FicWad

Really, how can they expect a single one of us to sleep tonight? My mind is racing, my heart is slamming, my head is pounding and my stomach is in knots. We have been ‘sleeping’ for what feels like hours now, yet I find myself staring at the bottom of Mikey’s bunk above mine, deep in thought. Visions of the walking corpse is playing like a broken record in my mind and I can’t stop thinking of the way his brains were expelled from his head, spraying behind him on the white linoleum. Doc’s sick smile as he released that final bullet had me wondering. Just how much does he enjoy this? But more importantly, how many zombies are being contained on this property?

Or better yet? Where are the keeping them?

“Fuck…” I mutter to myself as I roll over in bed for the hundredth time.

I can tell the other guys are having issues sleeping as well. I’ve heard a few sniffles throughout the room; though I’m positive a majority of them were from Mikey… A lot of sighing accompanied by nightmarish moans are amplified in the pitch black. There was no way they are keeping those diseased freaks on this property. All it takes is one escape and we are all screwed. Can you just imagine? Being trapped on an army base with flesh eating creatures chasing after you?

I shudder as the image really hits. Fuck this. Rolling out of bed, I quickly jump to my feet and reach out towards Mikey, the second my hands touch his chest, the kid jumps up from bed emitting the highest pitch screech I’ve ever heard in my life. I quickly jump back startled, ramming my back against the other bed. Lights all around us begin flicking on as Mikey continues screaming. I run back over to him ignoring the pain in my back and shove my hand over his mouth, trying to muffle the deafening screams. He looks up at me with a glint of terror hiding behind the tears.

“Ffronk?!” He screams, muffled behind the force of my hand.

“Yeah it’s fucking me! Who else would it be?! The goddamned boogey man?!” I slowly remove my hand as he stops screaming.

“OH I DON’T KNOW! HOW ABOUT A ZOMBIE?!”

A few people around us chuckle, still clearly pissed off they were woken, but soon turn their lights off and try to fall back into their restless slumber. I wait until the last of the lights click off before leaning in close to Mikey’s ear.

“When are we leaving?”

He pulls back in bed, stunned. “Leaving?”

“To go find your brother?”

“I uh well I um I don’t know…” He stutters.

“Don’t tell me you plan on staying here!” I whisper, a bit louder than I planned.

A door behind me slams open, bright light flooding into the room. I slowly turn around to find Jeremy towering in his doorway, anger dominant on his face.
“Iero seriously?! Can’t you chill the fuck out for one night?!” He shouts.

“Dude leave me the fuck alone.” I mumble, slowly pulling away from Mikey’s bed.

“Oh now you’re going to get fresh with me to?” He chuckles, walking in my direction. “You know, I got full say over your well being in this joint kid. You should learn to respect me a little more.”

I full on laugh in his face. “And just what are you thinking you can POSSIBLY do to even hurt me in the slightest bit?”

Jeremy extends his arm and roughly grabs the front of my shirt, pulling me in flush against his body. “Don’t tempt me Iero.”

“DO. IT.” I respond through gritted teeth.

I can feel Jeremy tense up as his fist slowly rises level to my face. I suck in a breath, grimacing, waiting for the painful connection to happen. As I slowly open my eyes I notice him lowering his fist before letting go of my shirt completely. He takes a step back, sucking in a deep breath.

“So not worth the effort.” He flat out says as he turns his back to head towards his room.

“I knew you were too much of a pussy to do shit.”

Before I can register another thought, Jeremy whips around and lands his fist dead square on my nose. I remember falling to the ground and wincing as my head hit the floor.

x

“Dude I thought you were going to die.”

I quickly open my eyes, begging them to adjust to the darkness. I instantly spot Mikey hanging over his bunk upside down staring at me, his glasses a fraction of an inch away from falling off his nose.

“What happened?” I moan, rubbing my temples to ease the throbbing headache.

He swiftly flips backwards stealthily landing on his feet. I gaze at him in wonder. Judging by the dark skies outside, it must still be super early in the morning. Nobody should be that coordinated this early.

"Well you pissed off Jeremy and he decked you one good." Mikey sits down next to me in the bed.

"What time is it?" I ask, suppressing a yawn as I sit up in bed.

"I don't know... There are no clocks around this place."

"I don't like it here Mikey. Not one bit." a cold chill hits my body and I shiver through it.

