man with a sword.

" The name's Bart," he said. "Those wicked scoundrels thought they had me, but I pretended to be dead and got my vengeance. Now, let's get out of here, before their little friends will jump off the roofing systems again."

It was apparent that not all zombies had been hanging out at the front door, and that some of them had left. This gave us the opportunity to run out of town.

" Do we know where we are going?" I asked.

" I have a respectable idea," Bart said. "Follow me!"

He sprinted towards the opposite side of the village and showed us the rock in front of us.

It was Elephant Rock!

Ha!

It looked exactly like an elephant. Odd.

" We have to turn left," Melody said. "That's where they said the colony would be."

" Well, how do you know it's on the left side? I see a course causing the opposite side," the retired soldier said.

" We found a notepad that said they would be there," Melody insisted. "So we need to go left."

" But what if they meant a left turn originating from the other side?" I asked.

She scratched her head. I guessed she had not thought about that before. She sought to the left. There was a large, empty desert with more rocks in sight. Then she aimed to the right. Trees had popped out of the ground, there was a little creek, and a path leading through the trees to an even greener area.

" I have determined we should go right instead," she said sheepishly.

" Good decision," all of us concurred.

We went left and looked back occasionally. The zombies were still after us. How were we going to endure this? Sooner or later, they would catch up.

But all of a sudden, we saw little homes constructed of wood. Villagers from the homes ran towards us and safeguarded us.

" Are you fine?" one of them asked.

" We are fine, but the zombies are chasing us," I said.

When he looked, he ordered all capable guys to get their weapons and march forward. I watched in awe as an army of villagers took their rakes, pitchforks, shovels, machetes, swords, and axes, and beat those pathetic zombies down. Our opponents didn't stand a chance against these strong men. It was only a matter of minutes before the last zombie was slashed by a brave man from the village.

" It's good to have you here," one of them said as they came back.

But I didn't pay much attention. I saw some familiar faces. Could it hold true? No. Impossible. After all that hoping and combating and running ...

" M-mom?" I said.

One of the villagers turned around.

It was mother!

" Mother!" I exclaimed.

" Jake!" she said as she accepted me.

Shortly after, my dad came towards us.

" I am proud of you, boy. You have grown up a lot, and I don't just mean physically. I can tell."

" Thanks dad," I said.

Darcey and Liam had already disappeared. Perhaps they found some other villagers they knew, or perhaps they just ran off to kiss or something. I didn't want to know. I figured I would see them later.

But Melody was still there. She looked a little jealous when she saw me hugging my mother and father. She was silent. I had never seen her this shy before.

" Mother, father," I said. "Meet Melody. She is my friend and she saved my life."

" So great to meet you," my mother and father said. "And thank you for all you've done."

" Oh, it was nothing," she said.

" Can we take her in till she finds her family?" I asked.

" Sure," my father said. "If she wants to. Is that what you want, Melody? Or do you have some better place to go?"

" No, I do not," she said. "Thank you for your hospitality. I would really love to stay."

It was like a dream come true. The most lovely girl in my home. Could you imagine?

" Thanks, dad," I said.

" No," Melody said silently. "Thank you, Jake."

With those words, she kissed me on the cheek. I disappeared.

THE END

Ghosts in the Village

Story 1: William and the Talking Ghost

There is a story, an ancient story ... one about two ghosts that safeguard the town of Sprang Town. Everybody in town has heard of them, others have seen them, or at least one of them; but no one understands what happened and how these ghosts have become their guardians. What everybody does know, though, is that since these ghosts have been showing up, opponents have stayed out and the town people have become much safer ...

William is in his house. He has hardly completed cooking and has set the plates on the table. He sits down and smells his meal. "Aaah ... good ... cauliflower, meatloaf, and potatoes. This is going to be delicious."

He starts eating and is halted by a gush of wind.

" Huh?" William says. "What was that?"

He looks to the left and notices the door is open.

" I thought I closed the door. Am I going crazy here?"

He gets up and closes the door again. That was unusual. Oh well, he isn't going to let it ruin his supper. But then it happens again, this time stronger. The door swings open and the wind blows away one of his napkins.

Whoosh!

How did this happen? It does not make any sense. Just an hour ago, the wind wasn't so strong and now it's blowing over his stuff. William gets up again and closes the outside door. Every little thing seems calm. Nothing going on.

But suddenly, he hears a soft, groaning sound, "Boooooh!”

" How is there?" William asks.

No answer.

" If you think this is amusing, then come laugh over here! Because I think it's a sick joke!" William screams.

Again, no answer.

" Oh well," William thinks. "If it's one of those annoying kids from right across the street, I will discover ultimately."

He reads a book and goes to sleep. That evening, there are no more disruptions.

The next early morning, he awakens by the noise of birds chirping. The wind is gone. It's all silent, except for the birds. He stands and puts on his outfits, after which he heads to the main town castle. When he walks through the big gate and passes the guards there, he welcomes his superior and reports the tasks from the previous day.

William is a village guard, a knight that secures his home town from invading enemies like zombies. Some of them are really hazardous and frightening. He has had times that he barely endured and thought he shouldn't have been alive. But hey, it pays the bills and he is a daring type anyway. He does not mind it. Besides, he is not afraid to die. He has nothing to lose. The majority of his relatives are gone or deceased, and he isn't even married. That's not to say he does not consider his life important, but he is more than happy to sacrifice it for the wellbeing of others, if needed. So why would he care?

" Ready to go, sir," he says.

His exceptional, Mark, is a tough dude. He has a strong chin and some big muscles. He has been a guard been as long as William, but his additional courses and training helped him battle his way up the profession ladder and become a commanding officer. He is wearing a red t-shirt and always carries his sword behind his back.

" Get your sword, William," he says. "We have reports can be found in from the northern borders. Dark shades are assaulting the farmers there. I need you to go and stop them. Don't return until they are defeated."

" How many are we talking about, sir?" William asks.

" Oh, just a handful I think."

" Very well, sir. I will go right away."

William salutes Mark, turns around and goes out the castle gate. When he comes to the designated area about 20 minutes later, he sees what the officer means. Immediately, he is challenged with several dark shades beating up a villager behind a farm.

" Hey you! Stop that!" William shouts. And with those remarks, he dashes forward to combat the dark shades. The villager quickly hides behind a wall, watching the brave guard put his life in danger to secure his.

William slashes with his sword and beheads a dark shade. The other leaps back and attacks William quickly later on. He misses and William counters his moves by stabbing the dark shade in the chest.

" Die, wicked beast!" William exclaims.

And with that, the fight is over. The last dark shade runs away into the forest from whence it came. William helps the villager up by reaching out. The villager gets his hand and thanks him elaborately.

" Come have some tea," the farmer says.

" Oh, no thank you. I need to be on my way," William answers.

" No, truly ... just sit down with me for a few minutes. It will be my satisfaction."

" Okay, I guess several minutes wouldn't hurt," William says.

He follows the farmer to his home, where he receives a cup of hot, steaming tea. The farmer sits across from him and says, "You should beware out there. One of these days, you're not going to make it. Have you thought of that?"

" It comes with the job," William says. "I do not care actually."

" You do not fear death?"

" Nope. It's all just a phase. I really believe in the eternal worlds. My spirit will carry on when I die."

" Well, that's good to know. I am frightened of death. What if there is nothing after this life?"

" Then I better take advantage of it," William answers. "Now, if you will excuse me, I have to report to my leader. Thanks for the tea."

" You're welcome."

William returns to the castle and reports beating the dark shades. "Zero fatalities on our side," the report includes. Mark is proud of him. He lets William opt for the rest of the day.

" Nice," William thinks. "All this free time for myself." Pleased with his achievement, he walks home and lies down on his bed. He closes his eyes. Time for a nap.

William sleeps and sleeps. The battling has made him tired. Initially, all is serene, but when time expires, he is awakened by the same gush of wind.

Woooosh!

The door swings open again.

" What is up with that door?" he asks himself. He walks over to close it, and then sees a weird animal in the distance with green eyes, hovering in the air.

" What the ...?" But before he can finish his sentence, the animal flies at him and knocks him to the ground.

" Ouch!" William says.

He gets up and runs to get his sword. He gets it and holds it in front of him, looking around and just wondering where the animal is at.

" Are you a ghost?!" William screams. "I am not afraid of you! What do you want from me ?!”

The ghost flies at him again, but this time, William evades its attack. "Come face me like a man!" William yells.

" Booooooh!" the ghost answers.

" Booh? Is that all you have to say? Can you even talk?" William asks.

" Obviously, I can talk," he hears.

Huh? A talking ghost? He didn't expect that one.

" Come here and I'll impale you with my sword, you coward," William says.

" You wouldn't have the ability to, even if you wanted to," the ghost says. "You would stab right through me. I am a ghost, remember?"

" Then what do you want with me?" William asks again.

" Oh, I just wanted to have some fun. I am extremely bored, you know."

" Well, if you want fun, then just come speak with me. What's the point of haunting me?"

" Sure," the ghost says, and he flies over to William. Finally, William gets to take a closer, longer take a look at the ghost. It's incredible that he can see through him, yet still he sees him.

" What's your name?" William asks.

" I am Elijah. I used to be a guard, until I died ... and I have been flying around as a ghost since. It's pretty cool actually. No one can do anything to me, but I can do something to others. That's how I think it works at least."

" So now what?" William asks. "Are you going to use your powers for good or are you just going to bully me and others around with your spooky noises?"

" Well, since you are a guard, maybe we can collaborate and defeat opponents together," the ghost says.

William thinks for a few seconds. Then he takes a look at Elijah and says, "As long as you stay out of the castle. If they find out I brought a ghost to do my dirty work for me, I do not think they will like it."

" Fine. I will stay out of the castle. Anything else?"

" Yeah. I need to know how you died exactly. Perhaps I can learn from your experience."

" I died trying to protect the town," Elijah says. "I was surrounded by three-headed skeletons, but I was winning. It was a piece of cake. I slaughtered them one by one, and the dead skeletons piled up in front of me. Quickly I would have beat the entire army, but my pride got in the way. I celebrated in my mind before I was there. In the meantime, dozens of skeletons were killed by the slashing moves of my sword. But then, when I finally thought I had beat most of them, one of the skeletons stood in front of me."

" What was so special about it?"

" I had never seen anything like it," Elijah says. "It was enormous, two times as huge as the other skeletons. It was wearing some crazy armor, with signs and symbols all over it. I was scared. The skeleton frightened me. I didn't know what to do, so I stressed. I stabbed another skeleton and ran. He chased after me and swung his huge sword, missing the very first time but hitting me the 2nd time. That was it for me. I struggled with breath, and I died within minutes. If only I had had the nerve to stand up against it, I could have been triumphant. I still feel awful about it."

" Where is this three-headed skeleton?" William asks.

" I actually believe he is wandering around on the western border, but if I were you, I would keep away from it. I had my chance, and I died. Don't let that happen to you."

" I will not, but I just feel like it's my duty to avenge you," William says.

" You don't have to ... I mean ... it was my error. You still have an entire life ahead of you. Don't risk it."

" What if you come with me? You could distract it, and I could kill it."

Elijah has to think about that one. "Maybe," he says.

William and Elijah talk all night. William finds out about Elijah's former life, gets the confirmation that there is life after death, and tells the ghost about some of the adventures he has experienced safeguarding Sprang Town. They are having many fun, until William tells Elijah he has to go to sleep. Ghosts do not sleep, so Elijah decides to fly away till the early morning.

The next day, Elijah is standing next to William's bed when he awakens.

" Waaaah! You terrified me to death!" William says.

" No, as you're still alive," Elijah replies.

" It's an expression, you weirdo. And by the way, you need to wait until I am done eating, as I am not going to protect the village on an empty stomach."

" Fine. No problem."

Elijah watches William eat some sausages, eggs, and bacon, but it doesn't do much with him since he does not have a nose anyway. When they go out the door and get to the castle, William tells Elijah to stay outside so he won't frighten anybody. Then William goes to Mark and asks him where he is needed.

" At the westside of the city" is the answer.

" Wow. What a coincidence," William thinks. "Who understands ...? I may come across that huge three-headed skeleton that killed my ghost good friend."

William runs towards the west side of the village, near the edge of the woods. And there they are: An army of skeletons, ready to assault the village, spotted by some of the best spies from the castle. Prepared to attack ... yes ... but he is going to stop them.

" Shall we?" Elijah asks while drifting beside him.

" This ends now!" William says in a low voice.

He takes his sword and storms at the skeleton army, dashing and slashing, killing dozens of zombies. His buddy, the ghost, flies along and punches some skeletons in their faces, making it simpler for William to stab them with his weapon. It goes on like this for a while. A big fight takes place on the plains in front of the forest border, but then they both hear a loud stomping.

" Wha-what was that?" William asks.

" I don't know," Elijah says.

Suddenly, it jumps in front of them.

Baaaaang!

The ground shakes and William and his ghost pal are looking up at a huge skeleton, a monstrous figure with armor, a guard, and a huge sword, larger than William's own height.

" That's him!" Elijah yells. "That's the skeleton who killed me! Don't just stand there, just ..."

But it's already too late. The three-headed skeleton impales William with his sword. William coughs and drops to the ground. After a few spasms, his body remains still and blood flows from the wound, soaking the ground and turning it red.

" Oh no, William! I tried to caution you!" Elijah screams. "What's going to happen now?!”

Then he hears a voice behind him, something he didn't expect. "What is the whimpering all about? Grow up and don't be a dumb idiot."

Elijah turns around and is looking at another ghost, one that looks comparable but has blue radiant eyes instead of green. Is it ...? No, it can't be!

" William?" Elijah asks thoroughly.

" The one and only," William says. "Now, let's get this jerk and take him with us to the other world."

William has become a ghost ... a ghost with tons of benefits: He can't be stabbed or hit or thrown around. He has become invincible and powerful. He loves his new form of life, well ... death actually, but life nevertheless.

" Do that again, you idiot!" William says to the huge skeleton.

The three-headed skeleton swings his sword at William, but as he tries to kill him, the weapon goes right through him. The skeleton tries it again ... and again ... but to no avail.

William laughs. This skeleton can't do anything to him. When he is done, William says, "Now it's my turn, ugly head!" and he punches the skeleton in the face.

Bam!

The skeleton tips over. William flies around him like an irritating little fly. The skeleton ends up being disappointed and tries to hit him.

" That's what you get for eliminating me and my good friend here," William says. "Let's finish this!”

He flies towards the skeleton's sword and yanks it out of his hand. Then he intends and stabs the skeleton between the ribs. Fatality! The skeleton passes away immediately with a painful cry ripping the air in half.

" Good," Elijah says when he flies over. "What are your strategies now?"

" Now that I avenged you and died myself, I can still do my job," William says. "I don't need to be alive to do it. I am just going to fly around this town and make sure it's safe. And any opponent that ever comes near it, will have to answer to me."

" Can I join you?" Elijah asks.

" Obviously you can," William says. "How about you remain on one side and I stay on another side? Then we can switch off and stand guard."

" Sounds like a great plan," Elijah says.

Therefore, ever since that time, the town has been safe. Dark shades, skeletons, and zombies all stayed away. No one attempted get in Sprang Village without permission of these 2 invisible guardians ...

THE END

Story 2: Caution

They were sitting in a wagon ... they both loved it there. Their mom had already stepped out, prepared to move into their new home. Roxanne ran to the horse and wagon. "Are you coming or what?" she asked.

The 2 girls stepped out of the wagon and avoided the muddy puddle in front of them by leaping over it.

" Mindful," the mother advised them. "The house is over there. Let's not lose too much time and get there before it begins drizzling again."

" Mother, Sophia pushed me," one of the girls said.

" But Emma was saying that I looked amusing with the bow in my hair," the other said.

" I do not want to hear about it," Roxanne said. "Move along now. Come on."

Before they knew it, it began raining again. They reached the home in time before they got soaked. The house was enormous. It had 10 different bed rooms, 5 hallways, and 2 sets of winding staircases. Its classy designs reminded Roxanne of the Victorian period, the "good old days." Now she was going to repossess the home that was already hers. Her spouse had left it to her. He had died a very long time ago, and Roxanne was raising her two daughters by herself.

Now they were standing there, facing an empty home with more space they could have ever dreamt of. Roxanne looked at her two girls and told them to swipe off the moisture on their coats.

" But we will be the only ones there," Emma opposed. "It does not matter if we are wet or not."

" This home is going to be clean and tidy," her mother answered. "I will not have you abandon your good manners as we have no guests."

The 3 went inside.

" Whoa," Sophia exclaimed. "This is huge, Mother."

" I know, Sophia. I inherited it a very long time ago. We moved away before you two were born."

" I like it," Sophia said.

" It looks a little creepy," Emma disagreed.

" Well, you'll get used to it," Roxanne said as she walked to the windows and started aligning the drapes.

" What is that painting on the wall?" Sophia asked.

" That? Oh, that's a taking off beast. I don't know why anyone painted that. Let's get rid of it. It looks horrible."

" Didn't Dad used to combat those things?" Emma asked.

" Yes, he did," Roxanne said. "Your dad was a brave man."

Roxanne walked to the horrendous-looking painting and gazed at it. Someone had painted a green beast with ugly teeth and mean eyes. The shadows behind it were even eerier than the creature in the foreground. It gave Roxanne the shivers, so she took it off the wall and tossed it out the door. The girls searched in amazement when they saw their mom's abrupt display of assertiveness. The painting and the frame were being flooded by the rain in the mud to be forgotten and discarded.

" Don't look. We don't want it, right? So there is no issue, is there?"

" No, Mom," her 2 daughters said.

That night, they were sleeping in the same room. All 3 wanted to stay together, simply because of the dark, frightening house they were in. It was roomy, but it didn't put them at ease. They all slept ...

All, except for Emma ...

She was large awake, and she wouldn't fall asleep anytime quickly. "Such an inheritance," she thought. "Just because this place is huge, doesn't mean I need to like it. Take a look at the walls ... they're black, and the drapes are an ugly brownish color. I have to go to the restroom."

She got up and left of the bed room. Her mother and older sister were still sleeping. They didn't see anything. Emma tiptoed to the opposite side of the corridor, where the restroom was. The corridor was long and high, and the shadows of the trees were giving it a dismal environment through the leaded glass windows on her right. Luckily, she found the light switch in the restroom and switched on the light. She searched in the mirror. There were big bags under her eyes. She was dead tired. Then she lifted the toilet seat.

Thud! Thud!

Huh? What was that? "Is any person there?" she asked.

Silence.

" Hey there?"

Still no sound. Then unexpectedly ...

Thud! Thud!

This scared Emma so much that she didn't gamble and ran back. "Aaaaaah!" she shouted. "Mommy! There is somebody in the restroom!”

Roxanne woke up. "What? What is it?"

" I do not know, but there is somebody there. I swear," Emma answered while sobbing.

" Oh, don't be so absurd," Sophia said. "It's not like there are ghosts in this house or something. Ghosts do not exist."

" Be kind to your sister, Sophia," Roxanne said. "I will go check it out. Can you stay here?"

" Sure," Emma said. "I'm not going back there."

Her mom checked. After being away for several minutes, she returned and shook her head. "I found nothing," she said. "Sorry. It must have been your imaginations."

" But I heard something," Emma insisted. "I do not know what it was, but there was certainly something there."

" Well, whatever it was, it's gone now," her mom said. "Please go back to sleep."

So she did.

That was the first encounter ...

The next day, Emma and Sophia were playing.

" I am the magnificent princess who defeats the creatures in the underworld," Sophia said.

" Then I am the sweet princess who gets rescued by the hero," Emma said.

" Or I could rescue you," Sophia countered.

" No, I will be saved by a handsome prince," Emma said.

" A prince wouldn't want to marry you, since you're too scared. You're a wimp."

" I am not a wimp!”

" You are always making things up and start being scared of them," Sophia declared.

" That's not true! I did hear something last night."

" Oh yeah? Then how come Mom didn't see anything?"

But before Emma could answer, they both heard a thud, once repeated.

Thud! Thud!

" Wha-what was that?" Sophia asked.

" I don't know, but it's the exact same noise I heard last night," Emma said.

" Haha! Most likely just a rat or a dumb cat," Sophia said. "Let's go see what it is. It could be fun."

" Nooooo, do not go over there. It might be a beast or something."

" Ughh ... such nonsense, I don't know where you get all these ideas."

But when they heard another thud, Sophia ended up being a little worried too. They both went to the other side of the room and opened the door. It was dark in the other room. The curtains were closed. They could not see anything, and the only light switch was near the other door.

" Stay here," Sophia said. "I'll go switch on the light."

" Do not leave me," Emma said.

" It's all right. I will just be a few seconds."

Sophia walked through the darkness to the other side of the room.

" Aaaah!" Emma screamed when she saw a white, see-through figure standing in the room. Now she was certain the home was haunted. She just saw a ghost, a little girl like herself ... drifting above the floor, in a white dress.

Sophia turned the light on and the figure vanished.

" Now what?" Sophia asked. "Why are you shouting?"

" You didn't see it? There was a ghost right there!" Emma said.

" Then how come I didn't see it? I think you're just making it up again."

" I'm not! I truly saw a ghost, Sophia."

" Yeah, sure. There is always something. Let's just return to the room and play again."

This was the 2nd encounter ...

That night, the sky was dark, but the rain had stopped. The ground was still soaked but a round, clear, the full moon shone through the clouds. Roxanne had spoken to her daughter that day and assured her there was nothing going on, but Emma firmly insisted. The three relatives were in white sleeping dresses. Again, Sophia and Roxanne were vast asleep. They didn't seem to stress. But Emma was shaking greatly. She knew there was a ghost, but she questioned why. What did the little ghost girl want from them? Was she attempting to scare them? Kick them out of the home? What was happening here?

The anxiety caused her bladder to fill quickly. She felt it ... she had to go to the bathroom again, but she didn't want to. She was exceptionally restless for the ghost to appear.

" But the ghost hasn't attacked me up until now," she reasoned.

It took her several minutes of withstanding her physical advises before she gave in and got up. She walked through the big hallway and saw the moon through the window. Then she switched on the restroom light and looked in the mirror.

She gasped for air. She wanted to scream, but something was telling her not to ... something ... or somebody! There she was, the little ghost girl. She was holding her finger in front of her mouth as to tell Emma to be quiet. Emma practically peed right there, but she held it in. She was terribly scared. She looked behind her. The ghost was gone. The only place she saw her, was in the mirror.

" What do you want?" she finally asked, intending to communicate with this spirit from the other realm.

The ghost girl waved to the right, telling her to follow her.

" I need to go first," Emma said, so she sat down and went.

After she flushed, the ghost girl appeared in front of her, signaling Emma to follow her again. Emma obeyed blindly. She knew something was wrong, but the little ghost girl didn't look so scary anymore. She was just like her, except for the fact that she was a ghost.

They walked through the corridor, with the ghost girl leading the way. When they were in the bedroom, she signaled to get up her mom and sister.

" Why?" Emma asked.

The ghost girl came closer and was right in her face, giving her a rebuking look, as if she was saying, "Just do it already."

It surprised Emma, but that was precisely what the ghost girl wanted. So Emma said, "Mother! Sophia! Get up!”

They both woke up and saw the ghost.

" Whoa! What is that thing?" Sophia asked. "Is that a ghost?"

" Dear, please keep away from that thing," Roxanne said. "Come here."

" No, Mother," Emma replied. "I think she is attempting to tell us something. Let's just follow her."

" Are-are you sure?" Roxanne asked. "How do you know we can trust this ... uhm ... ghost ... this girl?"

" I just do. Trust me. At first, I was terrified too, but I know now that she is showing me things, so it must be all right."

" Fine. Let's see what she will show us" was the response.

All in their sleeping dresses, the mother and 2 daughters followed the ghost girl, who was flying much faster and much faster through the long corridors of the giant house. Eventually, she flew down the stairs to the front door.

Panting a little, Roxanne asked, "What is it already? My curiosity has been triggered."

" Let's open the front door," Sophia said. "That's where it must be ... the thing she wants to show us."

They unlocked the front door and walked outside. It was cold, especially on their bare feet, but it was manageable. The ghost flew in front of them and hovered in the air for a minute, pointing at the mud. Roxanne and her two girls looked surprised.

" Is it the painting?" Emma asked.

The ghost girl nodded.

They came closer, and the mother dug into the mud to grab the ugly monster painting and its frame. She brushed off the mud and then she saw it.

" Oh no," she said.

" What is it, Mother?" Sophia demanded to know.

" We are doomed. This painting meant something. Look!”

