A World Alone (Dead World Series Book 1) (12 page)

"I'm not gonna let her kill me," he says again. I glance at the
lighter in his hand, his thumb already resting on the wheel, waiting to ignite
it. I'm too far away to wrestle it from him.

"Don't do this, Joey," I tell him. But he isn't listening, his
eyes have moved to Rocket.

"Say goodbye to your bus, bitch." His thumb snaps down and a small
fire bursts from the lighter. Like a hand it reaches towards the side of the
bus.

"JOEY NO!" I shout, but it's too late.

The flame licks the wall of the bus. Catching a stream of lighter fluid, it
spreads like wildfire, the side of the bus painted with its blaze in seconds. I
stagger back from the flames that are already thrashing madly out at me.

Turning from the heat, I see Rocket, watching on in horror as the fire
spreads to the hood of the bus. The flames dance in her eyes as she watches.
She turns to me.

"Get back!" she yells, pointing. "Get back!"

I hear a low
hiss
amidst the cackle of the fire and turn to see the
group of fireworks, packed precariously into the gas cap now surrounded by the
flames.

One ignites. Shooting off it whizzes past my head before turning upwards and
bursting in the air. I stare at the green and purple lights dancing in the sky,
fighting for dominance with the growing smoke. I almost fall over when a hand
grabs my shoulder and jerks me back.

Rocket is pulling me away. I turn with her and limp a distance towards the
hall, ducking as I hear another firework go off. A loud hissing crackle begins
to scream from the bus. I turn around just in time to see the remaining
fireworks erupt simultaneously.

An array of colors burst from the gas cap, like a waterfall, sparks bouncing
off the pavement.

The bus is engulfed entirely when it explodes. A wave of heat is thrown out,
the force of it making us stumble. The entire bus is thrown almost three feet
in the air as every window shatters, glass flying in all directions. A ball of
flame lifts from what remains of the vehicle and dissipates in the air as the
tree above it catches alight.

Creaks and groans emanate from the bus as it settles back on the ground.

I glance up at the sky, my jaw falling slack as the nerves in my body seem
to go numb.

A pillar of black smoke billows from the wreckage, already darkening the
clouds above it. Its jet black body a beacon as it reaches towards the heavens,
standing out like ink in clear water. The blue of the sky welcomes its
presence, darkening with its embrace.

I think of how I can run with my leg, because I know that every infected in
California is going to see that smoke.

And they are probably already running.

CHAPTER
EIGHTEEN

Stella

The drive has been awkward, if not uneventful. Gale
seems incapable of holding a conversation, or unwilling. But I don't mind. He
stutters incoherently too much when he does speak, as though he's afraid to
talk to me.

I sigh, remembering the days when social rejection was a very real and
prominent fear. How he has managed to maintain that anxiety despite everything
that has happened is a mystery to me. He shouldn't be worrying about
socializing, not when half the world is trying to kill him. I throw a glance
his way, sitting in the passenger seat with his hands neatly folded in his lap.

I don't know why he even bothered to come with me. Every time I have stopped
to light a firework, he's stayed in the car. He tells me it's so he can keep a
lookout for any infected, but I know the real reason is that he's too afraid to
get out. I try to imagine how he has survived this long, acting the way he
does; but I can't. There's no reason for him to be alive. I had thought that
the cowards had died out long ago.

Except for the parasitic ones, I think. And then I realize that that must be
what Gale is, a parasite, leeching off the help of others to survive. He
wouldn't last an hour on his own, but I suppose that doesn't matter as long as
he's got a group to keep him alive.

I wonder how many people have died protecting him, and how I'm going to make
sure that I'm not one of them.

Looking over my shoulder I see that we only have one firework left. The job
has gone smoother than I thought it would. If I had known it was going to be
this easy, I wouldn't have put up such a fight.

Although stealing the car is still a formidable thought in my mind, I’ve
decided that it would be pointless after all this. Logan should be appeased now
that I've helped them out, or he'd better be. One of the main reasons I had
changed my mind was so that I could keep him.

It's no lie that my chances of survival increase significantly if I have him
around, acting as my shield; the first line of defense. I think about this, and
wonder if that makes me a parasite, no better than Gale.

No
, I conclude, giving a light shake of my head. I'm not useless like
him. I wouldn't cower in a corner like I imagine he would.

Thinking about it annoys me. How he's nothing but a freeloader, coasting
along on other people's hard work. I glance at the last destination that Aaron
has marked on the map and realize that we should be there in ten minutes.

I decide that I'm not going to let him sit in the car. If Aaron wants him to
toughen up, he isn't going to get anywhere by sitting in the car while I do all
the work.

"Last firework," I say, driving the car round a sharp turn in the
road. "Why don't you light it?"

In my peripheral vision I can see his eyes widen, his glasses magnifying
them into two large saucers. Already his hands begin to shake.

