It was maybe a ten or twenty minute walk through the wood before you came upon the town. When you'd exit you would see the backs of the small buildings that made up the town. There was nothing interesting inbetween town and the park, the woods were simply partially made trails and bugs aplenty.

The walk was a quiet one due in part to the screaming match that took place not even ten minutes ago. Not a sound was stirring, none of the four were talking of course but it was the lack of noise. There was no birds, no bugs, not even wind able to move a frail tree branch. It was silence, all around. Like a storm was coming, yet the clouds were clear, the sun bright. It was as if the recent calamity ate everything, all the peaceful forces of nature gone in an instant.

When they exited through the threshold between unbrindled nature and small civilization, the quiet remained. Unlike what they were expecting as they crouched in the underbrush they saw no demons. They saw the back of a few of the buildings along the street, they slowly moved their way forward, watching for any dogs as they went. When they got to the sidewalk they turned and looked around the street. To their left was both of the overpriced stakehouses with cheap food and to their right was the funeral home. The only good thing about that building, was that it was right next to the Grocer.

"Alrighty, that's where we're going," Elijah said pointing to the Grocer. "Where are all those things though, we should be swarmed already. There were so many yesterday."

 "But now their not, that's good." Said Greg whilst watching everything around them.

"Let's get in the Grocer already, alright," snapped Izzy from the side.

"Yeah, yeah, let's go," replied Elijah as they began to slowly and methodically move into the building. To their left was the counter and kitchen, farther on was the small area for soda and snacks and to their left was the area set up with a few tables for eating. They moved as a group, Elijah, pistol out, in front and everybody else in a weird clump behind him. Elijah moved one foot at a time, trying not to make too much noise as he crept. There was no noise from anywhere in the small building but there was still reason to be afraid, there could be anything beyond the next corner, step or even inch. They were terrified.

Elijah quickly ducked into the dining area, nothing there. That was a relief, still two areas to check though. The back was only covered by a single shelf in the dead center. Elijah quickly ran forward to do a rap around of the area. Two things he noticed, there was nothing back there but some bags that had been ripped off their hooks and were torn apart on the ground, and that he had no idea what he was doing. But everyone behind him was still following him, every turn, cautious step and even held breath were shared between them. When they had first ran from the school he had been acting upon pure reaction, every move was because of something, because he had no plan. It occurred to him that he still didn't have a plan and there wasn't anything to react to. This was all new and dangerous, and they were stupid enough to think he knew what he was doing.

He stopped in his tracks while these premonitions hit him like bricks. He stood there for a solid few seconds bewildered until the sound of something scurrying from behind the counter caught their attention, knocking Elijah back into role of leader for the time being. He raised the gun to about eye-level and put his finger on the trigger. They all went around the counter and entered the corridor to the kitchen, the scurrying still going rapid. They got close to the end of the hallway and jumped out to encounter this terror.

Click, click. Click, click.

Squeek!

As Elijah opened his eyes he saw a rat running away under a cupboard to never be seen again. He wasn't sure what was more embarrassing, that it was a rat or that his gun's safety was on and he could've just gotten them all killed. He decided not to think about it. He quickly turned the guns safety off, rectifying that mistake. The other mistake of the rat was solved when Greg let out a slight chuckle. Everyone else joined in with the chuckling as nerves had truly messed them up at this point. Was it funny or were they just delirious due to death. That was a question everyone decided to ignore for the time being. The other things everyone decided not to bother questioning were the fact of the not ready gun and how they would be dead if it was one of those things. Enjoying this small moment was the best they could do, and it was all they wanted to do.

When it was impossible to keep the moment going Elijah started looking around and began giving orders. Cody and Greg bag the haul while him and Izzy look around in the main area for scavengable food. Everyone took to their commands quickly and began to work. Elijah took all the food he could grab and began to put it on the counter, splitting it into groups. Fragile, heavy, big, small, it was all in the attempt to have some form of order in this. He left the drinks for later since they were still chilled in the freezers, he told Izzy to do the same and for the most part she did. It was clear she saw what Elijah did, that he was unfit to lead. A little into it he decided it was best to offer an Olive Branch.

Elijah stopped what he was doing, he layed down a box of potato chips and turned towards Izzy. When he turned he pulled out the knife from that, very, dead cop. Izzy stopped at sight of the knife and cocked her head to the side, stepping on her backfoot.

"Uh, what is this?" Questioned Izzy with a clear fear in her voice. Elijah realized he may look a little too threatening, knife in hand, staring down someone angry with him.

