Chapter Six; New Developments

                                    

                                          
I gave Corey a pained smile. It had been so long since I had just sat down and watched a film. Just as it seemed to be getting easier to live in the apocalypse, something simple from the old way of life would come along and pull the rug out from under your feet. 
                          
"You know we can't waste power on stuff like that" I said with pained expression on my face. Corey shrugged regretfully and put the films down but kept the popcorn. Suddenly, a very loud bout of yelling erupted from the back of the shop. I dropped a basket I had filled with supplies as I ran towards the disturbance. I arrived at the scene and found Violet pointing a gun at a tall white man with brown hair, blue eyes, a short brown beard with a moustache to match. 
                          
"What's going on?" asked Corey as he ran up behind me. 
                          
"This guy was trying to steal our stuff" Violet growled. 
                          
"I wasn't, I swear, I was just trying to stay out of your way" The guy whimpered. 
                          
"Vi, put the gun down, he's not going to hurt us" I snapped. 
                          
"A dog won't hurt you while its muzzled, you take it off and it could rip your throat out" Violet retorted. I gave a frustrated sigh as I snatched the gun out of her hand. 
                          
"What are you doing here?" I asked the man. 
                          
"I've been corresponding with someone who believes they have found a cure to COVID X. I need to get to them with an infected specimen in order to give him a final test subject" The man said. I was fully taken aback. Just as I begin to truly miss the normal world, there could have been a way to get it back right in front of me. could I have just stepped back on to the rug? And if so, when could it be pulled out from under me? I had my answer. Gunfire began ringing through the air as sounds of panic filled my ears. 
                          
"If you're lying to me, I will pull out your intestines and use them as a lasso" I snapped, spinning on my heel and heading toward the front door of the shop. 
                          
"Run! Now!" I heard as I exited the shop. I found Abbie and Darcie running as fast as they could with two red-eyes behind them. I drew my pistol and shot the pair of them in the head. Abbie and Darcie ran up to me panting like dogs. Darcie was so exhausted, she even dropped to one knee.
                          
"Are you two okay?" I asked Abbie, who seemed more able to speak than Darcie. 
                          
"We're fine" Abbie said sorrowfully. 
                          
"She's gone" Darcie sobbed. I looked down to her and instantly felt my heart shatter into pieces. I felt as if I were going to vomit as a light headedness took over me and I felt as though I had just been spun around a thousand times. 
                          
"Shit" I said, leaning against the wall of the shop. 
                          
"We have to go" Abbie cried. I stood silent for a second until a shake of the head brought me back to reality. 
                          
"Yeah... yeah..." I said, becoming more alert of my surroundings, "Did you manage to get anything?" I asked. 
                          
"We dropped the supplies when we ran. They're still in the shop" Darcie stated. 
                          
"Shit. Okay, just grab everything you can carry from the shop and put it in the car. I'll come back alone tomorrow and get it all then" I said looking around frantically, keeping a look out in case the gunfire drew in the dead. 
                          
"We're not leaving yet" Violet said as she walked out of the shop behind me, accompanied by Corey and the stranger. "We'll go and get the supplies right now. These two can get the supplies from the shop, Corey will guard this guy" Violet said, pointing to the stranger.
                          
"My name is Jeffrey Sparks" The stranger winced. 
                          
"Lovely to meet you" Violet said with a smile, "Now shut up" She growled, her face turning sour immediately. She turned to me and raised her eyebrows. I chuckled and nodded back. We began walking down the street towards the hardware shop where the girls had begun gathering supplies,