She revealed the back of the painting to her daughters. It read the following:

Wherever this painting will be, the next blast will be. One hundred exploding monsters in the dark of the night, only lit up under the moon. Beware the curse. Vengeance will be theirs.

" What does that mean, Mommy?" Emma asked.

" It means we get out of here ... quick!" she answered.

They looked at the ghost girl one last time. "Thank you," Roxanne said. "Thank you for warning us. Quickly, girls, don't worry about our things. The majority of them are still at the other house anyhow. We just need to run. Let's go! Let's go!”

She grabbed her daughters' hands and ran downhill with them, away from the house. When she felt she was far enough, she looked around and gazed at her acquired home. The ghost girl was still there, waving at them. Then she sought to the right and saw numerous of those green evildoers rush up the hill and run at the house. Some of them tripped, others leapt over rocks and moved faster, but all of them were speeding into the same direction. When they arrived, the house exploded into dozens of different places.

Booooooooooom!!!!

" Mom!" Emma and Sophia both screamed. Roxanne knelt down and put her arms around her daughters, just protecting their ears from the noise and their sight from the bright light the fire originated.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

It didn't stop for another five minutes. Exploding monsters were still assaulting the house and committing suicide doing it. When it was over, Roxanne let go of her daughters. They all watched their freshly acquired house burn to the ground.

" Why did this happen, Mom?" Sophia asked. "I don't understand."

" When your dad died," Roxanne explained, "he usually talked about the monsters he battled at the borders of our land. He must have killed thousands of them before he died in fight. He also mentioned a little girl he tried to save but couldn't. The guilt was strong. It was as if he had failed entirely. I still remember him talking about it over and over again."

" But why did the green beasts assault our house?" Sophia asked.

" They wanted payback. They finally found our address and wanted to avenge the deaths of other beasts. It all makes sense to me. The girl who died, probably suspected it and came to this house to caution us."

" So where will we live now?" Emma asked.

" Oh, don't stress. We still have our other home. We will move back there. The only thing that's a downer, is that this house was a lot bigger. It was huge! I type of liked it."

The 3 of them started to walk to the town from whence they came a few days earlier.

" Mom," Emma said after a while.

" Yes, dear. Go ahead. What is it?"

" If it's any consolation to you ... I didn't like that house anyhow. It was black and big and ugly."

Roxanne laughed.

" Thanks, Emma. I'll keep that in mind."

THE END

Schizo Skeleton

Chapter 1: The Undead

My name is Reagan. I am uhm ... well, that's just it; I don't think I have an age anymore. I am dead. I died. I think it was an accident at work. I was operating in construction, and I know the guys warned me, but for some reason, I disregarded their voices of care and kept doing what I did.

I was in my own world. I have always been a little odd. Somebody in the area had detected me previously with a special needs called schizoph ... I do not know. I forgot the word, but in any case, the doctor told me I had to take care whom to listen to. A lot of wrong messages were in my head that didn't coincide with reality.

Therefore, it took place that I wasn't focusing. A big, steel bar was coming my way, and my coworkers were yelling that I should duck to avoid it.

I didn't.

BAM!!!

The metal bar hit me in the head, precisely at a spot where it caused my instant death. I didn't feel anything after that. I was gone. But I had always learned that my spirit or soul would go to the afterlife. I don't know why it didn't. It was as if I was stuck or something. Maybe I had some unfinished business. Perhaps I still had an objective, an objective to accomplish before I would move on.

I had lived a hard life. My mom and dad had split up, my brain would not leave me alone, with all the clashing ideas that participated in it, and I had been a social outcast for many years. I was just feeling lucky enough to have a job in building. In my spare time, I would go hunting, not just to have some additional food on the table but also as I loved bows and arrows.

I had been searching for many years. My accuracy knew no limits. Whenever I would see something to contend, I would just aim, release the bow, and watch the arrow hit the specific area I was pointing at, to the inches. It was an unusual skill I had come to treasure for many years, although to this day, I still do not know if there was some higher purpose to it. Perhaps that is another reason that I would not carry on: I didn't know what to do with my archery abilities. I had never felt the fulfilment I was looking for. Sure, I had won tournaments and added hunting trophies to the walls in my home, but it still didn't feel like it was enough.

When I died on that building and construction site, I felt as if I was still there. It was odd. And when they brought my body to my tomb, I still really felt like I was in it, despite the fact that I could not really do anything.

It took another month before I arose from the tomb, type of like having actually slept for a whole month. When I stood up, I looked at myself. The flesh on my bones had rotted. It had rotted away typically. All that was left of me, was a mere skeleton. It was intriguing and new. I chose there and then that I would find my purpose, that I would take my weapon and look for some kind of sense to my undead life, if you know what I mean.

So there you have it. I am dead, but not actually; I am undead. I am a skeleton, searching for purpose and prepared to move on to the next phase of death, but only if I find what I am trying to find first.

Chapter 2: All the Voices in My Head

The voices are irritating. I have had them since I was a teenager. They were always there since then. They are voices that tell me I deserve nothing, that I should damage myself, sometimes even that I should kill myself. Since it's so hard to discriminate between a real voice and the voices in my head, I often end up doing things I regret later.

I do not know where they come from. Maybe it's just how I am wired. But then, if they are all related to the brain, are they still there? I don't have a brain anymore! I am a skeleton!

It doesn't make any sense to me, but I have to cope with them nevertheless. The biggest difficulty is to separate between the real and the fake ones. I am not always good at it. One time, I heard a voice that I swear was my father's voice, but when it told me to just kill a coworker, I knew it was just something that was in my head. At those moments, I understand that I do have some control over them and that I do recognize the insanity of everything when I am faced with something that is made up in my mind.

Another time-- I will tell you an amusing childhood story-- I "mistakenly" did something bad, because one of the voices told me to do it.

It was a teacher. His name was Mr. Monotone. Go figure. Was that his real name? Yes, it was. I still do not know why you would make education your profession with a name like that, but he did, and man, was he DULL!!!

He would talk our ears off with his various stream of realities, the random uninteresting stuff that came out of his mouth, the words that entered into one ear and out another. It wasn't a delight to listen to him, specifically with that tone of voice. And that's a huge understatement.

But that day was different than the other days. He had become so dull that he went to sleep throughout his own class. Perhaps he had not had enough sleep that night. He had big bags under his eyes, so he was most likely exhausted to begin with. If you ask me, he should have just called in sick, but he didn't. He was determined to finish the lesson.

Poor teacher. He didn't deserve what I tried to do to him.

There he was, having his head on his arms behind his desk. His lecture was midway over, and the majority of the kids either stopped taking notes or just started talking about after-school stuff.

Then came the voice in my head. "Get your lunchbox," it said.

" Okay," I said, not knowing what to do with it.

" Now, open it up," the voice said.

I opened it up.

" Now, take the slices of cucumber and place them on Mr. Monotone's eyes. It will be amusing when he wakes up."

I blindly obeyed, thinking that this was what had to be done. I took the pieces of cucumber and walked towards the instructor's desk. I was silent, but the other kids in class were very loud. When I leaned over and tried to put the cucumber on his eyes, he got up before I could.

" What are you doing?" the instructor asked. "Go back to your seat immediately!"

I ran back and dropped the cucumber pieces on the floor by accident. One of the girls, who had just returned from sharpening her pencil, stepped on it and slipped.

Thud!

She landed on the floor.

" Whaaaah!" she wept.

I don't know if I should go deeper into this story, but let me just keep it at the bottom line: I had to stay for a very long time after school. Detention had become more frequent anyway, but this time, I had to explain myself to the teacher, write 100 words on the chalkboard, and do 300 mathematics issues. He didn't believe me when I told him about the voices.

It took hours for me to finish what he made me do.

I dislike the voices. They're not my friends. They tell me to do wicked things and reach into the bottom of my soul to find corruption and wickedness. But I can't get rid of them. Hatred, disappointment, and doubt are the consequences of these voices, so ideally, I will live on without those.

Chapter 3: The Stolen Thing

One of the first things I did as a skeleton, now that I got my body of bones, is leaving the graveyard and walking to town. But then I hear the voices again. One of them is stronger and louder than all the other ones. It pierces through the marrow in my bones. I can't overlook it. It's kind of like a loud trumpet that blasts through my thick skull.

" Get money," the voice says. "You need cash, tons of it."

It makes sense. I mean, how else am I going to eat? I have no money, as I just originated from the grave. So I give up. I listen to the wicked voice within me.

" Where do I find money?" I ask.

" At the mayor's home," the voice claims. "He is loaded. He does not care if he misses a few bucks."

" That's right," I say. "He probably earns one of the most in the entire town. I will go there and steal some of his money. Then I can eat."

With that being said, I sneak through town, in the dark, and head towards the mayor's house. There is a back entrance, and I break it open, easily. I think it's better that the villagers don't see me. I think a skeleton would scare them off, no matter what I do.

I sneak into the back room and come across a little vault.

" Try the different combinations," the voice in my head says.

So there I go: 3-5-7-9. Wrong

Okay, maybe 4-6-8-9. Wrong.

Then maybe it's 1-2-3-5. Wrong again.

What am I going to do to learn which code to use? Let's see, maybe if I listen to it very carefully. I put my head next to the vault, only to find that I have no ears. Oh yes, I forgot.

Then I just decide to quit. I can't figure out the code anyway. I hit the little vault in frustration.

Thud!

Hey, wait a minute. It moved.

I pull with all my may and remove the box. I put it under my arm and leave the house. Good. Nobody sees me.

I walk back through the streets and go to my home. It's still the way it was before. Obviously, no one has even touched it or tried to sell it. And until they do, I am just going to live here.

I open the front door and look inside. Everything is still in place. The only difference is that all products and surfaces have gathered some dust. I sit down and try to burst the small vault. But then something hits me. I can't eat! I am a skeleton. Why did I even do this? To get money? I don't need money, as I do not need food! Ughh ... perhaps I'll take it back at some point.

Chapter 4: The Destruction

I sit there, disappointed that I did something wrong when I didn't even need it. The voices; they aren't stopping. They are still telling me what to do.

" Aaaarrgghh! Go away!" I yell, feeling powerless to silence them.

They will not disappear. They are in my head. I yell out in mental strong pain, but I still hear them all over.

" What do you want?!" I shout.

" It's not what we want. It's what you want," a spooky voice tells me, controlling the others.

I stop yelling and I sit still, listening intently. Maybe this time, the voice is right, so I better hear it out.

" Do you know the wall around the town? Everybody hates that wall. It just shuts out the sunshine and the easy ways to get in and out of town. How about you take that vault you have, the heavy, steel vault, and toss it against the vulnerable points in the wall to break it? Then it will be safer and simpler to leave town."

" That sounds like a sensible tip," I say aloud.

" Well, what are you waiting for then? Take the vault and let's go!" the voice says.

" Okay, okay, I'll go."

That night, I go to the walls around the town, which are supposed to safeguard them from hostile trespassers. I take the vault box and tell myself, "Okay, here I go."

BAM!

I toss the vault against the wall. It fractures it a little, but it isn't reliable enough. I complain a little in myself as it didn't work. It's aggravating. I can't get it to break. I try again.

Nothing.

Then I sit down and contemplate what needs to be done. How am I going to break this wall? I need to admit that thinking without a brain is a lot harder. It takes me a long period of time to come up with another idea again.

All of a sudden, I hear the same voice in my head again.

" The coalminers," the voice says.

" Coalminers? What about them?"

"They have dynamite, you idiot," the voice answers.

"Now, hold on a minute. Let's not begin calling each other names," I say.

Again, I am glad no one sees me here speaking with myself, but it's in the middle of the night, so everyone in the area is asleep. It seems like a good, rational solution though. Immediately, I betake myself to the mines, where it doesn't take me long to find some dynamite. I get some sticks of dynamite and push them between my ribs. Then I head back and light the sticks in front of the village wall. I flee and hide behind a building. I cover my ears and count down.

Three, 2, one ... here we go.

BOOOOOOOM!!!!!!!!

The wall blows up. The rocks and granite dust are all over the place. Smoke evaporates from the scene. I wave the smoke away a bit and watch the results.

Excellent. The wall is broken. The villagers will be pleased. Now they can leave town more easily, and not just through one gate.

Chapter 5: Plans of the Wicked

I watch from the shadows as the villagers come to take a look at the loud noise. The blasts certainly woke them up, and they aspire to find out what just took place. I see them gather around the damaged wall, holding torches and looking in wonder at the destroyed structure, or what is left of it at least.

" This is dreadful," one of the female villagers says. "We cannot protect ourselves against opponents this way. How are we going to fix this?"

" We will be killed by the creatures from the Underworld!" a man screams in panic.

" Our children will not be safe," lady says.

I don't comprehend. I thought I was assisting these people by exploding their wall. The voice in my head said that they would really appreciate it, but they do not. Did I just make life harder on them? Oh, why did I listen to that voice in the first place?

I don't know what to do, so I return home and go sit on a chair. I look at a glass of water but recognize that it would just go through me if I try to drink it. Being a skeleton is a special difficulty, but being part of the undead also has some advantages. Like I said, I don't have to eat or drink to survive, and that night, I cannot sleep at all. I do not have to sleep, so that's probably why.

Then the voice comes back. "Well done, Reagan. Now you will be ready to join me and my army in the invasion against the village."

" What?" I ask. "Who are you anyhow? You pop up in my head and I never asked who I am speaking to. Who is this, and how did you get in of my head?"

" Ah, let me introduce myself. My name is Lucas. I am the chief of the army of the undead. I have the ability to get in your head as I am sending a signal only skeletons can hear. You, my friend, have the advantage to prepare the way for my undead soldiers to take control of; and by exploding the wall and taking the mayor's cash to buy fixing it, you have taken away their final resistance. I will assault at dawn in 2 days. Be ready and help me eliminate these horrible villagers."

I am surprised. I didn't expect this. I thought the voices in my head were all there just because of schizophrenia or something, but it appeared odd to me anyhow, since I don't have a brain any longer. But now I realize it was that skeleton leader all along. He plotted a scheme against the villagers, and now he just used me to meet his objectives.

I feel awful. What have I done? Why did I listen to that wicked skeleton?

" |Don't you worry, Reagan," Lucas says. "Every little thing will be great. We will kill the villagers and use whatever we find in there. We will chase them out of their homes and make them suffer. Hahahahahaaa!"

" Aaaarghhh!" I yell. "Are you still there? Get out of my head!"

" Hahaha! Fine. I will leave you alone. At my command, all the skeletons in this region will be prompted to act and go to fight. You will see what happens, whether you like it or not. Goodnight."

I am upset. I rage. This Lucas person is going to crush this village and murder these good people, and I helped him do it.

But this has to stop.

Chapter 6: Always Safe

The next day, I determine a trick. I do not want to be seen as a skeleton. Nobody should recognize me as that or they will go nuts. I just know it. So I take some clothes and cover them around my bony body, making certain that everything gets concealed. I even cover up my head totally, with a little room for the eye sockets. I sort of appear like a ninja, but at least I will not look like a skeleton.

I wait till the evening falls. It has to be dark, or this will not work. But this time, I don't wait till the middle of the night. As quickly as the sun sets, I take the tiny vault I stole from the mayor and drag it to his home. The weather is cold. It's a nice night, with a cool breeze. The lights of the mayor's house are dimmed. I am barely visible. The outfits cover every inch of me, and my eyes (or lack of them) aren't clear below the hoody.

I knock on the door and wait.

After a while, the mayor opens up.

" And who might you be?" he asks, a little doubtful.

" My name does not matter right now," I said. "I am here to provide a message. I have learned that a whole army of skeletons is on their way to destroy this town. Gather all your guys and stand prepared to face them."

" How do I know I can trust you? And how do you know all this?"

" You'll just have to actually believe me," I say. "I have my resources."

" When will they come?" the mayor asks. "Just how long do I have?"

" At dawn. They will come at dawn, and they will intrude through the wall I destr ... I mean ... someone ruined last night."

" You want me to gather all the readily available guys by tomorrow? Are you crazy?"

" Don't ever tell me I am insane!" I sneer. "Everybody has mental problems. Why should I be any different?"

" Okay, alright. I will see what I can do," the mayor guarantees me. "Anything else?"

" Yes," I say, as I reach into my bag and take out the vault. "I found this somewhere. I really believe it belongs to you. It had a little note on it that said, 'I am sorry.' Certainly, the one who took it, shows regret and regrets what he or she did. Please take it."

" Wow. Thank you. You are right. I was searching for this. I am glad I got it back."

" You're welcome. Best of luck, Mr. Mayor. You will need it. Bye-bye for now."

With those words, I turn around and disappear into the distance. I do not look back. It's up to him now. All I can do, the next day, is help. It will be a slaughter, but the question is: One which side?

I can only hope for the best.

Chapter 7: The Last Battle

The stillness of the early morning scene allows for a peaceful start of the brand-new day. Birds call one to another; the night dew stays with the leaves and trees and makes the plants glisten like crystals. Sweet vapors rise from the ground, and the sun hasn't shone its hot rays upon the destined villagers yet. It's still early, and the bunnies hop around on the soon-to-be battlefield as if it is yet another early morning of peaceful nature.

But they couldn't be more wrong about this day, the day a potential trouble will result into the massacre of innocent villagers attempting to defend their houses and families.

I am already awake, seeing that I haven't slept at all. Why would I? I am a skeleton, and I need to be alert for what is about to happen.

I stand in front of the village, covered in rags and outfits. It's silent. Nobody is there.

Then, suddenly, like a gush of wind, a whole army of guys appears on the horizon. They have come together in desperation, wanting to make it through the predicted skeleton attack.

I wait for them and greet them.

" Who are you?" they ask.

" And why are you hiding behind a mask?" someone asks.

" Never mind that. I am here to help you fight the fight. Is that all right?"

" Sure. No issue, we need a ton of help, so yes, you're welcome here."

" Okay, so shall we forget the name and the mask and just kick these skeletons out of our hometown when they come?"

They do not have anything to say after that. They just continue lining up. It's an army, but an army of villagers who clearly do not have some combat skills. I take a look at them and shake my head when I see only a handful of them carrying swords, and others pitchforks and shovels. They appear like a lot of farmers who don't know what they're doing. It's not soothing, since the skeleton army will quickly be coming at us with everything they have got. Personally, I still like the bow and arrows.

We hear sounds. Screeches from afar enter our audible senses. The piercing war weeps of an undead army, prepared to kill and damage. We are standing on top of the hill and neglect another hill that appears a few miles away. Behind that hill, slowly but definitely, an army of skeletons emerges.

" Prepare, men!" a huge person with a beard begins. "We are here to protect our partners, our kids, and our really survival! Do not get frightened by their grave, ferocious appearance. They are dead, and they will die again. Now, join me in the ranks against the forces of destruction and set all your fears aside. This is the moment of guts. This is the moment we say 'no' to wicked!"

He raises his voice during the last few words and all the men cheer. They hold up their weapons and shout as loudly as possible.

But then they take a look at the other hill. The skeletons are frustrating. Their numbers are excellent. When I do the mathematics in my head, I see a legion, a large militia counting thousands of skeletons with swords and shields. I look at the guys on my side. They are frightened. They didn't expect the army to be this huge.

" Do not fear!" the leader shouts. "They are but bones and skulls! We have the spiritual blood of our predecessors! Prepare to protect yourselves and everything you love!"

The time for fight has come. The bloodshed can start. The army of skeletons diminishes the hill. I shoot an arrow, and another one, and another one. I kill several, but they are approaching within seconds. It won't be long now till the one-on-one fights will begin.

Swords are banging and clanging. Male and skeletons are yelling. I put effort into battling some of my own, but I am searching for a permanent solution.

Then I understand what has to be done. The leader! He is the source behind all of this! Where would he be? Oh, that was easy.

I see a skeleton on a horse. It's the only skeleton who has a horse. He is wearing a red cape and a war helmet, screaming commands at the other skeletons and pointing his sword into our direction.

" Lucas," I say in a low voice. "You're going to do."

But I still do not know how. I will need to break through hundreds of skeletons to reach him, and a battle may not even be the best way to end this. Perhaps I could shoot an arrow at him?

No, pointless.

If I miss, he will simply know where to find me. I need to find something better, something that will not only remove him from the scene, but also give the villagers a benefit. I need something ... something ... explosive! Yes, that's it! I am getting more of those sticks of dynamite from the mine.

I don't wait. I hurry to the mine, leaving the fate of the civilians behind me. I run inside, look for the sticks, and find them at the exact place where I saw them last. I stuff them into my backpack and run back to the battleground.

" There," I say.

I find a way to steer past a bunch of skeletons and soon, I find myself within a hundred feet of Lucas. I hit a skeleton on the head, punch another in the ribs, and stand in front of the malicious monster.

" YOU !!!" I say.

He steps off his horse.

" Hahaha!" he laughs out loud. "Reagan, is that you? Remove that outrageous camouflage. It does not matter any longer."

" Why not?" I say. "I would rather appear like one of them than like you or your dumb, brainless skeletons."

" You're just like us," Lucas says. "|Don't you realize you are buffooning yourself?"

" I do not care," I say. "This ends now. You squandered your right to live by planning an attack on innocent people."

" Bring it on," he says, holding his sword ready.

" I do not want to fight you. I just wanted to get near to you. Any last words?"

" Huh? What are you talking about?" he asks.

" Funny. I would have said something else," I say. "Oh well, I guess your ending isn't going to be really poetic then."

I take out a stick of dynamite and connect it to an arrow. I aim, shoot, and hit the arrow in his skull.

"Nooooooo !!!!!" Lucas yells.

But it is too late. The blasts of the one stick trigger the other ones to explode too in my bag, and the complete battleground ends up being a large, huge ocean of fire, swiping through the majority of the skeleton army.

Chapter 8: The Dead Are Dead

Needless to say, that I die here too. My spirit floats up as it towers above my body. I, my spirit, glance around and watch with satisfaction. I just exploded about 90% of the countless skeletons in the direct area. They are accumulated on and scattered across the battlefield. In the distance, I see some villagers kill the remainder of the wicked army.

I take a look at my own body. It has broken into a thousand pieces, intermingled with the dead body of the offender, Lucas. He didn't even stand a chance. I compromised myself, but I do not care. I just wanted to help these town's people live a good life. My life is over anyway.

I hear a voice in my head. It's not Lucas's voice. It's a soft, calming voice, like a colorful, forgiving wind that reaches the depth of my extremely being. It's strong and dominant but not powerful. It soothes my ideas and tranquilizes my mind. I float and I feel greater than ever.

"Well done," the voice says.

I have not the slightest idea who says it. I have no clue who is speaking to me. But just one thing I do know: My work here is done. This is why I remained: To save this town from the awful fate that would have befallen them if I would not have been there. Now that I look back, I am glad I heard those voices. I could only forecast the skeleton army's attack by hearing the voice of that horrible leader. It was required. My weak point had become a present.

But I was there. I exploded the wicked undead and am now leaving this life with satisfaction.

Life is over. I am glad. Whatever will happen now, I am prepared.

THE END

Killer Beast

Chapter 1: The Coop

It wasn't pretty. The mess was all over the chicken pen. Chickens were torn in half, and feathers were everywhere. The chickens that were still alive, walked around it as if nothing had occurred. They totally neglected the victims in the middle of the pen.

Dylan took his hat off and walked over to James. James looked at him and felt his pain.

" Very regrettable," James said. "I hope we'll be able to discover what triggered this."

" I hope so too," Dylan concurred. "I do not think any predators have been spotted around the village. It's a mystery. What type of animal would rip chickens in half like that and not eat them?"

" I do not know, man, but just one thing I do know: This is ruined!"

" Well, yeah. I have never seen anything like this. I'll go get the gloves and begin cleaning it up, I think."

Dylan walked away and James pursued him. "I will help you," he said. "We'll have this fixed in no time. Do not worry."

They tidied up the dead chickens and returned into the house. Dylan offered James some tea and a cookie. James observed the silverware and the china on the racks beside him. He praised Dylan on his home, saying that it was pleasant and comfortable.

" You actually worked hard to make this place relaxing and inviting, didn't you?" James asked.

" I started from scratch, James," Dylan said. "I value everything I have, but especially my animals, and if something or someone is disrupting their peace, it bothers me, and not just for financial reasons."

" I comprehend," James said while taking a sip from his tea. "What kind of tea is this anyway? I love it."

" It's peppermint tea," Dylan said. "I grow the leaves in my yard. It's great. It gives you that little spike while relaxing the mind with its heat."

" That's deep, man," James said. "You're a thinker. I do not think that much. And something is telling me that you worry way too much too. Am I right?"

