Take me out

 

It was a horrible ride on the slow train to nowhere.

"That zombie was not completely dead," I said to Cole who marched on even as the sun shined in the early morning cold. At least we were alone out in the grassy ocean, getting farther from the railroad tracks.

"What the fuck does it matter?" Cole looked back at me as his dark hair fell across his long face. He was in a huff. I could see the air from his mouth. He held his sides. I knew he was over doing it. He was the last person I expected to be with, but we were at work when the zombie mob hit. We were lucky to be here. "Did you want to die, back there?"

"No." I swelled a frown and kept quiet. It wasn't like we were ready for some kind of catastrophe. I'd left my bag for such occasions under my bed. I didn't have time to get to it. I should have remembered, but things were so normal lately. The Nuclear reactor got the go ahead. I thought everything was fine, and suddenly I was on the run with a co-worker still in his tie, even if his jacket was long gone now.

At least I was in my trusty shoes, but I have to admit this prairie skirt didn't do much on the prairie. Still I kept going. Finally over the hill we found an abandoned school of some sort. Naturally, we sprinted for it as if we were on some survival show waiting to get our next clue.

Luckily, there was a vending machine. Suddenly I had an urge for a Twinkie. I fed the machine with quarters. At last, food. I shared with Cole who was out of breath. He sat on a bench in the hallway. I sat next to him, but looked up in time to see two guys in dark suits fly by us, around the corner.

Cole looked at me, as if I better leave it alone. I chewed slowly to enjoy the sweet goodness of the Hostess treat, and then I saw the wound on Cole's palm. What did that mean? Had  a zombie gotten him, after all? I tried my best not to question it.

Before I could think too much about Cole's predicument, there was someone by the vending machine. A blonde guy who looked too good to be true. He was digging in my purse that I'd left at the table by the vending machine.

"HEY!" I yelled. He'd snatched  my keys and took off running. I grabbed my bag and ran after him down the dark hallway. I was getting close. He took a turn down the stairwell.

"What are, YOU doing!" As if I was going to go home anytime soon. "Give me back my keys!" I never left things behind. It was just weird, yelling like this. Honestly, I would have never let my eyes meet his in a normal situation. Like, if we'd met on the street. Shyness was my nature.  I worked as the coffee girl, anyway.

He kept staring. I snatched my keys back. It was a brief encounter. I had no more to say to him, but soon enough I found people down below. Even families. Hiding. Waiting. Suddenly I felt so lost and was soon back up the stairs to find Cole. We were on our own, weren't we?

But it was too late. Cole was changing. His skin was a grey blue. He was starting to shake. Maybe foaming at the mouth. And I didn't know what to do.

"Cole?" I felt so bad for him. I wanted to cry. I actually knew him. Sort of. He was a loudmouth. Always talking about who he'd banged on the weekend and what clubs he could get into that left the rest of us in shame.

The blonde guy took him down from behind. He stabbed zombie Cole before he had a chance to say anything.

"Guess, you're with me, now." The blonde guy almost smiled.

I winced, thinking I really wasn't all that good with names. Did I even bother to find out his?