"Oh, uh, sorry. Didn't mean to do anything weird," Elijah shook his head and sauntered over to Izzy. "If you really think you'll have to leave one day, take this," Elijah held out in his hand the opened knife. It was a simple blade with no intricacies or flare to it. If the question was would it work, it seem like it. Though the both of them had no knowledge of knives or guns or weaponry in general, for all they knew it could've been a plastic toy with extreme details.

Izzy stepped toward this peace treaty and snatched it out of Elijah's hand, still cautious of the situation until she had the weapon in her own grip. She looked over the knife, investigating it in her hand. She had no idea what she was doing with it, at this point she was looking over it for a weird amount of time. After a bit she realized that something should be said, after all Elijah was beginning to just stand there waiting, awkwardly.

"Uh, about the whole thing about leaving, I won't," Izzy looked down at her feet. "I, I just need to make sure my parents are alright. My dad, he's, he's, well he's a vegetable. He had a stroke a few years back and my mom and me have had to take care of him, I have to check on them. So I won't leave, I need you guys to come with. I can't do it alone and you can get everybody to listen, you are the only one they will listen to. I need you to help me with this, please."

"Wow," was the only thing Elijah could mutter in response to this. It hit him like a train going off the rails. His mind was racing through this very layered statement. So she did think he could lead, and at that they followed him. Could she be lying just to get him to go and find her, apparently, ill father. Was that true or was she lying about her dad and mom. Could he take that chance, could he really be the one to judge this. Maybe he should, either way they could be alive, was it right to leave them. He had the group to look after, risking everything just for her parents would be insane. But if they were alive, alive could be good enough reasoning.

Before anymore thoughts could go rapid fire through his brain, Elijah turned to see Greg jumping over the counter and already on his feet, looking out the front door. Soon behind him was Cody, this time going around the counter, also looking through the door. Panicked looks were on both their faces. Elijah was in absolute disbelief for a whole second before finally saying.

"Wha-what are you doing?"

Both turned to him and simply hissed "Shhhhhh".

Izzy now whispering spoke soft, asking, "Why are you being so goddamn weird?"

Cody turned to the two of them and said in a hushed yell, "Those things are back! And they have new friends too!"

Elijah and Izzy went to the door and saw what was being discussed. There were hounds everywhere, they were climbing through windows, up trees, fighting over bodies. What was more terrifying was the new creatures. Bipedal, yet hunched so far they put their hands in front as if they were crawling. Their teeth were few and far between and shaped like small pointy squares. They had some form of armor like plating. Some had shoulder and chest pieces in perfect order, while others had small pieces strown about everywhere. They had large jagged blades of what appeared to be obsidian. And their skin was a putrid yellow green, like sewage water money.

They were crawling around everywhere. In front of the Chesapeake Coffee Shop there was two fighting over what appeared to be the necklace of a women dead at their feet. They were tugging back and forth for it before one stole the advantage, only to have his enemy bite his hand and jump on top of him. With this new found position of power, the demon started ruthlessly stabbing, blood spouting everywhere. All over the demons monstrous face and on the concrete patio. When it was done stabbing it snatched the necklace from the, now turned to mush, body. Its jaw unhinged as it shoved the necklace right into its jowl. The golden chain slid right down its throat with a gulp.

It then turned toward the body, it picked up its knife from the ground next to the pile of blood and meat that was recently slain. The blood on the knfie dripped an unnatural black. The creature picked the lady up by the collar of her overly flowered blouse. With knife in hand it slit her throat, at first horizontal and then vertical. It shoved its putrid hand down the bodies newly filleted throat, when it reemerged it had a lime green floating ball of, something. It looked like a solid mass of gas, it looked impossible, and yet here it was. The jaws once more unhinged to put the impossible solid gas into its mouth. With another sickening gulp it downed it in a second.

The group stood there, astounded by this show of improbability. No soul even dared to move and shift the balance of this moment. After a solid thirty seconds Cody was the first to speak.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"What in the almighty burning hell just happened?" 

"I don't want to find out, grab the bags, we're outta here."

Everbody quickly followed Elijah's orders, grabbing as many bags as possible without truly weighing themselves down. When all the bags had been grabbed, the gang stood ready in front of the door, waiting for the leadership of Elijah. It took Elijah a second to realize this fact, when he did he believed they needed a few words.

"We ain't gonna have long before they realize we're there. So, we run fast and hard, all we have to do is get to the trees. We do that, we're halfway there. If any follow you find somewhere to hide, avoid them, and then return to the park. I have the gun so I'll try to get the closest ones to us as we run. If you get seperated find another way back to the camp. This is simple, the only thing making it complicated is fear. We got this."

