Low on Time/Issue 45

This is issue forty-five of Low on Time, entitled: Fun.

Issue 45; Fun
As Kelly and Ike ran as fast as they could away from the house, the four men who were shooting at the house slowly made their way inside. They slowly crept their way in, passing Trevin's body, which lied still.

One of the men, bleach-blonde hair, late twenties, got on his knees next to Trevin's body. He quickly unstrapped his knife from his boot, and shoved it into his head. He examined Trevin, the cuts on his face, the sling on his arm, the gunshot wounds.

"These weren't them." he suddenly said, looking up at the other three who watched him.

"What do you mean it wasn't them, Eli?" one of the other men asked, walking toward him.

"These couldn't have been the same guys who killed Amy... we saw there entire group-- you think we'd forget about somebody as scarred as this?"

The other man, late thirties, dark brown hair, got on his knees next to him, looking over Trevin himself. "Holy shit..." he muttered. He suddenly turned toward the other two, more specifically the older one, early forties, graying hair. "You said this was them."

"I-I thought it was." he said, slowly backing away.

"These were just fucking people!" Eli spat out. "People trying to survive."

"I'm sorry, guys, you gotta believe me... but look!" he suddenly pointed out, walking over to the crate of supplies Jake had found. "We can bring this back to the zone-- we can be heroes."

"You sicken me." Eli plainly said, before standing up.

The other man, late thirties, pointed his pistol at the older guy, as the last man walked over toward Eli & the other man. "Kill him, Ben." he said as he passed the man holding his pistol out.

Before the older man could say anything else, a bullet is sent straight through his skull, and Ben puts the gun down.

"Look for any more survivors." Ben quickly said, noticing the guilt in the faces of Eli and the other man. "Or if there's anyone here who needs our help."

Ike and Kelly ran deep in the heart of the woods, never looking back. A few zombies followed them, but they couldn't keep up from the speed of the desperate Ike, and the scarred Kelly.

She mindlessly ran after Ike, the image of Trevin's bloodied body still imprinted in her mind. The kiss-- she loved it, and just like that, it was taken away from her. With one shot of a gun... how she wished it was her...

But, lost in her mind, she didn't see the branch covered in leaves on the floor which Ike had jumped over previously. Running into it at full-force, made her fall over it, landing straight on her head.

As her vision blurred, she barely had time to react as a zombie pounced right on top of her. Before it can dig into her though, Ike quickly punched it in it's forehead, his fist going straight through it. Disgusted, Ike quickly took it out, but knew he couldn't get distracted.

He quickly helped up the dazed Kelly, and before any more zombies could catch up, he held a tight grip on her wrist and pulled her along as they continued to run.

After they got out of the woods, they quickly took shelter in a house. After Ike closed the door behind them, Kelly collapsed against the wall, sighing.

"We just lost... everything." she muttered.

Ike quickly looked around the living room for anything of use, as Kelly just sat in the corner of the room, burying her face in her lap. She could not get Trevin out of her mind. His lifeless body, the way he looked at her before he fell-- the kiss.

She is quickly pulled out of her thoughts when Ike grabs her by the shoulders, and she quickly lifted her head.

"Kelly," he said, looking from her. "We gotta go... it's not safe here."

"Where can we go?"

"I don't know yet-- just come with me... I found this." he said, showing her a pistol. "It has two bullets, stick close to me-- we should be fine."

Kelly nodded, and she grabbed Ike's hand, who pulled her to her feet. He quickly made his way through the kitchen to the backdoor, Kelly close behind him. Ike looked out the backdoor for any signs of danger, before looking back at Kelly.

"Wait," she quickly said. "What about Olivia? Jake? They could still be alive... we have to go back."

"We can't." he said walking over to her. "We have to go-- it's just me and you left... I have to make sure you live, Amanda."

As soon as he says that, his heart drops, as does Kelly's. "I'm sorry," he quickly said, turning away.

"Is that what's been bothering you?" Kelly quickly asked, much to Ike's disappointment. "That you couldn't save her?"

"She was counting on me-- I told her I'd get her out of there. And then Paul-- oh God..." As Ike remembered the events of that day, his face turned red.

"It's ok." Kelly said, looking at him. "You don't have to protect me."

