Nightmares and Daydreams- A L4D fanfiction

Now, I know it ain't really the time 'er the place for it, bein' the apocalypse an' all, but I like ta' daydream when I can. I can't really do it that often, seein' that we're always runnin' fer' our lives and all that, but it's nice ta' do it when ya' can.

'A course, sometimes ya' should really be focusin' on other things. Like this one time, me and my buddy Keith were testin' out the car we just fixed up at Dave's shop, and man, did that thing go fast! Keith's usually a purty good driver, but when he started goin' on and on about entering this beauty into NASCAR, he wasn't really payin' attention to the road, so here I am tryin' ta' get 'im ta' snap out of it and he ain't listenin' ta' me, and wouldn't you know it, Keith went and crashed that thing right into the side of a tree! Aw man, I don't know how I managed to get outta that mess with only a few scrapes and bruises. Keith ended up breakin' 80% of the bones in his body!

See, that's why you should pay attention when ya' have ta'. That's how ya' kin' end up hurtin' somethin' bad and let me tell you, ya' don't exactly want ta' hear Nick hollerin' at ya' about havin' yer' head in the clouds, and ya' certainly don't want the girl of yer' dreams fussin' over ya', even if she does get real close ta' ya' and ya' can smell a little bit of her shampoo, even though she hasn't bathed in a few weeks-

Uh…I'm startin' ta' ramble here, ain't I?

Right now, I'm just walkin' along, mindin' my own business like I usually do. Nick and Francis are arguin' over nothin' of real importance (I think they just like ta' get on each other's nerves 'cause their ain't much else to do) and everyone else is just keepin' an eye out, lookin' out fer' them zombies and killin' 'em whenever they get too close.

I ain't gonna lie, I kinda feel bad for the zombies sometimes. I mean, sure, it's real cool and all bein' in a zombie apocalypse and all that, but it's a damn shame that they ain't really alive anymore. I don't like ta' think about that too much, 'cause whether I feel sorry fer' 'em or not, they're still trying ta' eat my brains (Nick always says I don't have any, which just ain't a very nice thing ta' say at all) and I kind of like livin' and all that.

Anyways, I guess since that there aren't any zombies around that I can see, it might be alright for me ta' indulge in a fantasy or two. They aren't bad 'er nothin', they're just kinda embarassin' is all!

I can't really help it though. Everytime I see that angelic face of hers, my heart starts beatin' fast and whenever she speaks ta' me with that beautiful voice, my tongue kinda swells up inside my mouth and it takes everythin' I got just to say a few words backs to her.

Now, I know what cha' might be thinkin': this is just some southern boy's puppy crush on a pretty girl. Well, that's what everybody thinks, even Ro' girl, though she don't make fun of me as much about it as Nick and Coach do. Since the very first time I saw her, I knew I was in love. Even a month later, my feelings fer' her have only gotten stronger and there ain't a single thing I'd rather do more than to have her be mine for the rest of our lives.

(I'm talkin' about Zoey here, just in case ya' hadn't figured it out already).

I mean, how could ya' not love her? Nick don't really like her that much, but in his defense, he is getting' kinda old and I'm sure his eyes and brain aren't as good as they used ta' be, but don't tell him I said that, 'cause he's still purty scary when he's mad.

She's got these eyes that are just always sparklin' like stars in the country sky and this skin that looks so soft that it takes a lot of will power ta' not just go and run my fingers along it. Zoey ain't just a looker though (though she still is the most beautiful girl I ever laid my sights on); she's funny and smart and caring and she's just the coolest person I've ever met in my entire life! Did you know she managed to eat 5 tubs of popcorn during a midnight showing of Creature of the Black Lagoon and she didn't throw up a single cornel? If that ain't as cool as drivin' in Jimmy Gibbs Jr's stock car, then I don't know what is!

So a' course, I tend ta' think about…well, us when I git' the chance. Back when we met in Rayford and there was one of them cryin' girls with a wedding dress on by this fancy gazebo that was decorated, the first thing I thought of was about askin' Zoey ta' marry me. I know, I know, it's jumpin' the gun a little bit, but when you come across the most perfect girl in the universe, ya' gotta get ta' her before someone else does! I still think about it to this day.

God, can you even imagine it? Me standin' at the front of the alter, Nick holdin' the rings and Coach presidin' over us. Louis would be Zoey's best man and then Ro would walk down with Francis and then there she is, glidin' in slow motion over ta' me. Her hair's still a little frizzy from fightin' off the zombies and there's still mud stuck to the bottom of her shoes and blood still stained on her clothes and I don't even notice because I love her so god-damn much that she'll look beautiful ta' me no matter what.

And then she's right here next ta' me, lookin' at me with those gorgeous green eyes of her's like I'm the only other person in the world. She's smilin' at me with a smile that I know's only reserved for me and I can't even hear a word Coach is sayin' because right now, it's just me and my Zoey standin' next ta' each other.

She laughs at my goofy grin when Coach has to repeat my vows for the third time because I've been starin' at her too much. I say the words I've always wanted to say to her with everything I've got and she does the same ta' me and then all of a sudden Coach pronounces us man and wife and I'm picking her up and spinning her around because I'm so happy and then she's kissin' me! Me! And then I knew that no matter what happened, I was goin' to give my life to Mrs. Zoey Kinski McKinney because she was my life now.

Except now I'm on the hard concrete that was below me and there's a Hunter ripping into my chest that I can't seem ta' get it offa' me! I'm reachin' for my pistol with one hand and tryin' ta' keep this damn thing away from my heart and my ears are ringin' but I kin' still here someone screamin' my name at the top of their lungs and everythin' is getting' real fuzzy. I'm blockin' out the pain that's comin' from the same place that the blood is gushin' out because I know that it'll kill me if I give into it like I almost did the first time a Hunter pounced on me.

