Five

Ty had barely moved the trunk of the tree two feet when the first infected sprinted from its hiding place.  Steve brought it down with one shot, but the loud bang that filled the air made me wince.  Even with the sound of the pouring rain, every infected within a mile would have heard the report.

Ty heaved at the trunk again.  Something moved in the trees behind him.  The dead infected hadn’t acted alone.

A herd burst into view, and Steve swore.  Even the best shot in the world couldn’t provide enough cover to allow Ty to drag the tree the rest of the way off the road.  Ty seemed to realize that, too, because he stopped his efforts and ran for the car.

Both he and Steve ducked back inside and slammed their doors shut seconds before infected reached us.

“Back up,” Ty yelled.

Steve shifted into reverse and twisted in his seat to see out the back window.  Not that it did him any good.  The infected had already covered the car, rocking it back and forth as they beat against the sides and tried to push their way in.

Steve gunned it anyway.  The vehicle bounced as he ran over a few infected, then the back end dipped down.

“Shit!”  He slammed the shifter into drive.

“You ran into the fucking ditch.”

“Shut up.”  Tires made noise under my seat, but we didn’t move.

While Steve and Ty yelled at each other, I watched the infected that stared in at us.  Pale, milky eyes shifted from the two in front to me.  I knew I was looking death in the eye again and again.  There’d be no getting out of this mess.

“Don’t shoot through the window.  It’s the only thing keeping them out.”

I glanced at Ty, who was pointing his handgun at an infected staring at him through the windshield.  The car rocked forward in Steve’s attempt to get out of the ditch.  Over the rev of the engine, we heard infected beating on the windows and roof.

A clunking noise came from my right, like someone’s hand had slipped off the handle during an attempt to open the door.

“Lock the damn doors,” I said, adding to the noise.  “And untie me.”

The locks slammed down while the car continued to rock.  I could no longer tell if the motion was due to Steve’s effort or the infected’s.

The volume of groans outside the car increased, and blood exploded on the windshield.  For a moment, I thought Ty had lost control and fired, but there was no hole in the glass.

We all looked straight ahead at the blood smeared spot in the press of decaying faces.  One of the heads rolled out of sight, completely severed.

“Get us out of here,” Ty yelled.

Chaos broke loose outside the car.  Infected seemed to explode randomly, painting the glass with gobs of gore.  Between that and the continued downpour, I couldn’t see what else was happening.  But, whatever it was, it wasn’t good.

“What the fuck is out there?  Is it a hellhound?”  Steve fumbled for the windshield wipers.  The smear of blood and water only further obscured the view of dark shapes churning near the hood.

A familiar roar filled the air, and my mouth dropped open in disbelief.

“Untie me.”  I shoved my hands right under Ty’s nose.  He shoved me back, and I tried for Steve next.

“Untie me,” I demanded.

The low moans and grunts from outside stopped.  The soft, rapid swish of the wipers filled the inside of the car along with Steve’s panicked breaths.  We all stared straight ahead as a familiar, huge form slowly rose.

“Shoot him,” I said.  “Shoot him.”

Ty lifted the gun and fired.  The bang echoed in the car, making my ears ring.  But, I didn’t flinch away from the noise.  I couldn’t.  Frozen in my spot, I blinked at the empty spot where the grey man had stood.

“Where did it—”

The glass beside Ty’s head burst inward, and he was ripped from his seat.  The sound of his scream cut out, just like his words, as he disappeared through the gaping hole into the pouring rain.  The gun he’d held fell to the seat.

The engine idled, any attempt to get us out of the ditch forgotten, as Steve and I both stared at the broken rain-filled window.  My pulse thundered in my ears because I knew who was out there, but I still didn’t know what he wanted.

Glass shattered again and jolted me into action like a starting whistle.  I lurched forward, scrambling for the gun while Ghua slammed Steve’s head into the steering wheel.

When the door to my left opened, I twisted and fired without taking time to aim. It didn’t matter.  There was nothing there to hit, anyway.

From outside came Ghua’s disembodied voice, and he sounded angry.

“Eden, no.  Shooting hurts.”

