Chasing Colorado: (The Zombie Zovels #2) (19 page)

“Yeah I'll deal with it in a minute.”

“Where are you gonna sleep?” I asked.

“Wherever you are.” he answered.

I tried to stop my lips from curving up into a smile but it wasn't happening.

“Uh.. will Chestnut be okay?”

“You named her?”

“Well, yeah, I thought we should give her a name seeing as she's coming with us. She is coming with us, right? You're not planning on eating her for lunch tomorrow?”

“No, I draw the line at eatin' a horse.”

“Good.”

“I'm just gonna put out the fire and I think I'll clean up in the stream, then I'll join you.”

I left Drew by the fire and walked up the slope and got settled next to the tree. I was warm but I felt vulnerable, afraid of being bitten by a snake or more bugs, so I yanked my hoodie on and pulled up the hood. While I was organizing my bag and turning it into a makeshift pillow, I looked back to see Drew with his T-shirt off.

My eyes lingered a little longer than they should have on his defined muscles. For a skinny person, he sure had a lot of muscle. He caught me watching him and I felt my cheeks flush red. I looked down at the ground and fiddled with my boots.

“Hey,” he said, coming to a stop in front of me, still shirtless.

“You got that shower gel?”

“Um.. yeah, it's uh, it's in here.” I stuttered, trying to get the bag open but I had suddenly forgotten how to work basic zips. I heard Drew chuckle under his breath but he quickly stopped and cleared his throat.

“Here,” I said, holding it out to him, trying not to stare at his washboard abs that were begging to be touched. I even caught a glimpse of a skull tattoo peeking out from the top of his pants which were hanging ridiculously low on his hips, it was one of those Day of the Dead skulls surrounded by flowers.

“Can I borrow the deodorant as well?”

“I thought you didn't wash?” I said, hiding my face while searching for the deodorant that had suddenly vanished.

“Chuck us some clean socks and grab those boxers as well, unless you're planning on wearing them.”

“Err no. I washed my underwear out back at the cafe and let it dry overnight.”

“Did you? You never said.”

“I didn't know I had to inform you about my underwear.”

He took the floral boxer shorts from me while I continued looking for the deodorant.

“I think I'll wash mine out and let them air dry. These are too small, how tight does he want his undies?”

I could feel my face getting redder and redder, and in the end, I just tipped the bag upside down and jiggled all the contents out. The deodorant fell out along with a load of tampons, which only added to my red face. He quickly scooped up the deodorant and went back to the stream while I busied myself picking up all the items I had scattered everywhere. After I had reorganized my bag, I looked over to see Drew crouched beside the
water's edge, washing his socks out. The sun was still setting and the orange and pinks reflected in the stream, and I found myself memorized by the way they glistened in the water. My eyes drifted further down the stream to Drew again... and I noticed the way his muscles rippled on his arms, and the way he had a habit of flipping his hair out of his eyes. I quickly shook those wild thoughts from my head. I think I was having withdrawal symptoms from Lane. I wasn't usually one to ogle boys, no matter how sculpted their abs were, or how the color in their hair made their blue eyes stand out even more, and how good they looked shirtless with such an amazing tan...
Alex, what are you thinking? Wait.. what is he doing now...?

I had to look away when he started unbuttoning his pants. Did he not care that I could see him? Or was he not expecting me to be gawking at him like some hormonal teenage girl.

I quickly angled myself away from him and faced the tree, resting my head on the bag and pulling my legs up. But the tree was the last thing I wanted to be looking at. I had to resist the urge to take a sneaky peek over my shoulder. Instead, to distract myself, I unzipped the side of the bag where I had put Josh's wallet. I flipped it open and looked at the photograph, reminding myself what Josh looked like. With each day that passed, it felt as though I was forgetting what everyone looked like. I was used to seeing them every day, now I was having a hard job remembering what color eyes Lane had, or how Josh looks when he's pulling that stupid grin of his. I slipped the wallet into my hoodie pocket and waited for Drew to come back.

After a very, very long wait (probably only ten minutes or less), Drew dropped his bag beside the tree and sat down next to my feet with his back against the tree.

I peeked out from behind my hood.