" Yes, you are. I hate it, but it keeps me going," Dylan said.

They talked some more and James finished his tea. He left the house and walked home. He wasn't stressed at all, unlike Dylan. According to James, the chickens were probably just killed by some wolf or ocelot that had broken in.

" Good old Dylan," he said as he got back and kissed his marriage partner.

" What was happening this time?" she asked.

" He is devastated over a few chickens," James said. "But I am sure we'll capture the predator soon. It must be a bear or a fox or something, or perhaps an ocelot or a wolf. Who knows, right? However, who cares? We have had attacks from those animals before, and we took care of them."

" Yes, we did. No problem."

" Exactly."

That night, James was sleeping. His wife was up; she disliked it when her husband snored. She tried to cover her ears with her pillow, but it wasn't reliable enough. James was loud, and there was nothing she could do about it. She sat there all disappointed, wondering if she should just poke him or slap him and tell him to shut up. But she was too good. She wouldn't do that to him.

But then she heard even louder sounds from outdoors. "Finally," she thought. "I have an excuse to wake my husband up."

She leaned over and shook him a little. "James ... James," she said. "I heard something outside."

" Mmm ... mwhah-what is it?" James mumbled.

" I heard an odd noise. Could you please check what is going on?"

" Oh, alright. Sure," James said. He got up and put on some clothes, and after that he went outside. Now he heard it too. The chickens were panicking. He grabbed a machete from the shed and ran towards the chicken cages. The moon was shining intensely, so that he didn't have to take anything to light his way.

When he arrived at the chicken cages, he couldn't really believe what he saw.

" Oh no," he sighed.

He buried his head in his hands and gazed at the mess, nearly the exact same mess as his friend had come across. Some chickens were ripped apart, and at least five more had been a little hurt, but enough that it was deadly. Ten chickens had been killed. As he stepped in the blood running from the carcasses, he got disgusted and a little nauseous by seeing this horrific massacre.

But the danger was gone. Whatever or whoever did it, had left. James looked around, but despite the moonlight, he could not see anything or anyone that looked suspicious.

" Is that all you've got?!!" he shouted. "Come and show yourself, stupid animal!”

It was dead quiet, so after a while, James went back and reported the dreadful news. The predator had struck again.

Chapter 2: The Way You See It

The next morning, half the town came to watch James's poor dead chickens. Dylan appeared and saw a big crowd standing around in James's yard. They were looking at the body parts that were spread right across the chicken coops. James had gathered everybody to take a look and examine the criminal offense. The discussion had just started when Dylan arrived.

" Does anyone have an idea who or what may have done this?" James asked.

" Well, I can tell you one thing," a young man says, "this ain't no ocelot, nor a wolf. They do not attack anything unless they eat what they kill."

" If it isn't a regular predator, as you are saying, then what is it?" James asked.

" What if someone in the town did it, just to get people upset?" lady suggested.

" That could be true," James said. "But I can't think of anyone who would do such a thing."

Dylan was listening intently, since his chickens had become the victims of this abhorrent criminal offense 2 nights ago. The people thought of ideas, suggestions, and even some accusations, but none of them understood the nature of the crime, nor the motive anybody or any animal could have to just kill chickens and after that leave them there. Everybody was stunned, and after some more pointless arguments, they all became silent.

All of a sudden, a voice from the back of the crowd broke the silence.

" I've been telling you," it said. "I have been telling you for many years."

Everybody stepped aside and turned to the man who claimed to know more. He was wearing a hoody and was leaning on a walking stick. And although his face was somewhat hidden beneath the hoody, his eyes were piercing and intense.

" What have you been telling us?" lady wished to know.

" I told you about the killer bunnies," he said. "But nobody listened. And now it struck again."

Everyone looked at each other for a second, and when the time out was over, they all break out laughing. Some were cracking up so badly that they almost tipped over.

" A killer bunny?" someone asked.

" Bunnies don't kill, old man. They eat carrots and lettuce. Have you ever seen this so-called killer bunny?"

" I have seen it," the old man validates. "But I wouldn't look for it if I were you. It's dangerous."

" Ha-ha-ha!”

The crowd scolded him. It seemed like an outrageous principle. Predator rabbits were unusual, but the man firmly insisted that he knew what he saw.

" Mark my words," the old man cautioned. "It will not be the last time it will kill. It will be back."

" Then we'll just kill it," Dylan said. "Where do we find it?"

" Oh, I wouldn't do that if I were you," the old man said. "You cannot fight this beast. Its teeth and claws are sharp, and it has a bloodlust you are not knowledgeable about. My best guidance: Stay inside and put better fences around your animals. Maybe even set some traps, but I question the killer bunny will be silly enough to step into them."

" Thanks," Dylan said, a little dissatisfied that he could not get more information out of him.

Chapter 3: The Confrontation

Dylan returned home. He knew everybody was laughing at the old man with the hoody, but for some reason, he believed him. What a ridiculous idea! A killer bunny? Who had ever heard of such a thing? But what if the man was right? What if it held true? He could not think of any other predator that would murder his and his friend's chickens this way.

A killer bunny? Really?

He poured himself a cup of tea again and sat there, thinking of what to do. "Those are my chickens," he said in a low voice. "I have to safeguard them."

That night, Dylan put down right outside the chicken pen. His axe was next to him, so he could quickly grab it if he had to. The sun was setting and it was practically dark. Crickets were chirping, the wind blew, and an eerie fog came over the farmlands. But Dylan was ready.

" Let come what may," he said.

He waited and waited. The moonlight illuminated some of the ground, yet Dylan stayed in the shade, hidden from any trespassers that could come that night. The waiting made him tired. He yawned and rubbed his eyes. He got comfortable and lay back, with his head leaning sideways.

He fell asleep.

The hours passed, and nothing occurred.

Nothing for hours and hours ...

All of a sudden, Dylan heard a sound. It was a chicken. He grabbed his axe and ran towards the pen, but he was far too late.

One of the chickens was dead, slashed through by some predator. Dylan's heart began beating much faster. He knew the predator was still around. He looked to the right and to the left, he ran into the field, regardless of the misty air, and scanned the horizon.

There!

In the distance, there were too glimmering eyes, looking straight at him. Dylan ran towards the creature and stopped. In front of him was a white bunny with red, glowing eyes. Its facial expression was wild and vicious. Its claws were long and sharp, and the bunny was showing its teeth and roaring a little.

" Whoa," Dylan said. He had never seen anything like it before. He stared at it, and it looked back. Then Dylan performed at the bunny with his axe, but as soon as the bunny saw him coming, it hopped into the bushes. Dylan kept looking.

" Come back, you coward! Afraid of an axe?!" he screamed.

But there was nothing else he could do. Dylan looked a bit longer and after that gave up. The killer bunny was gone.

Chapter 4: Taken by the Wind

When Dylan went to James the next day, his good friend could hardly actually believe it. "So the old man was right then?" James asked.

" Yes, he was. I saw it with my own eyes."

" Wow. Who would have thought that those things existed? Anyway, what are we going to do now?"

" Kill it, of course," Dylan said.

" I agree, but how?"

" I do not know; just bring a weapon and enough supplies for our trip. The old man would not tell me where to find the bunny, but perhaps he can give us a general direction."

" Sure, but how do we find the old man?" James asked.

" You don't have to. He found you," a voice said.

They turned around and saw the man with the walking cane. A little shocked that he would show up like this, out of the blue, they asked him where to try to find the killer bunny.

" Do not say I didn't alert you," he said. "I am certain you will die if you go try to find it, but if you want, I can still tell you where I think it hides."

" That would be extremely handy," Dylan said.

" I've heard they live at the foot of the mountains. That way," the man said, pointing in a certain direction.

" They?" Dylan asked. "What do you mean? Are there really more than one?"

" Oh, I do not know that," the old man said. "Perhaps not, but I can't ensure that there is only one. Who knows how many of those monsters there are?"

" Okay, thanks," Dylan said. "Come on, James. Let's get going. We will find the killer bunnies and make them regret what they did."

James followed Dylan to his home. They got as much equipment together as they could carry, but they still tried to keep their bags light. James brought a net to drag the bunny back when they would capture it, and he put some food in his bag as well. Dylan loaded a bow and arrows, matches, and his axe.

They took off, walking through the forest into the mountain areas. Initially, everything appeared peachy. There was no risk, there were no wild animals, and a path led them to the foot of the biggest mountain in that area.

" What did it appear like?" James asked after a while. "You got a look at the killer bunny, right? What did it appear like?"

" White with red eyes," Dylan answered. "It was as if the devil himself had seized that bunny's body. When it looked at me, it was as if it was looking right through me with those hollow, red eyes that shone in the dark. Creepy, I tell ya."

" The more reason to get rid of it," James said. "I don't want such wicked things around my house, even if they do not kill any chickens."

" It shouldn't be too far," Dylan assumed. "The old man said the bunny went into the mountains. Sure, that may be so, but I don't think it went too far away, only to make a long trip to the farms each time."

" I think you're right," James said. "We must keep our eyes open. Its home could be anywhere near here."

They kept walking, and the wind ended up being stronger. Some branches were already zipping and the soft breeze became heavy gusts of wind, pulling bushes out of the ground and making the environment unsafe. A storm was coming, and it wasn't going to be fun.

" This is just going to get even worse," Dylan said. "Do you see the clouds? We need to find some shelter."

" Well, we're nearly at the foot of the mountain," James said.

" Perhaps there is a spot or a cave where we can hide. Some rocks, some ledge, or something else ... what do you think?"

" I think that's an exceptional idea. Let's keep moving!”

The 2 of them headed into the direction of the mountain and found a cavern in the mountain. It took them a while to find it, but with the strong wind, they figured they had no time to lose, so they hurried and went inside as quick as they could.

There they were, sitting and watching the storm do all sorts of things to the trees, the bushes, and the sand at the bottom. The 2 friends weren't certain if they could call this a "hurricane," but it sure came close to it. They had never seen a wind as strong as this, and James said that if he didn't know any better, he would have seen it as a bad omen.

" Shall we go inside the cavern?" James asked after several minutes.

" Let's just hide behind this rock," Dylan suggested. "There is only a small chance something will blow our way, and the cavern is pitch black."

" Then just light a match and make a torch," James said.

" I would rather wait till the storm is gone," Dylan said. "The wind could burn out the fire."

" I guess so."

They waited and waited. It took several hours, and the farmers ate a little snack. Just for fun, James told some jokes he had heard from his kids, who had heard them from good friends at school.

The storm was nearly over. Quickly, they would go inside the cave.

Chapter 5: No Ordinary Rabbit

" Now, can we light a torch and go inside the cave? I am extremely curious," James said.

" Naturally," Dylan said.

He took the matches out of his pocket and used some dry branches to light a torch. When he was done, he held the torch up and handed it to James.

Dylan put the matches back and took his bow and arrows. "You never know what is in this cave," he said. "Proceed and light the way. I'll be prepared if there is a bear or a cougar or something in this cave."

They snuck farther and farther into the unfamiliar cavern. They felt the rocky ground beneath their feet. In some cases they looked at each other, and James moved the torch around a lot. He was a little nervous.

Suddenly, he stepped on something. "What is that?" he asked.

He moved the torch to the ground. It was a pig skeleton.

" Whoa!" James said as he stepped back. When he held the torch in front of him, at a low level, he saw that this was only the tip of the iceberg. Dylan' and James's mouths fell open when they saw a big pile of animal bones and skulls, scattered all over the cave. There were horse skulls, bones from wolves, and cat cadavers.

" There must be lots of them," Dylan said. "Have you ever seen such a thing?"

" Never," James said. "This is shocking. Bunnies don't do this. What triggered these charming, fluffy animals to become huge murder machines? It's a massacre. Look at all these skeletons!"

" There is only one thing that could have made them this way," Dylan said. "It's pure evil, that's what it is."

" Let's get out of here," James said. "I do not feel comfortable staying here. I am glad we found their hideout, but I am a little hesitant to combat this bunny after seeing this."

" You still think it's only one killer bunny?" Dylan asked.

" There must be more of them. This is insane!" James exclaimed.

They moved back to the entrance of the cavern, wishing to get out of there alive. But when they left the cavern, they stood face to face with something frightening ...

Chapter 6: Murderous and Fluffy

The two farmers couldn't actually believe their eyes. It was like they were waiting for them ... waiting ... to damage!

In front of the duo were about twenty bunnies, all with radiant, red eyes, sharp claws, and grinding teeth. Their appearance was sloppy and wild. The destructive appearance in their eyes was both cooling and sickening at the exact same time. Bloodthirst appeared in their temperament, and they were all set to attack.

But none of them were white.

They were all brown, black, and grey.

" These are not the ones I saw," Dylan said while leaning over to his good friend.

" What do you mean?"

" I mean that I saw a white bunny, remember? There must be another one."

" Oh come on," James said. "You must have seen it wrong. It was dark. It was foggy. You said so yourself."

" I know what I saw. There is another one."

" Well, I do not see it now," James said, "so let's just focus on these, shall we?"

" You got it," Dylan said as he put an arrow on his bow and extended it back. James took the axe and was all set for battle as well. There they were, standing face to face with more than a dozen killer bunnies who were drooling and gnashing their teeth, anticipating to devour some flesh.

" Come on!" Dylan all of a sudden shouted. "Come on, if you dare!"

He shot an arrow and killed one of the harsh bunnies. The other bunnies didn't think twice and hopped towards the two farmers. Dylan kept stepping back and shooting more arrows, and James swung the axe he was holding at the monstrous rabbits.

" Take that! And that! And that!" he said whenever he killed another bunny.

Some of the bunnies came too close and scratched the 2 heroes, triggering them to bleed. They tried to ignore their injuries and finish the predators off. Hacking and slashing, shooting and kicking, the 2 managed to kill the majority of the bunnies. There were only three left.

" Duck!" Dylan said.

James ducked and evaded Dylan's arrow that way. After that, James swung back his axe and made it land in the other two bunnies.

" That was that," James said. "We're done here."

" Don't be so quick to celebrate," Dylan said. "I told you there was another one. But where is it?"

They took a look around for a minute.

" There!" James suddenly screamed.

Chapter 7: Eating It

James was pointing at the white bunny, which jumped from one of the rocks that became part of the mountain. Before it landed on the ground, beside Dylan, it scratched him with his claws.

" Ouch!" Dylan said, dropping his weapon.

" Dylan!" James screamed. "Foolish bunny. You're going to pay for that!"

" Go get him, James!" his partner screamed. He was injured, but he was okay, only bleeding a little from his shoulder.

James held his axe in front of him. The white killer bunny was bigger than the other ones. It looked at James, aware of the weapon he was holding. Then it jumped at him, trying to cut him open with its claws.

James ducked again, but this time, he thought of the idea of doing so himself. He watched the bunny dive over him and swung his axe at him.

Tsyaaaaaack!

It hit the bunny, which died quickly. James had killed the killer bunny.

" That's disgusting," Dylan said when he looked at the dead bunny on the ground.

" Yes, but it's dead," James said.

" Certainly it is," Dylan said. "Well, what now?"

" Have you forgotten why I took the net?" James asked.

" Oh yeah, why did you take that net anyhow?"

" In contrast to the bunnies' bloodlust, I do not mind eating the victims I kill," James said.

" Ha-ha-ha! Good one! You're going to eat these bunnies? What if they have some evil force in them that made them the way they are?"

" I am willing to take that risk. You?"

Dylan thought for a moment. Although he had not the slightest idea why these bunnies had become so wicked and relentless, he wasn't superstitious enough to think that there was an actual wicked force in them. So he shrugged and said, "Sure. Let's get them into the web. We'll cook them in the house."

They gathered all the bunny bodies and put them into the net. After they were done, they headed home.

" Hey, James," Dylan said. "Do you know any bunny dishes?"

" I am certain my spouse will know some," he said. "We haven't had bunny for supper in years. By the way, I heard it complements peppermint leafs, so you should be great. The question is: Who is going to take the huge, white one home? That one has one of the most meat on it, doesn't it?"

" Ha-ha!" Dylan laughed. "You can have it."

" Thanks. I really appreciate that."

THE END

The Standoff

Chapter 1: Really Proving Myself

" AMM Corporation. This is Jennie speaking. How can I help you?"

This is what I said every day, about a hundred times daily; perhaps even more. I was a secretary, a good one. I was a multitasker, and I didn't hide it. When I obtained this job, they gave me a screening day. They observed me as I answered the phone, organized documents, and replied e-mails at the exact same time. I was like a centipede. I could do it all at once.

" You're in," they said after seeing me being busy.

I was delighted. I was exceptionally happy. I knew I would do well at this business. Nevertheless, what I didn't see coming-- which is always the case-- was that connecting with colleagues and colleagues would be one of the most crucial things. You see, there are a lot of people who do what they really love but hate their job because they can't interact well with other employees. At the same time, there are those who don't perform their preferred tasks but really love the comradery at work, and that makes all the distinction to them.

In my case, I was at a job with all men. It was a competitive company, and all they did, was take the risk, exchange stocks, and a lot of other complicated stuff.

All they needed me for, was to answer the phone and make appointments and such. I didn't know anything about the business, and in some cases, I had the gut feeling they looked down on me for that reason.

It all began on a Thursday. I would have the next day of rest, so my weekend would be long. It was afternoon and one of those men, whom I believed to be a big bully in high school when he was young, came by my desk and told me to get him some hot chocolate.

" Uhm ... I am kind of busy now," I said. "The machine is right over there."

" I know," he said, "but I think you should get it. You don't do anything important here anyhow, and my time is a lot more valuable. Besides, you're lady."

I could not actually believe my ears. Unexpectedly, the remainder of the world was gone from my concentration. My senses blocked out all other sounds, smells, and images. All I heard was "you're lady."

I stood up and put the phone on hold. Then I looked him in the eyes and said, "Excuse me? I am lady? What does that have to do with anything?"

" Well, it's your job to get me what I want," the man said.

I swallowed some words I wanted to say to him and took a deep breath. This arrogant loser was going to get it.

" Listen to me, Devil ..." I said.

" Dean," he said, correcting me.

" Whatever. Perhaps if you wanted to lose some weight, you would drag your own fat body over to that device and get yourself some toxic, sugary drink. However, I don't think you could resist the temptation of an addicting substance, because you're just lazy. I hope you do not treat your spouse the same way."

" I'm not married," Dean said.

" That doesn't amaze me. Now, if you'll excuse me. I got work to do, things a multitasker like myself, lady, is proficient at."

" Oh, I acknowledge that," Dean insisted. "You, ladies, are proficient at those sorts of things."

I raged. This person was so proud of himself. He truly strongly believed that women were only proficient at certain things, and I was going to prove him wrong.

" Say something guys are generally better at than ladies, and I will defeat you," I said, being a little too confident.

" Oh, there are so many things. There is math, sports, building and construction work, driving ..."

" What? How would you ...? Never mind. I guess it's useless to convince you of anything. Name the time and the place, and I will be there."

And after that it occurred. The matches had started. He called some of his coworkers, all guys naturally, who would come to watch me fail.

Me and my huge mouth ...

Before I knew it, a group of 5 guys came to my desk, including Dean, and demanded my attention.

" Yes?" I said sheepishly.

" I brought some of my associates," Dean said. "If you want to back up what you said, then accept the challenges of these four guys. One of them is a mathematics specialist; he does all the finances for our business. His name is Victor."

I looked at the unpopular character in front of me and understood I was going to get smoked immediately. But I didn't know what to say.

" Then we have Hakeem over here. He has played college basketball. He is challenging you to a basketball one-on-one match. That's Ivo. He works in building. He says you will not last a day there. And then there is Jax. He is a driving instructor, actually. You said you could beat everyone at what we're proficient at? Proceed and show it. I am waiting. Do you accept these difficulties?"

I looked at them and sighed, "Sure. I do."

" Good," Dean said. "Then I will see you here tomorrow."

He left it at that, and I watched as he and his pals left the room. I put my head into my hands. What did I get myself into?

Chapter 2: The Math Test

I was worried that night. When I went to sleep, I knew I was going to struggle. I wasn't an expert at any of those things. Math? Basketball? Building and construction work? Well, at least I could drive. That would not be an issue, would it? I thought I would stand a chance at that, however, driving instructors are pretty rigorous, so even that would most likely be challenging.

When I reached the office the next day, Dean was standing there with Victor. They welcomed me and went inside, beckoning me to follow. I knew I could not expect them to open the door for me and apply the "girls first" rule, but oh well.

After we sat down, Dean said, "You can still back off and take back what you said. Guys are just better at math. It's a tested fact. So, are you still in?"

" Yes I am," I said, hoping that I would get some things right.

" Suit yourself," he said. "Victor?"

" We are going to resolve 100 mathematics problem on the computer system," Victor began. "Because it is a computer, we cannot cheat. You simply take a look at the problem and figure out the response. It's multiple choice, so even if you have no clue what you're doing, you could still get some answers right by thinking, but your percentage would be low, so I encourage you to just use your brain and those math skills you claim to have. The problems are random, so there was no chance for me to cheat by knowing the answers ahead of time. Are you all set?"

Great, this man was a complete geek and was still proud of himself. But what else was I going to do? I accepted the obstacle and we went to work.

" Ready," I said.

The first formula appeared in front of me. Was I supposed to fix this? Whoa.

I already knew that I was going to blow this. I remembered some stuff from high school, and that the teachers in my class always made it sound easier than it appeared to me. I remembered some equations and tricks, but most of them had left my memory.

" I think I'll just think," I thought. Ideally, the response was D, which was what I filled out. The whole test became multiple-guess instead of multiple-choice, as I didn't know what I was doing. In the end, I probably got several questions right by actually understanding for sure what the answer was.

When the test was over, the results were terrible: I answered 54 questions out of the 200 correctly. Victor, on the other hand, had a score of 187 out of 200. It was apparent that he was better at mathematics.

" What do you need to say for yourself?" Dean asked after seeing the actual results, crossing his arms and staring at me.

" Pffft ..." I said. "Simply because he is better at mathematics, doesn't mean all men are better at mathematics."

I could tell that he secretly agreed with my reasoning, but he still had to defend his ego.

" Well, you said you could do better and you didn't," was all he said. Then they both walked away.

I lost.

Chapter 3: The Basketball Match

That exact same afternoon, we met at a little basketball court outside. The weather was great, and the sun was shining. It was a perfect day to shoot some hoops ... that is ... if you're good at it, which I wasn't.

Again, I questioned why I had not just shut my big mouth when Dean challenged me, but I could not back out now. It was too late for that. I had to show them that I was at least ready to try it, and I also really believed I had a chance of winning.

And that's where I was wrong.

Hakeem was there with Dean. The rules were basic. We didn't need describing. When Dean tried to tell me how basketball worked, I told him I already knew that because I had played some basketball in my youth myself.

" Fine," he said. "Good luck. You'll need it."

We began to play. I had the ball and looked at the basket. Too far away, specifically with a 6 foot 6 inches tall guy in front of me, holding up his arm.

So I chose to dribble past him. Fortunately, I was pretty fast, and I went up for the lay-in.

Bang!

I got blocked, and he even managed to go after the ball and keep it inside the court lines. Then he shot the 3. Swoosh!

The score was 3-0. I got the ball and tried to shoot, but I missed. Hakeem got the rebound, went to the three-point line, and returned to dunk it over me. The score was 5-0. This guy was just too huge and athletic. There was nothing I could do. He had most likely been practicing every day as part of his routine. I didn't stand a chance.

Do you think I made at least 2 points?

I didn't. We went until 21, and it became exactly that: 21-0.

Hakeem won, and I my ego was broken again. He was just better than I was.

" Not too easy, is it?" Dean said with a grin on his face.

I looked at Hakeem. He didn't express any feelings. He just stood there as if nothing had occurred. I figured he didn't care and he didn't consider me a risk in the first place. He knew he was good at basketball and probably didn't even think he 'd lose.

" Well, he is so much taller than I am," I said in my defense.

" Oh, come on," Dean said. "If you would have hit more shots, you totally would have beaten him. It's not really all about being tall. You know that. Some of the world's best expert basketball gamers are as high as you are."

" I still didn't think it was fair," I said as I watched them walk off.

Chapter 4: The Construction Site

The next morning, we had consented to give me a day at the building site, just to know what it kind of felt like. Ivo was there, and he ensured I would not have the ability to take a break.

He was wearing a dark sweater and had a stern look on his face. He greeted me and told me where to start. At first, we just put some screws into a wooden board and connected some nails to a rain gutter, but then the heavy stuff arrived.