Mikey wraps his arm around me. I sigh against his shoulder. "Me neither Frank. Where you serious about ditching this place?"

"More than you can imagine kid."

I feel Mikey tense up to say something, but the whole room is flooded with bright fluorescent light. Jeremy's door opens and he walks in angrily, fully clothed and ready for the day.

"IT IS FIVE AM LADIES! TIME TO WAKE YOUR SORRY ASSES UP!!" Jeremy quickly begins walking down the row, kicking and hitting everyones bunk. "YOU HAVE THIRTY MINUTES TO DRESS OUT, EAT AND MAKE IT BACK HERE FOR ROOM INSPECTION!"

He spots Mikey comforting me on the bed and chuckles.

"And if you pansies miss breakfast, too fucking bad." Jeremy walks right up to Mikey and I and lingers. "so I advise getting going now." he swiftly reaches out and slaps my cheek before turning and leaving the room.

Everyone sluggishly crawls out of their beds, most still half dressed from the previous day. Mikey and myself included. We put on the finishing touches to our uniforms before lacing up our boots. We walk out shoulder to shoulder down the hall, following the mass of boys into the cafeteria. Not a single word is spoken while we all grab our trays and generic breakfast foods before sorting out to different tables. Mikey and I keep walking until we reach the last table and sit down facing each other.

He instantly grabs his apple, taking a large chunk out of the side.

"So when do you want to leave?" He asks through noisy chews, bits of apple falling onto the table.

I smile at him as I place some watery scrambled eggs into my mouth. "We really have to plan this out right if we want it to happen."

Mikey drops his stripped apple core and begins shoveling his eggs down his throat. He pauses only long enough to drink some orange juice before attacking his sausage. I laugh at his vacuum like eating habits.

"Dude you better calm down or you'll choke."

He breaks his gaze from his quickly disappearing plate to glare at me. He opens his mouth to retort but inhales a piece of sausage.. The morsel of food lodges in his throat and he begins coughing madly. I jump up from my seat and rush behind him, smacking him on the back. After a few good whacks, the troublesome meat flies out of his mouth and lands on the table.

"Thanks dude..." He says as he looks down at the table, clearly embarrassed.

"Yeah dont worry about it. Why were you eating like a mad man though?"

"Don't wanna be late for room inspection." He answers matter of factly.

"Oh come on. What's the worst that can happen?"

Mikey shrugs, clearly not wanting to find out.

x

I walk into the room rubbing my apple on my sleeve. Somehow I ended up the last person in the cafeteria and was eventually kicked out. I take a bite out of the red fruit stopping dead in my tracks as I spot everyone standing at attention staring back at me.

"Well well well. Mr. Iero." Jeremy says with a devilish grin as he walks up to me. "Should have known you'd be the slacker if the group as well as the idiot. What should your punishment be?"

I ignore his scare tactics and take another bite, making sure to chew loudly in his face.

"A dozen pushups?"

"Yeah good luck with that buddy." I scoff, sticking my half eaten apple in his hand.

Jeremy throws it angrily at my feet causing it to split into several different pieces. I jump at the harsh move, shrinking back as he advances on me.
"Do not make me hit you again Iero." Jeremy hisses through gritted teeth, just loud enough for the two of us to hear.

I glare at him trying to get a good read... "Fine... Fine!"

I reluctantly drop to all fours amongst the apple bits.

"We dont have all day Iero!"

With a deep sigh, I force myself into the dozen pushups. By the seventh one, my arms begin shaking. Two more and the burn becomes almost unbearable. After the twelfth one I collapse on the floor, shaking and trying desperately to catch my breath. Jeremy laughs loudly as he kicks me in the ribs.

"Well ladies. Thanks to Ieros little apple stunt, he just bought everyone double time on the field! You can thank him after psychical training." Everyone groans. "But now it's time for your first class! Everyone form a single file line outside the door."

I see a rush of feet past me, only one pair stopping in front of me. I look up at Mikey who extends an arm down for me. I grab it and let him pull me up.

"I hate you Frank." He says with a small smile.

I chuckle. "Sorry dude."

"Next time just keep your mouth shut, ok?"

"Ok. "

I follow Mikey into the hallway and we take our spot at the end of the line. We all begin walking single file to our first class. Now would be the perfect time to begin planning our escape route...