"RRRRAAUGGHHHHHHHH!" The green body's unpleasant screeches as I ran with stiff legs. This morning when. Was getting ready for breakfast trying to catch fish,  I found myself surrounded by couple, no hundreds of zombies around me staring with their creepy pair of eyes. This time my sword was in reach but I knew I wouldn't stand a chance against them. 

Now, I'm running wild in the jungle while thorn and spiky leaves cutting my skin and clothes. I wished to keep the stream in my sight but it turned out that zombies have better chance in winning with fresh water source nearby. Whenever they get dehydrated, they just dip their body's in the water and revive with while energy. I'm pretty sure none of the text books said about this.

No matter how much I used my brain to plan an survival route, I was about to die. Zombies are slow with their feet walking very weirdly, but they started to throw each other's body part to me and their thrown arms are reaching for my ankle's. Also they have bad stench of raw meat that makes me dizzy and about to throw up.

I wished Luna Chambers will appear out of nowhere her swords up high and ready to strike hundreds of zombies. But she didn't. All I can wish for is a miracle to live. 

Suddenly, a car zoomed out of nowhere and divided me and the zombies apart. It was a flashy red truck that looked brand new and cool. I peeked Who was driving the car and saw a human shadow in there. I raised my hopes up and quickly got inside the car for protection and slamming the door shut as fast as I can. (Though, an arm of an zombie was there so I accidentally cutter it)

The car rumbled it's strong mighty engine and rumbled away from the monsters. I still couldn't catch every bit of detail who the driver was except for his blond hair.

"Thanks for saving me. Name's Cameron, call me Cam. And you?" I asked casually trying to sound cool. The driver turned his head around; my heart sank.

"Hi! I'm Harley! Nice to meet you Cam!" Seeing him, oh how much he sunk my heart from hope! Harley was a guy who would be a cuddly, but unpopular guy from school. He was chubby with skinny smiling eyes and a shining face. I imagined him to be more like a guy who's popular with an handsome smile a guy who would fit to have a name Jason or something. 

"Oh, uh, hi." I tried to hide my disappointed tone from him. But it was just, I thought he would have a heretic face on. To be honest I can't say anything about him comparing with me. I am ugly and definitely not casual. Sigh to myself.

"You better be careful next time. Zombies attack with swarms so if's always hard to fight them off. The best way is to launch fire." Harley explained his sunshine smile still on. He was nice and friendly unlike the other life saver Luna.

I admit my cautious was off after I got in the car and Harley used his truck to escape.

"RRRRAAUGGHHHHHHHH!" The swarms of zombie was close, an few inch closer to the truck. I gave an high pitched scream when one of the zombies broke the back window as few body parts started to creep in. The car door was not a available escaping route due to zombies right next to it.

"Oh no, our brain is going to get eaten!" Harley screamed and sobbed. I screamed and sobbed with him to. My survival days were about to be over in two days. Luna was right, I wouldn't survive either way.

When the two boys almost lost their hopes and brains, a yowl shook the clearing as a purple blob swooshed in the middle of zombies. Luna Chambers have appeared to save my day once more. 

Luna sliced two zombies at a time that were aiming for her brain. She sliced multiple zombie heads as raw meat was shown. But disgust never stopped her down as she chopped more and more, as all the zombies fell down limp. "Haley rumble the engines!" She screamed as the chubby boy did. Luna jumped onto the car roof as the truck zoomed out from the creepy monsters.

"Thanks Lulu!" Harley thanked with his full sunshine smile. Lulu? I never thought the fierce princess will ever let a person say her name like that.

"No problem. Why is he here." Luna returned to her harsh cold tone glaring at me. I avoided to meet her icy blue gaze.

"He was in danger so I saved him." Harley smiled wiping off small spots of blood from his wide sports pants that fitted perfectly for him. Luna scowled,

"He's worthless to save. He's a weakling who doesn't deserve help anymore." She spat her swords raised ready to strike my throat again. "He will just die in the Trials of Death. Why risk yourself to save him?"

Harley never broke his smile and answered nicely. "Cam is still new here from what I saw. He deserves at least a bit knowledge and skills." I almost cried by Harley's words. I felt ashamed of myself for not being thankful just because of his looks. This guy risked his own life to save me from the monsters just because of his kind gentle heart.

"Fine. But next time he almost leads me or you to death, I'll kill him myself!" Luna growled. But what surprised me that the stubborn girl agreed to help me survive. What kind of skills does Harley have to make even King Enzo's daughter respect his opinion?

"C'mon, we'll take you to our camp. You'll meet few people who are like you." Harley nudged me to a tree that had a small whole in it. It was perfect for a home for tigers, but not big enough to be a hole for a human camp.

I glanced at Harley, he smiled. Than Luna, she glared and gave a thumbs down. I took a deep breath and went into the tree  trusting the chubby boy. I took two steps and found myself—in a palace.

There were at least a hundred kids in the palace. The palace shine in silver and had big jewelry decorated around. It was beautiful, it was almost hard that this was a place in the Island of Destiny.

"Great isn't it? But look at everyone." Harley said. My eyes wondered around reading each kids expression. They were—sad. But why?

"This palace is where the Trials of Death is held. The ones who have just began their survival journey come here to learn what is happening. And this is where you will learn how to survive in the wild of monsters, except for the Trials of Death of course."

"I don't get it." I shook my head puzzled. "Doesn't King Enzo and his followers and the Shadow Hunters want to kill us? Why are they going to show how to live?" I asked still looking at the desperate faces of everyone. 

Harley stopped his sunshine and put on a concerned strict face. "I don't know. No one knows. They just provide you what wisdom you will need to fight for three days. And afterwards, they send you to the trial." This was getting very confusing now. I thought King Enzo wants to test our worth, and get rid of the unwanted. 

"But," The chubby guy went on, "You don't have to take the lessons now. You don't even have to. The things they taught you is worth something, and it isn't a sneaky trick. People survive even though they took the education." I glanced at Luna, she must know something as a daughter of the king.

"I don't know either." Luna answered coolly after reading my mind. "Father never tells me these. Perhaps the Island of Destiny has a back side to it." She said with wistful words unlike normal eight year olds.

"An back side?" I asked puzzled. King Enzo's unknown teaching, the Trials of Death, what is on the king of Billicor's mind?

"Another test, perhaps my father wants to seek more than just our skills. Though, it's just my estimate." Luna answered with sorrow far eyes. Her eyes glimmered in the sunlight and her purple haired swayed by the wind. 

"Well what do you think Cam? Do you want to stay here? I never attended but it's rumored a great place." Harley asked his eyes curious. I shook my head, there was something about here that unease me. Every one's eyes, they weren't just desperate because of their harsh journey, there was something more.

"Okay. Well I'm better off to find a shelter for tonight. You coming Lulu?" Harley asked as he waved good bye to me. I spoke words without thinking. Maybe it just was my cowardice, but I wanted to go with them. 

"Please, can, can I go with you?" I asked nervously shuffling my feet closer.

"Sure! Right Lulu?" Harley replayed first with his sunshine smile. Luna growled as an reply as I bounded to them. The sun shined bright, as my journey with them started out.

Sorry for the short chapter. But I hope to put some cool actions on the next one. 

Something I learned about being an writer; you can't make every character perfect like an model. That's why the chubby (not fat, call him chubby) Harley exists. I kind of made him like the guy who sits next to me in . Whenever I tell (maybe order I dunno) him to put up my stuff, he does it.