" Okay," Ivo said. "This truck has plenty of cement products and bricks. Whatever you do, don't hurt your back. We have tools for those sorts of things. But what you carry on your own, will be appreciated."

It was exhausting. The other men were carrying large rocks and materials with their bare hands. I observed that a ton of time, I was just in the way, and that they had to wait on me to move or step aside before they could get the next rock.

" Stop," Ivo said after a while. "I think it would be better if you worked somewhere else. Follow me."

He led me to a part of the construction site that was further away from where the men carried in heavy materials. He handed me a shovel and said, "Start digging."

" Digging for what?" I asked.

" Nothing in specific," he said. "We just need a hole in the garden here. It should keep you busy for a while."

I started digging. I went on and on for hours. I didn't like it, as it hurt my back. I wasn't produced for these kinds of tasks. I rather remained inside, at the computer system or something, not outside carrying out all this physical labor. It was hard and exhausting.

Towards the evening, as I was standing in the huge hole I had dug so far, I suddenly heard a voice behind me.

" Not so easy, is it?" Dean said mockingly.

" Well, I wish to see you digging for about four hours. It gets you pretty tired."

" No, not me. I would be okay with it, as ..."

" ... as what?" I asked. "Due to the fact that you're a man? Get out of here! Such nonsense."

" You said it, not me," he said, and after that he walked away.

Oh, that conceited, pompous, complacent jerk! I could have hit him with my shovel right there and after that, but I knew that wouldn't help me get anywhere. If there was something I should be better at, it was controlling my emotions.

I stopped digging. I figured I had lost this one too, since I was in the way of the building workers and even had a hard time digging a hole. Ivo came and told me I did a good job. He paid me and let me go home. I knew he wasn't completely satisfied with my work, but at least he was a decent man, not like that Victor or even Dean.

I went home and dreaded the next day, which would probably be another challenge I couldn't conquer.

Chapter 5: The Drive Test

It was the last day of the weekend, and I was about to take on one of the best driving instructors in the area. Jax and Dean saw me coming when they were at the giant parking lot. I looked at what they had done. Cones were all over, put down in a certain order to direct a circling and zigzagging car.

" I'll go first," Jax said when I arrived.

He got into a beige Volvo and began the engine. Then he took off. Dean was keeping track of his time. Jax swirled around every single cone with classy and fast moves, not bumping into any of them. Then he took a sharp turn, drove a bit longer and stopped beside us.

" 5 Minutes and 34 seconds," Dean said, showing his stopwatch. "See if you can beat that."

" And if I hit a cone?" I asked.

" Then we'll include 20 seconds."

" What? That much?! You're kidding me!" I said.

" Hitting surrounding items is a serious thing," Jax said. "It's not only about timing, but also about accuracy."

I could not argue with him. He was the driving trainer, and not only did he know what he was talking about, but certainly, he was great at driving too. This wasn't going to be easy.

I opened the car door and sat down behind the wheel. I despised myself for glancing at Dean and seeing a wicked laugh on his face. Boy, was I going to prove him wrong!

" 3, two, one ..." he said, "... go!"

I hit the gas pedal and swerved around some of the cones, but this car wasn't that easy to manage. I have to admit that I was more used to my Chevrolet, my own car, and that the wheel in this one was irritating. And despite the fact that it wasn't fair that I was unfamiliar with this car and Jax wasn't, I still beat myself up for overturning some cones and making a few wrong moves.

It took way longer than Jax's perfect little drive, and when I came to the 2 guys, I looked back and discovered I had overturned more than 10 cones.

Dean looked at his stopwatch and laughed. "13 Minutes and 55 seconds," he said.

I was discouraged. "Fine. You win," I said as I shook Jax's hand. Then I walked away.

" I told you that men were better at driving!" I heard Dean yell in the distance.

Again, I didn't think it was fair, and just that this experienced driving trainer was better than I was, didn't necessarily have anything to do with our genders. It was silly.

Chapter 6: Dancing Away

They were laughing at me, all of them. They worked at the same business, and still they thought they were better than I was, and some of them associated their abilities to the fact that they were men. How absurd!

Oh well, if they wanted to play that game, then bring it on! I had some tricks up my sleeve too, and I knew how to use my femininity to my benefit. I saw them at work, and I put the phone on hold. For this, I would take a small break. It was well worth it.

" Hey guys," I said as they walked in.

The five of them turned their heads and looked at me.

" I have an idea," I said. "Do you like dancing?"

They all shook their heads. None enjoyed that stuff. Yes! I finally found something I was most likely better at.

" Then I challenge you to a dancing contest tonight at the Jumper, which is the club on the other side of town."

" We know where it is," Dean said. "But why would we accompany such a dumb challenge?"

I chuckled. "The 5 of you have become experts at mathematics, basketball, construction work, and driving, but I bet you a hundred bucks that you cannot beat me at dancing."

" How do you choose who is better though?" Hakeem asked.

" Oh, they have judges there. Do not worry. I have been there enough to know that they always have an obstacle night with experienced judges. So what do you say, boys? Will you do it, or are you to scaaaaaared?"

" We are not scared!" Dean said as he put his hands in his side and raised his head.

" That's right," Victor said. "We'll take the challenge."

" Good," I said. "Then I will see you there at 9. Have fun today, boys."

I was in my element. I answered every phone call with a larger smile that day. By the way, did I mention I had been a street dancing champion in college? I was the best! I had typically danced at the club and showed off. People loved me there. And even though I wasn't in a strong relationship at the moment, I knew a lot of guys at the club who were gazing at me whenever I danced.

That night, I showed up at the disco. I didn't dress up in an intriguing way but attractive enough to be discovered. I had put on some additional cosmetics and came with complete self-confidence. The men not so much. I picked up that they weren't convinced of their own dancing abilities, and I was liking it. Some of their clothing looked careless and baggy.

" Night, boys," I said. "Shall we?"

We went inside and danced around a bit. I held back, as the contest had not begun yet. Another 20 minutes and after that the fun could start. I went to the table of the judges and signed the six of us up.

And after that it started ... the crowd had formed a circle. The judges announced the contestants.

" Our first dancer is Victor!" they yelled through the microphone.

Victor came forward. He was insecure and shy. His moves were stiff, even worse than a damaged robotic. He tried to do several dance moves, but they all looked rusty. People snickered. They thought he was a horrible dancer. It was obvious. The judges held up their numbers. A 6, a 5, a 4, and a 2 out of 10. Horrible.

Next was Dean. He tried hard, as he had such a big ego; nevertheless, the more he tried, the more outrageous he looked. The rolls of fat underneath his t-shirt were showing, and he was sweating like a pig. One time, he even fell over. When he was done, the judges rolled their eyes and gave him an even lower grade than Victor.

Hakeem was the next candidate. I have to admit that he wasn't all bad. His athletic body helped him make several moves that nearly impressed some of the girls, and the judges gave him approximately 6.8. Okay.

Ivo the building and construction worker just looked odd. He was making an effort to breakdance, but in the meantime, he hurt his back and had to leave the dancefloor a little earlier. Disqualified. Ha! My chances became larger.

The last one before me was Jax. He did these odd little hops and tried moves that only look good when a girl does it, if you know what I mean. People were a little switched off by it and searched in disgust as the judges tried to think of what to say about it. His average was a 5.3. Not excellent, and that's an understatement.

And then it was my turn. The music started. I enjoyed it. I went all crazy, with all the moves I had learned in the previous years. I shook my hips and threw my hair into the air. As I kept doing fancy, cool street moves, I discovered the crowd got into it. After a while, everybody was clapping and cheering me on. My shoulders, my waist ... everything swung to the music perfectly. It all came naturally. When I was done, I ducked and ended with a freeze ... with some mindset! The judges didn't have to think hard about this one. I got all nines and 10s.

I walked towards the 5 men who had been buffooning me in the previous days and said, "You know what the said thing is, boys? I will not even ascribe my remarkable success to the fact that I am woman. Sure, no man can move their hips and shake their upper body or hair in the same way a girl does, but I need to admit that it was simply because I guess well ... practiced. It wasn't as I am woman. So perhaps you should consider that tonight when you try to develop your egos again."

They didn't say anything back. I blew them a kiss and left the club with style. They gazed at me.

" I need to admit she is kind of appealing when she is dancing," Victor said.

" Oh, shut up," Dean said. "Let's get out of here."

Chapter 7: Negotiating

The next day, I showed up at work with a smile, but my smile quickly vanished when I heard an awful noise. I turned around the corner and saw some of my colleagues lined up against the glass of the next workplace room.

" What are you all taking a look at?" I asked. "What's happening?"

" The CEO's daughter," one of them said. "She went nuts. Look."

The noise that tossed me off guard was the yelling of a 7-year-old girl who was tossing a tantrum in the workplace. Some things had been knocked off the desks, and she was stomping and clenching her fists, banging them on the office carpet.

" She went berserk," Ivo said. "I do not understand, but her dad isn't here and we do not know how to deal with it."

" I tried to give her candy," Hakeem said. "But she wouldn't even accept that. What kid doesn't want candy?"

" I told her that her father would be very angry at her if he saw this," Dean said. "It didn't help."

I chuckled. Of course, that didn't help. These guys didn't know what they were doing. 10 men were afraid of a little girl. That was a first. Ha-ha! Her temper tantrum was so wild and harmful that none of them had a clue of how to handle her.

Punishments, bribery ... this girl just needed some empathy. I looked at my associates and asked, "Do you mind if I try?"

They all looked at me and said, "By all means, if you think you can do better, proceed."

When I opened up the door, my colleagues all backed off a little, fearing what appeared to be a horrible brat in the office room. They watched as I approached the little girl and asked what was wrong. When she saw me, she suddenly stopped screaming and banging her fists. This was my one chance.

" Please tell me," I said in a soft voice. "I won't punish you for it. You can tell me anything. What can I do for you?"

" I-I just ..." she started.

" Yes, go on."

" I just want my daddy. He said he would not leave me and now he discarded me into this boring workplace. He is always busy."

" Oh, is it that?" I asked as I sat beside her on the floor and put my arm around her.

She leaned against me and stopped sobbing.

" There, there, just relax," I said. "It's fine. I understand that you want him back, and that he is taking way too long. Often I, too, think that he works too hard. Hey, I have an idea. How about you help me answer the phone and organize my desk? Then you can be my little assistant."

She sobbed and thought of it. "Okay," she said quietly.

" And you know what?" I continued. "We can have some fun. The office chairs have wheels; I can push you around on them, we can take a look at some of my family photos on the computer system, and you can use some of my printing paper to make a drawing. How does that sound?"

" I think that could be fun," she admitted.

" What's your name?" I asked.

" Eveline," she said.

" That's a beautiful name. My name is Jennie, but you can call me Jen."

I saw a twinkle in her eyes. She got excited about playing around in my workplace, and I didn't even have to promise her a treat. All she needed, I figured, was a listening ear, a hug, and maybe even a solution, but none of those insensitive men at the window had thought about that.

I got her hand and took her to my office. When I opened the door and let her walk through, I looked at Dean and a few of the others and protruded my tongue as if to say, "See? There are some things ladies can do better than men."

I didn't say it, since I wasn't going to openly generalize like that, but I have to admit that I thought it. And I think they knew it too.

Eveline played in my office room that day. It was a ton of fun. We had a fake tea party, tossed pieces of paper at each other, and did funny voices on the phone when consumers couldn't hear us when being postponed. When her father came back, he thanked me elaborately and gave me a monetary reward. It was just one of the best days at work I had had so far.

Chapter 8: Saw That?

The days after that went smoothly. Nobody bothered me anymore. They knew I possessed qualities that they didn't, and whether that was because I was woman, I didn't care. I showed them I was good at something. But about a week later, something took place that no one had expected.

The siren went off. It was audible throughout the city. A voice was heard through some speakers in the streets. We all tuned in and listened to what it had to say.

Ladies and gentlemen of the city. We have some awful news. Zombies have gotten in the properties. Remain in your houses and structures and hide. The authorities will do all in their power to get rid of the threat as soon as possible. Thank you for your cooperation.

" Everybody hide below your desks!" my employer motivated his personnel.

We did what we were told. I saw all my colleagues hide, but I knew where to find a weapon, just in case. Since it wasn't all safe, I was going to make certain nothing would happen to us. I knew of people who had died when hiding from the zombies. They always came all of a sudden, and then the crowd would just sweep through the city and try to kill whomever would be in their course. They never stayed for long, but they did a lot of damage whenever they showed up.

But I was ready, as I had a MASSIVE SWORD in my hands !!!

Who would have a sword in their office, you ask? Well, I did, since these were some of my other hidden talents: Sword battling and fencing. I had a daddy who was in the army. He had taught me to shoot guns and use swords.

It was quiet, and it remained silent for a long time. We heard some sounds from the city, but those were all outside the walls of our office building.

The zombies were in the city, and they were roaming the empty streets. Typically, they wouldn't enter a lot of homes and structures, but it wasn't impossible for them to do so. And it didn't take long before they just happened to burglarize our building.

Craaack! Clash! Cling! Clang!

They busted through the glass of our lobby and started to try to find possible victims.

The CEO of our company got up and shouted, "Change of strategies! Everyone get to their weapons! Now!"

As fast as they could, the staff members in the building ran towards the weapon racks and armed themselves with machine guns and shotguns. The zombies came closer. The workers were lined up, all set to follow their company's orders.

" Ready?" he said. "Fire!”

Boom! Boom! Takadakadak!

The guns were firing numerous bullets at the zombies. Some of the zombies fell and got up again. Others just jerked a little at the effect of the bullets but kept walking forward.

" Keep firing!" the CEO screamed.

It was useless. The zombies were unsusceptible to bullets. It didn't do anything to them. And although it was holding them back, the workers were just stalling by shooting them and postponing their own deaths.

But then I ran downstairs and leapt behind the staff members.

" Cease fire!" I screamed.

They all looked at me for a second. "|Don't you see? You can't kill them this way," I said.

" But what are we going to do then?" my employer asked.

" Haven't you heard?" I asked. "There is only one way to kill zombies: by chopping off their heads."

I didn't want to lose any more words on explaining myself. I was a little shocked they even tried to use weapons against these zombies. I had always learned that you could only use swords, axes, pickaxes, or other sharp things against them. And I was right. My dad had taught me well.

I dashed forward and swung my sword into the direction of one of the zombies.

Tsyaaack!

I sliced his head off in one move. I didn't look back to see my associates' responses; I just kept slashing the zombies with my incredible blade. Head after head fell on the floor of our lobby. It was a massacre.

My coworkers withdrawed a little and let me do my thing. They couldn't really believe somebody like me was capable of such actions and skills. So far, they always looked down on me, thinking that I was this shy, weak person. Imagine what was going through their heads now! A few dozen men grouped together, watching woman kill countless zombies in front of them by slicing their heads off.

It was priceless!

When I was done and there were no more zombies in our location, I leaned on my sword, a little worn out but pretending to be just fine. I smirked and saw their faces glowing with awe. They were speechless.

I stopped leaning on my sword and picked it up. With the blood dripping from the end of the blade, I put it on my shoulder and walked past them.

" Excuse me, boys," I said. "I still have some paperwork to do."

I do not think I need to tell you that I got a raise that really same day, and that all the men at the office complex were more considerate towards me after that extraordinary display of guts and battling skills.

I don't think I have to tell you that males and females have different abilities, but that the possibilities are nearly endless, and that you never need to worry about someone else being a sexist about it.

And I do not think I need to tell you that I was asked on dates every weekend after that, either by guys working at the business or by other guys who became aware of me. It was a ton of fun being so popular.

And last but not least: I do not think I have to tell you that you just have to really believe in yourself, that you don't have to be the best at every little thing, but that you should find what you have a natural talent for and continue to make that grow.

That's what I did.

THE END

The Apocalypse in School

Chapter 1: To Kill or Not to Kill

" This is it. We can't hold them back a lot longer," Jane said. "Just keep shooting them!" Dexter yelled in despair. "There HAS to be a way out."

Dexter and Jane were driven into a corner. The hordes of zombies were running towards them, drooling and bleeding along the way, making gruesome noises and frightening motions. Dexter had a machine gun, an easy but reliable AK-47, and Jane had a big shotgun. Both of them were firing away at the approaching creatures, reloading and shouting for nerve. Dexter was wearing his hat backwards, and Jane had a small bag on her back.

" Well, where is it then? I don't see a way out! Do you?" Jane screamed. Dexter took a look around for a minute. "There!" he said. "The vent!" With that being said, Dexter and Jane turned around and jumped into the vent, crawling through the spooky space that could give any person a claustrophobic cardiac arrest.

" Go! Go! Go!" Dexter yelled as he watched Jane go first. Although he didn't want to be an annoyance, he wanted she would crawl a little faster.

They were stuck in a high school. After the illness practically took over Fang City, they ran away to the grocery store, robbed whatever they could, and established camp in the high school classrooms, thinking that they were safe. And they were ... for a while ... till they were discovered.

" This teaches us to be more mindful when we head out next time," Dexter said.

" Hey, simply because there happened to be a zombie in the ladies' restroom, doesn't mean this is all my fault, alright!" Jane said in aggravation.

" I am not saying that. I am just expressing my worry about the next hiding place we find. We need to become more secluded, and suffer the end of this episode of terror. The zombies are all over, and we can't afford to take any risks," Dexter added.

" Well, what do you suggest?" Jane asked.

" A bank. Find supplies and hide in the bank vault. For now, until we find something better."

" Sounds good, but let's get out of here first. I think I already killed about 20 in a few minutes, but they keep coming," said Jane.

" Let's take the fire escape and after that just follow me. I know the quickest way to arrive," Dexter clarified.

" Yep!”

Jane left the building as fast as she could, followed by Dexter. They blocked the exit and ran off through the alleys.

" Did we lose them?" Jane asked, panting and attempting to catch her breath.

" I think so. Let's keep running till we are actually there," Dexter answered.

" Easy for you to say. You were a basketball player. I was part of the chess club," Jane said.

" Ha-ha! I thought chess was a sport! That's what you told me!”

" Yes, but ... Ughh ... I am tired. Can we pause for several seconds?"

" Okay," Dexter replied. "But no more. We need to get to a safe location."

After a fast pause, Dexter and Jane ran into the closest bank. They quietly opened up the door and held their guns in front of them, making certain the environment was safe. They slowly moved towards the vault.

Locked.

" Right, genius. How do we open it?" Jane asked.

" The code has to be around here somewhere. I mean, everyone is gone. Aha! This must be it. Let's try it."

Dexter tried to open the vault, but it would not budge. There was no way of opening it. He tugged and pulled with all his might and started kicking it in frustration.

" Hey, relax," Jane said. "That's not going to help. Let's go to plan B."

" What is that plan B?" Dexter asked. "We can find an air-raid shelter. Some of these homes have one. They were built during the Cold War, so they MUST have SOMETHING."

Dexter concurred and they left the bank. They saw some money lying on the floor, but cash was no good here. There went that idea ...

" Look out!" Jane shouted.

Dexter turned around and shot a zombie in the chest. Takadakadak! His machine gun fired several rounds, all accurate hits.

" Thanks. Now let's get moving."

Dexter and Jane came to the old part of town. They knew there may be a higher danger of encounters with zombies, but Jane's idea about the bomb shelter actually wasn't bad.

After searching through some houses, they found one with a basement. It was great, as it had a food storage, comfortable sofas, a bed, and enough space to move.

" Aaahh ..." Jane said in satisfaction as she fell on the bed. "This is what I am talking about."

Finally they were safe, or so they thought ...

Chapter 2: Let's Get Out Already

Dexter and Jane remained in the air-raid shelter for 5 days. They opened cans of food, ate the leftovers, and read some of the books that were on the shelves. The only thing that nearly ended up being a problem, was that there was only one bed. Plainly this shelter was made for couples, but Dexter and Jane were not even in a relationship.

Dexter was 21. He had been a sports fanatic, always attempting to be the best at everything. His entire life, he had spent countless hours practicing basketball shots, trying to slam-dunk the ball, and playing non-stop with his friends.

Jane was 19. She secretly had a crush on Dexter, but he was too oblivious to see. Jane always looked up to him, although there was no need to. Jane was exceptionally intelligent. She had won chess competitions, built her own websites, and learned how to earn money online. She normally had high grades in school and studied world history and geography. If there was any area in the world you would bring up, she could tell you something about it.

But now they were stuck together, something that Jane didn't mind. Dexter, however, was focused on survival and didn't even want to get close. Yes, Jane was appealing, but his mind was on other things. Besides, she was his best friend. It would be so weird to take it any farther, right? That's what he thought at least.

" I am happy the toilet works," Jane said. "Could you imagine being here without a restroom?"

" Yes," Dexter said. "But we are lacking food. I need to go get some at the convenience store right across the street. I know there is some over there. I saw it when we came here."

" Please be careful," Jane said. "We do not want to alarm anybody. Nobody can know we are here."

" No worries," Dexter replied nonchalantly. "I'll be back before you can blink your eyes."

As Dexter took off, Jane feared the worst. They had felt safe before, only to get up by a few zombie hordes and having to run for their lives.

Dexter took his AK-47 and pointed it in front of him. With every silent move he made, he squinted his eyes and concentrated as hard as he could to see if there was any movement. He exited the home they were hiding in and walked right across the street, as silently as he could ... until ...

" What was that?" Dexter thought nervously.

Nothing.

Or ...

Wait ..." Whaaaarghh!" he heard an ugly zombie cry out. It was coming right at him. Dexter didn't hesitate and shot it immediately. Bull's eye! But the sound set a catastrophe in motion.

Suddenly dozens of zombies came running towards him from around the corners of the surrounding streets.

" Oh no, what did I do?" Dexter said as he backed up out and kept firing at them. He was outnumbered. There was nothing he could do but go back downstairs and hide.

" Open up! Hurry!" Dexter yelled.

Jane opened the hatch. "Did you get the food?"

" No time at all for questions. Let me in and shut the hatch! Quickly!”

Dexter climbed up down the ladder when he felt a yank on his t-shirt. "Waaaah! Let go!" Jane went up and punched the zombie in the face. "Take that ugly head!" The zombie let go and Dexter safely got down. The hatch was closed, but now what?

They were stuck. The zombies had found their hideout. There was nowhere to go. They had no food or drink. They had shelter, but they wouldn't survive for long. And the only escape seemed blocked by zombies. They had to go out somehow and contribute to their restricted supplies. If only there was a way to sneak by them ...

Jane buried her head in her hands and sobbed, "Just how long is this going to go on? How long can we survive this? Is there any hope?"

" Now, now," Dexter said calmly and courageously. "We will find a way. We always do."

He put his arm around her. That was enough. She felt safe. Not that she tried to make him do that on purpose, but it was practical for now.

Chapter 3: The Start of It All

The apocalypse? Everything began when they were in school. The bell rang.

TRIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!!!!!!

" Finally, I am so finished with school," Dexter said to one of his good friends.

" Hi, Professor Sanderson. Anything new today? Developed a time machine? Treated cancer?" one of Dexter's good friends said mockingly.

" Go home, boy," Professor Sanderson reacted as he walked along.

Dexter's good friends began chuckling.

That Professor Sanderson ... such a nut job ... always in his own little world, exploring this or that. One time, they remembered, he developed soap that would literally glow in the dark. He was so ecstatic about it and presented it to the class. When someone turned the lights off, the soap ended up being black and was less noticeable than anything or anybody else in the room. Another time, he declared he had an instant cure for fever, making it so that the body's temperature would rise immediately when taking one pill. When a man at school tried the pill, he had the flu for five days and had to stay at home.

Dexter felt a little bad that Professor Sanderson had become such a bullied instructor, but in a way, he was such a weirdo that it was to be expected in the first place.

As Dexter walked home, he bumped into Jane.

" Hi," Jane said shyly.

" How are you?" Dexter asked.

" Good. And you?" Jane said with a smile.

" Fine," Dexter said as he was about to walk away.

" Listen, Dexter ... I was just wondering if ..."

But before she could finish her sentence they heard a loud BOOOOOOOOM! Coming from the school building. The whole floor was shaking for a second just because of the blast.

People started running all over.

" Wha- ... What's going on over there?" Jane asked.

" I don't know. Wan na go see? Let's go!" Dexter said enthusiastically.

Jane followed Dexter to the school. When they came closer, they saw a lot of people gathered in the hallway and the chemistry classroom. They were in a pretty happy state of mind after such a significant noise. Everybody was chuckling. When they weaved their way through the people watching, Dexter and Jane watched Professor Sanderson attempting to tidy up glass, scorched fluids, and compounds on the floor of the room. Clearly, he had tampered with something and failed greatly.

