Ellie

Sometimes a girl just has to be alone. Even in the middle of the Apocalypse.

Or was this technically post-apocalypse? I’d spent a good bit of my teenage years watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer with Mort and his parents, so I was used to there being more than one apocalypse. And Buffy had stopped each and every one of them. Unfortunately, we didn’t get a Buffy-like savior, and things looked pretty much like the apocalypse had gone off without a hitch, and we were now permanently living—no, surviving—in its aftermath.

Whatever. I just really needed to get away from everybody.

Even Oz.

So I told my friends that I was going to go see Oz. He lives right down the street, so it would take me no more than one or two minutes to walk there. There was no reason for anyone to have to come with me.

I knew that Teddy would buy it. Mort would definitely want nothing to do with going to see Oz—especially if it was me going to see Oz. I felt a pang of regret for how things went down with Mort. I guess I always would.

Now, Wood on the other hand, might want to escort me there. Or would Wood even care? No, he would definitely care. Heck, he might want to go down there and stand guard to make sure that Oz didn't attack me.

His apprehension about non-humans was getting worse by the day. And we already had two non-humans in our group.

But, it turned out, Wood had already left to go see his own non-human love interest: Georgina.

So, I started my way down the block towards Oz’s house, and instead of turning into his yard and up onto the porch I ducked around the corner of the house, through the side yard, past old Mrs. Dickey’s peonies, and then out the backyard. Mrs. Dickey, the house’s prior inhabitant had been a widow since the 1970’s, and spent most of her time tending her lavish—though small—garden.

I knew Oz had said he would be out hunting small game to feed on, for blood, so I felt kind of brazen taking a trip through his yard.

But just in case my friends were watching me go down the street, they would be satisfied that I had gone into Oz’s house.

From there I just started walking.

No, I wasn’t out for a stroll. One didn't stroll around during an apocalypse. When you walked somewhere, you walked with intention. Plus, I brought out my baseball bat, swinging it in gentle circles with either wrists, warming up, just to be sure I was ready.

As I walked further and further away from the pizzeria, the more I got the sense that everyone was inside taking a nap. Other people—the few people that were still left. The stats box said there was only about 150 inhabitants of Mars now. And the monsters. There were no little monsters out, no big monsters out. There weren’t even any mid-sized monsters out either.

For some reason I found this lack of monster traffic perplexing. My fingers were really itching to bash something with my bat.

Maybe that was another reason I was out walking around alone. Maybe I just wanted to fight something all by myself.

Which, truthfully, was really stupid. There is strength in numbers, and I would tell any of my friends not to go out by themselves. They do, though. Every morning Mort goes out to patrol a two-block radius. He just calls it his morning stroll. And Teddy still goes out hunting all by himself, only his bow and arrows as back up.

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

Even Wood goes off by himself now, usually to spend time with Georgina. He said something about there being a doorway into another land nestled in Georgina’s house. He called it her shadow realm. I wasn't really sure what that meant. But from the things she seemed to be able to do, and usually on the fly, I believed she had the power to do something like that.

I kind of believe she has the power to put a love whammy on Wood, too. But truthfully I think he had it bad for her even before she showed up at that salt pile with her grenade.

I was walking past the smashed police station and abruptly got the distinct feeling something was watching me. This sent a shiver through me, making my heart beat faster. But the flash of fear I got from it evaporated almost immediately. I was itching for a fight. I was practically seething for one. I gripped my bat tighter and waited for whatever it was to come out to play.

In my peripheral vision I thought I saw something flash by me.

It was orange…

Then I heard a metallic bang from behind what was left in the police station. I gripped my back tighter, ready to throttle whatever was coming out to play.

And that's when I heard a chicken cluck.

No…

More clucking, and a couple more bangs from behind the building. My feet started to step back away of their own volition.

Not again.

Isn't there some kind of rule that you don't have to face the same overpowered monsters twice… in a row?

And that's when Clyde the electro-chicken came stomping out from behind the police station, all fluffy with feathers, and its eyes burning white with electricity.

I moved to run, but, in that exact moment Clyde’s head swiveled around, and those electrified eyes honed in on me.

Shiiit…

The chicken puffed up, his eyes blazing even brighter, and then… the damn thing Bu-bu-BUCK-AK!--ed, and a lightning bolt shot right out of its beak.

And right at me.

I dived behind what was left of a wrecked police cruiser, as the lightning exploded against the side of the car, and sparks showered everything around me. I even smelled asphalt burning.

Shitshitshit!

I jumped up to my feet, keeping myself low to the ground, and my bat in my hand just in case the damn chicken got close enough I could whack it—like Whack-a-Mole. Not that that would probably do much good, but you never knew.

I heard the scrape of Clyde’s talons on the ground as it came over to check out if I was dead or not. Besides getting electrified by the thing, he could very well pick me to death with that beak of his.

I starting to crab walk as I heard the chicken pad over to the front of the wrecked car. By the time it was at the front, I was at the back of the car, trying to keep as low to the ground as I could.

I really could use some help. This would be the perfect time for my vampire boyfriend to show up and save the day. But he was probably off hunting for small animals, so that he wouldn't be tempted to suck down on one of our friends.

Or me…

I shook that thought off. I had more than enough to worry about in the here and now.

But my mind wouldn’t shut up.

Or maybe he’s off imparting some kind of newfound vampire wisdom to the homicidal Miss Biddle.

I tried harder to shake these thoughts out of my head.

Focus! I needed to–

And that's when Clyde the electro-chicken jumped out from the other side of the car and right in front of me, his eyes wide, electricity sparking from his fluffy feather body, his talon-like feet gouging the ground, causing ruts in the already charred asphalt.

Oh God…

I really didn’t think I’d die… like this. Truthfully I thought I'd die like in my dreams, drowning in red water.

The damn chicken opened its beak, making clucking sounds as it revved up. And then…

And then something flew by from behind it, a flash of orange. I swear it grabbed ahold of the chicken’s tail feathers and gave them a really hard yank.

Whatever it was, it gave off a loud squeaking sound. obviously it was getting shocked just by touching the chicken.

The chicken whirled around, some of its tail feathers falling to the ground around it.

It took off at a dead run after whatever had just taken a bite out of its tail feathers.

Holy hell…

After it took off I heard the chicken making hysterical, angry noises. I heard bang after bang, as it must have sprung from one vantage point to another, probably car roofs and the tops of trash cans.

It took entirely too long for me to realize I should be up on my feet and running away.

“Get up!” I said out loud. “Get the hell up!”

I sprang to my feet and started to run away from the police station. I dared to look back over my shoulder—and abruptly stopped.

There was a large orange beast on the roof of the police station, standing there, just looking at me.

The thing was orange and white, and looked like…

It looked like a fox. But it was bigger than a fox would be.

My eyes honed in on something red on its chest. But just then I heard the ominous clucking of the electro chicken as it was trying to jump up onto the roof of the police station.

I only looked down for a moment, but when I looked back up, the fox was gone

Mr. Flox?

I pushed that thought out of my head and turned back towards the pizzeria, running as fast as I could.

For some reason, I didn't feel like I wanted to be alone anymore.