User blog:Ireithien/The Walking Jed - Chapter 6



Chapter 5

Malc and Ire jogged down the stairs, turned the corner, and found Theophilus standing over two dead walkers.

"I guess you didn't just conveniently find these lying here?" inquired Malc.

"Well, maybe," replied Flux, pulling a bolt out of a walker's head and placing it back into his crossbow. "Anyway, a bunch of dead walkers isn't what I wanted to show you."

A few moments later, Flux had led Ire and Malc down several hallways, up some stairs, and finally down more hallways, their trek ending at a vantage point looking at a LEGO store across the hall.

"And... what exactly is so interesting about a LEGO store, Flux?" Ire asked, incredulously.

"Not the LEGO, you dimwit. Look closer, maybe?"

Ire strained his eyes and looked in the room. Flashes of movement. He stared a moment longer, then tore his eyes away to look at Flux. "Walkers? Survivors?"

"Tell you one thing," said Flux, quickly, "only one way to find out!" He leaped up and ran towards the room. He stopped a few feet from the doorway, hoisted up his crossbow, and slowly walked in.

"Woah woah woah! Man, put the arrow contraption down!"

Flux spun to look at the source of the voice: a young man stood there. He wore a white t-shirt and tan cargo pants. His black hair was slicked back. Dirt crusted his forehead. The man's face twisted, and he turned away from Flux. "Shut up, will you! That's a crossbow, you... you... idiot!"

The man swiveled around to look at Flux. "Oh, you be quiet!... Ohhh, hello sir. How may we... I mean, I... help you?" He smiled and looked sweetly at Flux.

Malc and Ire burst into the room, weapons held high.

"This lunatic is taking me for a fool, acting like two people, man," said Flux, turning to Ire. "Shall we silence him?"

"No," replied Ire quickly. "Let's talk to him..."

"Hey, man. What's up?" continued Ire, calmly.

The man relaxed, and let out a breath. "You're so nice. Unlike Mr. Fancy Arrow Guy here." He gestured roughly at Flux. "Me an' Cay are just hidin' out here..."

"Cay? Who's that?" interrupted Malc.

"Just a friend," said the man evenly. "Name's Aok. People call me strange, but... I secretly think they're insane!" He giggled. "Cay, get out here! We have visitors!"

Aok looked at Ire apologetically. "She's a little hard of hearing, sometimes, don't you know." His voice dropped to a whisper, and Ire leaned in to catch what he was saying.

"It's because she's German." Aok straightened up as a young girl entered the room. She had short black hair, and wore jeans, also black. Her tennis shoes were faded and grimy, caked with dust. Her shirt, a faded red, still had the words "BIG RED" on it.

"Cay, this is Mr. Fancy Arrow Guy, and... actually, I don't know the names of the other two," said Aok.

"I'm Ire," said Ire. "This is Malc, and Flux, or Theophilus. We're just looking around this mall for some supplies... and we found you."

"Lucky for us you did," replied Cay. She stepped closer to Ire. "And, in case you haven't already figured it out... Aok? He's insane. Multiple personality disorder. Says he hears 'voices' in his head. Crazy."

She stepped back, and then looked over Malc and Flux, examining them both.

"You don't look like murderers, and we do need a little help..." Cay's voice trailed off. "Excellent. You'll do."

"We'll do... for... what, exactly?" asked Malc, more than a little suspiciously.

"Why, killing a horde of walkers for us so we can pillage a nearby chicken-themed restaurant for supplies! What else?" Aok said.

"Fun," murmured Flux.