" Poor Professor Sanderson," Jane said.

" You are right, but it actually is kinda' funny," Dexter said as he couldn't hold in his laughter entirely.

Dexter and Jane each went their separate ways. Jane never finished her sentence. She didn't get around to asking Dexter what she wanted.

The next day was supposed to be a routine school day. Both of them went to the chemistry class. That was their very first class. They were early. It was a beautiful day. It would be another fifteen minutes before the rest of the class would appear.

" Hey, you chose to be early?" Dexter asked Jane as he saw her walking into the class.

" I guess we had the same idea," Jane replied.

But when they got in the classroom, they saw Professor Sanderson lying on the floor. There were glass urns and bottles all over; there was a certain odor to the room they couldn't put their finger on; and there were papers all over the desk with formulas and scribbling in an odd handwriting.

" Professor, are you all right?" Jane asked when she came closer.

" Professor ..."

Suddenly the Professor looked at them. Those eyes! Jane got startled and went back. The Professor's eyes were green inside, and the bags under his eyes were gloomy and scary. His entire face had somewhat deteriorated and was wrinkled ten times more than before. He was drooling a bit and his hair was ruined.

" Professor, what's going on? What is wrong with you?" Jane asked again, but she wasn't sure if she should stick around.

" Let's go. We'll tell the other instructors," Dexter said as he backed out towards the exit.

Dexter and Jane ran through the hallways. They told the instructors something was wrong with Professor Sanderson. The teachers said they should remain in the teachers' room. They waited ... And waited ... and waited ... Then they heard noises ... a lot of scary sounds ... screaming and grumbling and panting ...

" Let's lock the door!" Dexter said. "I don't trust this one bit!”

They locked the door and watched through the window. Unexpectedly they saw dozens of people coming through the doors in the lunch area. They were in panic. They were injured ... or so it seemed. No! They were sick and aggressive! What was going on?!!!!

Dexter had always played zombie video games. He came to a fast conclusion.

" They are zombies! They have to be! It's real! There are real zombies!" he yelled. "Let's get out of here as soon as we can!”

Then they heard weapon shots.

Bang!

Bang!

Takadakadak!

They watched as two policemen with heavy armory entered the lunch room, killing zombies as they moved forward. This went on for about twenty seconds, until every zombie was dead on the floor.

" Hey!" the officers yelled as they waived to Dexter and Jane. "Are you kids all right?" Dexter gave him a thumbs up. "We'll get you out of there!" one of them said.

The officers came to the door. Dexter and Jane opened up the door. "Let's go. It's mayhem out there," one of the officers said. But then something awful took place. Both officers got assaulted from behind. 2 zombies were concurrently biting each officer, making them drop their weapons. Dexter and Jane stepped back. They watched in horror for 2 seconds since they didn't know what to do. Then Dexter decided. He saw it was going nowhere. These officers were as good as dead. He took a step forward, picked up the 2 guns, and closed the door.

" What! Why did you do that?!!!!" Jane screamed in panic.

" Th-They were dead anyway," Dexter said with an unsteady voice. "There was nothing we could do. We have to protect ourselves now."

" Are you crazy?! I never used a weapon before!" Jane yelled back.

" It's simple," Dexter said. "I've seen it in movies so many times that I am pretty sure that I know what I am doing."

And that's how they got stuck at the high school.

Chapter 4: Tons of Zombies Coming at Us

Back to the bomb shelter. Jane dropped off to sleep in Dexter's arms. They were both tired from all the running, shooting, panicking, and the lack of food and water.

Dexter awakened with a jolt. After a deep, fast nap, he suddenly realized the situation they were in. He got up and started planning their escape route. Jane was still asleep. She could sleep through anything, he discovered.

The last chocolate bar from her backpack was gone. He saw her eat it before they fell asleep, and it was now empty.

" Okay," he thought out loud, "If we reach the supermarket, we could perhaps find some food there. We'll use our school backpacks and fill them up with stuff. Then we get out of there. But where?" He thought for a moment. "Perhaps we just need to find a car and drive out of the city. That would most likely be best. If we can get out of town, we could find a place with more people who have not become zombies yet."

As he was considering his plan, Jane got up.

" What? Where? How?" she asked in panic.

" It's fine. We are safe for now," Dexter said, relaxing her down. "Let's leave when you're ready. We need to get some supplies and after that find a vehicle to leave town."

After twenty minutes of getting ready, Dexter and Jane opened the hatch, hoping that the zombies were gone, and they were.

" We need to be as quiet as possible. The more sound we make, the higher the risk of having a whole horde storm at us," Dexter whispered.

They snuck through the city streets and came to the supermarket, avoiding the occasional zombie on their path. When they arrived, Dexter and Jane just went to the food section and found an entire lot of canned food left behind.

" Let's stuff these in our bags," Dexter said. "That's the only way we'll have the ability to survive for a longer period of time." He thought for a second. "And make certain you get a can opener!" he added. Yeah, that would be the day, having a huge food supply and nothing to open up the cans with.

Dexter and Jane put as many cans of food into their bags as they could. One of the cans of food rolled on the floor after Jane unintentionally dropped it. "Whoops," she said. That should have been it, but the can rolled outside the supermarket doors and activated the alarm.

" Weeeeeeeeeeeh!”

" O-oh" Jane said with a sheepish face.

Within seconds, many zombies came running into the shop. Dexter and Jane ran as fast as their legs could carry them.

" There!" Dexter pointed at a small security room.

They entered the room and locked the door. That should keep them out for at least a long time. Pfew! That was a close call.

" I'm sorry," Jane said.

" It's all right. Everybody makes mistakes," Dexter said. "Hey, what's that?"

Chapter 5: One Particular Zombie

In the corner of the room stood a zombie that didn't look half as ugly as the other ones. He just looked at them, didn't move a muscle. It was as if he didn't even have the desire to attack them. Dexter was going to shoot him, but then he hesitated.

" Notification how that zombie isn't even coming near us?" he whispered to Jane. "He does not have red eyes like the rest either. Hey you!" he said to the zombie. "Why aren't you assaulting us?"

" I am not like the rest," the zombie said.

The zombie talked? Yes, it talked. Jane and Dexter were pretty shocked.

" Describe what's going on here, or I will blow your head off," Dexter said, as he and Jane pointed their weapons at the zombie. "Why aren't you like the rest, and how do we find a cure for this disease?"

" My name is Trevor," the zombie said. "I am immune and undetectable to the zombies, but I need you to help me find the cure. I know it must be in the high school someplace. The one who produced it, probably knew something about a treatment."

" We'll get you there," Dexter said courageously. "Just let me kill these annoying creatures first."

Dexter loaded his weapon and Jane was loading hers.

" Ready? 3, 2, one ..."

" Wait!" Trevor said. "Look!" He pointed at the cameras. They were still working! How practical!

" Aha!" Dexter said. "We can wait on them to move to different areas of the supermarket and after that we'll slip out. We can observe every little thing in this control room. Thanks for the idea, Trevor. You are pretty smart."

" I know a lot more," Trevor said. "I have been studying physics and chemistry for many years. That's why I am positive we can find the solution to this disease in the school laboratories. We just need to arrive, but I am too afraid to get going by myself."

" That makes no sense," Jane said. "If you are undetectable to them and they won't eat you, then what makes you think you are at risk?"

" I do not know that for sure, and there are still people out there hunting down the zombies, so they could shoot me too."

" I guess you're right. We'll help you out," Jane answered empathically.

They waited for two hours. They saw the zombies move around on the electronic cameras. In the meantime, Trevor clarified to them how he didn't get affected in the exact same way. He had been in the school lab and had been exposed to the compound. All the other zombies were bitten. He had never been bitten, just got some of the toxic stuff on his skin and turned into a half-zombie. But when all the zombies started appearing, he hid himself and ran away from the school.

Dexter and Jane listened diligently. After a long time, they saw the location should be safe.

" Ready? Let's go," Dexter commanded.

Chapter 6: A Distinct Group

They opened the squeaking door as calmly as they could and snuck their way through the supermarket.

Once they were outside, they had to determine whether to go through the park or through the city. "Through the city is quicker," Dexter said. "Yes, but for some reason, I think we may find more zombies there too. I say, let's try the park," Jane said.

" Neither," Trevor said. "Listen, guys, I know how we can hole up and hit the drains. I can tell you precisely where they wind up by the way they are constructed."

Great. A zombie who imitates a smarty pants.

" Your nose must be obstructed," Dexter said. "The drains? Are you serious?"

" It's the safest way to get to the school," Trevor claimed.

" He is right, Dexter. I would rather reek than be dead," Jane concurred.

" Okay, fine. But you better know where you're going. I don't feel like being stuck in such a disgusting place."

" Don't you worry about that," Trevor said.

Once they were on the right street, they opened a hatch that took them to the sewers. It was pitch black, but Dexter had a flashlight from his backpack. He found it in the supermarket, and luckily, it was working. They continued, turning left and right till they came to what Trevor called, "The sewer closest to the school." They went up, took a look around them ... yes ... he was right. How did he do that?

" I helped with the building and construction of some of these drains. Here in Fang City, there are all kinds of little side jobs. I helped out in the sewers. Did you do anything like that?" Trevor asked.

" I babysat three kids every weekend," Jane said. "There were 2 boys and a girl. The boys were a ton of fun, and the girl was still little. I really wonder what happened to them. I still don't know why we haven't looked at our own families yet."

" Because we have been in danger all that time," Dexter said. "Survival is the first priority. We will figure it out later. I hope they are all right."

They climbed and went to the high school. "Let's be even more cautious," Dexter whispered, "because this is where everything began. There must be lots of zombies around here."

Chapter 7: The Scientific Experiment

They snuck into the high school, where they steered their way through the corridors. One of the zombies looked so ugly and vicious that Jane almost made a noise, but thankfully, Dexter saw what was going to happen and covered her mouth with his hand.

" Do not make a noise," he whispered. "We are nearly there. They do not know that we are here until we make a noise, just like in the supermarket."

The trio entered into the laboratory. There they saw the mess that came just because of Professor Sanderson's failed experiment. They looked everywhere. It was like a needle in a haystack. Documents were all over the floor ... lots of them. Fluids were leaking everywhere, and the devices, glass, and furnishings were all over the floor. There were even several lifeless bodies bleeding and making it messier than it already was.

" This might be something," Trevor said.

" Yeah? What is it?"

" Professor Sanderson's journal. It shows the procedure he went through. Let's see ..." Sanderson read out loud from the journal.

I have been testing things to make a potion that could make people invincible. I know which compounds and solutions to use, but I am afraid it won't only turn human beings into invincible creatures, but that it will also strip them of their human side, therefore having actually the wanted effect but having a useless side-effect that might deteriorate mankind.

I hesitate to try it out on myself, not so much just because of what could happen to me, but just because of the repercussions for others.

Oh well ... whatever ... they hate me. They ridicule me. They do not care what happens to me. And I don't care if anything happens to me. I am going to try it.

Just as a preventative measure: If anything dramatic or apocalyptic were to happen, just know that the impacts of these transformations can most likely be undone by utilizing the gadget on my desk. It sends an active, high frequency signal that cannot be heard by humans but has a lasting influence on the brains of those changed by this formula. It should do the trick, if my computations are precise. Here I go ... for mankind ... Wow ... Dexter, Jane, and Trevor gazed at each other for several seconds. Was it truly going to be that basic?

Chapter 8: The Future Is Bright

Suddenly, the door made a noise. One of the zombies had seen them and tried to get in.

" Well, if we are going to try it," Dexter said, "we better do it quick. Now!”

" I'm on it," Trevor said as he jumped over the desk and grabbed the gadget the Professor had written about.

" Look out!" Jane shouted, pointing at a zombie that leapt through the class window. Dexter fired his AK-47. "Got him!" But as he did that, the door behind him opened up and a female zombie got him, opening up her mouth to bite him.

BAM!!!!!!

What was that?

Jane shot the female zombie in the face.

" He is my man, ugly wench," Jane said as if she was copying a one-liner from an action movie.

" Good going!" Dexter said with a smile. "Thank you for saving my life!”

" You 'd do the exact same for me," Jane said. "Like my style? I know how to kill the competition. Haha!”

The hordes were still coming. There were at least twenty zombie in the hallway now.

" Rush already!" Dexter yelled at Trevor. "We are going to die if you do not do something!”

" Just attempting to figure this thing out," Trevor responded.

The zombies were coming closer every second. It was as if everything took place in slow-motion. Dexter and Jane were firing their weapons like never before, but the hordes overpowered them. Both of them were knocked to the ground, along with their weapons, having several zombies get on them who tried to punch them down even more and bite them.

" Aha! I got it!" Trevor screamed.

Dexter was going to lose his face by a zombie with a drooling mouth when ... The zombies stopped. The insane look in their eyes had vanished. They started taking a look around and gaze at the environment they were in. Dexter didn't wait a second and punched the one on top of him in the face.

" Ouch! Why did you do that?"

Dexter and Jane looked at one another and started to smile. It appeared like the gadget had worked. The frequency transfigured the zombies' brains. The zombies in the classroom weren't zombies anymore. They were just people in rags and with dirty faces, just wondering what had occurred and why they were there.

" Sorry," Dexter said to the former zombie. "Just had to blow off some steam. Don't worry about it. We'll talk about it later. Thanks, Trevor! You are the MAN!”

Jane got up and hugged Dexter.

" Dexter ... I. I." she stammered.

" What is it, Jane?" Dexter asked.

" Do you remember the day of the explosions in the classroom, the day before everything begun?" Jane asked.

" Obviously," Dexter said. "Who wouldn't?"

" Well," Jane continue, "I was about to ask you something, but then we both got distracted."

" What is it?" Dexter asked.

" I was wondering if I could give you a kiss," Jane said.

" Uhmm ..." Dexter said as he became a little red.

He had developed some good feelings for Jane in the procedure of the entire zombie apocalypse, although he had always couldn't admit it. Now he was challenged with what he had been rejecting for so long.

" Uh ... all right," Dexter said in an unstable voice.

Jane bent forward and kissed him for a few seconds.

" This is the first of many," she said as her entire face became red but happy.

THE END

The Rivalry

Chapter 1: The Hairbrush

She brushes her long, brown hair and looks into the mirror.

" Why is it always so hard to keep it straight? I love straight hair. I wish I had it like Amelia, with a little bit of a curl at the end and straight in the middle. Her hair is perfect, but I am stuck to these bothersome brushes, trying to correct the alignment of everything out. Erg ... So dumb."

Aurora looks at the reflection of her face. "Well, at least my eyes are pretty," she says with full confidence, "but I don't know if that's going to convince Axel. I wish he was intelligent enough to notice that I've had a crush on him for months. Maybe I will go to Amelia and ask her what to do."

After she grabs her bag and runs out of the house in her striped shirt, Aurora snatches a sandwich from the counter, screams, "Thanks, Mom!" and shuts the door. She rushes to the home of her buddy, Amelia, who has consented to see her and talk about stuff.

They love to talk, these two girls, and they can go on and on for a long period of time. One time, it was after midnight and they totally forgot the time. They speak about everything: Appearances, music, people, boys ... but a ton of times, they talk about horses.

Amelia and Aurora are horse girls, and they each have their own horse. Aurora is 11 years of age; she got a horse from her father, who has a good job in the town where they live. Amelia, on the other hand, is 13; she had to work really hard to save up, but she declares that she does not envy her female friend for getting it for free.

Aurora knocks on the front door and Amelia opens up.

" Aurora! I am glad you came early. Come in."

" How have you been?" Aurora asks.

" Not bad. Okay. Have you been seeing some boys recently?" Amelia asks while laughing.

" I just still like Axel," Aurora says. "You already knew that." All of a sudden, she looks at Amelia's hair and says, "Whoa. How did you do that?"

" Do what?" Amelia would like to know.

" That thing with your hair. I was just thinking of it today. I do not know how you always get it the way you do."

" Oh, you mean with the swirl and stuff?" Amelia asks. "That's my little trick. Do you assure not to tell anyone?"

" Sure. Tell me."

" I will show you. Come on. It's upstairs."

Loaded with interest, Aurora follows her good friend up the stairs and into her room. Amelia bends over and moves some things around in her drawer. Then she gets a hairbrush from the bottom of the drawer and shows it to Aurora.

" This is it," she says.

" I don't comprehend," Aurora says. "What is so special about it?"

" It's not just a hairbrush," Amelia says, describing the pink item in her hand. "It's a magical hairbrush."

" Ha-ha! Are you serious?"

" Yes," Amelia says with a serious face. "It aligns your hair immediately."

" Can I use it?" Aurora asks.

" No, of course not."

" Huh?" Aurora didn't expect this response. She does not understand. "Why not?" she asks. "What's wrong with using your hairbrush?"

" Like I said, it's a magical hairbrush, and it belongs to me. You use enough magic as it is."

" What's that supposed to mean?" Aurora asks, feeling a little upset.

" I finally have something that you do not, and now you want to have it too? No chance. You have magic spells that make pearls appear, skeletons die, or kip down circles. I am not very good at any of those things. For some reason, you have a propensity for magic. It's not fair. I have always been jealous of you; and now I have something that you can be envious of. It's as simple as that."

" I can't believe my ears," Aurora says. "You never said anything. Stop being so childish! We always share."

" You never share your spells," Amelia argues.

" That's as I can't share them. You have to study the ancient arts of magic. It's your own fault that you're so bad at it. If you would have studied more, you would have been good at casting spells too."

" My own fault ?! That's it! Get out of my room!"

Aurora gets out of the room. "So now what, Amelia?"

" Uhm ... and now, get out of my home! I don't want to see you again for the rest of the week!"

" Too bad! We'll see one another in school!"

" Okay, nowhere else then. Go out already!"

" Great!”

Aurora stomps as she descends down the stairs and slams the door. She is furious. She will avenge herself. That selfish Amelia! She is going to pay. Why won't she just share her magical hairbrush with her? After all, her hair is always perfect; does not she want her to have the same charm?

" And how am I going to impress Axel?" she considers loud. "My hair is ruined. He will see. I can't let her do this to me."

And she does not ...

That night, when it's dark, Aurora waits until her mom and dad are downstairs and sneaks out of the upstairs window. She jumps down without harming herself.

PLOF!

" Now, let's see how I can enter Amelia's room without noticing," she thinks.

She tiptoes to Amelia's house and searches for. On the main floor, the lights are on, but on the second floor, there are no lights.

" Good," she thinks. "She must be downstairs. Let's hope I am right."

She goes up, holding onto the drain pipe, and checks out Amelia's dark bedroom. It looks like the coast is clear. Aurora opens the window and sneaks inside. Then she searches in the drawer and finds the hairbrush.

" Ha!" she says, congratulating herself that she found it. "Let's see whose hair will be perfect in the early morning."

After she leaps down, she runs back to her house, but she forgot to close the window.

Chapter 2: Payback

Amelia wakes up. She yawns. She extends her arms. Then she rises, takes off her night dress, and puts on a t-shirt and a skirt. She opens the drawer and reaches inside it.

" Huh?" she says. "I thought I put it right there. Where is my hairbrush?"

She looks around in the room, wondering if she has been careless with it or left it in a corner. She looks for some minutes ... and then she sees the open window.

" What?!" she exclaims. "That has to be Aurora's doing. She wanted the brush so badly. She stole it! Oh, that ... she has every little thing! Her daddy bought her a horse, she can use magic all she wants, and the ONE thing she won't let me have, is more lovely hair. Well, if you want to play this game, let's see who wins, girl! You're decreasing."

That early morning, it takes her 10 times as long to get her hair done, but she doesn't care. She has a plan to get back at her previous good friend. She puts on some additional makeup and leaves to school.

Sneakier than ever, she walks around on the playground and look for Aurora. She does not speak with her, but she observes her from a distance. Aurora looks pretty today, and yes, her hair is perfectly straight. She walks around as if she owns the place, with her shoulders up and a huge smile on her face.

" Aurora is going to get it," Amelia thinks. "I have to do it at the correct moment. It has to be timed accurately." She examines her shoulder and sees Axel. He is by himself.

" Awesome," Amelia thinks. "It's time for some revenge."

She walks over to him and strokes her hair. "Hee-hee, your name is Axel, isn't it?" she asks.

" Yes, it is. What is your name?"

" I am Amelia. I don't know if you have seen, but I was taking a look at you all the time."

" Oh, uhm ... why did you do that?" Axel asks a little awkwardly.

" Because you're handsome, silly," Amelia says as she moves closer to him.

Axel steps back, but Amelia will not let him go. She keeps flirting with him, grabbing his arm and rubbing his shoulder with her hand; and while she does, Aurora looks their way.

There is no pen in the world that can explain how Aurora feels at that moment. Her presumed friend is making a move on her crush! He was meant to be hers! How dare she ?!

By now, Axel is sitting down and Amelia is sitting really near him, practically on his lap. He appears like he enjoys the attention, but does not actually know what to do with it. Then she leans over and kisses him on the cheek. She carefully touches his chest for a 2nd and steps away.

" Tah-tah, Axel ... cutie ... see you in class," she says as she overemphasizes the way her hips move back and forth while she leaves. Then she moves her look to Aurora, smirks, and squints her eyes, as if to say, "That's what you get for taking my hairbrush."

Chapter 3: Why?

Aurora is boiling up inside. She dislikes her! She dislikes that narcissistic, insolent brat! She despises Amelia! How dare she flirt with Axel like that? She knew it! She did it on purpose! Ughh ... that's it!

" Are you serious?" she says aloud, not caring that other kids can hear her. "This means war."

She endures the classes in school, although she wants to just damage everything around her. She will not even look at Amelia. She wants nothing to do with her. In the meantime, she is considering an act of ruthlessness.

" What can I do that will actually hurt her?" she thinks. "There must be something ... something she actually appreciates ... something she holds dear more than anything, besides her hairbrush and her hair, naturally. Let's see ... aha! Oh, that's dark. That's mean, but she asked for it. She began it."

After school, neither of them speak with one another. It's different than it used to be. On a normal day, they would walk home together and talk about life, about their insane instructors, or the things their peers said in the classroom. But this time, they silently separate from one another.

Aurora heads straight for the grass fields beyond town, the fields where their horses are. The two girls have been friends for so long that they even put their horses in the same area. But this time, it's only Aurora who goes to the horses. Amelia has no clue what she is really up to.

As Aurora reaches the fields, she looks at the horses and thinks, "Do I actually want to do this?

A peek of Amelia's laughter and her kiss on Axel's cheek flashes through her head. "Yes, I'm sure," she says in a low voice. "She is going to regret what she did."

Aurora jumps over the fence and approaches Amelia's horse. As she focuses, she mumbles the words, "Horsey, horsey that I have fed, become like one of the really dead." She waves her hands through the air to empower her enchantment.

Poooooof!

In front of her, Amelia's horse undergoes an instantaneous change of appearance. Its eye sockets sag down; its students vanish into a hollow, empty gaze; and its skin turns green as the flesh starts to reek of rotting decay.

" Moowah-ha-ha-ha-haaaah!" Aurora exclaims. "Let's see if you still like your zombie horse you saved up for, Amelia! It's not alive any longer; it's not dead ... it's an UNDEAD horse! Ha-ha-ha!"

The zombie horse snorts. Its eyes are looking soulless and evil. It's on a damaging objective. Before Aurora understands it, the zombie horse begins to assault the other horses in the corral. It performs at them and tries to kick them with its feet.

" O-oh," Aurora says. "I didn't expect that. I better get out of here."

She runs towards the fence and jumps back over it. Then she takes a look at what the zombie horse is doing.

" No!" she shrieks. "What's it doing?!”

The regret overcomes her as she understands that the zombie horse is attacking her horse too. Aurora's horse installs some sort of a battle but then gives up. It escapes and leaps over the other side of the fence, vanishing into the mountains as it gallops away.

" No! No, no, no, no, no ... this was not supposed to happen," Aurora says in anguish. "I wish I would have been more cautious. Now I lost my own horse."

However, the wicked zombie horse isn't done yet.

Chapter 4: Zombie Stallion

The zombie horse looks at Aurora and comes running towards her.

" Stay away from me!" Aurora shouts. "Help! Heeeeelp!”

But it will not stop pursuing her. She reaches the village, and some of its residents come out of their houses to see what is happening.

" Heeeelp!" Aurora still yells as she keeps running.

They take a look at her with huge eyes, not understanding why she is in so much panic, but when they look behind her, they immediately figure it out. The zombie horse has a scary appearance, frightening the villagers and triggering them to flee too. There is an outbreak of fear in town. People are shouting as they try to go away from the insidious-looking beast.

