Chapter 8

          Sooner than I could say “I hate zombies.” I was flying through the air at five miles an hour. Luckily, I found Chompy running towards me at full speed, so I wrapped my arm around his neck and swung myself in a circle so that I was on him piggyback style. He was confused at first, but when I told him to go forward, he did just that. When we reached the other Hellraiser that had thrown me halfway across the field, I jumped off Chompy and ran at the culprit.

          He snarled and leaned back on his heels, preparing for a pounce. As he lunged at me, I leaned to the side so that he fell flat on the ground. Then I jumped on his back and put both arms around his neck.

          “Any last words pretty boy?” I smiled. The Hellraiser snarled and hissed, pushing himself up off the ground. Now I was sitting on him while he ran around in circles like circus animal.

          We kept this up for a good half an hour, until I decided to give him the easy way out and pulled off his head with one quick jerk of my arms. His body fell to the ground and I tossed his head to Chompy, who eagerly began licking at the cranial juices.

          “That’s nasty dude…” I scrunched my nose in disgust.

          “Yummy!” Chompy exclaimed and licked his dark gray lips.

          “Whatever. Well, I guess I’m done here. See you later Chompy.” I hardly had time to turn around before Chompy ran over to me and cried, “Take Chompy!”

          I kneeled down and patted him on the shoulder. “I can’t hun, you belong here. I’d get in a lot of trouble if anyone found you tagging along with me.” Tears of blood welled up in the holes where his eyes were no more, and it cracked my heart just a little. “Here, let me help you with that.” I tore off a long strip of cloth from my shirtsleeve and wrapped it around his head, just enough to hide his eyes. Now he looked like an old war mercenary.

          “P… p… please?” He begged, lightly grabbing onto the bottom of my shirt. More tears rolled down his cheek, staining the cloth with red.

          It was like adopting a puppy from an animal shelter, he even acted like one. I wanted to take him with me, but the rules against such actions held me back. I glanced over to where James was standing, since I was close enough to see him now, and he motioned for me to kill Chompy. I shook my head. He motioned again and for the second time I shook my head.

          “Stay here, don’t move.” I said to Chompy and he sat down, piling little pebbles into a tower. I smiled and then ran to James.

          “Are you crazy? What exactly is going through that blonde haired head of yours? You were right in front of a Hellraiser but did you kill it? No! Go do it right now!” He pointed at Chompy furiously.

          “He hasn’t done anything wrong! I refuse to kill something for no reason! Dear god it’s man slaughter!” I fumed. Then I paused.

          “Don’t. Move.” James whispered. He knew what I was looking at.  “Turn around slowly and run to the gate.”

          Tears welled up in my eyes and I began suffocating. I felt like I was about to explode. In front of me, and behind James, was my father. Or what I had thought was my father a long time ago. Where his left eye had once been was just an empty hole and his skin was partially gray and the other part was rotten and pulpy. I doubted he could recognize me anymore but I felt a tug in my conscience. Seeing him like that was breaking my heart.

          “Charlotta. Listen to me. Turn around. That’s an order.” He hissed through clenched teeth.

          My father took a step forward in our direction. I also heard Chompy shift uneasily behind me.

          Finally all restraints were broken and I screamed as loud as I could. “Dad! Dad!”

          “Listen to me! He’s not who you think he is! He’s not your father anymore! He’s one of them! I need you to turn and run, right now! Do you hear me?” James tried desperately to calm me. He stood as a barrier between my father and I.

          “You’re wrong! He’s still in there! I know it!” I shoved James to the side and dashed for my dad. He snarled and lunged at me, his head colliding with my stomach. I hit the ground hard, almost certainly fracturing my skull. My dad was never one to waste his time; he pinned me down and bit into my throat. I screamed with excruciating agony, every vein and artery burning with the fatal poison contained in his saliva. I tried to push him off of me but soon blacked out from the intensity of the bite.

          “For Christ’s sake!” James took hold of his gun and shot my father on the side of the head, removing a small amount of skin that would eventually cause bleeding sufficient enough to arouse the other zombies’ attention. He would have to spend the next three days trying to keep them off of him, since they became leeches at the scent of blood, human or undead.

          Once my father was long gone, James threw me over his shoulder and jogged to the main gate, shooting anything that got in his way between. Chompy ran ahead and jumped over him, snatching me at the same time.

          “Son of a- Give her back to me!” He ran after the Hellraiser, amazingly able to keep up with it. Chompy snarled and kept running, me dangling like a rag doll between his jaws. Then he got an idea (this is unusual for an undead) and ran up the wall of the barrack headquarters. He set me down, hissed at James who aimed his gun at him but missed on purpose, his intention being to frighten the target, and began licking my wound.

          “What? No! Stop that you filthy beast! Let her go, and I just might mercifully shoot you in the head instead of dragging it out.” What a way to make a bargain, eh?

          Chompy hissed and then yelled, “No!” He continued licking. When he was satisfied with his work he curled up next to me, resting his shaggy haired head on my stomach. Moments passed, James ranting on the ground and Chompy hissing violently. Every now and then James would take a shot at Chompy or at a curious zombie who happened to get an inch too close, but he still kept a close eye on me.      

          After several moments had passed, James said, “See what you did genius? You killed her.” Reluctantly James slumped down onto the ground, burying his head in his hands. He began crying softly, letting his emotions have free reign over his body.

          But something he would not expect was about to happen. Chompy made some sort of whimpering sound and James lifted his head, about to point the gun at him one last time, when he froze.

          “James? What happened?” I sat up, rubbing my forehead. My hand slid down to my oozing neck and I yelped. “What!” I jumped up as I said it, and began falling backwards off the roof.

          “Lotta watch out!” James ran over to where I would fall, and sure enough I dropped right into his army strong, letting his emotions have free reign over his body.

          But something he would not expect was about to happen. Chompy made some sort of whimpering sound and James lifted his head, about to point the gun at him one last time, when he froze.

          “James? What happened?” I sat up, rubbing my forehead. My hand slid down to my oozing neck and I yelped. “What!” I jumped up as I said it, and began falling backwards off the roof.

          “Lotta watch out!” James ran over to where I would fall, and sure enough I dropped right into his arms. The impact made me pass out again, but at least he knew I was alive. He looked up at Chompy. “Guess I owe you an apology, huh? Well come on little guy, let’s go take her to the infirmary.” If Chompy had a tail I’m sure he would have wagged it. The two walked right through the barrack headquarters’ doors, earning several hundred extremely confused stares.