UFSW Hunger Games/Issue 5

This is a preview of the UFSW Hunger Games Issue 5. This issue is written by Walkerbait22.

Issue 5
Ash Bolio rummages through crates upon crates in the back of some decrepit store, finding nothing of use. In the next room over, PJ Shamp does the same. Ash sighs and kicks one of the crates in frustration.

"PJ!" he calls. "Whatcha find?"

"Uh..." PJ starts, "Got a coloring book. Maybe Darla will want it, if we ever get back. And...a CD. An instruction booklet on how to play the flute. An old magaz--"

"Anything we can use?"

"Nope."

"Fuckin' great," Ash says, leaving the back supply closet and meeting PJ near the front of the store. Ash eyes the bat PJ holds, the only viable weapon they've come across. It has a few fresh blood stains on the tip, a consequence of the biters that were unfortunate enough to get in their way. Ash holds his hand out, and PJ raises his eyesbrows.

"What?" PJ asks.

"Bat," Ash says simply.

"That's not how you ask."

Ash smirks and snatches it from him before he can react. "I'm in charge, I kill the biters, you stay behind me. Yeah?"

"Where are we going?"

"Not sure exactly. Best to stay outta sight, as long as all we've got is this bat. We'll check a few more shops, but after that we should probably check out for the day. Board up a store or somethin'."

"Planning on eating?"

"If you can find some food. But we can survive a day without--" He's had his senses on high alert all day, and at the sound of voices his mouth snaps shut. They're a man and a woman, and from what he can tell, they're approaching from the left side of the street. Ash puts a finger to his lips to shush PJ, then points with his thumb to the counter directly behind them. PJ jumps over first, then him, and they crouch to keep themselves out of view. They listen intently to the conversation between the strangers. It's heated, something about a kid.

"Conner, I know you want to...avenge Ash. But that guy is one out of 45 others that we have to worry about. 45 others that might not hesitate to shoot us in the head," Kim says, walking briskly to his right. He lets her words go through one ear and out the other.

"I am not letting that tattooed fuck get away with throwing a ten year old to the damn infected!" Conner says a little louder than he intended. Realizing he can attract attention, he lowers his voice. "If I kill only one person, I want it to be him."

Kim stops him in front of the store, glaring at Conner. Thinking of a way to make him see reason. "So you want to risk your life for person? He could be dead already, Conner."

"What I want is to make sure that fucker doesn't get away with what he did. And I won't let him." Conner nods, making sure she understands, but she just rolls her eyes.

"Why do I even try?" she says, walking past him and to the front doors of the store. Ash curses to himself when he hears the door open. But Kim doesn't step in completely, but turns to look at Conner.

"Aren't you hungry? Or, in your rage-filled quest for revenge, did you forget we have to eat?" she says, but decides it may have been a little too harsh. He doesn't admit it, but she knows Ash meant a lot to him. More than she could probably ever imagine.

Conner reluctantly follows her inside, and behind the counter, Ash and PJ share a nervous glance. "Should we--" PJ whispers, but Ash shushes him again. He tightens his grip on the bat, and takes a quick peek above the counter. The man--an older guy with an unkempt beard--and the woman--she's younger, with dark skin--search through shelves in silence. He can't see any guns on them, which he takes as a good sign and bad. If they have no firearms, it'll be harder for them to hurt him or PJ; but, if he's planning on being friendly and going at this fight to the death with two others, they may not be much help.

He ducks down quickly and gives PJ curt nod. Then he jumps up from behind the counter, bat raised in defense. "Hey," Ash says.

Conner and Kim jump back in surprise, his simple greeting such a contrast from his tense and hostile demeanor. "H-hey," Kim says. She notices the kid can't be more than 18, but by the look of that bat he isn't afraid to smash in a few heads or two. And the surprises keep coming, as from right next to him, an even younger boy appears from his hiding spot behind the counter, unarmed.

"Not looking to hurt you," Ash says. "Armed?"

"No," Conner says. "See you are."

"We really don't want any trouble," PJ says. "If--if there's forty other people out there, maybe we have a better chance doing this weird deathmatch thing together."

"We're gonna have to kill each other anyway, you know that, kid?" Conner comments.

"We know," Ash says. "But the longer we live, the better. And I'm the one with the bat." Kim actually cracks a smile, and Ash can instantly tell he’s succeeded.

Conner, though, finds himself torn between his two options. He knows better than most the threat of strangers. But these are two kids. Two kids with a bloody bat, and he’s not sure if that blood’s from the walkers...or something else. But then he remembers his kid, his son Joey, and the mistakes he made, the shitty values he instilled in his own child. Then, he disregards all of that, as he’s on a goal to be the last one standing in a fight to the death. All morals are thrown out the window at this point, and two more able bodies increase his chances of survival. And survival is what matters.

“Alright, smart ass,” Conner says. “You want to...team up? I’ll team up. What’re your names?”

“PJ,” PJ says first.

Slowly lowering his bat, Ash introduces himself. “Ash.” Ash furrows his eyebrows together, confused by the sudden change in Conner’s expression.

“Wow,” Conner mutters. “The fucking irony...”