Cherish Applebottoms's Arc

Chapter 7 of 11

Morning came gray through the two-story house. Cherish had not slept. She had tried all night to cover both doors with four tired people, The group needed more food , Claire knew where to get it. During breakfast Claire said. “There's a bar in town," as she showed them a map of Doom Creek “it should have Supplies. I'll hold the house. You take the truck ." Cherish hated splitting up. But a locked house with one guard beat a blind spot with none. Cherish cautiously looked at Claire and said “You sure? This place is gonna be even more unsafe with more people gone. Claire gave a warm smiled, Breath I got this, I survived the first ambush here, I’ll fortify so by the time you Guys are back this place will be a little more safer. Just Be Careful Out There! Marcus nodded grabbed the keys and the group drove off into the eerie swamp. Cherish was told to take a nap in the backseat and Lisa sat shotgun. Marcus drove the swamp road slow. Mud sucked at the tires. A zombie staggered into the ruts, and he didn't swerve. The truck crushed it flat. The bar sat low and rotting, moss on every board, the sign faded to DOOMED CREEK. Marcus stopped the truck near the back dumpster where a zombie lunged out as soon as they got out the car n creeped toward the bar. Marcus silenced it with his knife Lisa went in first with her machete. Cherish followed with the crowbar. The smell hit them first it smelled of beer and the dead Bodies on the floor! Behind the bar, Inside, five dead things turned toward the door. One wore a bartender's vest, its mouth a torn hole of yellow teeth. A female zombie in a stained apron shambled from behind the counter, a severed hand tucked in her pocket. Cherish cracked the bartender's skull flat. Lisa split another. A third lunged at a woman crouched by the pool table, brown hair over a torn blouse. Lisa swung and dropped it. The woman gasped her thanks. "Victoria," she said, shaking. "I work at the clinic. I just came here to breathe." Lisa is surprised attacked by a zombie Lisa stumbled, and a zombie pinned her. "Lisa!" Cherish screamed! A woman in a checkered shirt tied at the waist stepped from behind the bar and She drove the bottle through the zombie's eye without flinching. She hauled Lisa up. "Move your feet, girl." Her name was Liz. She'd tended this bar three years More rose from the booths." she said. "I'm Liz. I work, well worked at this bar. Before the dead came for free fills" Cherish liked her at once. Four zombies pressed in. Lisa split one skull. A thin survivor named Victoria shoved another back with a stool. Lisa grabbed Victoria's arm and swung her clear, and together they stomped the thing flat. Marcus took two out on the pool table and Cherish finished off the janitor From a storage room came pounding and a man's voice frantically saying “Are They Gone”. “Franko says” "That there is Franko he locked himself in," Liz said flat. "Left me out front. He can rot." Then another door swung wide. A heavy, gray-bearded man stepped out, pistol raised. Hank. His arm was wrapped tight below the elbow. "This is My bar," he said. "My stock. You walk back out that door." Hank and Marcus aimed there guns at each other “Easy Now” Marcus said “Lower your gun” Hank instantly shot at Marcus but missed. Cherish's stomach dropped. Gunfire drew them. Outside, four zombies were already dragging across the lot, drawn by the gun. One wore webbing wrapped tight to its crawling body, spiders dripping from its skin. They swarmed the door. moans rose and feet splashed through mud. The horde had heard. Franko finally threw the storage door open, arms full of cans. He bolted for the exit. A zombie body twitching and covered with webbing, crashed through the back bathroom door and took him down in the hallway and tore into him. He screamed once. The cans scattered. They all ran for the back door The webbed thing reached for Lisa, with her shriveled hands.Lisa stumbled. Cherish caught zombie's arm and smashed it down with the crowbar. Lisa drove her blade into its head. Cherish cracked the webbed thing's head when it rose again. Marcus hauled Cherish back as more bodies filled the lot "Truck's cut off," Marcus shouted. Hank didn't wait. He pushed Victoria out the back door to us as bait and bolted on foot and vanished into the weeds he did not slow down Liz pulled Victoria back into the bar and shoved a knife in her hand “Protect Yourself” Liz Screamed As Lisa and Marcus took down two zombies approaching Victoria and Liz They get back inside and close the back door, they use stools and loosen tables to block of the broken windows and slow the zombies from coming through the front door Cherish stood in the ruined bar with Marcus, Lisa, Liz, and Victoria. Shapes banged against the windows. And scratched at the walls! Moaning screeching HUNGRY!!! She looked at two new faces she now had to keep alive, and one more wrecked plan behind her.