And with that Elijah turned towards the door, bags slung all over and gun at the ready. The others took a second to process these words. When they were done, all came to the same conclusion, they could, and would, do this. Elijah had a plan and he was the one who came up with them, time to follow it.

They all grouped up at the door, ready to run. Elijah looked over everyone and made sure they were ready. And with that he checked his gun, safety was off, good. He slowly walked to the door and pushed it open, carefully. They started out at a tip-toe before quickening to a careful speedwalk. As they went they saw the monsters all around, paying no attention to them, good. They were beyond the corner and going for the parking lot in the back connected to the woods. They were just about there when from around the back of the next building a demon dog came. It sauntered slowly, head down. It looked to be starving and beaten, fresh wounds still bleeding. When it came around the corner the four of them stopped, terrified. It seemed like an eternity of waiting, waiting for it to do something, anything, hopefully it would turn around and they'd have a chance to run. But, as is life, it did not. Instead of turning around, it looked up. It looked up and in its bruised and beaten eyes, it had a strange glimmer of what can only be identified as hope. And with that glimmer, it gained a new posture. This hope made this vile creature lift its head and open its mouth, releasing a bloodcurdling howl. It felt like there was howling for an eternity, when the howling ended, Elijah turned to see all the other demons staring at them, delighted about these uninvited guests.

There wasn't a second of hesitation before he turned and shot the newly inspired hound. He immediately turned and started firing at the closest demons around. He wasn't a good shot, that was true, but it was only adrenaline that meant any of his shots hit as well as they did. The only thing he could scream was the obvious.

"RUUUNN!!!"

And that is what they did, what else could they do, slowly walk at a brisk pace. Greg was the school star football player and it was for a reason, even with the food weighing him down he was already darting towards the trees in a flash. Cody had the least amount of bags on him so he was already at an advantage when he began running. Izzy had too many bags on her to get enough of a sprint going and Elijah saw her as he slowly moved back, still firing on the encroaching hoard. The other thing he saw was a flash of green jump on him as he was pinned by an incredible strength.

He was now battling for his life with one of the green demons on top of him. It had its crude knife above its head ready to stab, but Elijah had his hands on its wrists, keeping it at bay. His gun was a few too many feet to his right and he couldn't go for it. He dropped his right hand from fending off his attacker to attempt to take a few jabs at the demon. He landed each hit, but none did anything to the sickly green monstrosity on top of him. As he punched he felt something moving in his hand until he felt a pop and shift, but kept punching.

 The demon was beginning to stab nearer and nearer to Elijah's face, he was in a tight spot. Every punch he threw did nothing, every second that went by beckoned destruction closer and closer. He was failing and his demise was going to be because of a demon with an obsidian dagger that would be shoved straight through his skull. There were certainly less exciting ways to go that was for sure, certainly less painful ways as well, but beggars can't be choosers. Though it would be better if he wasn't going to die, so he would fight the beast, at least for now he wished to live, there were people who, apparently, believed he could lead them, so he had to.

 After what seemed like an eternity of punching and attempted stabs to the face, a hand came out of nowhere and pulled the creatures head back. The demons hellish scream was silenced as a knife was plunged into one side of its neck and pulled outwards, almost severing the demon's head from its body. Blood spattered across Elijah's front, like a vicious sprinkler of black blood. It was Izzy, freshly used pocket knife still in hand, she threw the monster's body behind her before putting her hand out to help Elijah up.

 Elijah was only astonished for a second before pushing himself up and taking her hand. Turning he saw that there was already a moving wall of demons behind them chasing after Cody and Greg. Their path back to the woods was blocked off and turning Elijah saw that behind them was no different. There was no opening in the monstrous forces, Elijah and Izzy were standing in the open and if this continued any longer they would be killed. Elijah turned and saw salvation, his mind went back into the quick, professionalism he felt initially at the school. He grabbed Izzy by the arm and jerked her away as he started running. Izzy turned to see Elijah heading straight for the side door to the Crouch Funeral Home. When about only a few feet from the door Elijah relinquished his grip on Izzy and charged straight for the door.

The door busted open with a crash as the glass shattered from the force of the door against the wall. Elijah picked himself up from the ground and picked right back up with running from the imminent danger. Izzy was quite surprised at Elijah's demolishing of door with the ease he had, it was more than someone would expect from Elijah. She was a few paces behind but still folowing when Elijah charged the sliding glass door on the other side of the building. All Izzy heard was the cacophonous shattering of glass akin to a bag of change being emptied on a hardwood floor, come from around the corner. When she rounded it she saw Elijah outside, on the dirt with glass all around. He was beginning to pick himself up but it was clear that throwing himself through everything was beginning to knock his head like being hit by a NFL Linebacker.