Then there's just dead weight on top 'a me. I manage ta' git it offa' me, but getting' back up on my feet is a little more difficult ta' do. But she's here right next ta' me and her touch is reassurin' me that I'm alive and she's here with me and that's all I need ta' git' my strength back.

Louis is on the other side of me, helpin' Zoey shoulder my weight since I can't exactly walk a straight line. My blood musta attracted a horde because there are zombies everywhere, and I mean everywhere! They're smashin' through shop windows and sprintin' out of alleyways and I automatically go ta' reach fer my ax or gun or anythin' ta' help, but Zoey's cracked voice is tellin' me to just focus on not losin' blood and how in the heck can I say no ta' her?

I'm goin' in and out of consciousness. I know that can't really be a good sign. I haven't been hurt this bad since that Tank managed to fling me a good 15 feet and my ribs were bruised somethin' fierce. When I can focus enough on what's goin' on, I see a safe room ahead of us. I see a Smoker grabbin' onto Francis and Rochelle's tryin' ta' cut him loose while Nick is sendin' all of the surroundin' zombies to their deaths. Coach is plowin' through and I can't help but admire the angel that's watchin' over me fightin' this horde with only one hand.

I knew there was a reason why I love her so much.

I guess I musta blacked out after that 'cause when I wake up, I'm not really sure where I am. It's real dark and eerily quiet and when I try ta' get up from off this mattress on the floor, there's a hand pushin' me back down. Then it's bright all of a sudden and my eyes are hollerin' in pain as they adjust ta' the light.

And lo and behold, there's Zoey face lookin' down at mine.

"You really got yourself into a mess there, didn't you, El?" she's smilin'at me, but I kin tell she's worried. Her voice is quiverin' too much and that's what gives her away. I hate seein' her like this, though. Don't get me wrong, I can't even believe she's worried about me and takin' care of me and I'm really hopin' I'm not day dreamin' right now, but I can't stand to see her look so…frail.

"T'ain't nothin' I can't handle, Ms. Zoey," that nickname always manages to get a real smile outta her. Her laugh is like church bells ringing and I wanna just lay back down and drown in that sound, but I guess thinkin' about weddings is what got me all broken up in the first place, ain't it?

"I told you to stop calling me that ages ago! Did your ears get a little messed up while you were down and out?" she says ta' me.

"Well I'll stop callin' ya' that when it stops cheerin' ya' up so much," I find it amazin' that I can actually get in the last word when we have our 'fights' like this, especially after ya' get used ta' Nick beatin' ya' to the punch. "How long was I out fer'?"

"A few hours. Coach managed to clear us a path to the safe house and Louis managed to pull off the mattress from the pull out couch and move it in here. We figured it'd be better for you be away from all the noise. Lucky that we managed to find a safe house with a spare room in it," she said with a relived sigh.

I'm tryin' to get my heart ta' stop racin' so fast because I still can't git' over the fact that was was worried about me. She cared about me and even if it wasn't in the way I cared about her, I didn't care because SHE LIKED ME in some way, and that's all that matters ta' me!

I try ta' git' myself ta' sit up, but I'm still a little too weak ta' do it by myself. Zoey hands are guidin' my shoulder and head to lean against the back wall where my bed is layin' and I savour the feelin' of her hands on me. I'm burnin' up all over the place; I'm real worried that she's gonna notice me actin' weirder than I usually do when I'm around her. She hasn't yet, but there's no point in jinxin' it, right?

Instead of backin' away from me, she crawls next to me and takes my hand in her own and man, oh man, I know I'm caught, there's no way she can't notice how red I am, but she's holdin' my hand and even though I'm still achin' from that Hunter attack, I'm pretty sure this day is better than when I got to drive Jimmy Gibb's stock car out of that mall!

My guardian angel speaks to me while looking straight ahead, pretendin' like she ain't doin' anythin' outta the ordinary by makin' me have a heart attack. "I was really worried about you, you know. Next time you decide you wanna go off into la-la land, give me a heads up so I can keep an eye on you!"

She turns all of a sudden and taps me on the arm with her fist. I start laughin' because she's just so gosh dang wonderful and do ya' even see how easy it is to love her? Even though I'm pretty sure I just almost kicked the bucket, she was still able ta' remind me that I was alive and then she starts laughin' and we're just laughin' ta'gether and I really wish that I had the courage ta' tell her how much I absolutely love her, but it ain't the time right now. I need ta' be sure that she feels somethin' towards me because I couldn't bare havin' things be awkward between us and have ta' miss these kind 'a moments with her.

So when Zoey, my Zoey, gets real quiet fer' a second and then reaches up and kisses me right on the side of my mouth, I'm purty sure I'm either gonna melt into a pile of mush or take her in my arms and kiss her till the cows come home and show her how much she means ta' me!

I'm not gonna do any of those things, of course. She gets up too fast and leaves me with my head swimmin'. Before she goes out the door, she smiles this weird smile at me, and fer' a minute, it looks like the one in my day dreams, the one that's her gift to me and only me, but then she's tellin' me "Sweet dreams, and don't die in your sleep, or so help me God, I will resurrect your ass like some weird cult member and then I will kill you again!" and then she's gone and I'm all alone.

I'm really fightin' off the urge ta' call her back in and let her know that I'm about ta' go back into la-la land because after everything that's just happened, because I'm purty sure I'm gonna be dreamin' about our wedding, honeymoon, anniversary, birth of our children, and grandchildren for at least a week.

But ya' ain't got ta' tell her that.