" Leave me alone!”

" Get away from me!”

Other similar exclamations are being heard throughout the village. Amelia gets out of her home too. When she sees the zombie horse, she squints her eyes for a moment and says, "Fall? Is that you?"

The zombie horse blinks. It snorts and breathes greatly; then it performs at her. Amelia quickly steps inside and shuts the door. The zombie horse bonks its head against the door and tries to get in, ramming the door with its head constantly.

" It must be my horse," she says. "It's her; I simply know it, but how could she have turned into ...?"

Unexpectedly, it dawns on her who her only enemy is.

" Aurora," she says. "It's Aurora, that filthy ... oh, if I get my hands on her ..."

The zombie horse keeps making efforts to get in. Amelia counts herself lucky that this beast isn't intelligent enough to go through one of the windows. She locks the door and runs upstairs, hiding underneath her bed.

" If only my mother and father were home," she mumbles while panting greatly. "This is insane. A zombie horse? That's so harmful!”

She buries her head in her face and waits.

She waits and waits ... hoping that this nightmare will quickly be over.

Ultimately, her mother and father add the stairs and enter her bedroom.

" Amelia, sweetheart, are you okay?" her mom asks.

" I'm all right, Mother. Did you know that the zombie horse in the town is my horse?"

" What?" her dad asks. "How is that possible?"

" I know it is, Dad."

" Well, anyway, it left the village. Thank goodness for that," her mom says.

" It's my horse," Amelia says, "and I want to go find it."

" No," her dad says. "It's too dangerous. Even if you would, then how do you know you could communicate with it appropriately? You have seen that monster. It's dead ... it's undead."

" I know, but perhaps I could still talk some sense into it."

" I wouldn't suggest it, honey," her mother says. "What if it does not even recognize you?"

" But I saw it," Amelia insists. "It acknowledged me when I was standing in the entrance. Come on, please."

" No means no," her father says. "I am done having this discussion. We are fortunate that we didn't get hurt. Leave it for what it is, Amelia. I know you saved up a lot of cash to purchase this horse, and it's a big loss, but you can't just go out there and risk your life. After all, it's still just an animal."

" You don't understand," Amelia says. "It's unfair."

She diminishes the stairs and heads outside. When she opens the front door, she can barely actually believe what she sees. Plants are overturned, sheds are broken, windows are shattered, and some of the residents in the village are faltering, as if they got wounded in some way.

" What happened here?" Amelia asks the first man who walks by.

" That zombie horse ... it damaged a lot of stuff here. Some people got hurt, but no fatalities. It's a disaster though. I am glad it's gone."

" Where did it go?"

" Into the mountains. That way. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go examine the kids."

Amelia doesn't wait any longer. She knows into which direction to go now, and she leaves immediately, ignoring her dad's counsel.

Chapter 5: Pursuing It

Aurora is being in the corner of a street, behind a trashcan. She is shivering. She understands that she didn't know what she was doing when she turned Amelia's horse into a zombie horse. The impacts are worse than she expected. What she actually wanted to do, was to make it look ugly, odor bad, and have it stay the same way. The aggressive side has been an undesirable surprise.

When she looks up, she concludes that the threat is gone, and as she walks through the village, she is revolted by the damage she has caused.

" Oh my goodness," she says. "The horse did all this? Wow."

Fences and walls are broken, trees are lying across the streets, and bushes have been ripped from the yards.

" I must put an end to this," Aurora says to herself. "Hey, you! Where did that zombie horse go?"

" It's gone!" a little girl yells back. "They say it went into the mountains."

" Okay," Aurora says. "Then that's where I'm going too."

She hurries home and gets some food without her mother and father noticing her. Then she runs into the open, wanting to find her own horse and the one she cursed.

She walks for hours. The sun is slowly setting, and the town is in sight, but it's a long walk from the point where she is at. Aurora burns out. She looks at the valley which she left. Thoughts of anger, regret, and hope gone through her mind. It dawns on her that the battle has intensified into something that is being overplayed.

It has to stop.

Chapter 6: The Last Time They Fight

Amelia's journey is a long one as well. She realizes that when she sees the sun hide behind the mountains on the others side of the valley. It's getting dark, and it is beginning to rain. Within minutes, her clothes are soaking wet.

" Great," she grumbles. "If only I had my hairbrush now. Ughh ... I hate the rain."

Nonetheless, she keeps pushing forward. She continues to walk uphill till she sees a shade in the distance.

" Huh? Another person? Up here? That's odd."

After she says it, she hides behind a huge rock. She waits and looks, trying to discover the identity of the better half. The mists and damps originating from the ground disguise the said person.

Then it ends up being clear.

She sees who it is.

Fuming with rage, Amelia jumps away from her hiding place. "Aurora," she says in a low but determined voice. "It's you! I could have known. It was your idea the whole time, wasn't it? You turned my horse into a zombie horse, didn't you?"

" Err ... yes, I did," Aurora replies, "but now I am looking for it."

" Ha! That's the least you should do, you, witch!"

" Take that back. I am not a witch."

" Oh, you're not a witch? Then what do you call cursing an innocent horse and turning it into a zombie? You are pure evil, Aurora, and you know it."

Braaaaoooom! Brom! Brom!

The thunder in the distance is loud and lightning flashes enhance the significant feel of the situation as the two girls look one another in the eyes and yell allegations at each other. The air is covered in a thick fog, and the rain magnifies.

" It's all your fault anyway!" Aurora says, defending herself. "If you would have just let me use your hairbrush, I would not have stolen it."

" Oh, so now you're justifying that too? Wow. You're so innocent ... and loaded with yourself."

" Do not give me that. You're not so good yourself. Why did you have to be all over the one man I like, huh? You knew I liked him, and after that you just toss yourself into his arms in front of everybody. Let me ask you this, Amelia. Do you even like Axel?"

" Obviously not! I just did it to get back at you. Axel is a loser!"

" How dare you? Take this, you, tramp!" With those words, Aurora jumps to Amelia's waste and pins her to the ground. When she has her there, she starts to beat Amelia up, who holds her hands in front of her face and kicks Aurora off.

" You think you're better than me?" Amelia asks. "I'll show you how to put up a fight!"

She pushes Aurora over, who slips and falls with her face into the mud.

Amelia pulls her head up by grabbing her hair and is going to pound her hard, but then Aurora says something she didn't expect.

" P-please, Amelia. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Please ... let's stop this rubbish."

Amelia's facial expression changes. As she checks out Aurora's eyes, all she sees is the best friend she really missed so much during their outrageous argument. A tear appears in her eye, and Aurora stays up. "I'm sorry," she reiterates. "I was jealous of your perfect hair. I just wanted to be more like you. I appreciate you. And yes, I have practiced more magic, but what do you think I try to compensate for? And are you jealous of the fact that I got my horse totally free? Do you think I am proud of myself? You are the one who worked long and hard to pay for your own horse. I do not think I could ever do that. You're my heroine, Amelia. Whenever I am with you, I try to compete as you're so proficient at so many things. That's the truth."

Amelia looks at her, with the rain still pouring down on their faces. "Do you mean all that?" the older girl asks her friend.

" Obviously. You help me find a purpose in life. You have actually always been a motivation to me."

It touches her, and without hesitation, Amelia gives her more youthful good friend a hug. They accept each other for several seconds. Then she looks Aurora in the eyes and says, "I forgive you. I am sorry too, Aurora. Please forgive me as well."

" We're fine," Aurora says. "I feel terribly guilty for what I've done. I didn't know menstruation would have such a powerful influence."

" Well, let's go find the horses. You do have a spell to reverse the curse, don't you?"

" Yes, I do. I just didn't use it at the time I saw the zombie horse, as I was so scared."

They stand up and brush themselves off. When they see how pointless this is, since they are both covered in dirty mud, they begin to laugh. Their friendship has been restored. Now all they need to do, is find those two animals.

Chapter 7: Friends Forever and Ever

Before they go any further, the two friends hide under a tree. They speak about hair, about Axel, about the weather, and the destruction in the village. They are friends again, never to be separated by anything.

When the rain is gone, they continue on their journey.

" Do you want a treat?" Aurora asks.

" Naturally. I am starving," Amelia says.

Aurora reaches inside her bag and finds two sandwiches. She gives one to Amelia and starts chewing on one herself. They walk up the mountain and have a look at the foggy view.

" Hey, what's that?" Aurora all of a sudden asks.

" That appears like 2 horses," Amelia says. "Let's go check it out."

As they approach the two shades in the distance, they begin to see something odd: The 2 horses are peacefully eating grass, standing beside each other.

" We found them!" Aurora yells joyfully.

" Isn't my horse supposed to be aggressive?" Amelia asks.

" Well, at first, it attacked my horse. But now, they have become friends." She looks at Amelia and adds, "Just like us. Ha-ha!"

But the zombie horse is still not as it used to be, so Aurora raises her arms and hands and says, "Zombie, zombie, change your fur; change back to the way you were."

The magic works. Within seconds, the zombie horse turns back into a routine horse, smelling and looking better and more alive.

" It worked!" Amelia exclaims. "Thank you, Aurora!"

She gives her horse a hug and says, "I am happy that you are back, Autumn. Say, Aurora, isn't she looking great?"

" She looks terrific. Oh yes, and I almost forgot ..."

Aurora puts her hand in her backpack and takes out the pink hairbrush, the thing that started all of it.

" You brought it here? Why?"

" I do not know," Aurora admits. "Maybe it reminded me of you. Anyway, here it is. I am giving it back to you. My hair is so muddy and messy that even this brush won't do any good."

" You're right," Amelia says laughingly. "It probably takes more than a magic brush to make us look good again. But since we have it here ... have you ever seen it being used on a horse?"

" No, I didn't think about that," Aurora says. "Can we brush the horses?"

" Yes, we can. And after we're done, we'll ride home together."

" That sounds like a great idea," Aurora agrees.

THE END

Zombies Will Die
Chapter 1: What I Do

My name is Titus, and I am a zombie hunter.

I've been doing it for years.

And I don't care about anything else.

This is the life that I am familiar with. I wait, I kill, and I get paid. I protect the residents of this great country against the spontaneous invasions of the undead. You never know where they are going to appear, and you never know how many of them there will be.

I don't know what turns people into zombies; I actually don't. That's not my field. Scientists and laboratory guys have been interested by this their whole lives. To each his own, right? If they want to sit in a laboratory throughout the day, then that's their decision.

Not me though. I make sure those disliked derelicts stay in the status they should be in: Dead.

How do I do it, you ask?

Oh, I got my techniques. I slice them, shoot them, chop them, stab them ... it's an art and a profession of decision and anticipation. You need to fast. Some of those zombies were probably warriors themselves before they became the unclean monsters they are today, and so their alertness and fight skills are remarkable ... well ... for a zombie.

I use different weapons. I don't like to stay with one specific favorite. Differentiating makes a difference. It keeps the job fascinating and it challenges me to improve and expand my expertise. Let's go through the list, shall we? I have pickaxes, swords, fight axes, shovels (to bang them on the head), knives, bows and arrows, and maces. Okay, all right, I don't use them all the exact same amount of time, and I think I primarily end up with a sword and a few knives, if nothing else, but you get the point. My home is a weapon room, and I really love it.

I was never good with emotions. It used to bug me when kids sobbed all the time. I've learned to be difficult in life. My parents were still together, but they were hard on me. I learned to just deal with issues, not to whine about it and sympathize with myself. I think that's why I chose the profession that I did. People who are too delicate or wimpy, don't take this job. They know that somehow, one day, they will see a zombie that has way too much of a resemblance to somebody they know, and after that they think twice.

I never hesitate.

Never.

When a zombie comes running to me, I go for the kill. I don't question. I do not fluctuate. I know what has to be done, and I am more than willing to do it.

So now you know a little something about me. I am single, and I wish to stay that way. I am young, and I just want to get some money. Eliminating zombies is an exceptional way to do that. Can you guess how much the city or town mayors are willing to pay me to eliminate the zombies that assault their towns? Do not even think you can guess. Let's just stop talking about it. Suffice it to say that I make a decent living. It's incredible.

Awesome is exactly what I want to be. It's what I always desired become, nothing less. And being incredible is something you can't do by talking or making claims. Talk is inexpensive. Taking action is the only way to enhance yourself, and that's what I have been doing my whole life.

Now, are you all set for an amazing story? A story where I faced one of my biggest difficulties? Brace yourself. Here it goes ...

Chapter 2: The Hardest Kill I've Ever Made

You may expect a heroic narrative of epic battles and fast, action-packed scenes when I tell you that I want to share with you the most difficult kill I have ever made. You might expect a monstrous, gigantic zombie who was unbreakable and 3 times the size of the others, but it wasn't. My toughest kill wasn't such a really tough persona. It was tough for me because, for the last time, I had a hard time with my decision to do the right thing.

Why? My emotions got in the way. It was actually type of terrible. If you can't stand a little sadness or suffering, then stop reading at this point, because this is an unfortunate story. Remember how much I dislike sobbing? So toughen up and let it go. Things happen, and happy endings are practical, but they can be disrupted by the occasional misfortunate occurrence.

It was one of my buddies ... well, he was kind of annoying, but he still didn't deserve to die. He was the kind of man that would burp loudly in public and hit on the ladies with only a disgusted reaction awaiting him. No, he wasn't a nice dude. He was a jerk. But for some reason, we got along rather well. And no, he didn't be worthy of to die, especially not the way he did.

It was on a Friday. Both he and I had been in the pub for a few hours, and we were just joking around. I came to learn that he was a skeleton hunter, and that his regular is visiting to the Underworld matched my trips to distant towns to solve the zombie problems there. I remember it so clearly.

At a certain point, he said, "Titus, with your job, you can't try to link to others way too much. It will kill you mentally."

" What do you mean?" I asked.

" I mean that sometimes, you'll need to choose between what's right and what's simple. You cannot save everyone. You understand that, don't you?"

" I didn't expect you to be so serious," I said. "You are always offending people with your indecent jokes. Why are you lecturing me?"

" Look," he said, "I am not happy. I am waiting on that glorious moment when I can be released from the catastrophes of this life. The afterlife is waiting on me. Do you know why I do what I do?"

" I don't have the tiniest idea, so inform me," I said.

" My partner got killed by a skeleton. Do not worry ... no kids were left, but I can't tell you how much anger I am still holding within me towards those creatures. The best way I knew how to handle it, was to begin eliminating them for a living. I have been to the Underworld, a hellish, infernal place, and I have saved several people from being gotten rid of by the same fate, but often, I am too late."

" That must be hard."

" Are you listening to me ?!" he asked, as he got my shoulders and shook me a little. "It will happen to you. You need to live with the disappointment. You cannot let yourself go soft, pal."

" Okay, I get it. I will keep it in mind," I said.

After that, we didn't speak another word. I felt for him. I knew he had wanted to die so many times, but that he survived to protect others, an honorable thing to do.

But then it took place ...

It took place so quickly that I still remember the astonishment and the rush I felt. Zombies were assaulting the village. Oh, and by the way, did I mention that there were only about 30 people in that town? Yes, it was more like a fork in the road than an actual village, more like a hamlet.

Anyway, as always, I carried around a number of weapons. I had a knife in my pocket and a pickaxe on my back. I never go anywhere without something to defend myself with, and this day was no different. And that night, I made sure to use them, as when the zombies assaulted, I had no time at all to run home.

They stormed in.

" Wraaaaah!”

The ones in the bar were first, and I heard people shout and shout from the houses in that little hamlet. I drew my pickaxe from my back and held it in front of me. I looked at my friend, the skeleton slayer. He already had a sword ready and had killed a number of zombies before I could even blink my eyes. What a tough guy!

" Come and get it, zombies!" I screamed, and I took a step forward, cutting one of them in half.

" Great to see us working together," my friend said. "I'll tell you what: You secure the male zombies and I'll secure the female zombies. It seems like you care a bit more about who you kill anyway."

I was a little hurt that he thought of me like some pitiful woos who would care about something like that, but I accepted his offer, however. We hacked and slashed, and the zombies were still can be found in. Within minutes, the whole pub was filled with townspeople who had been developed into zombies and were now turning on us.

Suddenly, I heard a cry from the opposite side of the room.

" Aaaargh!”

" Hey, what's going on?" I asked.

" Aaargh! One of the zombies bit me, Titus. You need to finish me off!”

It was my good friend. I wanted to the left; I wanted to the right. There weren't that many zombies left. My friend was kneeling down. His weapon had dropped. Every little thing ended up being blurry, as if a slow-motion influence was being put on my life. I hacked at another zombie in front of me and kicked another one through the window as I ran forward.

I bent over and put my arm on my good friend's shoulder and asked him how he was doing.

" This is it, Titus," he said. "It was good to meet you. I am all set to meet my wife in the afterlife."

" What are you talking about, man? We can get help. You will be all right."

" You know I will not be," he said laughingly. "It doesn't matter. I knew this would happen sooner or later. Proceed. Finish me. Do not let me turn into one of them."

" But I do not want to end your life. Come on!" I said. "This isn't right. There has to be something we can do."

Then he got me by my t-shirt, looked me straight into my eyes, and said, "Toughen up, Titus. Do what needs to be done. Stop caring, and DO it!”

I killed him. I closed my eyes when I did it. Yeah, that was the most difficult kill I've ever made. I still remember it so well.

His name was Jake.

Chapter 3: The Life I Had

After this pleasant (ahum ... ahum ...) anecdote, I hope you understand that my life isn't all anguish and darkness. You see, Jake wanted to meet his marriage partner again, and he strongly really believed in paradise. He was prepared, and he had done his part. Besides, after this, I did precisely as he said. It was an important lesson for me. I conditioned, and I distanced myself from friendships. Now, that might not be the best thing to do for everyone, but for me, it became a hassle-free lifestyle.

The good life; that's what I called it. Stop caring, stop thinking, and just do it. That was sort of my slogan.

I've lived this way for a long period of time, and I do not get tired of it. Do you need to know where I get my enjoyment from?

Action!

It's really all about the action. I really love it when the enemy appears larger and unsurpassable. I love an obstacle. I love the rush of cheating death over and over again, and I particularly crave the adrenaline that streams through my body each time I chop off the head of one of those meaningless, ugly zombies. It gives me a sense of fulfillment that I do not think I could find anywhere else.

And after that there is another thing: I have A LOT OF money. That's right. I am pretty loaded, so when I need to choose between inns, I can afford the most elegant one. I give to beggars when I see them, I purchase fruit at the markets when I feel like it, and I change weapons and clothes when I need a different style. It's all part of the good life: The freedom to spend whatever I want, and not having to care about saving up or footing the bill. My cabin, where I live, is relatively low-cost anyway. I started living there because I didn't need a big home, and it suffices.

The 3rd thing that thrills me in life is the perfection difficulty. I have yet to learn so many moves, it's not even funny. After having mastered the art of sword battling and different styles of martial arts, I went into archery, studied the ancient ways of butt-kicking without weapons, and became a specialist at navigating through hordes of zombies without even touching them. Everything is fascinating. Interest drives me, and I often review my battle skills after another day of "cleaning up" the streets of some taken advantage of town by those undead creeps.

So there you have it. I love my life, and although you could say I am alone a lot, I do not get lonely. I take pleasure in the action whenever, I have enough wealth to keep me happy, and I improve my abilities and knowledge about the ancient combating arts each day.

Sounds good, doesn't it? Well, it was, until something went extremely wrong.

Chapter 4: Worrying Events

It was a dawning day full of doom and anguish. It had never resembled this before. I mean, the Fargo Meadows had had their problems, but not like this, and even for me, it would be a tremendous barrier to the survival of our species: Mankind.

I got up that day, feeling normal and ready to eat a good meal. I had several breakfast items in my cabinets, and I instantly prepared some bacon and eggs to fill my stomach. As quickly as I was done with that, I went to my little training room. But as I was practicing my moves in front of the mirror, I became aware of something that was coming for me.

BANG!

The door flew open. I was shocked. No after several seconds later on, zombies were all over my home. They overturned my properties and furniture. With my sword, I kept them at a substantial distance.

" Stay back!" I screamed as I killed a few of them.

When I glanced at my kitchen area, however, I felt really silly. I had left the stove on. It was a true miracle nothing had happened before. The gas was dripping and the zombies were running into combustible objects, making the threat something to be taken seriously.

That's when I ran out of my cabin. I took the back door, on the other end, the emergency exit in my small training room, and rand as quick as I could. When I looked behind me ...

Boooooooom!!!

The remains of the structure collapsed after exploding into a thousand pieces.

I fell onto the ground. I covered my head, making sure that no debris would fall on me. A few seconds later, I looked back.

" My gorgeous cabin," I said. "I just hardly paid it off. Gggrrrrr ... I definitely know who is going to pay for this. Those silly zombies!"

This was it. I had nothing to lose now. I think it was kind of my fault, but those zombies had been obstructing my way. If they hadn't come, I would have done something about the stove. But it was gone now. My cash had all been in that house. It was gone, all gone. I checked one more time to make sure, but I could not find anything valuable that hadn't been developed into ashes. I felt empty-handed, almost naked, in a metaphoric way. I was left with nothing. Where did those zombies come from? It made no sense.

" Vengeance," I said. "It's not just business any longer. This time, it's individual."

And that's when I chose to get to the bottom of it. I went to the closest town, only to find that there weren't many individuals left. When I asked a random pedestrian on the street what had occurred there, the answer was, "Zombies."

So I left. I went to another town. I walked for 2 hours and found the little town undergoing the same problem. Again, I asked some lady, who walked outside, what was going on. Her response, "Zombies."

So I went to the city. And even there, when I showed up, I saw some homes depending on ruins. Others were deserted. People were terrified. The streets were fairly empty. I wanted to know every little thing about it. I knew zombies would sometimes attack in different places, but not all surrounding towns at the exact same time, and seldom in the city. I went straight to the town hall, intending to find my answers there. When I got to the square in front of the building, the mayor was resting on the stairs that led to the main entrance.

" Are you the mayor of this city?" I asked candidly.

" Yes, I am. Who are you?"

" My name is Titus. I am a zombie hunter, and it appears like your city has been raided by zombies. Am I correct?"

" Yes. Yes, you are. Did you just say you are a zombie hunter?"

" I did."

" Then you are who we need, my good friend. Please, come inside, and I will clarify every little thing."

I was still suspicious. I wanted more answers, and this random figure didn't have them for me yet, so I asked, "Why were you resting on the stairs here? |Don't you have better things to do?"

" Actually," he began, "I was sort of 'out of it.' I asked my therapists for a break. I needed some fresh air. There have been so many problems coming at us that I didn't know what to do, but I am grateful that you are here. Perhaps you can help us. But don't worry about it now. We will answer all your questions in the meeting room."

And that's when I shut up and just followed him.

Chapter 5: The Illness Was Dispersing

I got in the conference room in the great city hall. It was a modest room with seats and a table, like any conference room should be. With my sword on my back and a knife in my pocket, I was definitely the last single person that stuck out amongst these classy bureaucrats.

" Mister mayor, who is this?" one of the therapists asked.

" This man is the solution to our problems, gentlemen," the mayor said. Then he turned to me and said, "Please, have a seat."

I sat down and stared some of these educated individuals in the eyes. They weren't too sure about my rough look and my dusty outfit, and when they saw the huge sword on my back, I think some of them ended up being rather anxious as well.

" Gentlemen," the mayor began, "this is Titus. He is a zombie hunter. Tell them what you do, Titus."

" Like he said, I hunt zombies."

" Elaborate, please."

" Well, I stab them, I cut them to pieces, I break them in half, I pound them to piec ..."

" Okay, we get it. We understand," the mayor said, interrupting my graphic description of the daily assault that represented my life. "Titus is the response to our issues. He will hunt down the zombies for us and make them vanish, won't you, Titus?"

" Sure. But I do have a question: How come there are so many of them? It's not typical."

" That's a good question," the mayor said. "Several days ago, zombies were found, but they weren't regular zombies. As you might know already, a human being can become a zombie after being bitten. But these zombies were different. All they had to do, was sneeze, and the people would become infected quickly. It was a catastrophe. The disease was spreading like wildfire. People were panicking. Whole towns were being developed into zombie towns. Men and women left their homes and fled to the city, but even here, we couldn't hold them all back. Many of us hid in our houses, and the zombies disappeared from the city, but I know they will be back. They are assaulting other surrounding towns as we speak. Something must be done."

" And what makes you think that I can stop that? If they sneeze on me, I will develop into a zombie too. Did you consider that?"