"Oh!" he exclaims, as though someone had pricked him with a
needle. "Oh, I, uh— I don't think that's such a good id—"

"Great!" I interrupt, realizing that if I'm going to get anywhere
with him, it'll be through sheer force. I think of how Aaron didn't give him a
chance to say no when he asked him to come with me, and how that had obviously
worked, because if it hadn't he wouldn't be sitting next to me.

Which might have been preferable.

Digging into my pocket, I throw him the lighter, trying not to smirk as he
fumbles to catch it.

"I just really don't think—"

"You'll be fine," I cut in again, not wanting to hear him ramble
about how afraid he is. I pull the car off the road, parking next to a small
hill. We haven't quite reached the destination that was marked on the map, but
I figure this should be good enough.

I don't wait for him to get out first. Instead I turn in my seat and grab
the firework before getting out of the car. I stretch my legs out in front of
me before climbing the small mound of dirt, kicking at the soil to loosen it
up. I try to ignore the fact that Gale hasn't gotten out of the car yet as I
stab the firework into the ground, pointing it straight up towards the sky.

All the guy has to do is light the damn wick.

I've encountered children braver than him. I look around the spot that we've
parked, on the side of the road in the middle of nowhere. I don't see any
infected, so I walk down from the hill, needing only a few steps to get back to
the car. I open the passenger door and look down at him. He isn't even looking
at me; he's staring ahead, swallowing the visible lump in his throat.

"Are you coming?" I ask, trying not to let my impatience show. He
doesn't reply straight away, instead he stares ahead for another minute before
slowly craning to look in my direction.

"I-I think you should do it." He tries to hand me the lighter, but
I grab his wrist instead and yank him out of his seat. He stumbles, his long
legs awkwardly caught in the car as his upper half falls to the ground. He
sputters out a yell, but I ignore him, pulling him to his feet.

I swat away the dust that he's kicked up, blinking it from my eyes. Dirt has
streaked itself across his white shirt, and he grimaces down at it in disdain.
Glaring up at him, I throw a finger out towards the firework standing on top of
the small hill.

"Go and light the firework!" I demand, feeling rather foolish for
having to wrestle him from the car. He looks over to the hill and I pause,
wondering why I'm bothering to help him at all.

There's nothing for me to gain. There's no reason for me to even bother. I'm
not his teacher, and I don't have to be. He looks back to me and I realize that
he isn't going to do it.

A spark of annoyance flares up inside of me, but is doused when I remind
myself that it isn't my job to teach him.

"Fine," I sigh through gritted teeth, snatching the lighter from
him, "I'll do it." I brush past him, making sure to hit him with my
shoulder as I go. He makes a noise but I don't bother turning to look back at
him. Instead I climb the hill and light the wick of the firework.

I step back as it begins to sizzle, the wick quickly burning away until it
reaches the base and shoots upwards. I glance up, watching it burst, bright
colors surging out in different directions, like the petals of a blooming
flower. I look down at Gale from atop the hill and throw my hands out at him.

"Was that so hard?" I ask. His body is already turning to get back
in the car when he looks up at me, his eyes widening considerably.

"Look out!" he yells. My brows pinch together at the panic on his
face. I'm about to ask him what's wrong when I feel a sharp pressure digging
into my right leg.

My eyes snap down to see a hand clasped around my exposed ankle, its brittle
nails already digging into the skin. I try to jump forward, attempting to
dislodge its grasp but its hold is too firm and I find myself losing balance.
The lighter flies from my hand as I fall from the small hill, my arms whipping
out in front to cushion the impact.

The ground is hard where I hit it.

A panic has settled over me now as I try to crawl away, but can't.  I
look back at the infected man that has grabbed me, its body pulled halfway over
the hill when I fell. Its teeth, black from previous meals are gnashing wildly
at my foot.

I kick my leg out at it, the heel of my boot striking it on the crown of its
bald head. I don't expect its skull to crack under the pressure, but it does,
the sharp bone already protruding through the skin.

"Gale!" I yell as my boot sinks into its temple, doing little to
deter it. "Get the baseball bat!"

I pull my leg back and kick it in the face again, its nose snapping out of
place. "Gale!" I scream.

I don't have to look to know that he isn't doing anything. He couldn't even
light a damn firework. He's probably sitting in the car, ready to drive off
without me.

I kick out at it again, the tip of my foot striking it under the chin. Its
grasp loosens the slightest bit as dark blood spurts from its open mouth. I
pull my leg free and grab wildly at mounds of dirt, dragging myself away from
it.

My stomach drops at the sight of blood, trickling from my ankle.
No
,
I think, the word quiet in my mind. I can't be infected, I can't be. I'm about
to lean forward and inspect the wound when the infected begins to push itself
up from the ground. I jump back, grabbing onto the cars bumper to help lift
myself up.