Between one blink and the next, the gun disappeared from my grasp.  Panting, I inched backward.  With my hands and feet tied, I knew that escape wasn’t going to happen.  Yet, I couldn’t just sit there.

As I stared at the open door and the lashing rain, his face appeared.  Ghua.  Water ran down his face, washing away the blood and bits from his beheading spree.  The rivulets from the small temple braids weren’t enough to clean his gore covered shirt, though.  I shuddered at the gruesome sight of his brutal power.

His yellow-green eyes, with the vertical reptilian slit narrowed, locked on me.

“And, no more telling others to shoot me.  Do you understand?” he asked.

I nodded.

He held out a hand and beckoned me forward.  I almost shook my head in response; but after a quick glance at Steve, who was slumped forward against the steering wheel, I thought better of pissing Ghua off.  I did not want to end up like Steve.  Knocked out, I couldn’t try to run.

I awkwardly scooted forward.  Ghua’s gaze shifted to the rope twined around my wrists, and he scowled.

“Why did they tie you?”

“Because I didn’t want to go with them.”

He grunted and squatted down so he could pick the knot free.  I studied him as he worked.  His gentle, warm touch felt wrong, given the headless bodies lying on the ground just behind him.  Why did he keep coming back? I’d thought he’d left.

Once he had my hands free, I quickly untied my ankles while considering my options.  Go willingly and maybe get another chance to run, or balk and get conked over the head.  Or, worse, have my head removed.  Not much in the way of options.

When I looked up, Ghua had his hand out again.  My stomach quivered as I placed my hand in his.  He didn’t jerk me from the car as I expected but helped me out carefully.

The temperature and the rain leeched all the warmth from my hands and face within seconds.  Teeth chattering, I reached into the bag still slung over my shoulder and withdrew the wind breaker.  Holding it over my head, I looked up at Ghua.

“You are too cold.  You cannot walk.”

He looked down at his shirt, and I glanced at the car, wondering if he meant to drive it.  Steve moved in the front seat, and my eyes widened.

“Come, Eden.”

When I looked back at Ghua, he’d removed his gory shirt and had his upper body completely bare.

I started shivering harder just at the sight of him.

“Why aren’t you wearing your shirt?”

“Infected blood is dangerous to you.  It’s safer to carry you like this.”

“Carry me?  Why?  Where are you taking me?” I asked.  “Back to the house?”

My string of questions made me want to cringe, but he didn’t seem upset by them like Steve and Ty would have been.

“No,” Ghua answered.  “That house is not safe.”

Before I could ask something else, he scooped me up into his arms and took off at a jog.  I ducked my head against his bare chest and used the wind breaker as best I could to stay warm.  It didn’t help much.  While the water-shedding material did keep my head and face dry, rain soaked my jeans and numbed my skin within minutes.  I shivered hard in his arms and wondered if I’d die of hypothermia instead of something far more gruesome, like I’d figured.

The rain eased after another few minutes then tapered off to nothing.  I stayed tucked in the windbreaker, my cheek pressed against his shoulder, the only source of warmth.  Lifting my freezing hands, I set them against his chest.  He grunted but kept running.

Exhaustion pulled at me, and I fought to keep my eyes open.  I hadn’t slept enough in the last few days.  Between that and my dropping body temperature, I knew I was in trouble.

“I need dry clothes,” I said, my lips struggling to form the words.  “I’m too cold.  I need to warm up or I might die.  Please.”

The wind grew stronger, chilling me further.  I blinked slowly and turned my face further into Ghua’s chest.

“I see a house, Eden.  I will find you dry clothes.”

His steps slowed, and I heard the echo of his tread on the porch a moment before he leaned over and set me down.

“Stay here, Eden.  Do not wander.  You need to warm up.”

I managed to nod and listened to him break into the house.  A head went flying out the door, followed by another.  I closed my eyes, not wanting to see him clear out the infected.  However, my eyes refused to open again when I tried, and I felt myself drawn toward the compelling need to sleep.  To let go.

“Come, Eden.”  The rough, deep voice paused my descent into darkness.

Arms wrapped around me before I was gently lifted and cradled against a warm chest.  I listened to the door close and his footsteps as he moved around in the house.