"Yes... I do." Ike quickly responded, nodding his head. "It's just something I have to do."

"I don't want you to think that--"

"Well I am." he interrupted harshly. "I need someone else to make it-- I have to make sure one of us makes it."

Kelly nodded, walking toward him. She gently kissed him on the cheek, to which he just looked at her. "Thank you." she said.

Ike nodded, holding a tight grip onto his pistol as he opened the backdoor. He had to get Kelly to the safety. He was so close to being what he feared most... alone.

Kelly and Ike sat alone in one of the houses in the neighborhood. Kelly, small granola bar in hand, watches Ike who just sits, blankly staring at the floor, ready to pass out at any moment.

"I can handle watch." she said, breaking the silence and pulling Ike out of his gaze.

"You sure?" he asked, yawning.

"Of course."

Ike nodded, and slid the gun over to her. Kelly quickly picked it up, as Ike lied flat on the hard and cold wooden floor. As Kelly looked around the dark room, Ike slipped into an uncomfortable sleep.

In the morning, the two quickly abandoned the house and walked into the deserted street. The street was empty, a few crashed cars here and there, but nothing much of note... to them.

As they passed a few cars, Kelly every so often looked into the window of them, looking for... anything. As she walked past a red BMW, she spotted a small pocket-knife, to which she quickly stuck her hand through the open window, and picked it up. She just wanted to find-- something to keep the two going. They weren't going to survive for long out there alone... and with nothing, to top it all off.

Ike on the other hand made sure that there was no immediate danger. He kept the pistol raised as he walked, Kelly coming close to him. There were a couple of zombies that roamed the road, but none seemed to have noticed them, and if they did, they were quickly dispatched of by Kelly.

The two quickly filed into a pharmacy, where surprisingly no zombies lurked. The two quickly separated after finding two new bags, and Kelly soon found herself in the back of the store, going through the medicine.

She quickly was able to pick out the antibiotics from the other medicines, thanks to what Kira taught her. But, going through them, she pulled out an inhaler.

Looking over it, she immediately remembers Ryker. And along with Ryker came the vast memories of Julia, Olivia, Jake... the ones she abandoned. As tears started to rush down her face, she threw the inhaler against the ground, and fell against the wall. She instantly regretted leaving the house. Leaving her friends-- her family to die.

As Ike walked over to her, and Kelly just kept her eyes closed, remembering all the good times she had with Olivia, her best friend, Jake, who she grew immensely close to during all of that shit, and Ryker & Julia, the two who started off as just random survivors that Kelly grew to love.

Ike got on his knees, placing his hands on her knees, causing her to open her eyes and look at him.

"I know it's hard..." he started.

"No you don't!" she suddenly snapped back, to Ike's surprise. "You didn't fucking like any of them back at camp. You found Ryker annoying, Jake full of himself, and Olivia, if I remember correctly, nothing but a 'bimbo' and a 'barbie'. So fuck off. You don't know how hard it is..."

Ike just watches as she starts going off on him... but he can't do anything but let her go. He knows he's been an incredible dick to anyone he's ever met or talked to... yet Kelly still found it in her best interest to try and talk to him... to help him. So, instead of being mad or interrupting her, he just lets her finish her rant.

After the two had started walking again in silence, Kelly started feeling worse. It was bad enough for her to have lost everyone-- but she took it out on the one person she hasn't lost yet. The one person who she knew was still alive.

Ike walked slightly ahead of her, gun in his hand incase they encountered any problems. He wanted to look back at Kelly, try and talk to her-- apologize to her.

"I'm sorry." they both suddenly said at the same time, prompting them to turn and look at each other.

"You first." Kelly then said, crossing her arms.

"I'm sorry for being such an insensitive prick, Kelly. You, Olivia, Ryker-- you were all always nice to me... and I never repaid that. And I'm sorry for that."

Kelly simply nodded, sighing as she did so. "And I'm sorry for taking my anger out on you. It's just-- I've been through so much lately-- I mean, we've been through so much lately, that I just needed some way to release my anger."

"Heh, kinda funny..." Ike started to say. "It seems we're so wrapped up in all this guilt and anger... we forgot what we should be really focusing on."

"Shelter?" Kelly asked.