“Nearly didn't recognize ya, I thought those dirt marks on your skin were permanent.” I said, looking at how well he scrubbed up, he'd even washed his hair and little drops of water were clinging to the ends. He shook his head, flicking water spots all over me.

“I thought you were asleep already.” he said.

Huh, not likely with all the crazy thoughts my mind was producing.

I shifted around, trying to get comfortable which was nearly impossible with the ground digging into my back, and I accidentally kicked Drew in my attempt to get comfy as he was in my leg space. I tried to stretch my legs but just kicked him again and my boot rested against his leg. I gave up trying to get comfortable and stayed in my scrunched up position not wanting to annoy him by nudging him every two seconds. Then Drew started moving around and a few seconds later he grabbed my legs and lifted them over his lap, then he scooted further along and rested his head back against the tree. Well, at least I was comfortable now, with half my body lying across Drew's lap. He rested a hand on my knee and I looked up at the branches above our heads, pretending Drew's touch on my knee wasn't sending me into meltdown. I dared a peek at him, he had his eyes closed. I didn't think he was asleep, or going to fall asleep anytime soon, I think he only pretended to be asleep to get me to go to sleep, then I think he stayed awake most of the night. The sun had almost disappeared but I could still hear the birds chirping in the trees. I closed my eyes and soon found myself drifting off to sleep.

I was awoken with a startle. Chestnut was grunting and snorting. I quickly sat up and reached for Drew but he was gone. Chestnut grunted again but I couldn't see her, I could only hear her as it was too dark and the moon was hidden by dark, foreboding clouds. I wouldn't normally reach for a flashlight in the middle of the night, but Drew was gone. Again! And Chestnut was restless, something had spooked her, and clearly it was
something
and not just the wind, which explained why Drew had disappeared to go and investigate.

I dug around in my bag and found the flashlight just as Chestnut neighed loudly. I quickly shone the light in her direction and caught a glimpse of her back legs as she galloped away having broken free. What was going on? And where was Drew? I reluctantly left my spot under the tree and tread carefully down the slope being very particular about what I was treading on seeing as there were snakes around here. I stopped at the stream and stood shivering in the cold night air. I think I was more freaked out than anything which was causing me to shiver and shake.

“Drew?” I whispered.

I shone the light down the stream in the direction Chestnut took off in but something across the stream caught my attention. Something was over there. Maybe it was Drew. I was probably getting worked up over nothing, he'd probably gone for a walk because he couldn't sleep, or he wandered off to use the bathroom. Just as I was about to go back to the tree I heard another noise from across the stream, coming from the trees. It sounded like a tree creaking. Creaking? Trees only creaked in the wind and there was no wind tonight, not even a light gust.

“Drew?” I said, shining the light across the stream.

I saw four bodies standing around the deer carcass. Drew had forgotten to get rid of it, and now four deadbies were fighting over it like a pi
ñ
ata, batting it backwards and forwards which was causing the branch above to creak. One of them noticed the flashlight and I wasn't quick enough to turn it off. I backed away and heard something groaning and splashing through the stream behind me. My eyes hadn't adjusted to the dark and I had to switch the flashlight on again. I shone it down the stream again and this time, I picked out the silhouette of more bodies, stumbling this way.

“Crap!” I said, spinning around and running back to the tree where our bags were.

“Drew!” I called.

I had already been spotted, I don't think shouting would make any difference, they knew I was here now.

I slung my bag over my shoulder and scanned the ground for Drew's bag but I couldn't find it, then I remembered the last time I had seen it was down by the stream when he was getting washed. I spun around and came face to face with... Drew, thank God!

“Gimme that,” He grabbed the flashlight from me and threw it toward the stream so the deadbies would chase after it. The only problem now was I couldn't see my own feet let alone where I was going. Then I heard
Chestnut, she was still close, snorting and neighing in distress, then I heard another neigh, it sounded horrible, like she was in pain.

I felt my feet carrying me toward the sound of Chestnut's distraught neigh.

“Alex, no! This way!” Drew said, grabbing my arm and pulling me away.

“But... the horse.”

“It's too late, we need to run. Alex, c'mon!”

I tried to leave with him but my feet were betraying me.

“Alex, don't think about it. Let's just go.”