Ghua set me down on something soft, and his hands immediately went to the zipper of my jacket.  As he worked it down, I struggled to remember why I should tell him to stop.  Sure, he had grey skin and eyes that freaked me the hell out.  And, he also liked to rip off heads and had very sharp teeth.  He probably wasn’t the most likely source of help.  But, in that moment, I couldn’t recall why anything mattered more than how cold and tired I was.  Did it really hurt to accept help every once in a while?

His hands pushed the jacket wide and gently worked my arms from the sleeves.  Then, he stopped touching me.

“You do not look like the children at Whiteman.”

Those words gave me the reason I should have undressed myself and started my heart beating harder.  Ghua thought I was a child, and that belief was keeping me “off limits” in his mind.  From what?  I didn’t know, and I didn’t want to find out.  However, I might not have a choice now.  He’d removed my jacket and could see that I had breasts because of the way I was laying on my back.

I strove to open my eyes and won the battle after a moment.  He was staring down at my chest, a confused look on his face.

“T-twelve is-s between ch-child and adult,” I managed to say.

He grunted and turned away from me to start looking through drawers.  I exhaled in relief when he found some pajama pants and a sweatshirt that looked like they would fit me.

I tried to sit up but couldn’t manage on my own because of the shivering.  Ghua noticed my struggles and put an arm under my shoulders to help me up.

“I c-can t-take it from here,” I said.

He nodded, set the clothes next to me, and with one last look, left the room.  I kicked off my boots, wondering what I would find when I peeled off my socks.  The toes weren’t black like I’d suspected, just really pale.  After a moment rubbing them, I stood and fought my way out of my wet jeans.  By the time they landed on the floor, I collapsed on the bed, ready to sleep.  The shivering had slowed but not because I was warm.

“Are you done changing, Eden?”

Ghua’s voice sounded much too close.

“I need just a second.”

Not daring to remove my wet underwear, I worked the pajama pants on an inch at a time.  The damp shirt came off next, quickly replaced by the dry sweatshirt.

“I’m done.”  I wasn’t sure if I said it to him or myself because I had no strength left to put on anything else.  I lay back down and closed my eyes.

“We cannot stay here, Eden,” Ghua said as soon as he walked in.  “There is no second floor and no electricity.”  I listened to another drawer open.  His warm hands picked up my feet.  “You are still too cold.”

“I know.”

He grunted and continued to hold my feet, slowly warming them.  Once they no longer felt like blocks of ice, he put two layers of fluffy socks on.  Then, he flipped the edges of all the bedding over me and wrapped me up like a taco.  I didn’t protest when he picked me up like that and walked out of the house.

The rain hadn’t started again, but the dark skies didn’t bode well for me staying dry for long.  Ghua immediately started running again.  I burrowed my head under the blankets and, against my better judgement, closed my eyes.

He didn’t let me sleep, though.  Over the next hour, he tortured me in various ways.  Sometimes he would start talking to me and wouldn’t stop until I answered.  Other times, he would uncover my face and jostle me while whispering my name.  The only way to make him stop was to open my eyes and glare at him.  His response to that was to touch his forehead to mine briefly and then bury my face in blankets again.

My blanket cocoon hadn’t really warmed me any.  I still shivered when I was awake, but that eased up each time I started drifting off.  I knew what that meant, just as I knew why, during that hour, he also set me down for a few minutes only to pick me up and start running again.

Finding a warm, safe place to crash for the night no longer mattered to me.  Just like getting warm no longer did, either.  I was giving up.  And, that was okay.

My teeth stopped chattering a few moments after he set me down for the umpteenth time.  I was on the cusp of giving into sleep when Ghua grabbed me up again and shook me a bit harder than necessary.

“We will stay here.”  Shake.  “Do you hear me, Eden?  I found a safe house with water and electricity.”  Shake.  “Open your angry eyes.  Now.”  Shake.

I gave in and opened my eyes to glare at him.

“Go away.”

“No.”  He leaned in and set his forehead to mine.  The warmth of his gusty exhale bathed my face.

“Do not close your eyes again.  You are too young to die.  Remember?”