Chapter 8

I told Winston about the dream even though I didn’t really understand exactly what I was describing. There was something very odd about what I saw. “Winston”, I said. “I want to catch up on my reading.” He looked at me with the priceless expression. “Did I just hear you use the word ‘want’ and ‘read’ in the same sentence? I am sorry Stephanie, but you hate reading. You pointed out to me that you would rather spend a whole day in someone’s locker than read.” “Well”, I said. “This time I am donating hours of my precious life to a fantastic cause.”

“And what cause would that be?” Before I could answer Winston’s question, there was a sound at the door.

“Who the hell knows where a librarian lives and then takes that knowledge just to come by and ten o’ clock in the freaking morning?”

Coupled with a glare, Winston retorted, “This may surprise you, but I do have friends, Stephanie Reaper.” I pretended to be so surprised that I feinted back into the makeshift bed that I had originally risen from. I heard the door open and then Winston spurt, “Bloody hell!” Smiling to myself into the sheets I decided to stay where I was and wait. That was, of course, until I heard, “Where the hell is Stephanie? She and I have an unfinished conversation to discuss.” Holy s**t! How on earth did he know where to find me? I didn’t think I had told anyone about this place. I seriously started to think about filing for a restraining order against him.

 

Just picture this- a very young (but proper) librarian pacing back and forth throughout his now crowded apartment, a jock smiling triumphantly at no one while sitting at a desk that was much too small for him, and a girl that manages the supernatural sitting in a pile of sheets who was frothing at the mouth in anger. Welcome to my world. I didn’t think I could be so pissed at anything until then. Handling a Ker? Oh! No biggie! Dealing with a zombie? I have dealt with worse! Being stalked by a stupid jock that liked to stick his nose into other peoples’ business? Someone get me a gun so I can shoot this annoying loser! “There is no way that you can avoid talking about this”, Elric stated smugly. Winston cast me a curious look, “Talk about what, Stephanie?” Looking at him I said, “I may or may not have gone back to the castle.”

“What?” Winston asked in angered shock.

“Well I didn’t feel like going back to school and- you know- I felt like doing something productive.”

“And you thought that breaking into a crime scene was the right thing to do!” I looked at him, “Well if you put it that way, it doesn’t sound like the brilliant idea it was earlier.”

“Oh, and what? The brilliant part involved taking another person along with you? A person, who by the way you’ve complained about for months now, from your school?”

Elric cast a glance over in my direction, “You complain about me?” I let out a huge sigh, “Look, Elric was just in the wrong place at the wrong time,” I told Winston. This statement didn’t seem to help my cause one bit because I had two very angry looking men staring at me. It seemed like I was cornered between a brick wall and a bunch of hungry lions. There seemed to be no way out. I was about to say something, but then something came crashing through the window and hit me on the head. Needless to say I blacked out for a while.

 

“Stephanie?”

“Stephanie?”

I kept hearing my name echo through my head, and there was no way to make it stop. My head hurt like a b***h and I didn’t know why. It was very unnerving to hear my name over and over again, but I finally worked up the courage to open my eyes. “What the hell just happened,” I asked. Winston dignified my question with a reply, “Someone threw a rock, crushing my window and hitting you in the head.” I tried to focus my attention on the two Winston’s in front of me, but I couldn’t seem to pinpoint them. So I eventually just went with saying, “You’re shitting me right?” Elric soon stepped into my line of vision, all four men looked extremely concerned.

 

Ah s**t. A few more brain cells down the drain. It’s not like I had any to spare.

 

“Okay, was there anything attached to the rock?” I asked anybody who would answer. Instead, though, I received annoying looks of concern. “Look, either one of you answers me, or I attempt to stand up and see what was attached to the rock myself,” I declared. I still received to no response. I shrugged, “Suit yourselves”. I hoisted myself up onto my elbows, and then clumsily reached for something solid. Of course, I didn’t like what my hand came in contact with. My hand didn’t grasp something that was smooth and cold like a desk or a window sill, it came in contact with something that was warm and full of muscle.

 

D****t. I just can’t win.

 

I looked up to see Elric staring down at me with a cocky smile marring his features, “Haven’t we already gone through this, Stephanie?” I felt my cheeks ignite. Damn him.

“Shut up.”

With all of my might, I shoved him away, which also positioned me into the path of the table that I was originally aiming for.

 

Victory!

 

Coming into contact with the hard surface, I was able to reach the rock while also hearing the satisfying grunt wretch its way from Elric’s mouth. While still fighting a massive headache, I picked up the rock and the piece of paper that used to be attached to it. All it read was:

 

3

 

“Yes, but three what?” I sighed. “I am not sure,” Winston responded. “I think it was just a bunch of kids playing a nasty prank,” He concluded. I interrupted him by shaking my head, “I know who this is from,” I looked at him, “but the question is how is a zombie coherent enough to send me messages when her brain is fried with fever?” Before Winston could ponder the question, Elric butted in disbelief, “Wait. Are you talking about zombies?”

Reviews

[matrixmark]

I really like this friendship between Winston and Stephanie.
The first sentence of the 3rd paragraph needs to be spilt, as much as it is easy to follow it does need to be split.
The brick wall and hungry lions bit - good use of words. What would have been good to add in before the brick wall bit was to build it up a little bit more and get the reader to feel the tension, fear...etc. - Just a suggestion.
Right at the end you really threw me - what the hell is '3'
I need to know as much as everybody else in the room - A zombie throwing rocks at people with letters attached........interesting. I haven't seen that done before - nice move.

Mark.