" We have created a vaccine. It is being offered to people at this moment. A lot of my messengers and servants are taking this remedy to all people in the nation. So at least that is being looked after. The disease will stop spreading. The remedy is being carried all over."

" Then why do you need me? If you're already managing it, then what's my role?"

" We are willing to pay you if you kill the zombies. Simply because we are unsusceptible to becoming a zombie, does not mean that we aren't at risk. There still is a whole army of zombies out there."

" Makes good sense," I said.

We talked about the payment and the regards to the agreement. Every little thing else was clear to me. This was what I was trying to find. Now I could kill these zombies to get my revenge AND to get money. Wow. What else does a man need, right?

Chapter 6: An Interesting Fact

As I talked some more with the mayor and one or two of his less suspicious counselors, I began to comprehend where and when all this drama with the zombies had begun.

It was several years ago. Individual health was useless, and nobody knew about bacteria. It was only after this occurrence that people comprehended the significance of cleaning hands and other preventative measures against health problems. The result was the black Plague, a horrible illness that took the lives of many. No one knew the remedy, and in order to create a cure, lab scientists started fiddling around with chemicals. Nothing could have been worse for humanity than what they did. They injected needles, threw potions on the floor, and integrated the components of the Fargo Meadowsto develop a remedy.

If only they knew what they would let loose by doing so ...

The first indications were increased hostility and disturbed mental conduct. The researchers should have stopped with the experiments at that point, but the authorities kept pushing them to keep going, and they did.

Once the infection took control of, it was too late. Zombies were a fact, and ever since, zombies have become part of life. They always assault in groups or hordes, but the hordes have never been big enough to swipe out whole towns. That's why I was always able to stand my ground and kill as lots of them as was essential without getting killed.

Intriguing, huh? Yes, I thought so myself.

But now, times have changed. The hordes have become larger. Their numbers have increased, and for some reason, they have revealed different conduct than before: They stick together, forming big hordes that crash through any town, any city, and any stronghold. There are tons of them, and everyone fears them.

And then they turned to me: Their last hope. I knew not to let them down. They were going to have the best show of their lives. Bring it on, zombies!

Chapter 7: Killing Them All

It was early in the morning. It was the day after I met the mayor and his counselors. All of them had high expectations. The city didn't have many soldiers, and they were all too scared of the zombies. Bunch of pushovers.

They depend on me, and on me only. This was my moment; my moment to shine or to die. Either way, with a sense of desperation, the gut feeling of a guy who lost every little thing but still wants to fight back-- that sensation-- I went and stood my ground.

And if that wasn't bad enough, then listen to this: The whole city (or however many individuals were left in it) came to watch; lots of them. They were standing on the city walls and were cheering me on. There I was, outside the city walls, on a noticeable, giant grass field awaiting my doom. I closed my eyes and put my hands in some kind of meditation position. The hordes were coming. All of us knew it. The city walls were air tight, and everyone hoped that I would be able to stop these beasts from invading their fortified habitat. The city gates were closed, although that didn't stop the zombies last time, and the soldiers were watching with the citizens.

When I opened my eyes, I glanced at the mayor. His eyes were big. He didn't know what to think, but when he saw the persistence in my eyes, I knew that he knew for sure that he made the right decision. It was just one of those nearly telepathic moments.

There they were: The hordes of zombies. At first, only a few appeared on the horizon. Then lots, then hundreds, and this army of the undead grew bigger and larger. I spat out a piece of gum I was chewing. I tightened the headband around my head and I took the sword from my back and the knife from my pocket. Its shiny surface was reflected in the sun, and an impressive, remarkable moment had started. I walked forward at the crowd that was running to me. Then I increased my speed, and when I came closer, I sprinted towards them.

" Graaaaaaaaaaaah !!!!!" I yelled. "Die, zombies! Die!"

Tsyaack!

My sword cut through a bunch of them, and within a tiny peek, they were all concentrated on me. I slashed, I cut, I punched, and I kicked. I threw some of them away and used others as a guard when they were fighting.

Bang! Clash! Thud!

The battle went on and on. I had never dealt with so many zombies at the same time. It was a brand-new turning point for me, and the chances of dying were so high that I stopped caring. Periodically, I got a fist in my face or a zombie who was trying to eat me. Throughout my kicking and shouting and slashing, I ensured that none came close enough with their teeth.

One time, though, one of the zombies came too close. He practically bit me, and I was glad I stepped back just in time.

" That was close," I told myself, after which I punched him in the face.

The zombies became overwhelming. They all assaulted me at the exact same time. On a pile of dead undead bodies, I was fighting them off one by one. But I knew I would not last long. They leapt at me and piled up on me, pinning me to the ground and making me lose my sword. Between the arms, the legs, and the lifeless bodies, I frantically grabbed my blade.

Useless.

Too far. I had to do something.

Then I kept in mind that I had another spare knife, hidden in the back of my boot. I had always kept that one there, just in case, and I absolutely forgot it up to this point. I wiggled my hand down and tugged at the knife.

" Got it," I said.

After almost choking beneath the lots of zombies on my body, I was finally able to cut through several of them and battle my way back to the surface area. I dove to my sword, got it, and dealt with the monstrous opponents again.

" You thought you were done with me? Reconsider!" I screamed loudly.

The zombies were decreasing in numbers. Piles of zombie lifeless bodies were joined by other falling opponents. The slaughter was incredible, the massacre immense, and the likelihood of this ever happening again was virtually absolutely no. I was like a ferocious monster. I was caught up in the most adrenaline I had ever felt in my life. I hacked and slashed and stabbed as if I had an endless flow of energy going through my veins.

And after that it almost stopped. Just a couple of zombies were still standing. Some of them had already escape. Others were looking at me with doubts in their empty, brainless heads. 2 of them came at me, in a last effort to take me out.

Stab! Stab!

Bad idea on their part, as they died that immediate. The others escaped.

" Is that all you've got?" I said, catching my breath. I wanted to yell more taunting one-liners, but I didn't have it in me.

I collapsed.

I fell to the ground, drained from the numerous strikes and the terrible limits of the body. I was exhausted, and I passed out.

It became black.

Chapter 8: And I Went Back

I awakened. I slowly opened my eyes. A ton of people were standing around me. They were the city people who had been watching. I felt like a gladiator in an arena. Me against the zombies, that was what it had boiled down to. What were the chances that I would win this?

But when I saw all those people, I knew that I had won. I was victorious! I gained awareness, and I was happy to see how many of them were proud of me. They cheered. They were impressed, and they wanted to celebrate.

" Congratulations," the mayor said. "I can't really believe you pulled it off. It's hard to reveal in words what you did here. You saved us from the zombie crowd, and we are indebted to you. Tell me what you want, and I will try to organize it for you."

" Water," I said.

" What?" the mayor asked.

" Water. I am thirsty."

The mayor got someone to get some water. When he came back, I felt in heaven. Can you imagine how much I had been sweating during that extreme fight? I kind of felt like I was dying from dehydration, but when the water came, I drank my heart out. When I was done, I had renewed strength. I looked at them. I nodded, and I accepted the payment from the mayor.

Then I left.

" You're not going to celebrate?" The mayor asked.

" Nope," I said without looking back.

" But the people want you to talk to them."

" Do not feel like it," I said.

" Oh, come on. Are you sure?"

" Yep."

And that was it. I got what I wanted: Cash and revenge. I didn't want to get mentally attached to all these people. Why would I care? If I did, I would only wind up killing them or watching them die a long time in my life when they would develop into zombies themselves. Hey, don't get me wrong. I appreciated their health and wellbeing, which belonged to the reason I accepted the task in the first place, but part of me didn't want to have a broken heart. Makes sense, doesn't it? So yes, I left. And I kept it at that.

I know it's not over. I am pretty certain that there are still zombies in other parts of the nation, and that's all right. It keeps me going. It gives me something to do. Come and get it, suckers. I am waiting on my next mission.

My name is Titus, and I am a zombie hunter.

I have been doing it for several years.

And I do not care about anything else.

THE END

The Misunderstanding

Chapter 1: His Side

Kace gets up. His spouse is still asleep. It's early in the early morning, but he has strategies. He has been married to his beautiful girl for three years now, and he wants to make it something unique. Today is the day before their anniversary. It's the day before they got married ... 3 years ago. He puts on his favorite sweater and sneaks out of the home with some golden coins in his pocket.

The area is silent, especially now. And even though they live in a medieval-like farmer's town, none of its occupants like to get up early. The only ones that do, are the actual farmers on the borders of town.

Nearly tripping over several chickens, Kace makes his way to a home about 10 blocks away. He looks around him. There is nobody there.

Then he knocks on the door and waits.

A girl opens up.

" Ah, Kace," she says with a big smile. "I am glad you could make it. I know it's early, but you were determined to do this without your spouse learning about it, weren't you?"

" Precisely, Mary-Ann," Kace says. "She has never been an early bird anyhow, so I knew I could escape. I don't even think she noticed that my snoring stopped when I woke up."

" Ha-ha-ha!" Mary-Ann laughs. "Well, come in. I will show you what I have."

She opens up the door a little broader and Kace walks in.

" Good place you got here," he says.

" I know, right? I decorated it myself."

Kace looks around and observes the vibrant, framed paintings on the wall, the decorative lockets and chimes holding on the ceiling, and the sophisticated statues on the little tables in every corner of the room. Mary-Ann has some taste in art, that's apparent. She knows how to brighten up the place. She is wearing a green and red pendant herself, with a little skull and unicorn sign in the middle of it. It almost appears like she is trying to be eccentric with her own random style.

" Fascinating taste in lighting and style," Kace mentions as he watches the red-green shades in front of the candle lights and the locket Mary-Ann is wearing.

" Yes, I typically do not go with the flow. I do my own thing, even if other villagers think it's strange."

" No, it's good. I like it," Kace ensures her. "Anyhow, are you prepared to show me it?"

" Yes. Here it is. See? I can take this board and write down the text. Then I can go over it with this paint. Excuse me ... it's over there. Okay, and after that I can patch it up with color, include a bit of this, and take all the time dealing with the specifics. I have a board like it, but with a different engraving. Do you want me to show you?"

" Obviously. If it's going to be like the other one, then I want to see what the actual results will be."

" Makes sense," Mary-Ann says. "I'll get it. Just a minute. It's in the shed."

Mary-Ann goes outside and turns around the corner of her open shed. She grabs the board she was talking about, but her white dress gets caught by a nail standing out in a beam.

Riiiiip!

" Ow ... hello! What the ...?" she says.

The ripped dress reveals part of her upper legs, and as the entire thing is going to break down, her shoulders are bare. The gown is gradually falling off, and the frustrated Mary-Ann tries to hold the board with one hand and lift up the straps of her dress with the other. She walks to the front door in an awkward little circle, nearly like an intoxicated person, and glances around.

" At least nobody saw that," she says. "That would have been humiliating."

She puts the embellished board down after she heads inside; then she goes straight up the stairs. "Could you just wait a bit?!" she shouts downstairs. "I have to get changed!"

" No issue!" Kace screams back.

Mary-Ann takes her dress off and looks at it. "Oh well," she says. "It was a little worn anyhow, and it didn't cost much."

She throws the dress on the floor and takes another one out of her closet. After dressing up, she goes back downstairs, picks up the board, and walks into the living-room, where she puts the board on the table in front of Kace.

" What happened?" Kace asks.

" You do not need to know. Trust me. Now, let's concentrate on the board. See what I did there? I painted these colors here and added some decors there."

" Oh, wow! I love that!" Kace exclaims. "That's exactly what I wanted!"

" Ha-ha! Good. Then that's what we will do."

She puts the board in the corner of the room and says, "That will be 4 pieces of gold."

" No problem. It's going to be great," Kace says.

They talk a bit longer and Kace returns home. He whistles en route there, happy that he finally found something worth his cash. But when he gets home, his spouse is standing in front of the door, awaiting him with her arms folded.

" What was that really all about?" she asks.

" What?"

" Where did you go?" Chloe wants to know.

" I just went out. You would not want to know," Kace says.

" Oh, believe me. I do," Chloe sneers. "You have some discussing to do."

" Well, I will tell you later," Kace says. "Now is not the time."

" Why not? What took place?"

" Come on, honey. I just do not want to say anything about it at this time. Is that all right?"

" No, it's not all right! I wish to know!”

Kace shrugs. He doesn't want to spoil the surprise. He feels no responsibility to tell his partner where he invested the last half hour. He goes inside and goes about his business. Chloe watches him enter their home and feels disappointed.

That night, they do not talk. They do not kiss one another goodnight. Chloe blows out the candle on their nightstand, and they go to sleep. Kace is happy. He knows she will really love it once it's done. With a smile on his face, he goes to sleep.

Chapter 2: Her Side

Chloe wakes up. She was used to the sound of him snoring, but she notices immediately when it stops too. She keeps her eyes closed, thinking he is just going to the bathroom. But then he gets dressed and she gets curious.

" What is he doing?" she thinks. "He doesn't typically get up until in an hour."

Then he exits the house and Chloe gets REALLY curious.

" I need to know what he is up to," she tells herself, and she puts on some pink t-shirt and red skirt. She goes out the door and sees her husband turn around the corner. Chloe keeps her distance and follows her loved one to the home where he knocks on the door.

When a young, appealing female opens up the door, Chloe gets suspicious. "Who is that girl?" she asks herself. "I've never seen her before. And how does she know my husband?"

She listens carefully. She can't make up what they're saying, but when she sees the young woman laugh about something Kace said, Chloe is boiling up inside. Is she flirting with him?

" That mean, awful, wench!" Chloe thinks. "How dare she take my spouse away from me?"

They're taking too long. It's driving Chloe crazy. What on earth are they performing in there? Then a bird captures her eye. It's singing loudly, right beside her.

" Ssshhh ..." Chloe whispers. "I am attempting to spy on my spouse here."

Chloe turns her head to the home again and is in shock.

" What?!!!" she thinks. "That woman is only half-dressed! You can see her legs and shoulders, and her gown is almost falling off! And what is that thing she is keeping in her hand? Appears like a wood board or something. Take a look at the way she walks! She looks intoxicated! I need to know more about this."

Chloe tiptoes to the front door and starts eavesdropping.

" Oh, wow! I really love that!" she hears Kace say. "That's exactly what I wanted!”

" Ha-ha! Good. Then that's what we will do."

" Huh? Do what?" Chloe thinks. "What was precisely what he wanted? This is getting odd."

Then she hears the young woman say, "That will be 4 pieces of gold."

" No problem. It's going to be great," Kace says.

" Whaaaaat ?!" Chloe thinks. Her brain is going bananas. She always thought of Kace as a hero, but what is he spending cash on now? As she catches herself become more emotional, Chloe decides it's time to leave. She does not wish to know anything else about this. Her man better has a good clarification for all of this.

Distraught by what she heard and saw, she walks home and holds back her tears. Oh, if only she could trust him, but now she isn't even sure of that anymore. Where has she failed? Was it her fault? Why did Kace let himself succumb to another lady? Was their marital relationship unsatisfactory?

When Chloe comes home, she does not just feel like going inside. She stares at her home and listens to the whispers of the wind. The same bird flies over her head and disappears into the distance. When she sees how joyful Kace is when he gets back, whistling all the way, she gets back at more upset.

They talk. Of course, he does not want to clarify anything. He has been doing sneaky things behind her back, and has been to that woman for whatever reasons she does not want to think of. Ultimately, she accepts his casual attitude and gives up.

She doesn't sleep much that night though ... not one minute.

Chapter 3: Zombies Are Coming

BANG!

The door flies open.

" What was that?" Chloe asks as she awakens.

" I don't know," Kace says. "Maybe just the wind?"

" Go check," Chloe pleads. "Please."

" No worries," Kace answers.

He puts on some clothes and goes downstairs, to the living-room. He was right, he thought. It truly was the wind. Or was it?

He licks his finger and holds it up in the air. Unusual. There is hardly any wind. Did someone enter their house? He gets anxious and suspicious, so he takes the stick from a broom in the corner as a weapon and sneaks through the living-room, the shed, and some other spaces. Nothing. Nobody. It is empty. He goes outside and checks the streets.

And there it is.

Kace sees a shady figure, but it appears as if the person in front of him is green. He is wearing a blue clothing and with his red, glowing eyes, he looks straight at Kace.

" What is that?" Kace asks, but before he can utter another word, the animal performs at him.

Kace steps back inside and closes the doors. Then he locks it. The creature bangs his fists on the door.

" Honey?" Kace hears Chloe scream from upstairs. "What's going on?"

" I think it's a zombie!" Kace screams back. "He's trying to break into our house!”

" What are we going to do?" Chloe asks.

" Oh, I am certain he will give up after a while. The door is locked."

But Kace does not realize the zombie isn't alone. All of a sudden, another zombie leaps through the window.

Clash!

The pieces of glass are all over the floor, and the zombie has already sped towards Kace and is now trying to choke him.

" H-honey," Kace says, "could you knock the zombie out?"

Chloe looks at the broomstick and puts her hands in her side. "I don't know," she says. "If I do, will you tell me what was going on between you and that charming girl?"

" Wh-what? Come on! Just save my life already!" Kace shouts.

" Okay, okay." Chloe takes the broomstick and bangs the zombie on his head.

" Thank you," Kace says. "Now, could you please stop fretting about what I did at that house? I told you, I will clarify it to you later."

" Sure you will," Chloe says, still suspicious of the worst.

They both peek through the front window-- the one that hasn't been broken-- and see a horde of zombies in the town. They are substantial, practically twice as huge as human beings. It is as if they increased in size after rising from the dead, or as if only the biggest humans became the undead.

" Oh my goodness," Chloe says. "It's an invasion! There are lots of them. What will we do?"

" I know a way," Kace says. "There are a lot of them. We should not try to fight them."

" But what about the other villagers?"

" There is nothing we can do. I hope they will be alright, but for now, we need to save our own skin. |Don't you agree?"

" I guess you're right. So what is this amazing idea of yours?" she asks sardonically.

" There is an underground passage," Kace says. "It's not too far from here. Ideally, we can slip by the assaulting zombies and make our way there without being seen."

" Okay, let's do it. I do not feel safe here."

Chapter 4: The Secret Pathway

Kace opens the back door. It's quiet in the backstreet of the community, although they hear voices and screams all around them. Kace checks twice to ensure he doesn't misinterpret the situation.

" This is our chance," he says. "The hatch is on the opposite side of the street, in a small barn around the corner of that home. When I say, 'Run,' we'll both run over there and I will lift up the hatch. Got it?"

" Got it," Chloe says.

Kace looks one more time, both methods, and then says, "Go!”

Hand in hand, the couple runs towards the barn and turns around the corner. They see the hatch and Kace raises it up. Chloe goes midway inside the tunnel and then asks, "How come no one else knows about this passage?"

" Rush," Kace whispers. "We have no time to lose. I will tell you when we are really there."

Chloe slides down the ladder and winds up in some mud. "Yuck!" she exclaims.

" Come on," Kace says. "Keep moving, please. Here I come."

He slides down and joins his spouse in the dirty fluids that are covering their feet and shins. He looks at her with a smirk on his face. She is not happy. He decides to say nothing. Better not to make her angrier than she already is.

" So to answer my questions ..." Chloe says, hoping that her spouse will fill her in.

" Ah, yes. It was actually built by my grandfather. It is very well hidden, and nobody comes here anyhow. So I do not think anyone has ever discovered it yet."

" Why did your dad build it?"

" I think there were zombies back then too. I just really wonder how bad it was back then versus now."

" Well, it sounds awful outside," Chloe says. "I am happy I am here. Have you thought of how to see? It's pitch black."

" I am already ahead of you," Kace says as he lights a candle light.

Together, they walk through the tunnel. Above them, the sounds of the getting into zombies are plentiful in the town, but the married couple is safely set in their tunnel. With the candle in front of them, they hope for the best.

All of a sudden, they hear a noise.

BONK!

Kace and Chloe put their backs against the wall.

Then a male voice shouts, "Who goes there?"

" I thought you said no one knew about this place," Chloe says.

" That's right," Kace says. "But perhaps I was wrong. Let's check it out."

Chapter 5: The Visit

" Who goes there?" the voice asks again.

" Uhm ... it's us. Our names are Kace and Chloe!" Kace screams back. "We are not zombies, so please do not kill us."

" Enter the light," the voice says.

Kace goes first. Chloe is holding onto his arm firmly, practically squeezing it too hard. She is a little nervous, despite the fact that the man obviously isn't a zombie. When they step into the light, the man is relieved.

" Looks like you 2 are all right," he says. He enters the light too and introduces himself. "My name is William. I have understood about this place for many years. I do not know why anyone else hasn't found it, but I knew I should go here when the zombies attack."

" How did you find it?" Kace asks.

" I'm just a big snoop. Ha-ha! I just follow people and see what they are up to. One day, I just stumbled upon the hatch, and naturally I wished to know what was beneath it. There is really no story to it."

" Oh, fine. So what's your plan?"

' Zombie attacks usually last for several days. After that, many people will have developed into zombies themselves. It's sad, but it's the extreme truth. Truthfully, I do not think I have a plan. I am just going to wait here until they leave town."

Then Kace notices the pendant William is wearing. Odd. It is the same pendant Mary-Ann was wearing.

" Where did you get that?" Kace would like to know.

" Uhm ... I don't know. Why do you ask?" William asks.

" I saw someone else wearing that pendant. It had red and green, and a skull and unicorn sign holding on it. So perhaps you got it at the exact same place?"

And that's when William gets a little emotional. His self-denial phase is already over, even within those extremely seconds. In the beginning, Kace and Chloe are shocked by the abrupt change in his disposition, but when they hear his clarification, they begin to understand.

" Who was the one you saw wearing the locket?" William asks.

" Her name is Mary-Ann," Kace says. "She has a little art store in town."

" Mary-Ann? Who is Mary-Ann? How do you know a girl called Mary-Ann?" Chloe requires to know, still suspicious of her husband's objectives.

" Never mind that," Kace says. "I will tell you later. So how about it, William? Is there a connection?"

" I." William stutters. "Well, she is my partner. We wear the same lockets, just to show our love and commitment to one another. We got split up. I feel so horrible. The zombies were coming. I was on the opposite side of town, doing some business. But I thought I could come here and meet her here. We discussed this before; if zombies would attack, we would go to the tunnel. But now, after being here for a while, and seeing that she hasn't even shown up yet, I am beginning to get a little worried."

" I comprehend," Kace says. "You feel guilty because you feel that you should have gotten her first, right?"

" Exactly. So what should I do now? Do I head out there and get her? Or do I wait here and hope that she shows up?"

Chapter 6: Sneaking Back into the Village

Kace looks William in the eyes and says, "Be a man. Go get your female. There is no time to lose."

" Are you serious?" he asks. "Wow. Okay, sure. Yes, that's what I am going to do."

Chloe has a loving appearance in her eyes when she hears Kace's ideas on courage and fidelity. She gets a little closer to him and asks, "Would you have returned for me if I was there by myself, surrounded by zombies?"

" Of course, I would have, Chloe," Kace says. "We are married. I love you. I would do anything to secure you."

Chloe thinks for a moment and after that says, "We need to help this man. Let's go with him."

" Are you sure? We could just stay here in the tunnel. It would be more secure."

" No," Chloe firmly insists. "He really deserves a happy life like us."

Kace is glad to hear that Chloe still considers their life to be happy, despite the miscommunication between the two of them. He knows she will be even happier when she finds out what he was going to give her. But now he is not so sure it will still be there, since the zombies turned the whole town upside down.

" Take these," William says, handing the other two a sword and a axe. "I'm type of a fan of the shovel myself, but I am certain you can put these weapons to good use if you see a zombie."

" Thanks," Kace says. "Ready to go?"

" Yes, I am," William says in a determined voice as he walks right past them. "Let's kill some zombies."

Kace and Chloe are right behind him. They splash through the muddy tunnel ground and reach the hatch. They look at one another and climb the ladder. Back on the town roads, they are surprised. In front of them, a village abides in turmoil. Zombies are following villagers, homes are burning, screams are heard all over, along with howling and groaning zombie sounds. Some people are unsuccessfully making an attempt to protect themselves and hack several zombies down before they get bitten. The entire view is chilling and dreadful.

" Scary," William says.

" Ha! You mean, William-fying!" Chloe says with a smirk on her face.

The 2 men take a look at her with a serious facial expression.

" S-sorry. I'll stop making puns," Chloe says sheepishly.

