Tori and I had been on the tour bus for a total of three hours before the conversation died down and everyone parted ways in attempt to catch some sleep. I still didn't know much about these men, other than the fact that they'd lost a lot of people since the outbreak began. There was a pain deep in my chest for them - I'd lost my mother - But I knew losing a best friend was equally as painful, if not more. As sad as I felt for all of them, it didn't even put a ding in the pain I felt for Tori. She'd taken a liking to Matt, that was pretty obvious. My fear was that she'd start viewing him as more a father figure than a big brother in no time at all. Tori was definitely a clinger. I had to be thankful for this stranger, though, he'd made her laugh more than I possibly could while mourning the loss of mama. She even fell asleep curled up against his chest, after asking if he could protect her from the nightmare outside. She needed someone like him in her life.. How long he would be there, that's the real question.


Alex and a man named Zack had agreed to keep watch while everyone else slept. Everyone else had gone to the back, or to the bunks, for their rest. I opted to stay in the front lounge so I could keep an eye on Tori, just in case the strangers fell asleep while on duty and couldn't protect her in time. Well, there was also the fact that I still didn't know what our part was and I was highly uncomfortble being alone with them - Much less leaving Tori alone with them.


Eventually, though, I fell asleep. It wasn't a good sleep, it wasn't even a deep sleep. My mind was still awake while my body was in slumber. Somewhere deep down inside of myself, I knew it was too quiet outside, much too quiet, and I feared the lights from the bus would draw those.. Things, to us. Having those thoughts in my mind only made the nightmares come easier. I tossed and turned to the images of mama, with blood dripping down her mouth as she clawed her way into the bus. In a fit of fear and panic, I woke up screaming, sweat trickling down my forehead.


"Shut up," Zack darted across the bus and threw himself at me. His palm was warm as he pressed it against my lips. From the corner of my eye, I could see Matt doing the same thing to Tori. The other men were crouched in the short, tight hallway. "I need you to be very quiet, Riot."


My body was trembling by this point. I had no idea what was going on but I knew it had something to do with those creatures outside in the darkness. Sucking in a sharp breath, I blinked back the tears threatening to spill over. Zack gave me a warning look and slowly removed his hand from my flushed cheeks. As quietly as I could, I bent over the side of the couch and pulled mama's gun onto my lap. If something was coming onto the bus, I needed to be ready.


Tori let out a soft whimper as she buried her face deep into Matt's chest. I could tell by the look in his eyes that he wanted to get up, to grab a weapon just as I had, but something was keeping him drawn to my baby sister. He soothed her as Zack slid off of the couch and onto the floor, crawling towards the front of the bus. We were going to start moving. We were going to attract any and all of the undead that were around. I quietly slid down the couch and grabbed Tori's hand. From here I could hear her crying.


"Guard the door," Alex mouthed the words to me, panic in his eyes. "Please!"


Nodding my head slowly, I mocked Zack and crawled towards the door. My body was shaking at a rapid pace, my hands losing grip on the gun. What was Alex doing? I exhaled deeply as he moved to the window nearest to the door. I noticed how badly his own hands were shaking as he gripped the blinds and slowly lifted them from the window. What he saw - What we both saw- Was enough to send both of us flying across the bus. They were there, just standing there, staring Alex directly in the face. They were silent, they were still, just like a hunter in the woods. It was the sound of the blinds smacking the window and Tori's muffled scream that set them off. In a matter of seconds, they were throwing themselves at the bus. The noises that came from their throats can't even be described. It was a gurgling noise, almost as if they were choking and screaming at the same time.


"Start the bus, Zack!"


Without knowing what else to do, I stood up beside Alex and clung to my gun. We were the only things standing between Tori and the door, and if no one else made it out alive, she needed to. Still, the bus hadn't started yet. Alex seemed just as upset over this as I was, so he ran to the front of the bus to take over Zack's job, but the moment he joined Zack, the bus started, the lights barely even burning. Even from my place in the lounge, I could see what the hold up was about. In front of the bus there were dozens of the undead. They were sickly and angry, tossing themselves into the windshield in attempt to get to us. The bus could probably take them out, but it'd take a lot of power and it'd make a lot of noise.


"Riot, what's going on?"


"Nothing, baby," I murmured, trying to hold my composure. "Everything is going to be okay. Why don't you tell Matt about our vacation last Summer? Tell him how you met Mickey Mouse."


"I love Mickey Mouse," for a moment, I swore Matt's eyes lit up, but the spark died the moment he realized we were still here. "How'd you meet him?"


I decided to tune them out. The memories of our once-normal childhood were too much for me to take right now, besides, I was the only one left in the lounge with a weapon. I could hear Zack and Alex's freaking out from their positions, which made me worry. For a moment I didn't think we'd make it out alive.


It was the screaming that started outside of the bus that made Tori stop her rant about Disney World. It was the bouncing of the bus that made Matt cling to her. We were running them over left and right, their bodies piling so far up as we crashed into them that I was sent flying into the floor. Having smacked my head on the table, I stayed on the ground for a moment, trying my best to block out the pain. Honestly, had it not been for Alex and his quick feet, I would have died, because the moment my body crashed into the ground, one of the undead threw themself through the window.


"Fuck, Zack, go! Fucking floor it!"


I could hear the growing behind me, but for some reason I couldn't turn around. It was obvious that one of them was inside of the bus from the way that Alex was pulling me away from the window. It was also obvious that more were trying to climb in from the sounds of the boys smashing things against the wall. But it was Tori's blood-curling scream that brought me back to reality. In an instant, I'd spun myself around and pulled out of Alex's grasp, the gun in my hand. I would have pulled the trigger, too, but the beast lunged at my sister. Matt had his body covering hers, but it wasn't enough. I was off of my feet, putting myself between the monster and my sister.


Bang.


The bus hit solid ground the moment the undead fell to the floor, splatters of blood on the wall and the table. Alex had saved my life.


"The window.. They'll keep coming in through the window..."


The streets were no longer safe for us, not that they'd ever been. I needed to take Tori and go.

Notes

I hope you guys are enjoying this. <3.