After I lit the final candle I rushed to his side.

“Holy shit.” I breathed, squeezing myself between him and the window in a gaze.

Tony’s body tensed when my butt brushed against his mid section. I ignored it though, and continued to watch outside. Zombies...2 of them... scrounging around outside by the car. My eyes squinted and I moved completely up against the window...intrigued. A part of me became fiery with anger as the zombies rummaged through the car we came in.

“Assholes...” I muttered to myself.

Yeah, I knew they had no idea what they were doing. They were brain dead morons, but it was their fault we were in this situation in the first place.

“Hey.”

Tony’s voice flowed softly through my ear drums as he got closer to me and put his hand on my shoulder. Goosebumps arose across every square inch of my body. I turned around slowly and let my eyes trace his arms...chest...neck...until they met with his once again. We paused for a minute, eyes locked, until finally I couldn’t take it anymore and I broke it by pushing past him to get to the table where the candles sat.
I sat down on the couch and pretended to be interested in the flames that danced calmly atop the white wax. For some reason they relaxed me, my body feeling like it could just sink into the soft cushions around me. The silence that took over had engulfed me putting me in a zone.

“Lila..?”

His voice seemed like a boom of thunder to me making me jump abruptly. I remained silent and let my thoughts speak to me instead.

“Will you just talk to me?” Tony pleaded with a touch of anger as he sat next to me.

Here I had my chance to finally talk to a guy I had always wanted to but for some reason I couldn’t find the words. It was all just too much, too surreal. Stuff like this doesn’t happen, stuff like this SHOULDN’T happen and yet here I was sitting in my cabin alone with Tony Perry during a zombie apocalypse. No, I can’t handle this.

“I was 18.” Suddenly my mouth had filled with the words that my thoughts raced with. “My friend was having a party and my sister and I had gone together me being the DD.”

I could feel Tony shift closer to me as he listened intently.

“It was the party of the year, one of the biggest I had ever been to. I tried my hardest not to drink, but everyone just kept shoving them in my face so I had no choice. Well I did but I was too stupid to pick the right one.”

A chill hit my body and I shook a bit at the thought of what part of the story came next.

“It was getting late, and Jes decided she wanted to go. I lied to her and told her I was fine to drive because I didn’t really feel like crashing on the floor, or couch. We said our goodbyes and set out on our way home. I wasn’t fine though I was beyond lit but still I was sure I could drive. At first it wasn’t bad I was doing good going the speed limit and all. Then I...I don’t know what happened all I ‘remember’ was my vision going black screaming and the smell of smoke and...” I had to pause to choke back the tears. “Death.”

The pain of the memory was just too much, and I couldn’t let Tony see me cry yet again. So instead I ran, I ran through the hall and up the stairs to the bathroom, trapping myself inside. Seconds later I heard footsteps, slow creeping footsteps that soon stopped in front of the door.

“Tony.” I cried. “Please just leave me alone, I don’t wanna talk anymore it was stupid of me to even start that story.”

He didn’t say anything but I could still feel his presence by the door.

“Just go away.” I urged again with a bit more rage.

Still nothing was said and still he stayed planted outside the door. My anger kicked in and I pushed myself up off the floor and to the door swinging it open wild with frustration.

“Tony please just go a-..” My words got stuck in my throat making it hard to breathe.

Before I even had a chance to move or process what was going on a strong force took my entire body to the floor. Rapid growls and gurgles rushed through my ears as my hands met with a warm sticky material that hovered above me. A zombie wrestled with me trying its hardest to get to my flesh.

“TONY!” I screamed finally getting it out of my throat. “HELP!”

The zombie lurched forward snapping its jaws in my face covering it with retched spit.

“Get off of me.” I cried trying to push it away. “Tony, please!”

My arms began to grow weak and cave beneath the weight and power of the fowl creature. Its face grew closer and closer to mine making my head light from the stench that protruded from its mouth and rotting skin. I felt my eyes begin to flutter as I neared a black abyss and a sharp pain hit my cheek. This is it...I’m done.