Elijah was on the ground attempting, and failing, to pick himself up. His head was ringing, everything was spinning, and everything was so bright, it hurt to look anywhere. Izzy hurried to his side and picked him up, quietly in his ear she said.

"C'mon, c'mon. Are you alright, can you walk? We don't have too much time to get a move on."

"I-I'm good, I should be fine. Come on."

Elijah shook his head to bring it back into working order, which only made it feel like his brain was banging around in his skull like it was being used for a game of air hockey, but he powered through it. He pulled himself all the way up and started moving, somewhat aided by Izzy. They heard the scurrying of the abominations from the street and quickly ducked behind a dumpster and saw as they ran through the streets, past the funeral home and the two as they hid. They moved forward a bit and up towards the jewelry store across the street, The Silver & Sassy. Behind it was a gravel driveway that led to a bit of parking space with a large area of backwoods flanking it. The backwoods were mostly traveled trail with enough trees that if they got far enough in the creatures wouldn't spot them.

The other key trait of these woods was that they eventually led to the small area dedicated to baseball and softball when the gym teachers had nothing left to do. That area was in the small field behind the school, if they got there they could dodge the demons. Sure they had already fled it because of the demons, but if lightning doesn't strike the same place twice then ditto for demons, probably. It's not like there was a manual for stuff like this, this is the best they could do.

After about a five minute walk with the noises of chaos slowly fading into the background, they came upon an archaic dirt and gravel path that led right to outside the baseball field. It was nothing special, just like everything else at the school, it was a simple large patch of cut grass with a fence behind the rubber flap that represented home base. There was a garbage bin off to the side that had a mesh bag of mitts and softballs stuffed at the bottom with a single, old baseball bat being the only other thing in the bin. As Eijah saw the bat a plan began to form in his head, he speed walked over picked it up and started to jog to the back of the school building.

Izzy, sensing a plan coming along, starts jogging with Elijah. In her head she's trying to piece together what is probably about to happen. When they arrive at the back of the school they go up the few stairs to the back door. Elijah goes over to the windows and starts looking inside, checking for life. Izzy continues her attempts at figuring out what's going to happen, he wouldn't possibly try to smash the win-.

"CRASH"

Actually he would, as Izzy began to question to herself about Elijah's plan, he was already preparing his swing. The windows pieces shattered all over the floor, spreading everywhere. Elijah took the bat with both hands and used it to knock the remaining pieces out and onto the floor. The sliding glass door had already gave him a decent bit of fresh cuts and he didn't feel like getting anymore. He put the bat against the wall on the inside and hopped in, he peeked his head out of the window and in a somewhat whisper said.

"You comin or not?"

"You're insane, you know that right?"

She hopped into the window, avoiding the glass. Elijah picked up the bat and walked forward a few feet before turning to go up the sixth grade stairwell, Izzy followed after. He was walking with a bit of care in his step in an attempt to be stealthy, he had the bat ready. He still had the pistol but it was best to go quiet for now. Izzy followed his lead and flipped the knife open walking with care as well. They didn't hear or see any evidence that anything was around but they were afraid due to the events of the last half an hour or so. Eventually half way through the hallway, Elijah turned and looked at a locker. He took the handle and with a bit of force it opened without need of a combination. As he opened it he pulled out a big leather jacket with a heavy cloth hood, he put it on and a large grin grew across his face.

"Feels good to have this back."

Izzy began looking him up and down, like she was scanning him, before saying. "My god, you are weird."

"You're just jealous, you can keep the red one, I have my baby back."

Izzy was still wearing the jacket he gave her last night. And looking down at it, examined it a bit and said, "Sure, I can make this work."

Turning to the classroom next to his locker Elijah says, "This is my homeroom, we should be able to spend the night here."

"With actual heating and in general slight comfort."

"Look at us kicking it in style. Bet everybody else is gonna be all envious we got this and they have an old gazebo."

"They made it back, didn't they?"

"Of course they did. We were up shit mountain without any hiking gear and we did. So I'm sure they did."

"That's not how the saying goes."

"No I'm pretty sure it totally is." Elijah said with the sly smile of a fox.

"Like I said weird." Izzy said with her own grin.

And with that they entered the room, thankfully free of any gore from the day before. They spent the final hours of the day enjoying some of the supplies from the Grocer and random bits of small talk. Part of all that made the fact that they were far from the others be in the back of their minds. They were simply alive and that was the real good thing. And now they didn't hate each other, Elijah was sure he'd help her get back to her parents, and, most importantly, he had his leather jacket back. Unbeknownst to them was that this was just the beginning of a long series of adventures filled with tragedy and romance.