Short chapter because I think there's so much that goes on. However! Due to length of the sessions, I am working to make the chapters longer from here on out so double updates might not happen as often. Enjoy! 

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Seventy One |

The sun was setting by the time we reached the city. Automatically, my guard was raised, my hackles up. The highway was almost completely flooded with the undead and this time we had no car. It was only us and them.

"What your plan Jax?" I hissed annoyed.

Jax looked over at me chewing his lip, "There wasn't this many last time."

"Well now there are," Lisa snapped, "Plan. Now."

He didn't have one and very quickly the zombie heads were swivelling to face us. A undead woman with a ripped dress, guts spilling out reached towards me. I pulled my knife free smoothly, cutting off her head in one swipe.

"Alright love," Sebastian grunted kicking another back, "What's the plan."

My eyes flickered around us. I inhaled the stale, cold air slowly. More fingers reached towards me, Jax swung his sword. Sebastian snapped a neck. Lisa punched another, rotten teeth flew through the air. Time was a luxury we didn't have.

Then, like a firefly above my hair, I got an idea. My eyes locked on the closest building, a large apartment complex which loomed over the highway. It was risky but any other idea was suicidal. I grimaced, we'd have to move fast.

"Get to the apartment, up the stairs. We'll hunker down on the roof," I ordered.

Jax shook his head, "We'll be trapped."

I shot him a dirty look, "I asked for your plan. You didn't have one. Now it's my turn so move or stay here. I don't give a fuck anymore."

He decided to move. Wise of him. I shoved Lisa forward, swinging my knife. Another dropped, and we were moving. Jumping off the short, cement barricade of the side and onto grass. Lucky for us, we were moving away from the sea of undead and not towards us.

"Go!" I yelled as Lisa reached the doors first.

What used to be glass doors now was a gaping hole into the old building. Next was Jax, then myself and Sebastian. I made a mental note to scold him later, I knew he was taking up the rear to make sure we got in safe.

Idiot.

Lisa glanced back once, only to make sure we were all following her, before she was bolting through the lobby. Towards the set of stairs going up. The metal door was ripped open, and we were moving up the stairs. My breath was hard, sweat clinging to my body as we began the long climb up the stairs.

In front of us, a zombie stumbled towards Lisa from one floor. She let out a cry of surprise before ducking. Putting all her weight on her left foot, she pulled the zombie by the arm towards her before flipping him over her body. He went over the railing and down to the bottom level. I smirked with pride, my girl was good.

By the time we reached the roof, we had our own horde quickly climbing the stairs after us. As soon as I stepped onto the roof, Sebastian shoved me forward before pivoting on his foot and slamming the door shut. He grunted as the zombies on the other side pressed against it.

"Plan love?" he asked.

Jax moved quickly to help him. My eyes flickered around before I spotted the metal pipe. Shoving it into the door handle, the four of us stepped back panting for air. It was a close call, one that shouldn't have happened to begin with.

"Fuck!" Lisa screamed.

I spin, my eyes wide with fear. Across the roof five zombies lunged towards us. Lisa's gun went off. One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Each body fell onto the roof with an eternal slumber. Out of the corner of my eye I noticed another. I let out a scream, moving forward. The zombie grabbed her arm just as I grabbed the zombie.

I guess my foot tripped because one moment I was on the roof and the next I was taking the zombie and myself off the edge of the roof. A scream ripped from my throat and I found my gaze locking on the zombie in my arms. He looked just as surprised as I was.

"Eh love," a voice said above me, "If you drop the zom that'd be nice, you weigh as much as a peach, your friend does not."

Blinking, I realized Sebastian had somehow grabbed the back of my jacket and now I hung over the side of the roof. Below me many, many stories was a sea of the undead. Their hands raised as if to grab a hold of any of my dangling limbs, their dead hungry eyes noticing nothing but the warm bag of meat above them.

Almost in a daze, I dropped the zombie in my arms. As Sebastian pulled me up, I watched his body fall then get lost in the ocean. Once back on the roof, I giggled. Sitting on my ass on the roof, Lisa started giggling too before sitting besides me. Sebastian sighed loudly, laying on his back.

"I get it now," Jax chuckled softly from behind us.

I turned towards him confused, "What?"

He looked tired and worn out. His back against the door, sweat clinging to his face. Under the moonlight, he looked sad and tired. He was a good General but that was it. He didn't belong outside his town, definitely not fighting a horde of zombies.

"I get it now," he said softly, "I'm sorry."

I had no idea what he was talking about but I didn't care. It just seemed like more empty words. He'd apologize then act like a dick. Not to mention in this situation who knew what the man was thinking. So I didn't respond. I didn't have one.

"We should get some sleep," I said ignoring him, "Take rotations keeping guard."

Sebastian patted my leg, "You should sleep first. We need our fearless leader fully rested and ready to go if that door ends up not holding."