" Let's just slip from the one backyard to the other," William suggests. "The majority of the zombies are in the front yards, in the homes, and on the street. It's not too far from here. Let's go to my home and see if Mary-Ann is there."

The trio remains low and peeps over every fence before they go to the next yard, and the next, and the next ...

Ultimately, they get near William's and Mary-Ann's home. They hop over their white picket fence and go to the burning home.

" Hey, wait a minute," Chloe says, turning to her partner. "This is the exact same home you went to, you two-faced cheater!”

" But honey, could we please discuss this later? I can explain," Kace says.

" Pffft ... you better have a good explanation then," Chloe says angrily as she rolls her eyes. "The female was half undressed and giggling when you were talking. Does not that say enough?"

Kace disregards her grievances. Thankfully, their discussion doesn't raise any suspicions in William, because he didn't hear what they were talking about. He already got in the home and begins trying to find his wife. "Mary-Ann!" he yells. "Mary-Ann! Are you in here ?!”

" Thankfully, only the upstairs is on fire," Kace says. "Did I ever tell you not to run into a burning building because of the smoke and the fire?"

" I know," Chloe says. "Hopefully, she is downstairs. Otherwise I wouldn't know what to do, although I am not sure any longer if I want that seductive female to live."

But then she sees it. "What is that?" Chloe asks when she picks up the item in front of her.

Chapter 7: The Forever Note

Chloe is holding a board. It's charred, and obviously, it didn't actually endure the incineration of the upper half of the home. But in spite of the dirty appearance and revolting soot on it, she is still able to read the engraving through the faded decorative patterns. In swirly letters, almost like calligraphy, it reads:

" Chloe and Kace Forever"

She gazes at it. She is speechless. Kace scratches his head when he understands that there is barely anything left of the product he paid four golden coins for. Chloe's back is turned towards her partner, so Kace has no idea what she is feeling. He can't see her facial expression, so he just waits.

" Well, uhm ..." Kace says after a bit. "It was going to be something for you, for our anniversary. Did you see I put your name initially? Heh-heh ... it's since I wanted to make you realize how crucial you are to me. And perhaps you can still see a heart or a star in there. Anyway, sorry that it burned down. I realize it's a waste of cash, since it isn't any good to us now."

But when Chloe turns around, there are tears in her eyes; tears of happiness. She drops the board and throws her arms around her well-intending spouse. Then she kisses him.

" Thank you," she says. "I'm sorry I was so suspicious. You're the best man I could ever request."

Kace just smiles. It seems as if the moment lasts forever, despite the fact that it is only a few seconds long. They look at each other and feel like they're floating ... until they get disrupted by William.

" Help!" William shouts. "I need some help here!"

Kace and Chloe hurry into the direction where the sound is coming from. They hop over a broken table and run into another room. There they see William, who is trying to lift a heavy beam that is obstructing Mary-Ann's legs. She is mindful, and she appears all right, but she is not able to move from the debris.

" Mary-Ann," Kace says. "Thanks for the wonderful work you have done."

" You're welcome," she says. "Sorry it got burned. I can return you the 4 pieces of gold if you want me to."

" Nah, we're good. You did your job," Kace says.

" Wait a minute," Chloe says. "I'll take those pieces of gold. Why would you turn down an offer for a free refund, Kace?"

" Ahum ... alright, touché," Kace says.

They stop talking and raise the beam. The 3 of them have enough strength to get the heavy item from Mary-Ann, who gradually stands up and starts walking again. "Let's get out of here," she says, after giving William a hug. "There are still tons of zombies around."

Chapter 8: The End Thing

The 4 survivors sneak back through the yards, heading into the direction of the hatch to the tunnel. But before they get there, they get faced by a horde of zombies that just happens to see them.

" Grumble!" one of them says, most likely meaning, "Over there!"

" Roar grumble grumble!" another one adds.

The two couples figure that it most likely means, "Let's get them!"

" Run!" William screams.

They begin running and get closer to the secret tunnels, and the zombies are chasing them.

" They must know that we're here," Kace says. "You three can go. I will distract them."

" No!" Chloe says. "I will not leave your side. Don't leave me!"

It's too late to begin a discussion, so Kace accepts her desire to come with him. They deviate from their course and run towards the other side of the town. All the zombies come after them, leaving William and Mary-Ann to hide in the tunnels.

" There!" Kace says, pointing to an empty home.

He slams through the door and hides with his spouse below a table in the corner. The zombies quickly run by. Chloe is sitting in Kace's arms, feeling safeguarded by her strong man. He checks out the window and sighs.

" I think they're gone," he says after some time. "Let's go to the hatch."

But when they go out of the house, 2 zombies are standing in front of them. They growl and drool and look vicious.

" You take the one on the left; then I'll take the one on the right," Kace says.

" Deal," Chloe agrees. She holds her axe next to her, all set to swing it at the zombie on the left. Kace holds his sword in front of him and stabs the zombie on the right. The zombie drops instantly. Then Chloe swings at the other zombie.

Bonk!

Unconscious, on the ground.

" Good job!" Kace says. "I don't know why you are always suggesting that you need protection from me. You are fine getting the zombies."

" Thank you," Chloe says happily.

No more zombies cross their courses en route to the hatch. They consider themselves lucky. When they get to the hatch, William and Mary-Ann are awaiting them.

" Welcome to the underground movement," William says. "We decided to wait here and see if any other civilians would survive. There are about 50 people there now."

" Exceptional," Kace says. "Just how long before the zombies will disappear?"

" Probably a couple of days. That's how it normally goes. I have seen it in other towns. Oh, and we might want to switch off all our candle lights and torches. There are little fractures in the ceiling and I do not want the threat that zombies see us."

" Two entire days without light?" Kace asks. "Whoa. Sounds intense."

Chloe puts her head on his shoulder and her hand on his chest. She smiles and says, "I can get used to that ... two days in the dark with you."

Kace smiles. She is right. He strokes her hair and says, "Happy anniversary, honey."

THE END

Silly Ghost Girl

Chapter 1: My Individual Path

I think I wasn't always the most popular girl in class. And when my dad died, I became even more to myself. The years went by and I became older, and a ton of people said I was gorgeous, but I just didn't do much with it. At the time I changed, I was nine years of age. It was that age where most kids in school are attempting to put you down so they can climb up higher on the social ladder. I wasn't going to play that dumb game, so I often pulled back to my own areas.

I hated school. It was very boring. And even though I was more of an introvert, books bored me too. I was trying to find some excitement by myself, so sometimes, I just went to the fields or the woods by myself, just to smell the fresh air of nature and take a look around me. It was always intriguing, because I found new things and new life.

I mean, the time I helped a fox out of its hole or the time when I went after some fish in the river ... those were the times I totally felt alive. One time, I even saw a big worm. Yuck! I've got to tell you that those are pretty unusual creatures. I do not even know if you can call them animals, but hey, they live out there, and I saw one.

The only thing I dislike is the spiders. And I'm not talking about the tiny ones you can splat with your shoe ... No, I'm talking about huge spiders the size of human beings. I found one just recently. It was on the opposite side of a waterfall and some rocks. I hid behind the tree as I didn't want it to find me. Uuuugly! Luckily it didn't, but I wanted to keep away from those as much as I could.

Oh, by the way, my name is Caroline. I completely forgot to introduce myself in this journal. Ha-ha! I just thought that ... oh well ... it does not matter. Yep, Caroline. That's my name.

Anyhow, I was talking about all the creatures I had met, and the animals I had seen in the forest. My mom was always alright with it. She didn't think it would be damaging to go out there, but she always insisted I would get home before dark. And this is where it became so bothersome.

It was winter season, and the sun went down early every day, so early that I barely had time to get out of school, change into something else, and go out in nature for an hour or two. It would get dark quickly, and I would be stuck inside having fun with our cat or doing some dull homework. Not fun.

Little did I know that my life would change that one day I got lost.

You see, I went to the forest and walked on the typical trails until I saw a small path I hadn't seen before.

" Hey, this must be fascinating," I said.

So I decided to take a risk, to deviate from my regular course, and to tell you the truth, I had not the slightest idea I was going so far away. I didn't know where I was going, but curiosity had taken over me. I walked and walked till I saw flames.

" Odd," I thought. "In this cold weather, how could there be fire?"

I came closer and saw a small being, flying in the air.

" Wow!" I said.

It was a ghost. I had learnt more about those at school. I was told they were mean and hostile. They stressed how vicious and despiteful they were, and that they never thought twice to attack. But this one wasn't that way at all. It was just flying around, just cooling, just enjoying ... till it saw me.

It looked at me, and I felt sad. Why? Since it looked like the poor little thing was weeping.

" Is something wrong?" I asked.

No reaction. I figured they weren't able to talk. I came closer and touched it. What had all that rubbish had to do with instantly attacking people? This one was as harmless as a cow. It flew around, practically as if it was trying to show me what it could do. Was this an infant ghost or something?

Then it hit a tree.

Thud!

It fell, but right before it hit the earth, I caught it.

I looked at it.

It looked back at me.

It was a tranquil moment.

Then I saw some other ghosts appear.

" Are you this little friend's family?"

They came closer and nodded. They understood me! Okay, they could not talk, but I was certain that this meant a "yes." Wow. Great. Ghosts could speak our language! And here we always thought they were just brutal predators. We were so wong! Or was it just me?

I waved at them, just to say "hi." They twirled in the air, as if they were waving back. I blew in the air. They blew a fireball. So cool. I was sold. I really loved these creatures more than any of the other animals I had seen. These ghosts were my favorites.

Chapter 2: Ghosts Were My Thing

Did you know ghosts are totally legit?! They rock! I ended up being best pals with them. I went out to the forest every day to see them. They revealed to me all types of tricks, like how they could spit fireballs and fly around. They were able to bounce off a tree and make an odd noise when they did.

I revealed them some stuff too. They all gathered around and watched me begin a fire with sticks and matches, climb a tree, and swim in the river. We had a blast, despite the winter.

Summer came. The weather had finally turned around, which meant I could remain at the woods longer. Yippee!

No one had ever found out about the ghosts, except for my mother. We had a conversation about it once, and initially, she wasn't convinced I was being safe, but eventually, she accepted it.

" Are you going back to those weird flying ghosts again?" she asked me one day.

" Yes, I am returning. Why not?"

" Well, don't you think it would be better to socialize with some other kids from your class? Maybe there are some nice girls that would want to talk or shop for outfits."

" Mother, all the girls hate me. They think I'm odd."

" Well, what about the boys? Are they interested in being with you?"

" Are you kidding? They're so immature! They burp and fart on purpose and after that they laugh about their own jokes."

" Really? All of them?" my mom asked.

" All of them, Mother."

She smirked and came closer, looking straight at me. I tried to avert, as I knew what she was doing. She knew I was hiding something, and she was determined to get it out of me. "All of them?" she asked again.

I could not stop smiling and I looked up, to the right, and to the left. "Okay," I said shyly. "There is one boy who ..."

" Aha! I knew it!" Mother said. "Tell me really all about him."

" His name is Abbott, but he does not pay attention to me, not that I noticed at least."

" Well, why won't you just go talk with him? Find out what he's really like?"

" Mohooom, stop pestering me. Are you insane? I can't do that. Then he will think I like him."

" Which is really true, isn't it?"

" Yes, but I can't let him know that."

My mother started seeing a little annoyance in my posture and chose it wasn't time to push my buttons. I wasn't prepared for such a move, and she would leave it at that. Thank goodness.

After the afternoon snack, I went to the forest again. There were more ghosts than before. I didn't remember seeing all of these.

" Where did the new ones come from?" I asked, practically hoping to receive a spoken response.

One of the ghosts flew midway into a circle in the direction of the mountain, as if to suggest the direction they originated from. I thought for a moment and assumed there was a lot of lava in that mountain, and that's probably where they originated from. But it was paradoxical and intriguing to see that so many of them had gathered here in the forest to see me. I felt popular, despite the fact that it wasn't amongst my own kind. Now there were about 30 ghosts flying between the trees, surrounding me with their presence.

" Hey, you know what?" I said. "I think I know a game. How does that sound? It will be wonderful. Are you in or are you out?"

The ghosts nodded, which meant they wanted to play.

" Okay," I said. "Here is what we're going to do ..."

Chapter 3: The Fight

" There is barrel in town. I know exactly where it is. The barrel contains oil. And do you know what oil does?"

One of the ghosts became really ecstatic and flew up and down in the air.

" Right! It burns like insane! And you like burning, don't you? So who is up for the contest?"

All the ghosts flew in circles. They nearly developed a small tornado of some sort. I could tell they were enthusiastic about the idea, and I instantly revealed them the way. I ran all the way down the path, down another path, and took a shortcut through the trees. I looked back and saw an entire troop of ghosts flying behind me. They trusted me and they would go anywhere I would. It felt great.

Finally, after some running and flying around, we reached the designated spot. The barrel was there. It was on the outskirts of the town, and I didn't think we would bother anyone with our contest.

" Stay here," I said.

I ran towards the barrel, which was next to a barn with hay, and checked if the coast was clear. Nobody was there. It was safe. I positioned the barrel in front of the barn, far enough from it, or so I presumed, and ran back towards the 30 ghosts that were lined up and waiting on my command.

" Whoever hits the barrel first, wins," I said happily. "Ready? Aim ... FIRE!!!”

All the ghosts were spitting fireballs to their best ability. Most of them missed, since the barrel was up until now away, and some of them, like the child ghosts, didn't even make it that far.

" Okay, okay," I said after a while. "The youngsters can come closer. I really believe that would be fair." Therefore they did.

Chapter 4: Accidents Happen

Something happened however, something I had not foreseen. Later, when I looked back, I thought of my stupidity and my recklessness. It was bound to happen. It was a destruction waiting to occur.

One of the ghosts hit the barrel.

Whoosh!

The barrel instantly ignited. I cheered and celebrated with the other ghosts. Some ghosts made loops in the air. Others dropped to the ground and jumped up again. It was like a party.

But then I looked at the barrel.

Whoops.

That wasn't meant to go wrong. This was terrible! The barrel had tipped over and the oil was spreading. It was gradually streaming to the barn ... the barn loaded with hay.

" Noooo!" I shouted, running towards the barn. But I was far too late. The barn ignited too. The flames spread within seconds to other sides of the barn and the entire structure was being incinerated, all beginning with the dripping oil.

I dropped on my knees, feeling desperate and afraid. What if somebody learnt? How was I going to replace a huge barn like that? What would I do? What would I say? I could not bear to watch any longer, so I turned to the ghosts and told them to follow me into the forest. Maybe if I pretended to be oblivious of the matter, no one would blame me. But was that actually the right thing to do?

I was soon ready to find out, as the structure wasn't the only thing the fireball had kindled ...

Chapter 5: Angry

Apparently, a few hotheads (pun intended) who resided in that area ... farmers from the beyond the town, had seen every little thing. They ran at me and the ghosts and waved their hands in the air. One of them was holding a pitchfork and the other a shovel.

" What are you doing there, girl?" one of the farmers said.

" Are you nuts?! You destroyed everything, you dumb, little ..."

" I'm sorry!" I yelled back.

One of them came really close and threatened me with his weapon. He was raving. I had never seen anybody so furious before. The farmer was wearing a blue outfit and a set of black boots. His hat was scruffy and the ends of his pitchfork were exceptionally sharp.

" Why are you with these beasts?" he asked. "Look at what you've done. You are a disgrace to the town."

But then I got defensive. "They are NOT beasts," I said. "They are kind creatures that are just misunderstood. You have not the slightest idea how intelligent and skilled they are. They can a lot more than you think."

" I don't care what you say, girl. I am going to tell the whole village, and when they become aware of this, they will punish you. And don't rely on a light punishment. It will be severe."

" Fine. Then I will not go back," I said. "Come on, pals. We're out of here."

That surprised the farmer. He looked at me with huge eyes ... speechless because of my last remark. The other farmer, who was out of shape, finally caught up and asked while panting, "Hey ... wha-what's going ... on?"

" She says she won't come back to the town," the farmer said. "I do not know if she means it or if she is just bluffing. Either way, we'll be rid of her. Do I look like I care?"

The other farmer disagreed. I heard it from a distance, despite the fact that I was already far away. He argued that I was only a teen and that my mom would be trying to find me. But neither of them wanted to follow me and discover where I was going. Maybe that was for the very best. I disliked the villagers. They never accepted me. I had finally found my home: With the ghosts in the forest.

And that's where I remained, at least for the time being. I wasn't returning that night, and I didn't care. I looked at the ghosts. Some of them sobbed. They sympathized with me.

Chapter 6: Not Good

That night, I didn't leave the forest. I crawled under a bush and put my coat over my body. I had never stood still at the fact that ghosts needed their sleep too. I had never seen them sleep. I watched as some of them dropped off to sleep on branches and others behind rocks.

The child ghost was still my favorite. It was lovable to see it coming towards me and giving me a hug.

" I love you too, buddy," I said with a smile, closing my eyes while accepting it.

I didn't sleep much that night. I heard all types of strange sounds. I was afraid. This was my first night in the forest. I heard an owl fly by, and I am pretty sure something strange or unsafe was making the leaves rustle in that bush in the corner. I shivered. I didn't like this. I thought I ignored how homesick I would become if I kept away from home in an unidentified place ... well, unknown at night. I had been coming here every day during the day.

One of the ghosts observed my worry and came closer. The ghosts were radiant a little in the dark and having them near me made me feel more secure. The ghost remained awake and hovered above the ground by my side, waiting for me to fall asleep.

Eventually, I fell asleep. The fatigue had overcome me.

But in the middle of the night, I got up. I looked around me. All the ghosts were asleep. They were radiant a little, but besides that, it was pitch black. No streetlights in the forest ... that was apparent.

I heard something. Something was coming closer. I crawled back and ended up under the bush I was hiding under. Then I saw it. Eight red eyes were shining in the unknown blackness of the night. It looked dreadful. No ... wa-was it one of those enormous spiders? Wou-would it try to eat me?

I panicked and woke up the ghost next to me, elbowing it in the face. The ghost arose with a shock and looked at me with a mean face, nearly not acknowledging me initially. Then its facial expression changed when it saw that it was me. But the ghost was also knowledgeable about the fact that there was something wrong with me. I was terrified and I looked at the red eyes which appeared from the shadowy corner of a tree trunk. Shivering while looking at it, I gradually raised my arm and pointed at it.

The ghost turned around and instantly found what was going on. I could see the anger in its eyes. How dare this spider threaten me, the ghost girl? Without doubt, the ghost spat a fireball at the disgusting monster. The burning ball hit the eight-legged creature in the face, and not too long after that, it disappeared from our sights.

What a fantastic ghost! It had safeguarded me and saved my life. I gave it a kiss, even though it felt kind of amusing.

Chapter 7: The Way to Be

The next day, I got up by chirping birds. The sun rose and a bright brand-new morning was going to be full of surprises. The first surprise was somebody calling my name.

" Caroline!”

Was that my mom? The ghosts were all awake now, and they were surrounding me like a protective shield.

" It's okay," I said. "I think it's my mom. Moooom!”

" Oh, Caroline. I am so glad you're okay. I have been searching for you for hours. Why did you run away from home?"

" Well, I accidentally burned down the farmers' barn, and since a lot of people do not accept me in that town anyhow, I thought I would just keep away. It made more sense to me. Nothing personal towards you. I just do not know what to do."

She embraced me and held me tight to her chest. "It's good nothing happened to you. |Don't you think it's a little risky to be in the forest by yourself?"

" By myself? Who says I am here by myself?"

My mother looked around her. The 30 ghosts had increased, or so it appeared. More of them had shown up from the volcanic mountain. I had not observed it before either, but when my mom gazed at the flying fire creatures, I quietly counted them and came to the number of 58. Wow. More and more were joining our little get-together.

" D-don' t they assault you at all?" Mom asked.

" Of course not," I said. "They are perfectly safe ... well, around me at least, and it seems like they feel rather comfortable around you too."

" Fantastic."

We looked at the ghosts a little bit longer. Some of them were flying in circles, others were spitting fireballs at the river, and the closest one to us, the child, began flying around my mother, observing her with all the curiosity that a baby possesses.

" Anyhow," my mom continued. "You cannot stay here. Please get home with me. I will explain to them that it was just an accident, and I am sure they will leave you alone."

At first, I refused, but I wasn't persistent enough, and Mom was proficient at convincing. She did that thing again where she looked me in the eyes and pled me to come along. Eventually, I gave in and followed her to the town.

But it wasn't how it used to be. Even my mom didn't know about this. When we arrived at the village, huge spiders were all over ... tons of them. They were crawling on rooftops and breaking doors. They were jumping on lights and rolling through windows. It was chaos ... total turmoil.

" Aaaaarhg!" we heard from one corner.

" Eeeeeeh!" we heard woman shriek.

Everybody was panicking. Spiders were pursuing villagers, guys were fighting them off with silver swords and iron pickaxes, and women and children were hiding behind the walls, hoping not to be seen by these hairy devils.

My mom and I didn't say a word. We could barely actually believe our eyes. The damaging scene before our eyes was the material of nightmares.

When I came to my senses, I tapped my mom on the shoulder. "I am going to get the ghosts," I said.

She stared at me for a 2nd and after that said, "Go! You are our only hope!”

I didn't wait. I ran to the forest, turning left and right in an effort to find the best faster ways to the river location where the ghosts were. When I showed up, I had to catch my breath.

" Ughh ... heeheee ... The town ... pfew ... is ... under ... attack," I said, trying to speak but struggling to find the air to do it.

The ghosts gathered around me. They were all there. I paused for a moment and told them the rest. "Spiders are all over the village. I know the villagers don't like you, but this is your chance to prove them wrong. If you can go there without burning any other buildings, or worse, people's houses, then follow me and kill these spiders once and for all!”

The ghosts moved sporadically in enjoyment, comprehending totally what needed to be done. I took guts, shook my head, and ran back to the village. Luckily, the damage was down to a minimum, but if I had waited any longer, it could have been catastrophic.

The ghosts flew in. It was war. They spread all over the village and spat fireballs at the spiders, aiming to their best capability and eliminating many.

I was there. I commanded ghosts to go here or there, and I more or less felt like an omnipotent woman, controlling and ordering the forces of nature around me. The little baby ghost was there too. I watched as it quickly cremated a massive spider in front of me.

" Good going, pal!" I cheered. "That was extremely remarkable!”

The child ghost practically blushed a little. It was so cute!

" Good job! Keep going!" I said, encouraging it a little.

One spider was going to pounce on a little girl when a ghost appeared in front of it and burned its face with an extremely hot flame. Other ghosts were flying above the rooftops, looking for the spiders that were closest to the villagers or knocking some tarantulas to the ground. The slaughter was in our favor. Spider corpses were piling up on the streets and the remainder fearfully scooted away, leaving the town and never looking back.

Success was ours! The ghosts had saved the city!

Chapter 8: Better Acceptance

When all the spiders were either removed or killed, chased away or roasted like a barbecue, the ghosts were surrounding me. Gradually but definitely, all the villagers came to the main square, curious to see what had just happened.

They saw me.

More than fifty ghosts were flying around me in circles, alert to the fact that anyone may still threaten me. I was their friend, their relied on partner ... their supreme leader.

I watched several villagers come closer. The farmer was in advance ... the exact same farmer who had been scolding me near the barn. He took off his hat and said sorry.

" I am sorry for suspecting you and your friends," he said. "You saved my family and my home from those horrible spiders. I owe you thanks."

" Oh, it was nothing," I said. "Always happy to help. I'm sorry I burned your barn to the ground. It was never my objective to do so."

" I totally understand," he said. "Consider us even."

" Sounds good to me," I said.

Mother came too. She gave me a hug after kicking away a dead spider in front of her feet. The garbage man took a snow shovel and dragged some other carcasses away. It was pretty horrible, but everyone felt like celebrating, and later I was told that there had been no fatalities.

The other villagers approached me, carefully treading the area where the lots of ghosts were still circling in the air. But something that stood apart ... somebody who moved forward out of the crowd, caught my attention: A pretty face I instantaneously recognized.

It was Abbott.

" That was truly cool, Caroline," he said.

I was surprised he even knew my name. The butterflies in my stomach got wilder and wilder. He was so handsome. Wow!

" Perhaps we can go do something fun. How about tomorrow?"

" I 'd like that," I said. "Any ideas?"

" Well, I thought of heading to the forest, and after that you can show me what else these ghosts can do. I sort of like them."

I smiled. The boy of my dreams was asking me on a date, I had just saved the town and had been accepted by a lot of the people there. The ghosts were still my good friends and I felt more confident than ever. This was the best day of my life!

THE END