Totally Cliche Action Story!

Jordan watched the cars pass, all of them driven by families or old folks. He wanted to find a car driven by a single person, preferably a teenager. Marlene was walking along the side of the road, when suddenly a teenage boy pulled over to the side in his Porsche 911 **don't ask**.

"Hey, what's a pretty thing like you doing out here all by yourself?" the boy asked, nodding to Marlene. Jordan was by her side in a heart beat, not wanting anything to happen.

"she's not alone," he said pointedly. "However, one of our friends is hurt, and we could use a ride to the nearest gas station. Could you give us a ride?"

"Um...sure. Can she sit next to me?" Jordan looked at Marlene hesitantly. She smiled a brave smile and he nodded.

"Don't worry, i won't let him so much as look at you funny," he promised.

"Thanks," Marlene said, smiling. "I'll be back."

She then turned, and made her way back towards Slade and Kathy, who were talking queitly.

"Guys! We've got a ride."

Kathy looked up. "With who?"

"Some creep," she said, her nose wrinkled in disgust. "But he said he'd take us to the nearest gas station."

"Yeah, that's safe." Slade snorted.

Marlene narrowed her eyes as Slade shook his head. "Well, right now, it's the only ride we've got, and it's definently better than walking. Unless you'd rather meet us there when you-"

"Guys!" Kathy sighed. "Please don't fight."

"Fine," Slade muttered. Marlene supressed a smirk. "Let's go."

Slade followed Marlene towards the car, Kathy still in his arms. Jordan waved them over.

"Ready?"

They nodded as the boy looked them over. "What's wrong with that one?"

Slade looked down, and tried to cover Kathy's wound as much as possible. The boy gave them a weird look, but opened the door. They got in without a word, and were silent as the boy started the car.

Marlene rubbed Kathy's arm, trying to be comforting. "It's going to be okay, Kathy."

Kathy was pulled into the back seat with Slade, she liked leaning against him, and he seemed content to pull her as close as he could. "Hurts," she moaned.

"It'll be okay," Slade whispered, "We'll figure out how to make it stop."

She moaned again and tried to pull herself closer, which was difficult concidering how close she already was. Slade rubbed his cheek against her hair, and she thought she heard him whisper something that sounded more like a prayer to god instead of a plea to her.

It happened so suddenly Kathy dimly wondered if the simple knowledge that she was dying a slow and painful death that made all the walls she built around her heart crumbled. She loved him.

"So, you're not going to tell me what happened to her?" the boy asked, looking back at Kathy.

"No, we weren't planning on it," Slade answered simply. Jordan was silent, watching every move the boy made, and hoping that Marlene was ok sitting in the front with him. He watched as the boy's hand moved over, until it was resting on Marlene's arm. Marlene jerked her arm away, crossing them over her chest. The boy's hand continued to move, until it was resting on her leg.

"Hey, don't touch her!" Jordan snapped.

"Why don't you leave that up to her?" the boy snapped back.

"Don't touch me," Marlene said simply, grabbing the boys hand and placing it on his arm rest.

"Oh, come on baby, don't be like that," he said playfully, moving his arm so that it was around her shoulders.

"I said don't." she said, her voice shaking.

"You don't sound too sure."

"Hey, man, lay off," Slade said. Jordan had had enough. He reached up and grabbed the boys arm, twisting it back until they all heard the sickening crack. The boy began screaming in pain. Jordan jumped forward, practically sitting on teh boy, and began driving.

Kathy pulled her feet closer to herself when Marlene and Jordon shoved the creep into the back seat. Slade covered her arm with her sleeve but not before he saw Kathy's arms.

"Holy hell she's been bitten!" He shouted and threw himself as best he could at her. Slade pulled out his gun and pointed it at his forehead.

"Touch her and you die," he said flatly. He backed off.

"She's going to turn any minute and kill us all, is that what you want?"

"The process is slow," Kathy almost whispered, "and painful," she cringed.

"So we have time to find a cure," Marlene said from up front having turned to watch them.

The guy turned straight and pressed himself as close to the door as he could.

"Slade," Kathy whispered, darkness threatening to take her again, "If we don't find a cure in time I want-"

"Don't talk like that," Slade ordered, "you'll make it, we'll find a cure."

"Don't let me hurt you," she almost cried. She only managed to say I love you before darkness took her.

Jordan drove at least ten over the speed limit most of the way, until the finally came to the gas station. He pulled up into a parking space, and Marlene, Kathy and Slade got out. The boy who owned the truck didn't move.

"Are you ok?" Jordan asked, giving Marlene a tight hug.

"Yeah...I'm fine...stupid bastard," Marlene said. Jordan went over to the back of hte truck and opened the door. He grabbed the boy by the collar of the shirt.