"Well, shelter works I guess. I was gonna say safety..."

"Same thing." she said, a small smile coming across her face.

As the sun started to set, Kelly and Ike decided to take refuge in a small shed. As Ike shut the shed door, locking it, Kelly quickly walked though the shed, making sure it was clear... which it surprisingly was.

As the two settled in and lied close to one another for warmth, Ike quickly fell asleep, to Kelly's surprise. The shed was cold, and she couldn't help but shiver and dig her head into Ike's chest for any warmth she can get.

As one hour passed, then two hours, Kelly remained awake, cold and tired. Kelly looked up at Ike, who, although was sound asleep, was also shivering, and could see his lip turning a small shade of blue. Kelly only frowned, and slowly stood up, trying her best not to wake Ike.

As she slowly unlocked the shed door, and left the shed, slowly closing the door behind her, she ran into the house next door. She quickly navigated her way through the house, going up the stairs. She quickly made her way through the hallway, before entering the master bedroom.

Kelly walked over to the bed, and pulled the blanket off the bed. After she grabbed the blanket, she simply left the room, and walked out of the house.

As she walked quickly back to the shed, the blanket over her shoulders, she only yawned.

"Hey, pretty." a voice suddenly called to her.

Kelly's heart dropped, and she tensed up greatly as she turned around, seeing an older man standing there. The man stood a good two feet over Kelly, and was easily stronger then her.

Kelly only backed away, as he slowly walked closer, knife in hand.

"Get away from me." she said silently, to which the man started laughing.

"Get away from you?" he repeated, still laughing, before his face turning stoic. "No, not gonna happen."

"Please, I don't want any trouble."

"You stepped into my neighborhood-- you gonna get trouble... but don't worry blondie... you're too good looking for me to just kill..."

Kelly quickly turned around, dropping the blanket in the process, and tried to run away. But, the man quickly caught up to her, grabbing Kelly by the hair, and throwing her against the side of the shed, head first.

As she fell to the floor, the man quickly jumped on top of her, winding his fist back, and punching Kelly as hard as he could in the jaw. He then punched her again, then again, and again, each punch in a different spot in her face until she could barely see.

The man then smiled as Kelly tried to throw a punch at him, which barely connected with his chest.

"I'm gonna have some fun with you... blondie." he said, as he started to slowly reach down Kelly's shirt.

The shed door suddenly flew open, and Ike came quickly out, gun in hand. Seeing what was happening right away, only consumed Ike in anger. He charged at the confused man, dropping his gun in the process, and tackled him off of Kelly.

Ike quickly got the upper hand, punching the man a couple of times in the chest, before standing up, and kicking him in the waist. As Kelly lied there, still so confused and hurt, Ike quickly ran back to her, trying to help her up.

"Come on, Kel, we gotta go... snap out of it..." he said to her, trying to lift her up by the shoulders.

But, the man came back at them, this time his huge knife in hand, as Ike dropped Kelly and made sure he got in front of her as the man sliced at them.

The blade of the man's knife connected with Ike's chest, Ike immediately fell to the ground, grasping his chest. The man smirked viciously, as he stood over the wounded Ike, before getting on his knee, looking over him.

"That's a nice girl you was trying to protect." he said, still smiling, raising his knife, ready to stab Ike again. "I'm gonna have some fun with her..."

As he goes to stab Ike again, two gunshots go off, and the blood spurts out of the man's chest as he fell on top of Ike, lifeless. Ike only looked up, seeing Kelly holding the gun, before dropping it, rushing over to Ike, pulling the man's body off of him.

Kelly looked over Ike, the blood all over his face from the man, and the blood dripping down his chest. "Ike...?" she weakly asked, before lifting Ike's shirt, looking at the cut on his chest. "Didn't go too deep..."

Kelly weakly pulled Ike back into the shed, sitting him up against the wall as she locked the shed. She got on her knee next to him, and quickly took off his shirt, before grabbing one of the bags. She quickly went through the bag, pulling out a bottle of antibiotics, before looking back at Ike. She knew the antibiotics were only going to ease the pain-- and she had to get something to fix him up... or he'll die.

Credits

 * Kelly Gay
 * Ike Dennis
 * Eli
 * Ben
 * Homless Guy