Gale stands frozen by the side of the car, his spindly arms wrapped around
his body. I try to pull the trunk open, but it refuses. I left the keys in the
car. I turn to get them when the infected reaches me, its hand wrapping itself
around my wrist this time. I snatch myself away before it has a chance to get a
grip.

"The keys!" I yell to Gale. "Get me the keys!" I slam my
palms against the infected man's torso. He stumbles back a few steps but
remains resolute. I turn to find Gale standing stock still and watching the
exchange with wide eyes. "Get me the fucking keys, Gale!" I scream,
slamming my hands down on the car.

He hears me this time, the noise jolting him awake as his attention snaps to
my palms splayed out on the trunk. With his head bobbing in short, stuttered
nods, he climbs into the car, reaching for the keys in the ignition. I turn
back to the infected and kick it in the stomach just as it is about to reach
me. Its belly feels squishy and full, like it has had a meal recently. I cringe
at the sensation.

"H-h-here!" Gale stutters, leaning out of the car, the keys
dangling in his hand. He chucks them towards me but his throw falls short and
the keys land in the dirt beside the car. Ducking down, I scoop them up and jam
them into the lock.

Its hand falls on my shoulder as I pop the trunk open, its nails gouging
into my flesh. Its head is nearing my neck when I grab one of the baseball bats
and swing it out randomly. The bat makes an impact with its crown, forcing its
face away from mine. I take a step away and thrust the end of the bat into its
chest, knocking it over.

It's writhing around in the dirt, kicking up a storm of dust when I swing
the bat down on its skull. The bone crunches under the metal, fragments of
blood and cartilage bursting in every direction. It moans and I swing again,
and again, and again. I keep swinging until nothing is left but a distorted
pool of blood, its features indistinguishable save patches of skin and shards
of bone sticking out in random directions.

I huff out a breath, standing over its corpse. The bat slips from my grip as
I drop to the ground, pulling the leg of my jeans up. I prod at the small cut
on my ankle, wiping away the stream of blood that has formed. Relief washes
over me as I realize it isn't a bite.

It isn't a bite,
I think again,
the words soothing me.

"Stella?" Gale asks, his voice still a quiver. I hear his
footsteps crunching in the dirt as he walks around the car towards me.
"Are-are you al—" he stops short as he catches sight of the infected
on the ground. He stumbles back as I stand up.

"Oh my god," he mumbles, his body practically caving in on itself.
"There's so much blood!" His body snaps like a twig as he bends over,
vomiting. I glare at him, a rage building inside of me.

"No shit, Gale! Why don't you paint a picture with it, maybe that way
you'll be useful!" I shout. His eyes widen at me, his lower lip trembling
as he thinks of something to say.

"I-I-I-"

"You what?" I ask, stepping forward and shoving him against the
car. "You fucking what!"

His skin has withered into a shade of pale I didn't think possible.

"I almost died because of you!" I yell. He's bowed his head now,
his lips quivering more ferociously. His entire body is shaking so much that
he’s practically convulsing. I want to hit him, but I restrain myself. He
sniffles and I realize that he's on the verge of tears.

"A parasite," I sneer, "that's all you are."

I'm about to say more when I hear a soft boom, like the sound of distant
thunder. I turn towards it, my brows pinching at the sight of black smoke.
Another soft boom follows, and I can just make out the dazzling colors of a
firework amidst the darkened clouds.

"Is that. . ." The words trail off as another firework goes off,
the smoke reaching out like a hand into the sky.

"The school," Gale finishes for me, his glasses pulled down to the
tip of his nose as he peers over them. I look back at him, confusion and dread
mixing together and making me feel unwell.

Something bad must have happened, I think. Something really bad. I stagger
back from Gale, my mind already reeling at all the possible scenarios. Before I
even have time to form a plan, I'm running round the side of the car, shutting
the boot and taking the keys. I'm in the driver’s seat when another firework
goes off, its color dancing with the smoke, fighting against the blue of the
sky.

I've jammed the key into the ignition when Gale slides in, his hands shaking
profusely and tears streaking his cheeks.

"W-we have to hurry!" he says, fidgeting with his seat belt. My
hand pauses on the wheel as I pull the car back onto the road.

The smoke, it's going to attract every horde in the vicinity. The school
will probably be overrun by the time we make it back. My foot hovers above the
accelerator, my panicked mind struggling to form a coherent plan.

"Why aren't you driving?" Gale squeaks beside me.

I have a car
, I think. That's all I need. I don't need to go back to
the school. I can ditch Gale somewhere and drive the rest of the way. My grip
tightens around the leather wheel as my mind strays to Logan. I don't need him,
not if I have a car. I spit the words out before my mind has a chance to
change.

"I'm not going back," I tell him, turning the car around.