"You never saw us. You borke your arm in some sort of freak accident. I don't care if you tripped and landed wrong, or what, but no one else touched you. Understood?" The boy nodded, afraid to speak. "And if I ever meet you again, and find out that you've touched a girl that sweet after she told you not to, the result will be ten times worse. Understood?" The boy nodded again. "Good. Then you can be on your way." Jordan let the boy go, and walked over to the others. "What next?"

Kathy slowly woke up when she was pulled out of the truck, her stomache clenched painfully with hunger. "I'm hungry," she said weakly as he eyes opened, "is anybody else hungry?"

Marlene and Jordan agreed that they were also hungry. Slade sat Kathy on the hood of an abondoned car while they went inside to get some munchies. She sat there half way up and half way down fighting to remain concious. She remembered what she had said to Slade right before she lost conciousness last time, but she didn't know what he had said either.

*I'm being kicked off by a whiney sister, and I don't know what else to put ^.^*

"Find anything?" Jordan called out to Marlene from where he sat on the hood of the car.

Marlene didn't answer right away as she continued searching. There was barely anything in the car at all, almost like nobody had driven it for years. Opening up the comparment, she finally found what she was looking for.

"I got it!"

She climbed out of the car, closing the door behind her, and sat next to Jordan. He helped her unfold it as they both looked it over.

"Okay," Marlene said. "We should probably take this exit, and then take this highway. We can probably drive it for awhile. We're still headed toward Canada, right?"

She stopped tracing her finger along the map in order to look at him. He was staring at her, smiling.

"What?" she asked.

Before he could answer, Kathy and Slade came back, their arms full of food.

"You guys ready?"

Jordan offered to drive, and they were on their way. Marlene sat next to him in the passenger seat, while Kathy and Slade sat in the back. They ate as they drove, as to not waste time.

Jordan turned the radio on, keeping it quiet as to not wake anyone. Marlene was curled up in the seat next to him, sleeping. She looked so angelic, and so beautiful. He reached over and ran a finger lightly over her cheek. If only he had the guts to tell her how he felt...

Kathy felt a fimaliar wave of sleep come over her, similar to when she had been bitten. She leaned against Slade and let it take her, "I love you." She whispered moments before sleep took her. She couldn't be quite sure but she thought she felt him nuzzle her hair and say he loved her back.

When she woke, it wasn't willingly, she would much rather have stayed asleep. But somebody banging on the window and shouting her name. She opened her eyes to find herself the only one in the car, where was everyone else? She looked out the window and saw Slade trying to open the door. She sat up and let him in.

"What's going on?" She murmered, still almost asleep.

"Help me unlock the front doors," he said shutting his. Obidiently she unlocked the drivers side door and Jordon came in. Marlene struggled for a moment-getting her foot caught in the seatbelt-but managed to manuver herself inside.

"What's going on?"

"Look the doors," Slade said. "Drive!"

Before anyone else could say anything, Jordan, who was driving, pressed down on the petal and took off. Marlene quickly put on her seatbelt.

"What the hell is going on?" Kathy said forcefully.

Marlene turned from where she was sitting in the front seat, her face worried. "Zombies, I think. I barely had time to see it before Slade came running at me , telling me to get inside the car."

Jordan slammed his door shut, locking it quickly.

"Dang it..." he muttered.

"What?" Kathy asked quietly from the back.

"Nothing."

"It's quite obviously something..." Marlene commented.

"Yeah, we jsut stopped at a gas station, and I still really have to pee. Being chased by zombies doesn't help much..." he shifted into reverse and backed up, hoping he was running over some walking dead hting in the process.

The same sickening hot/cold feeling came over Kathy and she snuggled closer to Slade. When the blackness would have come pain replaced it. Aching pain spread through her, so hard and painful that she withered with it.

Slade held her close, "what's wrong?"

"Hurts," she whimpered, "it hurts."

"What hurts?"

"Arms, legs, head, me," she pushed herself closer to him, "I think the change is faster than we thought." The pain stopped for a second, and she looked up at him, "when the time comes, I want it to be you to fire the gun."

"Where are we?" Marlene asked sleepily, opening her eyes and smiling at Jordan. He smiled back, loving the innocence in her eyes.

"I'm not sure...I think we're somewhere in Ohio."

"Ohio?"

"Yes, and heading north. We should be in Canada by tomorrow."

"You look tired. Would you like me to drive for while?"

"Are you sure you want to?"

"Of course, why wouldn't I?"

"Alright then. Next time we stop, you can drive."

"Ok."

"Where are we goign in Canada, anyway?"

Marlene laughed nervously, biting on her lip. "Um, I'm not sure. It just seemed like a good idea at the time. I'm hoping that the virus hasn't spread very far yet. If we keep going north, we might be able to escape it."

Jordan only nodded, and continued to drive.

Marlene smiled, and turned to look at Slade and Kathy, who were now sleeping peacefully. Feeling a yawn coming on herself, she snuggled closed to Jordan and fell asleep.