I couldn't argue with that. So, using my backpack as a pillow, I did my best to try and sleep. To my surprise, it wasn't long before sleep was falling over me. Exhaustion seeping into my aching bones, and peace falling over my wired mind.

When I opened my eyes, I was on a large, metal platform. A scream tore from my lips as my legs began to shake. Under me a sea of the undead, and in front of me a long, straight wire. I knew I must be dreaming but it didn't make this any more calming.

"Dance for me mommy!"

Me? The voice echoed through the air. My head turned wildly trying to pinpoint that voice that haunted my very core. Maxwell. I looked down at my body, at the lack of clothing. Gold, tight leather booty shorts and a matching bralette. My feet were bare and my long locks were pulled back into two pig tails.

"I said dance!"

I cried out as I was shoved forward by an invisible force. Onto the edge of the platform, just before the wire. My breath was coming out hard, tears flying from my face. Maxwell wanted me to fall, he wanted to watch me completely give up.

But I would not break. I would not fall. I would not fail.

So I held my head up high and closed my eyes. Then, I began walking. One foot in front of the other, I could feel the wire cutting into my bare skin. Blood falling, like rain upon the dead. I could hear their jittered groaned, and tortured moans. After what felt like hours, I reached the other side.

My eyes opened slowly, and I looked at the metal platform in front of me. Confusion fell over me. What? I stood on the platform and looked around. Sure enough, in front of me the stretching wire. I was back at the beginning. How would I get out of this?

"Dance! Dance! Dance!"

He was chanting now, like an infant tasting cake for the first time. It was then, I realized this dream was a loop. A loop of metaphorical value. One where Maxwell would make me walk across the wire forever with bleeding feet.

As if on cue, a shove came again but this time I turned. Grabbing the force and staring down. To my surprise, it was no man but a child. A boy wearing black overalls and holding a disturbing brown teddy bear that was missing it's head.

"Dance," he ordered, his grey eyes watching.

I shook my head, "No."

The innocent face distorted, rage filling him. His light brown hair began to fall out, his eyes turning red. He let out a high pitch scream. I let out a cry as my hands rose to protect my ears. I stumbled back, onto thin air. For a moment my breath was as smooth as the clouds, then I began falling backwards in slow motion.

The little boy stared off the platform and down at me as I began to fall into the sea of the undead. He grinned, tilting his head. His flesh decaying and his headless teddy bear began gushing blood. I refused to shut my eyes, I would not show my fear.

"So die for me mommy."

I fell hard into the sea.

But I didn't wake up. Not like I had expected. Instead, the zombies began to feast upon me. Fingers digging into my soft skin, pulling out my organs. I screamed, the pain unbearable. Teeth dug into my arms, my legs. My blood was smeared like face paint, my skin torn off like a candy wrapper.

"Mira!"

And just like that I was thrusted from my dream and back to reality. I let out a cry as my eyes snapped open. Sebastian was hung over me, his hands on my shoulders. Panic on his face. I couldn't catch my breath fast enough. My body freaked out as I shoved him back before inspecting my body. I was still in one piece. I was safe.

"I-I couldn't wake you up," he whispered distraught.

It took a moment but eventually I steadied myself. Catching my breath. My entire inner being wanted to break down and cry, never had I been in so much pain. But I didn't want to look so weak. Not when I was supposed to be their leader.

"I-I'm fine," I said, hating how my voice shook, "I-I'm ok."

"Love..." he trailed off.

I smiled playfully, "I like it better when you're trying to get into my pants."

He licked his lips, my eyes followed the action carefully. It was very...alluring. I swallowed a forming lump in my throat before looking away. To distract myself with whatever sudden attracting I had for him, I pushed myself up and looked around. The sun was beginning to rise. Lisa and Jax both seemed to be sleeping peacefully which made me frown.

I turned back to him, "Have you been keeping watch the entire time?"

"Don't worry love," he winked, "I'm not going to suddenly pass out on ya."

"That's not my concern," I snapped both angry and slightly panicked, "You need your sleep just as much as the rest of us. What if you become slowly cause of lack of sleep? What if you trip or get grabbed and die?"

He placed his hand on my head and smiled at me, "You can worry about the world, you can worry about all of your friends and yourself but you don't need to worry about me. I will never make you worry about me. I will stay by your side forever, I promise."

My eyes widened, my cheeks heating and I turned away, "Idiot."

Sebastian chuckled, "Let's wake the others up and head out. I'm guessing you already have a plan? Hell, I'd bet you had one yesterday too."

My eyes shifted to the roof closest to this one then the clear but risky path of roofs that lead all the way to the direction of the hospital. He was right, I did have a plan and I had it yesterday too. We would take a page from the Labyrinth and we'd carve our own path among the clouds.