He roughly pulled me away and we took off through the tall grass but were met by more deathly sounds and moans, we quickly changed course and started climbing the slope instead. This section was steeper than the area I had climbed yesterday, I had to actually grab onto chunks of grass to help me up. The higher we went the better chance we had of losing them, they weren't climbers.

As we climbed higher, I could hear Chestnut's neighs getting weaker and weaker until they stopped altogether. I forced myself not to think about it and pushed myself to carry on going. I was breaking a sweat by the time we reached the top.

“Where did they all come from?” I gasped.

“I dunno, they may have broken off from the other pack, but I think the deer blood attracted them.” he said, leaving my side and pulling himself up the last section of the rocky slope.

I didn't dare look over my shoulder knowing how high we were and how steep the drop was. My eyes were only just starting to adjust to the dark and I watched the back of Drew as he climbed over a rock and slid down the other side. I stood for a minute trying to catch my breath, I could hear them down below, trying to climb the slope to reach us.

“Alex, c'mon,” Drew said, looking at me from the top of the rock.

“Yeah, okay, just give me a sec, here take my bag.” I said about to take it off and throw it up to him.

“Alex! Look out!” he shouted, and I felt something grab onto my bag from behind me.

Suddenly my balance was thrown off and I began to wobble, and I found myself tilting backwards.

I tried to pull away but the deadbie hung on and I felt the straps of the bag slipping down my arms. I had two choices, topple backwards with the deadbie because it was stronger than me, or I could let go of the bag. I fell forward as the bag slipped down my arms and flew backwards over the slope with the deadbie. I landed on my hands and knees with a bump. I scrambled to my feet and quickly found Drew's hand that was waiting to pull me up. He pulled me up and over the rock and we both slid down the other side. Drew took off and I followed his outline and we hurried into the trees, but I stubbed my foot on a tree root and stumbled to the ground. Drew stopped, having heard me stumble, and rushed back to me.

“Oww!” I moaned, rubbing my knee before standing up. “It took Josh's bag with it.” I grumbled, annoyed, then I noticed Drew didn't have any straps over his shoulders. “Where's your bag? You didn't get it?”

“No, I couldn't get to it.”

“What happened? How did they all find us?”

“It must have been the deer blood, I completely forgot to get rid of it.”

“Where were you. I woke up and you were gone again.”

“I heard something in the trees and went to check it out. I thought those men had finally found us. But instead, I came across a couple of deadbies. I killed them and didn't think anymore about it, then when I came back to find you I was greeted by deadbie galore.”

“Well, couldn't you have killed the others like you normally do?”

“Did you not see how many there were?”

“I counted four near the deer, three or four in the stream.”

“Four in the stream? More like fourteen taking a paddle.”

“What!”

“Yes, and I only have five arrows left, we would have been surrounded, and not forgetting the others further along the stream we met up with.”

“So you think they were from the other pack then?”

“Possibly, that or the smell of blood draws them.”

“You told me we were safe out here, mainly 'stragglers', you said. Now we've both lost our bags that had our food and supplies in... and I got to hear a horse being turned into chow mein.”

“I'm sorry.” he mumbled.

I knew this wasn't his fault, I should have reminded him about the deer again. At least now we knew they could smell blood from a mile away.

“It's okay, we're okay. I can live without shower gel and clean socks.” I said, not wanting him to feel bad about it.

Then I felt my hoodie pocket and realized I still had Josh's wallet, it was all I had now along with Luke's knife I kept on my waist belt, and Drew's pocket knife which I now kept in my right boot for safety.

“Shit, I left my underwear back there as well.” Drew said.

“You'll just have to wear those flowery ones.” I said, reminding him he was still wearing Josh's underwear.

At that moment the clouds burst open and the heavens poured down on us.

Drew started walking, and I followed him, trudging through wet sludge. I couldn't believe how much rainfall there was in a matter of minutes. I looked up and nearly walked into a tree. I muttered a few curse words and Drew walked back to me.

“I'm fine.” I said, and without saying a word, Drew reached over and I
felt his fingers brush down my bandaged hand and intertwine with mine.

It was dark and I had no coordination, I would be stumbling around all night at this rate. We took off into the darkness and didn't look back.